Immediately after the fight at Lexington, active measures were taken by the Provincial Congress to defend the rights of the people by organizing troops through the colony. In Amesbury enlisting papers accompanied with proper instructions were received by Capt. John Currier, who proceeded forthwith to recruit a company. Having Capt. Curriers papers at hand, and judging that they may be interesting to all, they are copied entire:--
Enlisting Papers
"We the Subscribers do hereby solemnly and Severally engage and inlist ourselves as Soldiers in the Massachusetts Service, for the Preservation of the Liberties of America, from the Day of our Inlistment, to the last day of December next, unless the service should admit of a Discharge of a Part or the Whole sooner, which shall be at the Discretion of the Committee of Safety, and we hereby promise to submit ourselves to all the Orders and Regulations of the Army, and faithfully to observe and obey all such Orders as we shall receive from Time to Time, from our superior officers."
"Edmund Barnard,
Calven Hallowell,
David Juell,
Gideon Colby,
Levi Sargent,
Peter Bagley,
Jonathan Hoyt,
Isaac Whittier,
John Weed,
Joshua Walls,
Michael Brown,
Sipeo Gray, Slave
to Benjn. Barnard,
Wells Blasdell,
John Huntington,
Charles Sargent,
Daniel Barry,
Paul Hardy,
John Hoyt ye 3,
Thomas Foote,
Moses Bassiel,
John Harvey,
John Plumer,
Timothy Silver,
Ebenezer Kelley,
David Colby,
Isaac Currier,
Joseph Wells,
Andrew Newhall,Samuel Elliot,
Micah Sargent,
Elias Waite,
Ephraim Sargent,
Reuben Silloway,
Joseph Tersey,
Daniel Chase,
Ephraim Challis,
Ebenezer Sargent,
Charles Weed,
Jonathan Colby,
Robert Hoyt,
Aaron Currier,
Wm Hoyt,
Ezra Hoyt,
John Blasdell,
David Hoyt,
David Huntington,
Eliphalet Sargent,
Christopher Chalis,
Joseph Pressy,
William Jones,
Thomas Barnard,
Robert negro man
servant to Eliphalet Currier,
Isaac Barnard,
Benjamin Pressey,
Jonathan Blasdell."
The above-mentioned persons belonged to Capt. John Currier's Company.
The instructions to the recruiting officers were very strict, as will be seen by the following copy:--
"You are not to Enlist any Deserter from the Ministerial Army, nor any Stroller, Negro or Vagabond, or Person suspected of being an Enemy to the Liberty of America, nor any under Eighteen years of Age.
As the Cause is the best that can engage Men of Courage and Principle to take up Arms; so it is expected that none but such will be accepted by the Recruiting Officer; The Pay, Provision, &c. being so ample, it is not doubted but the Officers sent upon this Service, will without Delay compleat their respective Corps, and March the men forthwith to Camp.
You are not to Enlist any Person, who is not an American born, unless such Person has a wife and Family, and is a Settled Resident in this Country.
The Persons you Enlist must be provided with good and complete Arms.
Given at Head Quarters at Cambridge, this 10th Day of July 1775.
Horatio Gates,
Adjutant General."
Under Capt. Currier, Lieut. Wells Chase was appointed recruiting officer. It will be noticed that the instructions were very particular, requiring the greatest caution against engaging bad characters or even negroes to fight for the "best cause that can engage men." It was believed that when such ample provision had been made in regard to "Pay and Provisions," that good men would readily be obtained. Could they have been permitted to look into the future, little would have been said about negroes, vagabonds, or "ample Pay." Capt. Currier was willing that negroes should fight in a good cause and forthwith enlisted Sipeo Gray "slave to Benjamin Barnard," and "Robert Negro Man Servant to Elphalet Currier." Sipeo was a young man aged twenty-one years, and very probably interested in the good cause choosing to join the army rather than remain with his master and hoe corn, etc.
SOURCE: The History of Amesbury, including the First Seventeen Years of Salisbury to the Separation in 1654, and Merrimac, from its Incorporation in 1876; by Joseph Merrill, 1880; pages 253-255.
Retyped and reformatted by Kathy Leigh, March 3, 2002.
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