History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

86 History of Swansea
"
took possession of the island called Rhode Island in December,
1776, till they abandoned it two years later, the milita were
often called into service. Troops were repeatedly called to
Blade's Ferry, Rowland's Ferry, (now the Stone Bridge in
Tiverton) to Bristol, to Warwick Neck, (a part of which is now
known as Rocky Point) and even to the Island itself.
In May 1779, it was "voted that there be a guard on each
of the necks for safety of the good people of the town. " Later
in 1779 "voted 22 men to guard the shores." Eight Swansea
men served in the artillery company of Capt. Fales of Taunton,
at Slade's Ferry in December, 1776.
Of three militia captains of this town Peleg Sherman,
afterwards Colonel, was a leading factor in the conduct of
Swansea's relation to the great struggle. He was often moderator
of town meetings and at the head of important committees
on military affairs. He was in active service along our
shore during the British occupation of Rhode Island, e, g. at
Slade's Ferry from January 6 to June 5, 1777, and at Bristol
later in the same year. He also served the government as
commissary for the supply of stores to the troops. His home,
where at one time troops were quartered, was at Shewamet
Neck, at what is now known as the Henry H. Mason place,
where he died Nov. 20, 1811, aged sixty-four.
Philip Slade, another of the militia captains, was also often
on important committees. He was selected to wait upon
General Sullivan, "to represent to him the fenceless condition
of the town, and pray him to be pleased to order a gard for us
against our enemies on Rhode Island." He was on July 5th,
1779, appointed one of the committee "to confer with General
Gates at Providence upon some measures for the safety of the
town," and at the same meeting he and John Mason "were
chosen deligates to represent the town at Cambridge in form-
ing a new constitution.
The same thing can be said in perhaps less degree of the
third Captain Peleg Peck, whose company served frequently
along our shores, as for instance, at Bristol, in December 1776,
on a secret expedition to Tiverton, where it was stationed from
Sept. 29th, to Oct. 30th, 1777, at Warwick, R. I., from
January to April 1778, and later in the same year, on Rhode
Island about six weeks.
A pay roll for the Continental pay of Capt. Peck's company
who were called out by an alarm to Tiverton, states that
"by order of Col. Peleg Slead all the men in Swansea were
joined in one company under Capt. Peck," to respond to an
alarm at Tiverton. The roll bears one hundred and seventyeight
names, and shows that the men served from four to nine