He died

gathered but little respecting his last moments. away from home, but was surrounded by friends, who administered to his wants, and performed every act of kindness that friendship could suggest. He was educated at Yale College, afterwards studied law, and was called to the bar but a few years before he was appointed Colonel. He settled in Providence, opened an office, and began his professional career with good prospects, and under favorable circumstances. He was a fine scholar, of refined taste and elegant manners, in fact a finished gentleman of the old school. He made a nuncupative will a few days before his death, and as this will was made and pronounced to be his "last will," under such extraordinary circumstances, and exhibits such a benevolent and public spirit, and is withal so brief, we will give it word for word, as it stands on record.

"I give one half of my estate to the Benevolent Congregational Society in Providence. Remainder to be equally divided among my brethren.

Samuel Armstrong, Willam Holliday, and Benjamin Boss, personally appearing before me, the subscriber, Governor and commander-in-chief of the state of New Jersey, and being sworn on the Holy Evangelists, do testify and declare that the instrument to this annexed, was in their presence and hearing published and declared by Col. Daniel Hitchcock, Esq., deceased, late of the state of Rhode Island, as his last will and testament, and the said Daniel Hitchcock declared in their presence, and hearing, that through excessive pain and weakness, he was unable to sign the said instrument, and that to the best of their judgment, the said Daniel Hitchcock was of a

sound mind, and in his perfect senses at the time of the afore

said publication.

Sworn to, the 15th day of January, 1777.

SAMUEL ARMSTRONG.

WILL. LIVINGSTON.

WILLIAM HOLLIDAY.

BENJAMIN Boss."

This will was proved and approved by the Court of Probate of Providence, and administration was granted to carry it into effect. It may be proper to add, Col. Hitchcock was never married. One of the witnesses to the will, Benjamin Boss, Sergeant in his regiment, was the person from whom we had an account of his last sickness, as before observed.

Col. Hitchcock was a relative of the Rev. Dr. Hitchcock, so many years pastor of the Benevolent Congregational Society, in Providence.

COL. CHRISTOPHER GREENE.

Another uncommonly brave, and meritorious officer in the Rhode Island Line, was Col. Christopher Greene; he was Col. of the first Rhode Island regiment. He was at first, appointed a Lieut. Col. in the "army of observation," but was, on the recommendation of Gen. Washington, (a sufficient evidence of his qualification) appointed a full Colonel in the line. Col. Greene was Lieut. Col. of one of the battalions that marched from Cambridge in 1775, in the Canada expedition. He marched through the wilderness, with Capt. Thayer and others, and endured all the hardships that men could endure, in their march; and in the siege of Quebec was taken prisoner at the time when Gen. Montgomery fell. (For an account of this expedition, see appendix A. in the reminiscence of Major Simeon Thayer). As soon as Col. Greene was exchanged, he again joined the army; he commanded the regiment at Red Bank, and on every occasion, showed uncommon bravery; but

COL. CHRISTOPHER GREENE. 263

unfortunately he was surprised by the enemy and murdered. The account of this tragedy which we had from one of his officers, was as follows-In the winter and spring of the year 1781, Col. Greene's regiment was stationed at a place they called "Rhode Island village," in the state of New York. There was an advanced post about ten miles on Croton river where a part of the regiment were stationed. Col. Greene and Major Flag, were with this advanced post. They were both in their tents, when attacked by the enemy; they were attacked by a corps of Light Horse, early in the morning, before it was light. They dragged Col. Greene from his tent, and it was supposed in consequence of his making resistance they (we can't say killed), murdered him. His body was found in the woods, about a mile distant from his tent, cut and mangled in a most shocking manner. Major Flag was killed in his tent, most of the men also were cut and hacked in a most savage manner. Many of them were enlisted slaves, indeed, there were so many slaves in this regiment, that it was called "the black regiment." The horsemen used their cutlasses only, and as the poor unarmed soldier raised his arm to ward off the blow, he received the stroke sometimes on the head, and sometimes on the arm, both above and below the elbow. One of the regiment informed us that several had their arms wholly severed from their bodies. Demon-like the enemy gave no quarter if any resistance was made, and nothing seemed to satisfy them, but the "blood of the rebels." They acted as if they had been a thousand years behind the age, in their mode of warfare. This bloody affair took place May 14th, 1781, as appears by the adjutant's return in our possession. The same return also gives the names of a considerable number of the men whom the enemy made prisoners and carried off.

