Dibble, John
John M. McDonald interview — 1847-11-02
A member of the Connecticut Militia, John Dibble fought at the Battle of Ridgefield, Connecticut, and saw American General Benedict Arnold twice during the fight. He was also present at the taking of the British ship Shuldham near City Island, an action that he describes in great detail. After a brief reference to American whaleboat man Fade Donaldson and his family, Dibble describes Ebenezer Ayres (spelled here as Eyres) of the whaleboat service. He also recounts the activities of Loyalist Major Nathan Hubbell and his activities in Darien, as well as Captain William Frost, who led the force that raided the Middlesex Parish church (now the First Congregational Church of Darien) on July 22, 1781. Dibble then discusses whaleboat activity, including an incident when a man named Talcott kept two Refugees from capturing his boat. He explains the destruction of two whaleboats belonging to American Samuel Lockwood, and references the fight between American Caleb Brewster and Loyalist Joseph Hoyt. He concludes by recounting the encouragement that he and his comrades received from the women of Fairfield County after the Battle of Ridgefield and before the Battle of Compo Hill.
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Transcription
236 584 105 95 Nov! 2nd John Dibble, of Darien, aged 89: "In 1777, I belonged to the Town Guards and was in the Ridgefield skirmish. I was then on the flank guards, and five out of twenty five of us got killed. I saw Genl Arnold when his horse was killed. The British would have been beaten if they had not crossed Scungatuck river. I saw Arnold twice that day. He wore a blanket great coat. I was at the taking of the Shuldham armed vessel of ten guns. We carried our whale boats across Pell's Neck where we took a market boat which had three hundred barrels of salt on board, and twelve ten gallon kegs of brandy returning from New York. We then ran down with a fair wind, and the [Shuldham] guard ship lay near [Shuldham] City Island. When we came near the [our?] Captn. Lockwood was at the helm, and the watch cried out: "What sloop is that?"
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239 585 106. 96. Lockwood answered: "The Little Stanton." "Take care – take care – you'll be foul of us!" "Never fear, never fear!" said Lockwood very coolly. "The rebels boats are out to night, and we want to get under your lee." First then we ran our bow sprit into her netting. One Allen, a Continental soldier cut the netting with his broad sword as well as others, and we then boarded and drove the watch below. They never fired a gun, but they fired at us fiercely from City Island. Ten Dollars we offered to the first man on board and five for the second. Andrew Mead was the first and one Gregory the second. No one of us understood the management of the stern top sail, and we then promised if any of the crew would assist us in the navigation we would not make them prisoners but would let them go. Two of the English crew accepted our offer. One of them was an Englishman named Jacob Chapman, who afterwards married
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240 586 107. 97. and lived here. The other was an Irishman. We then took six more vessels, all wood boats, two of which we ransomed and took the other four into Stamford. On this occasion we set out with the intention of taking the fort at White Stone Ferry, but when Captain Lockwood saw the Shuldham and heard of the Little Stanton, he altered his intention. There were also a brig and ship (armed vessels) along the side the fort, and Lockwood knew it would not do to attack the fort then. We went down to attack the fort being in number about thirty or sixty. Fade Donaldson was a rough old [boy?] and had three sons with him in the whale boat service. Major Eyres had been a Major in the army, and was afterwards a whale boat captain. I was under him three or four months. He was a very brave man with very little conduct, and was killed by Captn. Marks. He surrendered, and delivered his
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241 587 108 98 musket to Marks who took it and killed him with it after he surrendered. Major Hubbell* was from somewhere near Bridgeport, a very clever man who afterwards became a Colonel. He commanded the party that killed three men by the School house near here, about two miles west of Darien church. They took no prisoners then. We took Joseph Smith prisoner who was wounded. He (Joseph Smith) was from New Canaan. We were fifty or sixty in number, enough to have taken Hubbell prisoner. Hubbell afterwards said Lieut. Howe missed his figure when he hailed them. We were then under the command of Lieut. Nathan Howe of Middlesex of the coast guard. Captain Frost who took off the old [meeting?] house [cong.] was a Shoemaker from Middlesex. [margin: * From Monroe, formerly part of Huntington. W. Hawley say – "a gentlemanly old man."]
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242 588 109 99 I was with those that pursued them to Scotch Cove. We might have taken them all, but for Major Davenport who said: "It won't do to attack them now – they'll kill half of you!" Davenports courage was doubted much. The British vessels of war couldn't come up to the Islands at first. One Talcott was part owner of a vessel taken by the aforesaid Refugees who put Mr. R. and R. S. on board &c – Talcott knocked Mr. R. down with the tiller while R. S. was below drawing brandy. R. surrendered. Talcott then offered S. quarter, but he undertook to jump out of the hold, where upon Talcott knocked him down dead with the tiller, and brought the vessel into Norwalk. Saml Lockwood's row galley was burnt the same time that they took Blackleach Burrett prisoner. She was then on the stocks. Lockwood afterwards [margin: * White Raymond. + Raymond Sillick. see p. 78. 9. of orig. and 105 of copy. J.E.]
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245 589 110 built another which was blown up! Joseph Hoyt and another commanded the Refugees whale boats against Brewster and Val. Ryder. Brewster and Hoyt chased each other. This was off Norwalk Island. When we were retreating from Ridge -field, and also on the following day when we were pursuing, the women, as we passed by would come out of the farm houses and address us: "Why don't you fight? why don't you face the enemy? – Come! that's good boys! – Do something for the good cause! – Strike a blow for Congress!" There was great enthusiasm among all classes, and I and others were so much affected by the reproofs and supplications of the women that we exposed ourselves unnecessarily.