Family Tree Briggs » Matthew Briggs Deacon (1747-1824)

Données personnelles Matthew Briggs Deacon 

• Il est né le 16 janvier 1747 dans Dighton, Bristol, MA.Les sources 2, 4, 6, 9, 10
• Propriété: le 1797 - 1800 Matthew built a dam on the Segregansett River to support a Forge/Grist Mill complex, which remained in operation by the family for over 80 years., Segregansett River.
• Résidant:
• en l'an 1820: Dighton, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States.Source 11
• en l'an 1810: Dighton, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States.Source 7
• en l'an 1800: Dighton, Bristol, Massachusetts.Source 3
• en l'an 1790: Dighton, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States.Source 8
• Il est décédé le 13 août 1824 dans Dighton, Bristol, MA, il avait 77 ans.Les sources 2, 5, 9
• Il est enterré dans First Church of Dighton Cemetery.Les sources 2, 9
• Répartition des actifs le 9 mars 1824 naar Bristol, Massachusetts, Verenigde Staten.Source 5
• Un enfant de Matthew Briggs et Mary Pitts

Famille de Matthew Briggs Deacon

(1) Il est marié avec Celia Selah Reed.

Ils se sont mariés le 7 décembre 1783 à Dighton, Bristol, MA, il avait 36 ans.Source 10

Enfant(s):

1. Nancy Briggs  1786-1880
2. Mary Polly Briggs  1788-1858 
3. Henry Spencer Briggs  1790-1873 
4. Celia Briggs  1792-1794
5. Joseph Briggs  1795-1864 

(2) Il est marié avec Mercy Richmond.

Ils se sont mariés le 18 juin 1774 à Dighton, Bristol, MA, il avait 27 ans.

Enfant(s):

1. Deliverance Briggs  1775-1857 
2. Elizabeth Briggs  1778-????
3. Abigail Briggs  1781-1786
4. Matthew Briggs  1783-1845 

