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Prescott, Richard 1725-1788

Military officer; born in Lancashire, England, in 1725; was sent to Canada in 1773 as brevet-colonel of the 7th Foot. On the capture of Montreal, late in 1775, Prescott, who had the local rank of brigadier-general, attempted to escape to Quebec with the British troops, but was compelled to surrender. He was exchanged the following September for General Sullivan, and was soon afterwards made colonel of his regiment. On the capture of Rhode Island, late in 1776, he was placed in command there, and made his quarters at a farm-house a short distance from Newport. His [284] conduct had become very offensive to the Whigs, and to the inhabitants generally, who wished to get rid of him. Lieutenant-Colonel Barton, with thirty-eight picked men, in four whale-boats, accompanied by a negro named Prince, crossed Narraganset Bay from Warwick Point at 9 P. M. on July 10, 1777, to accomplish the task. Barton divided his men into small parties, and to each assigned a special duty. Misleading the sentinel at the gate of the house, belonging to Samuel Overton, Barton entered. Prescott was sleeping in an upper room. Ascending to it,

Prescott's headquarters.

the negro burst in a panel of the door, through which Barton entered, seized the general, bade him be perfectly silent, and, hurrying him to one of the boats, thrust him in, and there allowed him to dress. He was taken to Warwick Point, and from thence he was sent to Washington's headquarters in New Jersey. He was finally exchanged for General Lee; went back to Rhode Island, and remained in command there until it was evacuated, Oct. 25, 1779. He was made major-general in 1777, and lieutenant-general in 1782. He died in England in October, 1788.

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