History is all around us. Many times, very few even realize it is there. Below is one such forgotten piece of not just Rochester’s but of our country’s history as well. If you have ever walked through the older section of Rochester’s Center Cemetery you may have noticed a worn gravestone with the following inscription:
“Memento Mori
Here lieth the remains of Elnathan Haskell
He died the 16th April 1783 – In the 58th year of his age.”
This inscription is no different than many to be found in Burial Grounds of the time. It is what follows that is curious. It reads:
“Lieut. Nathan Haskell
son of Mr. E. Haskell fell in an
engagement in latitude 47 & 18 N
on the coast of France ye 9th Sept. 1780.
In the 20th year of his age.”
The Haskell family was a very prominent family during the early years of Rochester’s history beginning with Mark, known as Witchcraft Mark, the first to settle in our town. Later descendants included Nathan’s brother Major Elnathan Haskell, a Major of artillery, and Aide de Camp to General Washington. He is depicted in Trumball’s painting “Surrender of Burgoyne” found in the Capital building rotunda in D. C. Major Haskell is to the left near the tent. Another was Eugenia, who it was said, was a great beauty, who lived on Walnut Plain Road in the house where she was born in 1818 and died in 1907.
So why is Nathan who died so young of interest? Dying in a battle so far from home and most assuredly buried at sea makes one wonder about the circumstances. It turns out, that this battle, as with many others, has been lost to time. Researching the internet offered little to no information and using a 111-year-old newspaper article, I have found only a little about a battle. It took place off the port of Nantes, France on September 9, 1780. I also learned that Haskell had been commissioned Lieutenant of Marines on June 5, 1780, to serve on the Massachusetts’ ship Mars. The Mars, a ship of at least 14 guns, was commanded by Capt. Simeon Samson from Plymouth. On the passage over, The Mars had captured the Brig “Tryall.” The article noted that Nathan and other officers had signed a petition about the way the spoils (the Brig and cargo) would be divided. The Council in charge of such decisions voted on July 7, 1780 that the crew would receive one-half of all prizes captured. Captain Samson intended to call at a port in France with the Tryall when it became engaged in battle. As for the battle, the paper states “there was a sea fight on the 9th of September 1780, in which, at least one American fell cannot be doubted.” Any other details, as mentioned earlier, are lost to time. Young Haskell served on the Mars three months and four days before his death. He never received his “spoils” of war.
Still curious, I would still like to know what happened that day in September. Perhaps, your curiosity is piqued as well and maybe you’ll have better luck than I did.
By Susan LaFleur, Secretary/ Librarian