This historic battle, though little known outside the Granite State, was a seminal
event in New England’s progress toward the American Revolution. Ignited by Paul
Revere, hundreds of Seacoast New Hampshire men raided the armory of the British
King in an rare act of open treason – four months before Lexington and Concord.
READ: The Shot Not Heard Round the World
New traveled slowly in Colonial New England, but even though it was spread by
word of mouth, by letter and by well worn newspapers, it traveled in exorably.
Residents of Portsmouth were, after the passage of some weeks, as disgruntled
as those of Boston over the actions of Parliament. By the middle of December 1773,
they were excited over reports of the Boston Tea Party and were looking toward
1774 with apprehension.
Nevertheless, the first cargo of tea destined to bear the hated tax was unloaded
at Portsmouth without incident 'and locked in the customs house. A special town
meeting was called which requested, in the interests of the peace, that the chests
be reshipped to Halifax. Although this was done, Governor Wentworth kept officers
and magistrates on alert to suppress possible violence. A second cargo was also
rerouted to Nova Scotia, but the merchant who had ordered it felt the consequences
of a growing revolutionary spirit. The windows of his house were smashed by a
mob.
Tea Troubles
By May of 1774 the news on every one's lips was the closure of the port of Boston.
The Crown expected the "salt-water tea" to be paid for and the citizens of Boston
to show some evidence of general remorse. The New Hampshire Committee of Correspondence,
in a note which revealed its own stand on this paramount issue of the day, swore,
". . . ever (to) view your interests as our own." Obviously, Bostonians could
count on support from New Hampshire.
Governor Wentworth was aware of a radical shift both in public opinion and in
the makeup of the provincial assembly, and attempted to garrison Portsmouth's
only military post, Fort William and Mary in New Castle. In May, 1774 the assembly
voted to grant him 200 pounds for that purpose. No doubt he felt this grossly
inadequate, but an officer and three men were appointed to administer the fort
in the king's name-a less than formidable army with which to stave off revolution.
The Assembly, which did not appear intimidated by either the "army" at the fort
or the governor's ire, voted later in the same month to establish a second Committee
of Correspondence. The assemblymen were not dissuaded from their purpose by frequent
adjournments and "cooling off" periods forced upon them by Wentworth and the Rockingham
County sheriff. Dismissed from the assembly chamber for holding an illegal meeting,
they retired to a local tavern and in that congenial atmosphere made plans for
a Provincial Congress to be held at Exeter in July.
Aid To Boston
The Exeter meeting, unfettered by the trammels of royal intervention, recommended
that New Hampshire towns, on their own, send some sort of material aid to the
poor of Boston. This aid, which issued rapidly from the surrounding towns in bags,
barrels, coffers, and on the hoof, also included letters of moral support. The
meeting in Exeter provided proof, however seminal, that representative government
in New Hampshire was peacefully changing hands.
By December, 1774, news of additional parliamentary misdeeds had reached Portsmouth
both by messenger and through the New Hampshire Gazette, which told of the passage
of the Massachusetts Government Act the Quartering Act and the Quebec Act. It
was said that the king had imposed a secret embargo on the export of arms and
ammunition to his colonies. Moreover, patriots in Rhode Island had already seized
powder and shot from the royal garrison in Providence. What about Portsmouth?
Would there be troops and ships coming from Boston to keep the same thing from
happening there?
The answer came on the afternoon of December 13, 1774, when Paul Revere galloped
up the Old Boston Post Road into the city to deliver confirmation of the rumors.
Yes, it was thought that troops and ships were on their way, and yes, if the'
powder stored at William and Mary were not to remain in the king's hands, something
had better be done about it.
The Raid Begins
The way seemed appallingly clear. A few minutes before noon on December 14, a
drummer, his beats muffled by the falling snow, marched through the streets of
the city sounding the call that everyone recognized. Before long, he had collected
an entourage of more than two hundred men and boys.
At the fort, guarding the king's powder, were the defenders-Capt. Cochran and
five men. At about one o'clock, this tiny garrison received word that an angry
mob was on its way from town, growing larger as citizens from Rye and New Castle
hastened to join. By the time they reached the gates of the fort, the attackers
numbered more than 400.
At about three o'clock in the afternoon a few shots were exchanged, but no one
was injured. Before a second volley could be fired, the fort was overwhelmed,
and Cochran's band was in the hands of the attackers. Three huzzas were shouted
and the king's colors were lowered.
Cochran, though overwhelmed, showed no signs of allowing the keys to the powder
magazine to leave his possession. Substituting shoulders for keys, the attackers
broke down the door and were able to make off with 97 barrels of powder which
they loaded onto moses boats and gundalows for dispersal to the various surrounding
towns. The captain of the defenders wrote in his note to Governor Wentworth, "I
did all in my power to defend the fort, but all my efforts could not avail against
so great a number." With odds of four hundred to six, neither the governor nor
posterity could fault him.
Governor Wentworth, caught in an impossible situation, hastily requested ships
and troops from Boston. Obviously, he had need of help, for the next morning men
from the surrounding countryside began to pour into the city, lured by rumors
of the previous day's events. John Sullivan of Durham and his men surrounded the
state house and demanded information about possible reinforcements. "None were
expected," said Wentworth. The mob dispersed, only to reassemble later that evening
to remove remaining military stores from the fort. Again the trophies were loaded
at the river.
The powder was soon distributed. Kingston received 12 barrels, Epping 8, Poplin
(Fremont) 4, Nottingham 8, Brentwood 6, and Londonderry 1. Remaining stores were
distributed in Durham, which received 25 barrels, and in Exeter, where 29 barrels
were retained. Four barrels remained in Portsmouth. The precious dust was destined
for the powder flasks of the local militia units, the building blocks of the nascent
continental army. The powder and the power no longer belonged to King George III,
it was in the hands of the people. In New Hampshire, at least, the Revolution
had begun.
Originally published in "NH: Years of Revolution," Profiles Publications and
the NH Bicentennial Commision, 1976. First reprinted here 1997 by permission of
the authors and publisher.