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Reverend Ezra Stiles’ diary entry for December 11, 1775, records an early morning raid on Jamestown by British Forces on the previous day. This badge is believed to be a relic of that raid. It features the British Royal Crest in the 18th century style and has a rather large hole through it. The donor, Geoffrey Gamble, framed the badge along with a quote from Stiles’ description of the raid.
Stiles Diary
“About I o’clock yesterday morning a Bomb Brig, 1 schooner & 2 or 3 armed sloops went to Conanicut & landed upwards of Two hundred Marines, Sailors, & Negroes at the East Ferry ; and marched in 3 Divisions over to the West Ferry, & set the several houses on fire there, then retreated back setting fire to almost every house on each side of the road, & several Houses Barns some distance on the North & South side of the Rode, driving out Women & Children &c.”
“A Company of Minute Men had left Conanicut the Afternoon before so that there were but 40 or 50 soldiers on the Island, of which 22 were well equipped. At the Cross Rodes there was a Skirmish. Our people killed one Officer of Marines & wounded 7 or 8. Not one Colonist was killed or hurt in the Skirmish. The Kings forces fired on Mr John Martin aet 80 standing unarmed at his Door & wounded him badly. Mr Fowler had above 30 Head Cattle : these the Regulars carried off & perhaps a dozen Head more, about 30 Sheep & as many Turkeys, & some Hogs, Beds Furniture & other plunder. They returned on board at X & XI o’Clock & came to this Harbor about Noon.”
Ezra Stiles records the names of the villagers who lost property including names that we still know today – Hull, Clarke, Fowler, Ellery, Remington, Gardiner, Hutchinson, Franklin, Robinson, and Howland. He does not note that the British ships were commanded by Capt. James Wallace, who was known for similar attacks in Bristol and elsewhere around Narragansett Bay.
A complete description of the raid and surrounding events is found on pages 642 and 643 of Stiles’ Diary
