SOURCE: "Putnam's Monthly Historical Magazine", Jan.-Dec. 1895, New Series, Vol. III (also publ. as The Salem Press Historical and Genealogical Record VOL. V); Eben Putnam, Publisher and Editor, Salem.

COL. JACOB GERRISH OF NEWBURY

BY ROBERT N. TOPPAN.

      IT is to be regretted that all attempts to obtain information in regard to the early life of Colonel Gerrish have been fruitless. He belonged, as is well known, to the old Gerrish family of Newbury, which was prominent in the history of the town and colony for several generations, and which counted ten of its members as helpers in the military and civil service of the province during the struggle for independence. He was descended also from another family of Newbury, noted in the colonial history of Massachusetts; one of his ancestors, Moses Gerrish, having married Jane Sewall, sister of the famous chief justice, Samuel Sewall.
      The first record which has been found concerning Jacob Gerrish is in the Massachusetts Archives preserved in the State House and not yet printed. He is therein mentioned as being the head of a company that marched from Newbury to Cambridge, April 19, 1775, on what is called the Lexington alarm, and was then mustered in as captain, April 24, 1775, in the 17th Regiment of Militia, Col. Moses Little commanding, for eight months' service. His age is given as 36 years.
      On April 1, 1778, he was appointed by the state colonel of infantry for eight months' service.
      July 3, 1778, he was it made colonel of the Regiment of Guards at Cambridge.
      April 23, 1779, the following vote was passed in the House of Representatives of Massachusetts: "The House made choice by ballot of the following gentlemen as Field Officers of the Regiment of Light Infantry to be raised for the defense of this and the other New England states." Among them was Jacob Gerrish, colonel. This vote was consented to by fifteen of the council.
      June 14, 1779, Col. Jacob Gerrish was ordered, in accordance with his memorial, to deliver to the Board of War all arms, etc., belonging to the regiment he commanded "last summer."

      From Oct. 24, 1779, to Nov. 22 of the same year, he was ordered, as colonel, to reinforce the Continental army.
      Heitman, in his register of Continental officers, recently published, which also includes some officers of the militia, speaks of Jacob Gerrish as being captain of Little's Massachusetts regiment from the 19th of May, 1775, to December of the same year. Heitman also states that he was captain in the 12th Regiment of Continental Infantry from Jan. 1, 1776, to blank date. Such are the brief records that have been found after a diligent search.
      Before giving a few extracts from a short diary of Colonel Gerrish in the posession of his grandniece,-Miss Jane Sewall Gerrish of Newburyprt,-which was probably supplemented by others now lost, it will be interesting to quote two notices from the Newburyport Herald. The first notice is published under the date of Feb. 21, 1817, and is simply an announcement of his death: "In Newbury, Col. Jacob Gerrish, aged 78, one of our valuable Revolutionary patriots who took an active part in the glorious struggle for our independence."
      The second notice is under date of March 7, 1817, and is the more extended: "The following is offered as a tribute to the memory of Col. Jacob Gerrish, who died in Newbury, Feb. 19, aged 78 years. He was a true patriot, an unbiased statesman, and a firm friend to his country. He possessed many excellent virtues and was a man of great humanity towards his fellow creatures. He was a selectman of the town at the age of 28 years, and was afterward appointed a justice of the peace and chosen Representative to the General Court. He fought on Bunker Hill in the capacity of a captain and led on his company when others were discouraged on account of the floating batteries.
      Soon after he was appointed a colonel in the Continental service, which station he filled so well as to obtain the full approbation of General Washington. He was acting colonel in the battles of White Plain, Princeton and Trenton, in the latter of which he had the honor of commanding the left wing.
      After the Revolution he served as an instructor in one of the town schools for a number of years. The latter part of has life was spent in retirement, often relating to his friends the unwearied pains he had taken to gain our independence. He was always a firm supporter of the Washington principles, to which he adhered to the last."
      The first pages of the following diary, or rather notebook, are taken

up with the names of the Soldiers in his company, many of which will interest the inhabitants of Newburyport as being the names of their ancestors.
      "A list of Captain Gerrish's Company in the 12th Regiment of Foot commanded by Colonel Little.

Josiah Adams, Colonel's Clerk

Sergeants. Michael Toppan. Daniel Goodridge. Abram Thoria.       in ye works.

Corporals. William Hackett. Benj. Toppan. Moses Newman. Edward Swain.

Drum and Fife.
William Osborn, John Kenny.

Nath. Arnold. John Bishop. Orlando Brown. Eben Choate. Eben Choate. Jr. Moses Cavender. David Downing. Joseph Demas. William Elliot. Jere Ellsworth. David Framer, artillery. Elijah Gould, on board ye ship. Thomas Gyles. Moses George. Nathaniel Godfrey. Samuel Harris, in ye works. Jacob How. Wm. Harrod, in ye works.

Amos Hale. Joseph Harvey. Peter Knapp. Tom Lunt. John Lunt, artillery. Jacob Low, with Gen. Lee James Mozley. John Murray. James Martin. Samuel Newman. James Page. James Pinder. Nathaniel Plumer. Asa Perkins. Thomas Ross. David Rogers. Enoch Rolfe. Charles More. Richard Rolfe, artillery.

John Stone. Michael Stockman. John Silloway. Joseph Somerby. John Stockman. Abram Smith. Joseph Smith. John Smith. Stephen Smith. Stephen Smith, Jr. William Stockman. Edward Toppan. Abram Toppan. ____ Trip. Nathaniel Willett. Samuel Witham. James Woodbury. James Willard.

      Thursday, Aug. 22, 1776.--About 10,000 Regulars and Hessian Troops landed on long Island att a Place called New Utiri--and marched up as far as flat Bush about three miles from our incampment, and encamped on an Extensive Plain.
      On ye 27th of August our Guard att flat Bush was attacked by 7,000 hessian & Regular Troops, when by being surrounded were obliged to make a Retreat about 3 miles to our lines after sustaining a considerable loss.--the enemy being greatly repulsed by General Stirling, who was afterward Surrounded and taken prisoner with a great part of his Brigade; the enemy lost about 500. the 30th we retreated from

long Island to York with baggage, artillery, etc. A cannonade being kept up between the Enemy and our Troops till ye 5th of Sept. when they landed about 15 or 20 thousand Troops on the Island of New York. ye 16th they approached toward General Nixon's Brigade in order to force the line, but being badly repulsed were obliged to leave ye field after sustaining considerable loss of baggage, &c. Our army had lost wounded and killed 100 in ye engagement. Nothing remarkable happened until ye 12 of October Then about, 4000 Regulars landed on frog point about 4 miles above King bridge under cover of their Cannon. This place being mostly surrounded by water the shipping protected them.
      October 18th about 15,000 more landed on the main. a skirmish ensued between our Troops and ye Regulars ye latter sustained considerable loss.
      The 25th the Brigade & army marched to white plains 37 miles from N. York.
      28th a battle ensued between the ministerial Troops and our army. Our army gave way on ye Right wing the Regulars gained ground and killed & wounded a no. of Troops, what loss they sustained I cannot tell.
      1 Nov. marched to Philips Manor.
      15 Ft.Washington taken by ye Regular Troops with 1500 made prisoners."
      After the last date the entries are few and unimportant and are mainly money accounts, lists of shoes and stockings distributed to the soldier in need of them, and notices of some deaths in the hospital.