Essential Facts
- Date: May 21, 1775
- Location: Higham, Weymouth, and Grape Island in Boston Harbor
- Participants: United Colonies, Great Britain
- Key American Leaders: John Thomas, James Lincoln
- Key British Leaders: Thomas Gage, Samuel Graves
- Who Won: United Colonies
- Part of: Siege of Boston, American Revolutionary War
History
Siege of Boston
The American Revolutionary War started on April 19, 1775, with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. By the end of the day, thousands of militiamen from Massachusetts surrounded Boston, trapping British forces inside the city and initiating the Siege of Boston. Over the next few weeks, thousands of militiamen from neighboring colonies joined the siege and were organized into the New England Army of Observation.
British Supply Shortage
As the siege continued, General Thomas Gage, the commander-in-chief of the British forces, needed food and supplies for his troops. Although the British Royal Navy controlled Boston Harbor, the Patriots in the other colonies prevented British supply ships from sailing to Boston.
General Gage and Admiral Samuel Graves organized an expedition to gather livestock and supplies from the islands around Boston, including Grape Island. Elisha Leavitt, a Loyalist, owned the island and agreed to provide hay and livestock for the British Garrison.
British Expedition to Grape Island
On May 21, Admiral Graves sent some ships, carrying about 100 troops, to retrieve the supplies. After the ships anchored near Great Hill, rumors spread that the soldiers were burning Weymouth, Massachusetts, and American forces gathered. From his headquarters in Roxbury, Massachusetts, General John Thomas ordered men to go to Grape Island and stop the British from retrieving the supplies.
The Battle of Grape Island Begins
When the Americans arrived, the British were in the process of removing hay. However, the water was too shallow to sail to the island, so the Americans moved as close as they could and opened fire. One of the British ships fired at the Americans but missed. The back-and-forth firing continued for a few hours until the tide came in.
This allowed the Americans to board small boats and sail to the island. When the British saw the Americans coming, they withdrew. The Americans then burned a barn and approximately 80 tons of hay and removed any surviving livestock.
Boston Provision War
This engagement started the “Provision War” that was part of the Siege of Boston. Afterward, the Americans started removing cattle, sheep, and hay from the islands around Boston.
Appendix
Abigail Adams — Eyewitness Account
Abigail Adams wrote this letter to her husband, John Adams, on May 24, 1775. At the time, John was in Philadelphia, serving on the Second Continental Congress.
“Suppose you have had a formidable account of the alarm we had last Sunday morning. When I rose about six o’clock, I was told that the Drums had been some time beating and that 3 allarm Guns were fired, that Weymouth Bell had been ringing, and Mr. Welds was then ringing.
I immediatly sent of an express to know the occasion, and found the whole Town in confusion. 3 Sloops and one cutter had come out, and droped anchor just below Great Hill. It was difficult to tell their design, some supposed they were comeing to Germantown others to Weymouth.
People women children from the Iron Works flocking down this Way — every woman and child above or from below my Fathers. My Fathers family flying, the Drs. in great distress, as you may well immagine for my Aunt had her Bed thrown into a cart, into which she got herself, and orderd the boy to drive her of to Bridgwater which he did.
The report was to them, that 300 hundred had landed, and were upon their march into Town. The allarm flew [like] lightning, and men from all parts came flocking down till 2000 were collected — but it seems their expidition was to Grape Island for Levet’s hay.
There it was impossible to reach them for want of Boats, but the sight of so many persons, and the fireing at them prevented their getting more than 3 ton of Hay, tho they had carted much more down to the water.
At last they musterd a Lighter, and a Sloop from Hingham which had six port holes. Our men eagerly jumpt on board, and put of for the Island. As soon as they perceived it, they decamped. Our people landed upon [the] Island, and in an instant set fire to the Hay which with the Barn was soon consumed, about 80 ton tis said.
We expect soon to be in continual alarms, till something decisive takes place. We wait with longing Expectation in hopes to hear the best accounts from you with regard to union and harmony &c. We rejoice greatly on the Arival of Doctor Franklin, as he must certainly be able to inform you very perticuliarly of the situation of affairs in England. I wish you would [write] if you can get time; be as perticuliar as you may, when you write — every one here abouts [comes] to me to hear what accounts I have.
I was so unlucky as not to get the Letter you wrote at New York. Capn. Beals forgot it, and left it behind. We have a flying report here with regard to New York, but cannot give any credit to, as yet, that they had been engaged with the Ships which Gage sent there and taken them with great loss upon both sides.”
Rivington’s Gazette — Newspaper Account
This article appeared in Rivington’s Gazette on May 28, 1775. The Gazette was a Loyalist-leaning newspaper published in New York City by James Rivington (1724–1802). Rivington became a target for the New York Sons of Liberty, who forced him to cease publication in 1783. Despite his public support for Britain, historians have speculated that he had ties to the Culper Spy Ring and provided intelligence to General George Washington.
“Last Sabbath [June 21] about ten o’clock A. M., an express arrived at General Thomas’s quarters at Roxbury, Massachusetts, informing him that four sloops, two of them armed, had sailed from Boston to the south shore of the bay, and that a number of soldiers were landing at Weymouth.
General Thomas ordered three companies to march to the support of the inhabitants. When they arrived, they found the soldiers had not attempted to land at Weymouth, but had landed on Grape Island, from whence they were carrying off hay on board the sloops.
The people of Weymouth assembled on a point of land next to Grape Island, but the distance from Weymouth shore to said island was too great for small arms to do much execution. Nevertheless, our people frequently fired.