Notes par Matthew Briggs Deacon

19 Feb 2009. Photo by Doreen McGuirk
19 Feb 2009. Photo by Doreen McGuirk

Served in the Revolutionary War - there is a Sons of the American Revolution marker on his grave in the First Church Yard in Dighton, MA..
Revolutionary Service Record from the US National Archives:
Volume 1, page 516 - Briggs, Matthew, Dighton. Private, Capt. Elijah Walker's co., Col. Pope's (Bristol Co.) regt.; marched to Rhode Island on the alarm of Dec. 8, 1776; service, 9 days; roll sworn to at Taunton; also, Capt. James Briggs's co., Col. Freeman's regt.; marched from Dighton Oct. 2, 1777, on a secret expedition to Rhode Island; discharged Oct. 29, 1777, by Gen. Spencer; service, 29 days.
Volume 2, page 541 - Briggs, Matthew, Dighton. Private, Capt. Nathan Rowle's co., Col. John Jacobs's regt.; enlisted July 26, 1778; service, 6 mos. 4 days, at Rhode Island; enlistment to expire Jan. 1, 1779.
Battle of Rhode Island - Background:
With the signing of the Treaty of Alliance in February 1778, France formally entered the American Revolution on behalf of the United States.
Two months later, Vice Admiral Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing departed France with twelve ships of the line and around 4,000 men. Crossing the Atlantic, he intended to blockade the British fleet in Delaware Bay. Leaving European waters, he was pursued by a British squadron of thirteen ships of the line commanded by Vice Admiral John Byron. Arriving in early July, d'Estaing found that the British had abandoned Philadelphia and withdrawn to New York. Moving up the coast, the French ships assumed a position outside New York harbor and the French admiral contacted General George Washington who had established his headquarters at White Plains. As d'Estaing felt that his ships would be unable to cross the bar into to the harbor, the two commanders decided on joint strike against the British garrison at Newport, RI.
Battle of Rhode Island - Situation on Aquidneck Island:
Occupied by British forces since 1776, the garrison at Newport was led by Major General Sir Robert Pigot. Since that time, a standoff had ensued with British forces occupying the city and Aquidneck Island while the Americans held the mainland.
In March 1778, Congress appointed Major General John Sullivan to oversee the Continental Army's efforts in the area. Assessing the situation, Sullivan began stockpiling supplies with the goal of attacking the British that summer. These preparations were damaged in late May when Pigot conducted successful raids against Bristol and Warren. In mid-July, Sullivan received word from Washington to begin raising additional troops for a move against Newport. On the 24th, one of Washington's aides, Colonel John Laurens, arrived and informed Sullivan of d'Estaing's approach and that the city was to be the target of a combined operation.
To assist in the attack, Sullivan's command was soon augmented by brigades led by Brigadier Generals John Glover and James Varnum which had moved north under the guidance of the Marquis de Lafayette. Swiftly taking action, the call went out across New England for militia. Heartened by news of the French assistance, militia units from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire began arriving at Sullivan's camp swelling the American ranks to around 10,000. As preparations moved forward, Washington dispatched Major General Nathanael Greene, a native of Rhode Island, north to aid Sullivan. To the south, Pigot worked to improved Newport's defenses and was reinforced in mid-July. Sent north from New York by General Sir Henry Clinton and Vice Admiral Lord Richard Howe, these additional troops increased the garrison to around 6,700 men.
Battle of Rhode Island - The Franco-American Plan:
Arriving off Point Judith on July 29, d'Estaing met with the American commanders and the two sides began developing their plans for assaulting Newport. These called for Sullivan's army to cross from Tiverton to Aquidneck Island and advance south against British positions on Butts Hill. As this occurred, the French troops would disembark on Conanicut Island before crossing over to Aquidneck and cutting off the British forces facing Sullivan. This done, the combined army would move against Newport's defenses. Anticipating an allied attack, Pigot began withdrawing his forces back to the city and abandoned Butts Hill. On August 8, d'Estaing pushed his fleet into Newport harbor and began landing his force on Conanicut the next day. As the French were landing, Sullivan, seeing that Butts Hill was vacant, crossed over and occupied the high ground.
Battle of Rhode Island - The French Depart:
As French troops were going ashore, a force of eight ships of the line, led by Howe, appeared off Point Judith. Possessing a numerical advantage, and concerned that Howe could be reinforced, d'Estaing re-embarked his troops on August 10 and sailed out to battle the British. As the two fleets jockeyed for position, the weather quickly deteriorated scattering the warships and badly damaging several. While the French fleet regrouped off Delaware, Sullivan advanced on Newport and began siege operations on August 15. Five days later, d'Estaing returned and informed Sullivan that the fleet would be immediately departing for Boston to make repairs. Incensed, Sullivan, Greene, and Lafayette pleaded with the French admiral to remain, even for just two days to support an immediate attack. Though d'Estaing desired to assist them, he was overruled by his captains. Mysteriously, he proved unwilling to leave his ground forces which would be of little use in Boston.
The French actions provoked a flurry of irate and impolitic correspondence from Sullivan to other senior American leaders. In the ranks, d'Estaing's departure sparked outrage and led many of the militia to return home. As a result, Sullivan's ranks rapidly began to deplete. On August 24, he received word from Washington that the British were preparing a relief force for Newport. The threat of additional British troops arriving eliminated the possibility of conducting a protracted siege. As many of his officers felt a direct assault against Newport's defenses was unfeasible, Sullivan elected to order a withdraw north with the hope that it could be conducted in a way that would draw Pigot out from his works. On August 28, the last American troops departed the siege lines and retreated to a new defensive position at the northern end of the island.
Battle of Rhode Island - The Armies Meet:
Anchoring his line on Butts Hill, Sullivan's position looked south across a small valley to Turkey and Quaker Hills. These were occupied by advance units and overlooked the East and West Roads which ran south to Newport. Alerted to the American withdrawal, Pigot ordered two columns, led by General Friedrich Wilhelm von Lossberg and Major General Francis Smith, to push north to harry the enemy. While the former's Hessians moved up the West Road towards Turkey Hill, the latter's infantry marched up the East Road in the direction of Quaker Hill. On August 29, Smith's forces came under fire from Lieutenant Colonel Henry B. Livingston's command near Quaker Hill. Mounting a stiff defense, the Americans forced Smith to request reinforcements. As these arrived, Livingston was joined by Colonel Edward Wigglesworth’s regiment.
Renewing the attack, Smith began to push the Americans back. His efforts were aided by Hessian forces which flanked the enemy position. Falling back to the main American lines, Livingston and Wigglesworth's men passed through Glover's brigade. Probing forward, British troops came under artillery fire from Glover's position. After their initial attacks were turned back, Smith elected to hold his position rather than mount a full assault. To the west, von Lossberg's column engaged Laurens' men in front of Turkey Hill. Slowly pushing them back, the Hessians began to gain the heights. Though reinforced, Laurens was ultimately forced to fall back across the valley and passed through Greene's lines on the American right.
As the morning progressed, the Hessian efforts were aided by three British frigates that moved up the bay and began firing on the American lines. Shifting artillery, Greene, with assistance from American batteries on Bristol Neck, was able to force them to withdraw. Around 2:00 PM, von Lossberg began an assault on Greene's position but was thrown back. Mounting a series of counterattacks, Greene was able to regain some ground and compelled the Hessians to fall back to the top of Turkey Hill. Though fighting began to subside, an artillery duel continued into the evening.
Battle of Rhode Island - Aftermath:
The fighting cost Sullivan 30 killed, 138 wounded, and 44 missing, while Pigot's forces sustained 38 killed, 210 wounded, and 12 missing. On the night of August 30/31, American forces departed Aquidneck Island and moved to new positions at Tiverton and Bristol. Arriving at Boston, d'Estaing was met with a cool reception by the city's residents as they had learned of the French departure through Sullivan's irate letters. The situation was improved somewhat by Lafayette who had been sent north by the American commander in the hopes of securing the fleet's return. Though many in the leadership were angered by the French actions at Newport, Washington and Congress worked to calm passions with the goal of preserving the new alliance.
Sargent Matthew Briggs was assigned to Capt Fuller's Company during the battle of Rhode Island.
In the publication, "Sons of John Briggs of Taunton, Mass.", the beneficiaries of Mary Pitts Briggs will were Eliakim , described as a clothier; Matthew as a blacksmith; Henry (of Putney, Vt.) as a blacksmith; Darius as a joiner; Lemuel Williams of Granville, NY and Abigail, his wife; Thomas Read of Dighton and Mary, his wife; William Dryer, of Rehoboth and Deliverance, his wife.
History of Bristol County, Massachusetts: with biographical sketches ..., Part 1, edited by Duane Hamilton Hurd

