This is a brief biography of Captain William Coit.  It serves as an introduction to the Orderly Book of Moses Fargos for the use of William Coit\u27s company which is the 4th Company and 6th Regiment under Colonel Samuel Holden Parsons

Woodward, P. H.

English

DigitalCommons@Providence College

Providence CollegeDigitalCommons@ProvidencePrimary Sources History1-1-1879Captain William CoitP. H. Woodwardnormd@providence.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.providence.edu/primaryPart of the United States History CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the History at DigitalCommons@Providence. It has been accepted for inclusion in PrimarySources by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Providence. For more information, please contact mcaprio1@providence.edu.Woodward, P. H., "Captain William Coit" (1879). Primary Sources. Paper 19.http://digitalcommons.providence.edu/primary/19COLLECTIONS OF THE Connecticut Historical Society VOLUME VII HARTFORD PUBLISHSED BY THE SOCIETY 1899 CAPTAIN WILLIAM COIT By P. H. WOODWARD John Coit (e), the emigrant ancestor of roost of the Coit family in America, is found in 1638 a t Salem, Mass., whence he moved to Gloucester in 1644. He made one of the party that accompanied Rev. John Bhinman from that seaport to New London, and to whom the townsmen granted lands Oct 19, 1650. He was a ship carpenter. The business descended to his son Joseph, who, with his brother-in-law. Hugh Mould, built many "ships " ranging from twenty to one hundred tons. Daniel Coit, father of Capt. William, was town clerk of New London from 1736 till his death in 1773, at the age of seventy-five, with the exception of a sin-gle year. He married, second; Mehitable Hooker of Farm-ington, the mother of the subject of this sketch. Capt. Wm. Coit was born in New London Nov. 26, 1742; graduated at Yale College in the class of 1761; studied law. and was admitted to the bar, his certificate bearing the sig-nature of Gov. Sattonstall. He was a selectman in 1771, and in December, 1774, was added to the local committee of cor-respondence raised the previous June. Ear ly in 1775 he organized and drilled a military company at New London, contributing- generously from his own resources toward its equipment. News of the fight at Lexington reached New London the night of April 20. A few hours later, Gapt. Coit with a part of his command was on the road, hurrying to the scene of action. The first leaf of the orderly book bears the legend "Campt at Cambridge, April 23d A. D. 1775." It is probable that the detachment consisted of about twenty men and rode on horseback. Like hundreds of others from N O T E — Thc writer is indehted to Miss M. E. S. Coit., granddaughter of Capt. Wm. Colt, for many facts contained in this sketch. 4 Eastern Connecticut, they started under a sudden, tumulm-ous impulse. After a short stay, finding that hostilities were not likely to be renewed by Gen. Gage in the near future, many of the minute-men, including the detachment from New London, returned home to pur their affairs in order for the serious work of war. May 25, the company (the Fourth of the Sixth Contecti-cut Regiment, Col. Samuel Holden Parsons commanding) started for Boston, marching via Norwich, Sterling, and Providence. Eight of the companies remained on duty at New London till J une 17, when they were ordered to Boston and posted at Roxbury. No entries are made in the orderly book between April 26 and June 1. Capt. Coit with his company marched from Cambridge to Bunker Hill while the battle was in progress, and aided the other troops from Connecticut in covering the retreat of the provincials. The last entry on the last page of the orderly book hears date "Roxbury 7th .August 1775," and at this point the record as preserved breaks off abruptly. On the 5th of October, 1775, tbe Continental Congress authorized Gen, Washington to employ two armed vessels to intercept British store-ships, and before tbe close of the month made provisions for four additional cruiisers. Acting under a broad construction of his commission, the comman-der-in-chieif had anticipated Congressional action. Capt. Coit was detailed from the army to take command of the armed schooner "Harrison," one of the first to be got ready for service. His instructions from Gen. Washington are dated Oct. 23, 1775, and are printed in this pamphlet. In brief, he is directed to seize supply ships bound to or from Boston; to send prizes to the nearest and safest port ; to search diligently for papers tending to disclose the designs of the enemy: to treat prisoners kindly, allowing them to retain their money and apparel; to avoid any engagement with any vessel of equal or slightly inferior strength, " the design of this enterprise being to intercept the supplies of tbe enemy;" and to he extremely frugal of ammunition. 