“On the 7th of December, 1782, Captain Brewster, with the whaleboats under his command, gave chase to several armed boats of the enemy in the Sound, and after a desperate encounter, in which most of the men on both sides were either killed or wounded, he succeeded in capturing two of the enemy’s boats. This action has generally been denominated, by way of distinction, the boat fight; and at the time was justly considered, in connection with its attendant circumstances, one of the most valorous and extraordinary engagements of that portentious period. It was indeed a truly perilous adventure; yet the contest lasted only twenty minutes, and some of his boats refusing to come up, he was compelled, from his peculiar situation, to engage with the enemy almost single handed. During the short but terriable conflict his shoulder was pierced by a rifle ball, which passed out at his back. His prudence and resolution enabled him to keep this occurrence a profound secret till the enemy surrendered, when he found himself exhausted from the effusion of blood. After reaching the shore, he was confined, under the hands of a surgeon, for some time; for the injury thus received, he was placed upon the pension roll of the army, and continued to receive a gratuity from his country for the remainder of his life. He participated in several other important and hazardous engagements, while attached to the line of the army, the interesting particulars of which it is impossible to ascertain, as none of his compatriots on those occasions are now living. On the 9th of March, 1783, he took command of a sloop at Fairfield, for the purpose of attacking the Fox, a British armed vessel in the Sound; and as soon as he came near, he ordered his men to board her with fixed bayonets, himself leading the way. In less than two minutes, she became their prize. Captain Johnson, of the Fox, and two men, were killed, and several others wounded; while Captain Brewster had not a person injured. This extraordinary exertion on his part was more than his then state of health could endure, and in consequence of which he was confined to his bed for several months. When he recovered, the preliminaries of peace had been exchanged, and his beloved country had assumed her appropriate station among the free nations of the earth. In 1784 he married Anne, daughter of Jonathan Lewis of Fairfield, Connecticut; where he continued afterwards to reside, when not in public service, to the close of life. In 1793 he was commissioned a lieutenant of the revenue cutter for the district of New York; and such was his well known skill and prudence, that on the death of Captain Dennis, soon after, he was appointed her commander, which he retained till 1816, with the exception of three years of Mr. Adam’s administration, to which he was opposed. In that year he retired to his farm at Black Rock, where he departed this life at the age of seventy-nine years, February 13th, 1827. In stature, Captain Brewster was above common size, of fine proportions, a commanding countenance, a constitution athletic and vigorous, and of extraordinary activity. His talent for wit and humor was almost unrivalled, and for relating anecdotes few men could be found more entertaining.
“His excellency Governor Tompkins, Dr. Mitchill, James Fairlie, Esq., and several other gentlemen, accompanied Captain Brewster in a voyage around Long Island, in September, 1809; and so highly gratified were they all with his polite attention to their comfort, that it was resolved to present him a silver cup as a token of their obligation and regard. The fort at Staten Island, where most of the gentlemen were present, was the spot chosen for delivering the cup, on which occasion Dr. Mitchill made an address in his usual able manner, and was happily responded to by Captain Brewster. On the subject of his military services, Mr. Knox, former secretary of war, on the petition of Captain Brewster, reported to the House of Representatives, the 21st of June, 1790, that ‘he was a lieutenant of artillery during the war, and was confidentially employed in an armed boat by the commander-in-chief, to keep open the communication between Connecticut and Long Island, for the purpose of obtaining intelligence. That he performed this ardous and hazardous service with fidelity, judgment and bravery, and to the entire approbation of General Washington, appears by his letters written to Captain Brewster, as well as his certificate, bearing date June 10, 1784.’
“By the zeal and activity which he manifested in this employment, he became, as a matter of course, a peculiar object of the enemy’s hate, who made many attempts, and in various ways, to take or destroy him. He, and those under his command, in the month of Dec., 1782, behaved with the highest gallantry, in an engagement with the enemy’s armed boats, the largest of which he captured, after an obstinate resistance, in which perilous action he was dangerously wounded, and was carried to Connecticut, at a distance from any hospital, where he languished for a long time under the pain of his wounds, from which he finally recovered.
“His widow survived her husband several years, and died in 1835, leaving a number of children, one of whom, Sturges Brewster, Esq., has been for many years attached to the New York Custom House.”
FOOTNOTES to “NOTES AND AMPLIFICATION”:
[66] Abraham Woodhull loaned money to the State, upon their request. See New York in the Revolution, vol. 2, p. 196.
[67] The east end of Long Island will always remember Ebenezer Dayton as the man who gave them the measles. He became known as a daring privateer during the early days of the Revolution, but, not satisfied to obey the rules of war, he made excursions on land that amounted to robbery. In retaliation the Tories crossed to his store in Connecticut and robbed him of £450 in gold and destroyed most of his effects. After the Revolution he became a peddler, and upon this particular occasion visited East Hampton with fancy goods for sale, arriving Saturday evening. On Sunday, although having symptoms of the measles, and against the advice of the hostess who had entertained him, he persisted in attending Church service, thereby notifying the public of his presence. News of his indiscretion was spread over the town and the indignation of the people was so obvious that he left in the early morning following. He was pursued by a few young men, overtaken, brought back to the village, ridden on a rail through the streets, ducked in the town pond, and submitted to other indignities. Nearly one hundred took the measles, and several died. Colonel Aaron Burr, then a young aspiring lawyer, advocated the suit of the peddler, and under his powerful presentation the jury rendered a verdict of one thousand dollars damages against the young men. Before the close of the war the men who robbed him in Connecticut were captured in Brookhaven, Long Island, and some of his effects recovered. One of the party was hanged and the others were severely punished.
[68] “The expenses already amount to the money sent.” All are familiar with the difficulties Washington had in obtaining money. However, he realized the importance of the Secret Service work and when they asked for it usually supplied small amounts. Woodhull seems to have feared Townsend would attribute this to lack of appreciation, and when sums came, forwarded all to Townsend, retaining nothing for himself. Townsend correctly considered himself an agent of General Washington, and expected him to meet the obligations it became necessary to incur, just as the General insisted upon being furnished promptly with sufficient to meet his own expenses. Like Washington, also, neither of the Culpers received money as a reward or hire for their personal services, and like him they were obliged to draw upon their personal funds. It may be roughly estimated that both men spent as much again as Washington sent them.
[69] Cullper instead of Culper it is written in Woodhull’s handwriting.
[70] A stone at the grave of Solomon Townsend, brother of Robert, is inscribed: “In Memory of Solomon Townsend, Member of the State Legislature from the City of New York, who departed this life on the 27th March, 1811, during the Session, aged 64 years 5 months and 2 days. The remains were transferred from Albany to this place Dec. 9th 1848.”