"Mr. (Deacon Matthew) Briggs was a man of Falstaflian proportions, and almost of FalstufHau humor. He was quick at repartee, his eyes would twinkle under his round spectacles, and his rotund form would shake with laughter at anything that tickled his fancy. He was, withal, a skillful smith, and could make almost anything in his line from a horse-nail to a monkey-wrench. His forge being near the school-house, the boys used to find it a fascinating place of resort during recess, especially when the trip-hammer was in motion, sending horizontal showers of sparks from the white mass of metal it was beating into shape. Mr. Briggs was captain of the Second Company of Dighton militia from 1818 to 1822. His father's name was Matthew, and he was a seventh son; he also had seven sons, the youngest of whom ought, according to the old superstition about seventh son of seventh son, to be endowed with the gift of curing by touch the king's evil. Matthew Briggs' forge has long been torn down, the dam leveled, and the pond converted into a meadow."

Further, from the same publication:
"Period of the War of 1812.— Judging from the town records, the military history of Dighton during the war of 1812 might be as brief as the famous chapter on the snakes in Iceland, in the old history: "There are no snakes in Iceland." So there is no military history of the town during the last war with Great Britain to be found in the records. Many of the able-bodied citizens must have served in the Army and the Navy, but no statement is made of their number, nor are any of the names of the soldiers given. No doubt the people here, as elsewhere, had thought and talked a great deal about the long series of insults and aggressions we had endured from the mother-country, and which made reparation on her part the only alternative of war. The Federalists, with whom the war was not popular, were in a minority here.
"On the 19th of June, 1812, President Madison, urged on by the fiery zeal of his political advisers, issued his proclamation of war. On August 31st a town-meeting was held, at which it was voted to support the government of the United States in the war, and to pay each man drafted into the service five dollars a month, in addition to the government pay. At another meeting the men who went in defense of New Bedford, when that port was threatened with an attack from the enemy, were voted a like sum in addition to their pay from the State. This is all the information to be got from the town records in regard to the war of 1812. Nor are the names of the men who served in the war to be found among the archives at the Shite House. Inquiring at the adjutant-general's office, I was told that the old record books concerning the war of 1812 had been sent to Washington upon demand of the general government some years ago, and that the State authorities had never been able to get them back, although they had endeavored to do so. Dighton was represented in the roster of the Fourth Regiment, Second Brigade, at that time, by Senior-Maj. Abraham Briggs, who held the office until the disbandment of the regiment. Dighton then had three companies of militia, Ezekiel Francis being captain of the first company, Simeon Talbot of the second, and Hezakiah Anthony of the third. These companies were a part of the Fourth Regiment of the Second Brigade, Joseph E. Heed, of Troy (now Fall River), being the lieutenant-colonel commanding the regiment.
"At the conclusion of peace between the United States and Great Britain, the people of this town, Democrats as well as Federalists, no doubt rejoiced as heartily as the people of any part of the country, for the chief industry of the town after farming, the building of vessels, had been at a standstill while hostilities had lasted. Immediately after peace was declared the deserted ship-yards resounded with the ring of the carpenter's axe and the calker's mallet. Vessels were in great demand to fill the places of the nearly seventeen hundred destroyed or captured by the British cruisers during the war.