5 During the war no more daring service was performed than by the sailors of the nascent repnblic. King George regarded them as pirates, while his cruisers ssemed sufficient-ty numerous to seal up the ports of New England, In put-ting out to sea they took not merely the ordinary risks of war, but, as they had reason to expect, of ignominious death in case of capture. Capt. Coit claimed to be the first Ameri-can "to turn His Majesty's bunting upside down." In January, 1776, the Council of Safety of Connecticut authorized the construction by Uriah Hayden, a t his yard in Saybrook, of a war ship, " to be So feet keel, 27 feet beam, and 12 feet hold," and of about 360 tons. July 11 Wm. Coit was appointed captain of this craft, which had been christ-ened the "Oliver Cromwell." Being in Lebanon the same day, Capt. Coit was called before the Council, when Gov-Trumbull with Homeric simplicity "gave him advice, in-struction, and admonition as to his conduct, etc." Early in August the masts were damaged by lightning; but on the 18th of the month she sailed out of the Connecti-cut River, and reached New Loudon the 20th. On the 23d of October the Council ordered her to sail on a cruise of about two months, but she was not ready. Jan, 28, 1777, she was ordered to proceed to sea immediately, but the crew deserted. In March, Melally, the First Lieutenant, was dis-missed, and Capt. Coit reported that he would sail as soon as supplies were received. As the result of various compli-cations, however, he was retired from the State service April 14. Later he commanded the "America," and perhaps other privateers. When Benedict Arnold burned New London, Sept. 6, 1781, Capt. Coit was captured, and detained for a time on a prison ship near New York. Capt. Coit was tall, portly, soldierly in bearing, frank, jovial, somewhat eccentric, and very liberal. Among his peculiarities he wore a scarlet cloak, and hence was familiar-ly known as " T h e Great Red Dragon." Dec. 18, 1763, Capt. Coit married Sarah, daughter of Capt. John: Prentiss, com-mander of the armed sloop "Defence," which convoyed five hundred Connecticut troops under Gen. Roger Wolcott from 6 New London to Cape Breton in 1745. He died in London, England, in February, 1747. They had eight children,— three sons and five daughters ; the latter celebrated for beauty. Samuel Waldo said that Esther (Mrs. Clapp) had the handsomest face he ever painted. The eldest, Sarah, born in 1764, married George Lilling-ton of North Carolina, grandson of Col. Alexander Liiling-ton of the Biitish Army. Gen, Lillington distinguished himself at the battle of Moore's Creek, N . C . , where in F'ebruary ; 1776, about one thousand militia routed over fif-teen hundred Tories, composed in large part of Scotch High-landers. Esther, born Jan. 5, 1767, married Samuel Clapp in March, 1792. They lived under the shadow of Trinity Church, New York city, and the remains of both rest in the adjoining cemetery. Ann, born March 30, 1770, died March 30, 1792, on the day fixed for her marriage to the eldest son of Bishop Sea-bury. Elizabeth, the youngest daughter, married Joseph Bo-cage, a French exile, to whom Louis Philippe paid a lengthy visit while in this country. Mr. Bocage died in S t Lucia, where he owned a large estate. His widow died in Pine Bluff, Ark., at the residence of her grandson, Hon.. G. W. Bocage. Of the sons, Daniel died at sea and Leonidas in child-hood. William, Jr.. born Nov. 19, 1771. married in 1800 Frances Murdock, daughter of Rev. Jonathan Murdock (Yale Col-lege, 1766). He sailed out, of New York as master for twenty-six years. During the war of 1812, at the: solicita-tion of Commodore Decatur, he took command of the armed boats that watched the enemy from the mouth of the Thames. H e advanced, too, a large sum to pay the boun-ties demanded by the sailors who enlisted to man the fleet of Commodore O. H. Pe r r r on Lake Erie. His vouchers were destroyed by fire in 1818. As he had no duplicates, and as Commodores Perry and Decatur died in 1820, and the chaplain of the squadron about the same time,— the only 7 officers having knowledge of the facts, - n o part of the money was ever refunded either to him or to his heirs. In 1797, Capt Wm.. Coit, Sr., broken in health, left New London 10 visit his daughter in North Carolina, where he died in 1802. His dust rests in the family cemetery of the Lillingtons, on the banks of the Cape Fear river, thirty-five miles from Wilmington. His widow died in New York city in 1813. and was buried in Trinity churchyard beside her daughter, Mrs. Clapp. Both father and son made generous sacrifices for their country. No descendant of theirs has ever received pen-sion or bounty land, or asked for either. 

Captain William Coit

HELIN Digital Commons

https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&amp;context=primary

Captain William Coit

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

DigitalCommons@Providence College

HELIN Digital Commons