A remarkable Providence was displayed in the preservation of the life of the pay-master of this regiment, (Capt. Daniel S. Dexter) at that time. Capt. Dexter had intended to have gone down to this post, and to have been with Col. Greene, the very night he was attacked, in order to pay off the troops

in the morning, but in consequence of his horse being taken lame, he did not arrive there in time to be massacred. This fact we had from the pay-master himself. After the death of Col. Greene, Lieut. Col. Commandant Jeremiah Olney took the command of the regiment, and continued in command until the end of the war.

COL. TALBOT.

We have already noticed the gallant exploits of Col. Barton and Capt. Stephen Olney, and a notice of Col. Topham will be found in the appendix, (see note G.) also reminiscences of Col. Lippitt, Major Thayer and others.

There was another Rhode Island officer who stood preëminently high in the estimation of his country, whose daring and gallant exploits gained him an enviable reputation, and whose praise was on every tongue. We allude to Col. Silas Talbot. We should have been proud to have given an extended biographical sketch of this officer, but from the scanty materials in our possession we could not do his memory justice; our regret, however, is much lessened, as we have understood a gentleman of Providence is preparing his biography upon a more enlarged plan, which, no doubt, will do justice to the subject. We must, however, in accordance with our plan, briefly allude to some of his daring actions.

He was first appointed a captain in the army of observation in 1775.

In October, 1777, we find by the records of Congress, the board of war brought in the following report: "Resolved, that Capt. Silas Talbot of Rhode Island be promoted to the rank, and have the pay of Major in the army of the United States, in consideration of his merit and services in a spirited attempt to set fire to one of the enemy's ships of war, in the North river, last year; and that he be recommended to General Washington, for employment agreeably to his rank." At the same time, Capt. Talbot was requested to make out an estimate of the expense and loss incurred by him.

We have never been made acquainted with the particulars of this daring exploit, but no doubt it was in keeping with the patriotic impulses of his character. It must have been so, to have drawn forth such a resolve from Congress, a resolve so complimentary.

In 1778, Major Talbot performed another feat, which called forth the following resolve.

Nov. 14th. "The marine committee, to whom was referred the letter of Major Silas Talbot, brought in a report, whereupon, Resolved, that Congress have a high sense of the bravery and good conduct of Major Silas Talbot of the state of Rhode Island, and that of the officers and men under his command, in boarding and taking the armed schooner Pigot, of eight twelve-pounders, and forty-five men, in the east passage between the Island of Rhode Island, and the main; and that he, as a reward of his merit, and for the encouragement of a spirit of enterprise, be presented with a commission of Lieut. Col. in the army of the United States."

This brilliant exploit was performed Oct. 17, 1778. The Pigot galley was stationed on the east side of the Island of Rhode Island, and prevented all communication between the shores of Little Compton, and the lower part of Tiverton, and the Island. Her capture had long been desired, but no one seemed disposed to undertake the business, until Talbot volunteered his services to Gen. Sullivan for that purpose. The following, is Major Talbot's official account of the affair.

Extract of a letter from Major Talbot, to the Hon. Major Gen. Sullivan: dated Stonington, Oct. 19, 1778.

"I sailed from Providence in the sloop Hawk, on Sunday, the 15th inst, with the troops you were pleased to put under my command for the purpose of capturing the Pigot galley, then lying on the east side of Rhode Island, but the wind being light, came to anchor the same evening, under Rocky Island. The next day we got through Bristol Ferry to Mount Hope. Wednesday night, at ten o'clock, made sail and ran