"During the progress of the war disputes and divisions between the north and south parts of the town had culminated in the secession of the north part, and its incorporation on I lie 8th of June, 1814, as the town of Wellington, named after the Iron Duke. The exact causes of the separation are not well known at the present time, but it is probable that matters relating to the ministry and the meeting-houses had sonic connection with the difficulties that led to the secession of the north part, and, possibly, political differences and disappointed politicians may have been among the causes. Two cotton-manufactories had recently been built at North Dighton, which had increased considerably the population and taxable property of that part of the town, and it was estimated that more than three-fifths of the population and property were on the Wellington side of the line. The men in the north part who engineered the bill for the new township through the Legislature, seem to have been shrewder in looking out for their own interests than their neighbors of the south part. The dividing line, after leaving the Segreganset River, a short distance above its mouth, followed the east and west roads most of the way to the Rehoboth line. In the act of incorporation the north side of the road is the dividing line, throwing the whole cost of keeping these roads in repair upon the town of Dighton. Then the paupers, of whom there were twenty, were divided equally between the two towns, which was unjust to Dighton, Wellington having more population and more property. The people of Dighton afterwards petitioned tbe Legislature to rectify these matters, but nothing came of the petition. The Buck Plain meeting-house, which had been used as a townhouse, was in Wellington, and the town-meetings of Dighton were now held in the school-house that stood a short distance east of the Lower Four Corners, and which was much too small for the purpose.1

"At the first town-inceting in Wellington, Gamaliel Church was chosen moderator; Joseph Gooding, town clerk; Thomas B. Richmond, Nathaniel Wheeler, and Nathaniel Pierce, selectmen; David Williams, Hezekiah Anthony, Matthew Briggs (2d), Ephraim Gooding, and Thomas Pierce, assessors; and Ephraim Gooding, town treasurer. Ninety-three votes were cast. By the division Dighton was left with only one selectman, Dr. William Wood.' At a town-meeting held soon after, Capt. Rufus Whitmarsh and Salathiel Jones was chosen to fill the vacancies. Ninetyfour votes were cast in the Dighton meeting. The people of Wellington did -not find that their condition and prospects were improved by being set off as a separate township. On the contrary, their taxes were increased, for they had now a set of town officers whose services must be paid for by themselves without the help of the people of Dighton. After about a dozen years' separation they were glad to give up their autonomy as a separate township and to resume business under the old name. The town was reunited to Dighton Feb. 22, 1826."

...

"A similar petition, signifying that Barkis was "willin'," was sent from Dighton, signed by Hodijah Baylies and fifty-four others. Among the town officers of Wellington during its brief existence were Joseph Gooding,1 Jonathan Jones, and Harvey Harnden, town clerks; Thomas B. Richmond, Nathaniel Wheeler, Gamaliel Church, Thomas S. Baylies, Nathaniel Pierce, Ephraim Gooding, George Walker, Peleg Francis, John Walker, Barnabas Crane,«b» Matthew Briggs«/b», Nehemiah Walker, Benjamin Trafton, and David Perry, selectmen. The representatives sent to the General Court were Nathaniel Wheeler, in 1816."

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