General Artemas Ward: Shrewsbury’s Forgotten Hero

176

General Artemas Ward: Shrewsbury’s Forgotten HeroIn celebrating our Church’s 300th anniversary here in Shrewsbury, it would be appropriate to look at one of the most renowned individuals who not only grew up here but also participated in our town, state and national history for well over fifty years.  It would not be a stretch to state that Artemas Ward helped build our church from the very beginning because he was one of the building committee leaders when this, our 1766 church, was constructed.   Throughout his life he served also as our moderator and town representative to our legislature in Boston for many years then was elected to our new U.S. House of Representatives in Philadelphia.  Artemas Ward represented Shrewsbury throughout the Revolution and beyond.

At the outset here, perhaps a historical setting would help.  The real disagreement Massachusetts had with Britain when Ward etched his political position was that Americans had been allowed the freedom (from 1619 through the 1760’s) to govern themselves, tax themselves and basically be free of direct British rule.  However, as the British Empire tried to expand its influence in America, it came up against the French in 1754 in the Great Lakes Valley and that led to the Seven Years War.  After the British won that war in 1763 and expelled the French, that costly war needed to be paid for and hence the taxation issue arose.  With more resources and more people over here in America than in Great Britain taxing Americans seemed to be a natural way to pay for their expansion at the conclusion of the war with the Peace of Paris in 1763.  The next twelve years was marked by Americans in rebellion including Artemas Ward, who was often a leader in the midst of most of these historic moments.

Initially, Ward agreed with British rule and was a loyal subject.  As a valued leader in the Massachusetts House, Ward began questioning many of the new British rules by 1765.  His unreserved candor brought upon him the ire of the royal governor, Francis Bernard, whose job was to carry out the British taxation measures.  Ward growing popularity among his peers drew the anger from Governor Bernard who tried to keep a lid on any opposition to the Crown.

There is a colorful description of Ward’s demotion by the governor in numerous history books describing a well-dressed officer of the Governor’s who rode into Shrewsbury on a fine horse as they were erecting the new “meeting house” in 1766 on Shrewsbury’s Common.  After the officer found out which parishioner was Col. Ward, he handed the governor’s message to him.  “All of Ward’s friends wanted to know what was in this important message.  Ward then read the message and turning to the messenger told him to thank the Governor and say to him that he is twice honored—first for this commission and secondly for this demotion because it demonstrates that I am, what he is not, a friend of my country!”

As Ward’s influential role was growing, the royal governor tried to curtail his influence by negating his seat on the powerful “Governor’s Council” in 1768 and ‘69 which would be synonymous with the senate.  Controlling opposition leaders was challenging at best for the governor.  Bernard also negated John Hancock and James Otis so Ward was in good company!  These three remained off the Governor’s Council until a new royal governor, Thomas Hutchinson, was appointed who recognized that having Ward in the Governor’s Council was better than having him outside!

This is the turning point for Artemas Ward’s politically.  This is key.  Many loyal subjects became “revolutionaries” when pushed too far in the opposite direction.  Ward is now questioning British authority especially as these new laws are enacted by Britain.  He is showing no sympathy for damage done by groups known as “Sons of Liberty” or  hired “terrorists” who were a thorn in the governor’s side..   These years between the Stamp Act controversy in 1765 and the Revolution in 1775 were very contentious, to say the least.  Sides were taken and battle lines were drawn.  And, Ward’s elevated stature was such that he was chosen in October 1774 to lead the American Revolution as the first commander-in-chief of the newly formed American Army should war break out.

In considering Ward’s merits, one of his first affirmative acts of rebellion occurred when he influenced the Worcester county leaders in their Worcester Convention early in the fall of 1774.  There, Ward’s small committee of three wrote a scathing indictment denouncing Great Britain’s heavy hand in taxing, imposing unreasonable judicial mandates, shut down the Boston Harbor, and taking over the Massachusetts provincial government—all in the wake of the Boston Tea Party.  In rebuttal to those British mandates, Ward basically wrote the resolves at that Worcester Convention which led to Massachusetts following suit some months later denouncing Britain for denying them their rights in what has become known as the Boston Resolves and Declaration.  Again, this is crucial as it predated the “Revolution’s” beginning in 1775.

With this background, one can see that Artemas Ward was one of the most outstanding and well-respected political leaders in the Worcester area and even in the province.  Many at the time seem to acknowledge this remarkable leadership Ward exhibited in the pre-revolutionary years.  And, from that, we can understand that the choosing of Ward to be one of the leading generals of the war should one break out, was no accident but more, perhaps, providential!  And, 6 months later, when war broke out in Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, Ward became the lead general, in fact, the commander-in-chief, because of the status, the respect, the outstanding leadership qualities he had developed from his studies at Harvard in the 1740s, in leading his men in battle in the Seven Years’ War, and in the Massachusetts General court for more than a decade before the revolution.  He was thoughtful, well-spoken, and sincere as in his former judicial profession and being a real spokesperson in the General Court.

