This is the text of the speech I gave at the SAR dedication on September 26 – wearing both hats – chairperson of the Historical Commission and vice president of the Historical Society. I want to preface it by saying how lucky Rochester (along with Marion and Mattapoisett) residents are to live in a town with such a rich history and one that is so baked into the history of America.
“I was asked to speak today about Rochester and the American Revolution, and I’ll start with the statement made by the principal orator in 1879 at the 200th anniversary celebration of Old Rochester. ‘Rochester sent more men to fight in the Revolutionary War than any other town of its size.’
Before you think this was a partisan statement, the speaker was a lawyer from Wareham. History offers some hints that what he said was true.
In 1768, the Boston Committee was working against Great Britain and for independence. They called for a Convention at Faneuil to pass resolutions against the taxes being imposed by the king. They wanted area towns to send delegates.
Plymouth County towns as a whole had an apathetic response to all the messages being sent out by the Committee. James Warren said to Sam Adams, and I quote, “Plymouth County towns could not be raised except by a power that would wake the dead”.
Rochester was the exception. They sent delegates to the Convention and passed many town resolutions to endorse the Committee plans. They voted to break off all trade with Great Britain and to give up drinking English tea. Town Meeting also voted to increase their stores of arms and ammunition. They directed that up to a hundred men, minutemen, should be formed into companies and train 3 1/2 days a week.
At this time, any town official seen to have Tory sentiments was not re-elected and often would then move out of town.
In 1774, a large group of Rochester men marched through Wareham, picking up additional marchers on the way to the Barnstable County Courthouse. There they met up with men from Sandwich and Plymouth to prevent the court from going into session and to force the judges to sign some pro-patriot pledges.
On April 19,1775, the Battle of Lexington took place. Rumors reached Rochester the next day. Many found the rumors to be unbelievable, so 21-year-old Abraham Holmes was sent to head toward Middleboro to get news. He met a messenger who told him that the battle had taken place, and the colonists had sent the British soldiers running back to Boston. According to his memoirs, Holmes said he headed home, ‘as gay as a lark that the struggle for independence had begun.’
Three Rochester Militia companies marched off to Roxbury in response to the Lexington Call. Put all this together and you can see why so many men from town would have enlisted in the war effort.
Among the many Rochester men active during the Revolution, one in particular stands out. Elnathan Haskell enlisted in the Continental Army and rose to the rank of Major. He stayed with the army as the war moved out of New England, through New York and New Jersey and into the South. He became an aide to General Washington. If you go to the Capitol in Washington DC, there is a large painting of the surrender of British General Burgoyne on the dome. If you look seven men to the right of center, you will see Major Haskell of Rochester.”
By Connie Eshbach