British military officer; born in
England. April 7, 1762.
He was among the troops under Cornwallis
[
227]
surrendered at
Yorktown, where he held the position of captain.
Late in 1781,
Capt. Joseph Huddy, serving in the
New Jersey line.
was in charge of a block-house on
Toms River,
Monmouth co., N. J. There he and his little garrison were captured in March, 1782, by a band of refugee loyalists sent by the Board of associated loyalists of New York, of which
ex-Governor Franklin, of
New Jersey, was president, and taken to that city.
On April 8, these prisoners were put in charge of
Capt. Richard Lippincott.
a
New Jersey loyalist, who took them in a sloop to the
British guard-ship at
Sandy Hook.
There
Huddy was falsely charged with being concerned in the death of
Philip White.
a desperate Tory.
who was killed
White, a desperate Tory, who was killed while trying to escape from his guard.
While a prisoner,
Huddy was taken by
Lippincott to a point at the foot of the
Navesink Hills, near the present light-houses.
and there hanged.
Lippincott affixed a label to the breast of the murdered
Huddy, on which retaliation was threatened, and ending with the words, “
Up goes Huddy for Philip White!”
This murder created intense excitement at
Freehold, N. J., where
Huddy was buried, and the leading citizens petitioned
Washington to retaliate.
A council of his officers decided in favor of retaliation, and that
Lippincott, the leader, ought to suffer.
He was demanded of Sir henry
Clinton.
Congress authorized retaliation, and from among several British officers, prisoners of war,
Capt. Charies Asgill was chosen by lot, to be executed immediately.
Washington postponed the execution until he should hear from
Clinton about the surrender of
Lippincott.
Clinton at once condemned the action of
Lippincott, and ordered (April 26) the Board of Associated Loyalists not to remove or exchange any prisoners of war without the authority of the
commander-in-chief.
He caused the arrest of
Lippincott for trial, who claimed that he acted under orders of the Board of Associated Loyalists.
Franklin tried to get him to sign a paper that he had acted without their orders or approbation, but he stoutly refused.
and was acquitted.
Sir Guy Carleton succeeded
Clinton, and he promised that further inquiry in the matter should be had. Meanwhile months elapsed and the execution was postponed.
Lady Asgill appealed to the king in behalf of her only son. She also wrote to the
King and
Queen of
France asking them to intercede with
Washington.
She also wrote a touching letter to
Washington, who was disposed to save the young officer.
if possible.
The
King and
Queen of
France did intercede, and on Nov. 5, 1782.
Congress resolved, “That the
commander-in-chief be, and hereby is, directed to set
Captain Asgill at liberty.”
It was done.
The case of young
Asgill had created an intense interest in
Europe, and, on the arrival of every ship from
America at any
European port.
the first inquiry was about the fate of
Asgill.
In 1836, Congress granted to
Martha Piatt, only surviving child of
Captain Huddy, then seventy years of age, $1,200 in money and 600 acres of land, the “amount due
Captain Huddy for seven years service as captain of artillery.”
Asgill succeeded to the title and estate of his father, and rose to the rank of general in the
British army.
He died in
London, July 23. 1823.
Madame de Sevinge made the story of
Captain Asgill the ground-work of a tragic drama.