During that crucial period from April 19 through July, 1775 when Ward was the General in charge of forming the American Army, “independence” was at stake.  Were the British to overcome the revolutionaries, their ideal of being free to govern themselves would have been lost.  However, as history has shown, the American Army began to swell under Ward’s leadership to 23,500 men in Cambridge at the American headquarters.   This was in part because Gen Ward was more often seen as a father-figure rather than a task master as his successor, George Washington, was later viewed. These were simple farmers, not professional soldiers.  Ward contribution here was significant and often overlooked—he encouraged these thousands to join the resistance despite their lack of any professional military training or experience.  Ward’s own military service really was only one year of military service in the ill-fated attack on Fort Ticonderoga in 1757.  However, his ability to work with people, compromise, negotiate and lead—much from his political world—all led to his abilities to succeed in getting the American Army up and ready.  Daily drills were held, officers worked with Ward to implement this developing army and orders were given.  Nobody can deny that his leadership attracted thousands to the resistance in Cambridge, where the American headquarters was.

The pivotal point in Ward’s leadership might be seen in how he handled the events leading up to the Battle at Breed’s Hill.  First of all, one of his spies discovered that General Gage was planning an attack on the Americans through the Charlestown peninsula.  Rather than wait for the British to attack in a week, Ward seized the high ground atop Bunker Hill and had a “redoubt” built there three days ahead of the British attack. That gave the Americans a huge advantage.  When the British realized there was building, digging and construction going on up on Charlestown, they immediately set out to organize an effort to force the Americans off that hilltop.  But, Ward’s maneuver had caught them off-guard!  First, the Redcoats  had to “get prepared for the battle baking 2,000 loaves of bread and then sailing across Boston Harbor to Charlestown.  Immediately, they were at a huge disadvantage because it took them 6-8 hours to shuttle 2,000 Redcoats across the water.  Ward’s move really gave all of the advantages to the Patriots that June morning in 1775.  The Patriots even had time to construct a rudimentary “redoubt” on top of Breed’s Hill. But, in the blazing sun of mid-June, the Redcoats had to advance up the hill into firing Patriots.  On three occasions the Redcoats tried to repel the Yanks but to no avail until late in the third assault when the Americans ran out of ammunition.

Despite quickly retreating and losing the hill, the patriots were able to inflicted such staggering casualties that General Howe was quoted as saying that “another such victory and the British would lose the war!”  The casualty rate was 3:1 in the American favor.  Over 90 British officers were killed in battle and fully 50% of the 2,300 Redcoats engaged that day were killed or wounded. This was the worst British “defeat” in many years.  Ward’s thoughtful leadership placed the rag tag farmer-soldiers on Breed’s Hill and they fought for their lives, their farms, their democratic way of life.  This became a major turning point in the early phase of the Revolution because had the Americans not fought so valiantly, the Revolution would have been over.  Due to this psychological American victory, the British never wanted to attack again in Boston—and they never did.  They evacuated on March 17, 1776 with Gen Ward leading 500 Patriots across Boston Neck into Boston to ensure all of the British had left that morning.

Back when Ward was in command, down in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress appointed Washington to replace him as they wanted to bring the Southern Colonies on board.  Then, on July 3 Washington took over command however, quickly the Army dissolved to 5,000 recruits.  That stark contrast is very telling in and of itself.  While Washington did strengthen military discipline, he did it at a high cost.  If the British had known that Washington’s army had dissolved to only 5,000 men by fall of 1775, the Redcoats might have been able to mount a counter-offensive capable of destroying the American headquarters.  But, the British generals had learned to respect the American resolve and willingness to fight at Breed’s Hill.  Thank you, General Ward!

The extraordinary influence of General Ward does not end with the Revolution.  No, but in many ways it’s the pinnacle in his very long and illustrative career.  However, over the next 20 years Ward continued to serve his town, his new state and his new nation.  He was elected to  just about every position in the church and that was synonymous with the town in those days.  When a leader was needed during the Revolution to govern the new state of Massachusetts, Ward was the “acting governor” in the late 1770’s until John Hancock was officially chosen in 1780.  Why?  Ward was the most respected leader in the Massachusetts Legislature and his peers recognized that fact.

In the early years of our nation Ward was also chosen to serve as a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention, and he led the opposition to Shays’ Rebellion peacefully persuading thousands of Worcester County farmers to lay down their arms and let the politicians do their job on their behalf.  In the new US Congress, Ward was chosen twice to serve among 69 fellow Americans in the newly constructed United States House of Representatives from 1791 until 1795 as a devout Federalist and aligning himself with President Washington’s political associates.  Let’s not forget the genuine accomplishments of General Artemas Ward, a true American her from Shrewsbury.

 

 

No posts to display