Dateline: July 9th, 1777; Night

Action: Barton's Raiders - The Capture of General Prescott
It was a hot moonless night in July. Major Barton, readied his commandos at Warwick Neck, knowing their actions launched that night could be an important morale booster for the Continental cause.

Barton, stationed with his men in Tiverton, had gotten word from a spy that British Commander-in-Chief, General Prescott was staying at Mr. Overing's house on Aquidneck Island's West Road. Picking 40 volunteers, Barton moved his raiders to Warwick Neck in preparation. On the evening of July 9, 1777, he revealed his plan to his men, swearing them to secrecy.

Joining the raiders that night at Warwick Neck were John Hunt, James Weaver and Samuel Cory from Aquidneck Island to act as guides. Before midnight, the small band set off in five whaleboats and rowed into the blackness with muffled oars, Barton’s in the lead. They cut silently through the water between Prudence and Patience Islands, down the west side of Prudence to the south end, slipping behind the enemy vessels anchored offshore. Turning east they began to cover the last two miles to the beach, listening as they rowed to the calls of the watchmen on the nearby warships.
Action Map


Overing House, West Main Road.		 Landing on Aquidneck just north of where the stream that runs by the Overing House enters the Bay, Barton scrambled with his men east, up the hill, following a deep gulley for about a mile until they reached West Road. A guard detail of a corporal and seven men, billeted in a dwelling 300 yards down the road, providing a sentry at the Overing house. They quietly made their way past four dragoons acting as mounted messengers, and made their way across the highway to the Overing house. Halted by the sentry, Barton answered that they had no countersign but were looking for deserters. He was allowed to approach and, given the opportunity, seized the sentry’s musket, threatening him with death if he gave the alarm. One team moved to cover each of the three doors of the house, one watched the main road, one remained in reserve. In the house were Prescott, his aide (Major Barrington), Mr. Overing, his son and several servants. Barton and his men entered, seized Prescott, who was sitting on the edge of his bed. Major Barrington jumped from a window to the ground but was soon overpowered by soldiers on the outside.

Lt. Frederick Mackenzie described the capture of General Prescott in his diary the next day. "They surrounded the house about 10 minutes before 12, seized the Sentry, who had challenged twice, but who not being loaded, could give no further alarm, and immediately forced open all the doors, they then went directly to the Chambers; where they laid hold of General Prescott and Lieut. Barrington, his aide-de-camp, and in about seven minutes quitted the house, taking the General, Lieut. Barrington, and the Sentry with them. . ."
They departed the area promptly, taking with them Prescott, Barrington and the sentry. Moving west across the fields, forsaking the gulley, they reached their boats, shoved off and rowed for Warwick Neck. British cannon and rockets signaled the general’s capture, but no reaction could be seen among the British guard ships. The sun was just beginning to rise as his boats landed across the Bay. General Prescott was escorted to Providence by Barton, where he was turned over to the American General Spencer.

The capture of General Prescott provided a boost to the morale of the colonial forces. It showed the enemy to be vulnerable or at least mortal. Even Mackenzie, a British officer, was impressed with the action. He records in his diary: "The Rebels certainly run a great risk in making this attempt. . . They, however, executed it in a masterly manner and deserve credit for the attempt. It is certainly a most extraordinary circumstance that a General Commanding a body of 4,000 men encamped on an Island surrounded by a Squadron of Ships of War, should be carried off from his quarters in the night by a small party of the Enemy from without, and without a shot being fired."

EPILOGUE
Prescott was eventually exchanged for General Lee, and arrived back in Rhode Island in time to command his troops in the Battle of Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Assembly rewarded Barton and his men with $1,120, and Congress voted him a sword.
Major Barton


SOURCES
[1] Showman, The Papers of General Nathanael Greene, Volume II; January 1777 to October 1778, University of North Carolina Press, 1980

[2] Heritage of Courage, John Peck Rathbun Chapter, Rhode Island Society, Sons of the American Revolution, 1992

[3] James E. Garman, A History of Portsmouth Rhode Island; 1638-1978, Franklin Printing House, 1978