The fire was returned from one of the vessels with swivel guns, but the shot passed over our heads, and did no mischief. Matters continued in this state for several hours, the soldiers poling the hay down to the waterside, our people firing at the vessel, and they now and then discharging swivel guns.
The tide was now come in, and several lighters which were aground were got afloat, upon which our people, who were ardent for battle, got on board, hoisted sail, and bore directly down upon the nearest point of the island.
The soldiers and sailors immediately left the barn, and made for their boats, and put off from one end of the island, whilst our people landed on the other.
The sloops hoisted sail with all possible expedition whilst our people set fire to the barn, and burnt seventy or eighty tons of hay, then fired several tons which had been poled down to the water side, and brought off the cattle.
As the vessels passed Horse-Neck, a sort of promontory which extends into Germantown, they fired their swivels and small arms at our people very briskly, but without effect, though one of the bullets from their small arms, which passed over our people, struck against a stone with such force, as to take off a large part of the bullet.
Whether any of the enemy were wounded, is uncertain, though it is reported three of them were. It is thought that they did not carry off more than one or two tons of hay.”
History of Hingham — Historical Account
This account of the Battle of Grape Island is based on the version found in History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, which was published in 1893. The original text, written by Walter L. Bouvé, has been revised and corrected to align with American History Central editorial standards and writing guidelines.
Among the few Loyalists living in Hingham at the opening of the war were:
- Captain Joshua Barker, an elderly and respected citizen who had held a commission in the King’s Army, and served many years in the wars of his sovereign, and who could hardly have been expected to abandon the colors to which the allegiance of the best part of his life had been devoted.
- Elisha Leavitt who occupied a stately old-fashioned mansion which was one of the town’s attractions, due to its tapestries and grand tiled fireplaces. The mansion stood for some 20 years before being torn down, and the Catholic Church was built.
In Leavitt’s mansion, there was a secret door that led to a hidden passage. It was used by Nathaniel Ray Thomas and other Loyalists from Marshfield who hid there while the Committee of Safety was looking for them. Thomas and the others were eventually smuggled to safety, by water, to Boston.
Another time, it is said that a mob gathered at Leavitt’s house and threatened him. He distracted them by rolling out a barrel of rum and serving it to them.
Grape Island
Be this as it may, there seems to be no doubt that Leavitt was more than passively opposed to the cause of his countrymen, and that he supplied the English with hay and vegetables, and
Probably cattle. He owned or controlled Grape Island, lying a little north of the town, about opposite to Huit’s Cove and the point upon which Bradley’s phosphate works now stand at the mouth of Weymouth Back River. Upon the island was a large quantity of hay and many cattle, which likely belonged to Leavitt.
The Alarm on the Coast
On the morning of Sunday, May 21, 1775, a contingent of British troops from Boston approached Grape Island from the northwest, transported by two sloops and an armed schooner. Their purpose was to seize hay and other supplies stored on the island.
The alarm was raised in the towns along the coast, including Hingham. Bells rang and guns were fired to warn people of the approaching British ships. The people, fearing an attack, loaded wagons and carts with their furniture and other possessions and prepared to escape to safety.
The local militia quickly gathered, and General John Thomas, who commanded the American forces at Roxbury, ordered three companies of troops from his division to go to the aid of the people.
Years after the war, the inhabitants of Hingham were known to tell stories of how the militia marched down Broad Cove Lane, which became Lincoln Street, on the way to oppose the British landing. Most likely, these troops were the militia from Hingham and the other towns nearby. Companies from Weymouth, Abington, and Scituate responded to the alarm and marched to engage the British.
The main part of the militia was probably Captain James Lincoln and his company from Hingham. They enlisted on May 5, 1775, and camped near Crow Point, on the coast outside the town.
Paul Litchfield, of Scituate, wrote in his diary: “May 21. Just before meeting began in morning, hearing the King’s troops were landing near Hingham, the people in general dispersed, so no meeting. About 100 Regulars landed at Grape Isl. to get hay.”
Events of the Battle
The militia marched to the point on the mainland closest to the island. The tide was too low, so they could not sail across to engage the British. They fired from the mainland but were too far away to be effective. The British schooner fired back.
When the flood tide came in enough to cover the flats, the Americans floated a lighter and a sloop over and drove off the enemy. Having done this, they landed on the island, burned the barn and about 80 tons of hay, and removed the rest of the cattle.
Abigail Adams described the scene to John Adams, who was with Congress in Philadelphia: “You inquire of me who were at the engagement at Grape Island. I may say with truth, all of Weymouth, Braintree, Hingham, who were able to bear arms, and hundreds from other towns within twenty, thirty, forty miles of Weymouth.” She also praised her husband’s relatives who participated.
This short battle gives Hingham the distinction of being one of the battlegrounds of the Revolution. Although the island was within Weymouth’s jurisdiction, a part of the shores opposite, from where the Americans fired on the British, are in Hingham.
- The Hingham and Weymouth companies operating in Hingham made the main attack upon the English.
- It was also said that the Weymouth and Abington companies compelled Elisha Leavitt to entertain them during the day. They would have harassed him if they knew about his connections to the British.
Bibliography
- Adams Family Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
- Bouvé, Thomas, History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, 1893.
- Blanco, Richard. The American Revolution 1775–1783: An Encyclopedia, 2021.
- Fremont-Barnes, Gregory and Ryerson, Richard. The Encyclopedia of the American Revolutionary War. 2006.
- Moore, Frank. Diary of the American Revolution, from Newspapers and Original Documents, Vol. 2, 1863.
- Philbrick, Nathaniel. Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution. 2013.
- Ward, Christopher. War of the Revolution. 2011.
