Quaint and Historic Forts of North AmericaHammond, John Martin
History
Quaint and Historic Forts of North America
Hammond, John Martin
Fortification -- North America; Fortification -- United States; Historic buildings -- United States
Still the spirit of fire had its due, for in 1673 the fort was
burned to the ground. In the year following a new fort of stone
was erected. It had four bastions, mounted thirty-eight guns and
sixteen culverins, in addition to a water battery of six guns, and
was a very imposing work indeed.
In 1689 the people of Boston, favoring the Cromwellians in England,
seized the royal governor, Edmund Andros, and placed him in
confinement. They took possession of the castle and appointed Mr.
John Fairweather commander to succeed Captain John Pipon.
But all dissension is smoothed down by the hand of Time. Under
the administration of Sir Williams Phipps, an appointee of King
William, the fort was named Castle William and the Crown donated a
large sum of money toward the erection of a stronger structure. The
ordnance then became 24 nine-pounders, 12 twenty-four pounders, 18
thirty-two pounders, and 18 forty-eight pounders; and the bastions
became known by the names of the “Crown,” the “Rose,” the “Royal,”
and the “Elizabeth.” This augmentation of strength was the more
necessary as a French invasion of the New England colonies was
apprehended.
And so we run on through the years: In 1716 Lieutenant Governor
William Dummer, a well-known name in the history of Massachusetts,
assumed command of Castle William, agreeable to orders from
the Crown, and thereby incurred the ill-feeling of the general
court of the province which heretofore had had prerogative in
the appointment of a commandant. In 1740 the fort was repaired
in anticipation of war with France and a new bastion mounting 20
forty-two pounders was created and named Shirley bastion.
Ordnance presented by the King arrived in 1744; a second
magazine was built in 1747; and a third added during Shirley’s
administration. In 1747 a riot occurred in Boston and the governor
took refuge at the Castle. Upon assurance that his authority would
be sustained the governor returned to the city two days after his
flight.
On the 15th of August, 1757, Governor Pownal arrived to assume
the government of the province. Sir William Pepperell, conqueror
of Louisburg, held command of Castle William. In accordance with
custom Sir William surrendered the key of the castle to the new
executive and said, “Sir, I hand you the key of the province.” Not
outdone at all, Governor Pownal replied, “Sir, the interests of the
province are in your heart. I shall always be glad, therefore, to
see the key of the province in your hands.” Thus the doughty old
warrior was maintained in his command until his death in 1759.
In this same year died Captain Lieutenant John Larrabee, who had
lived for fifty years on the island in the service of the Crown.
In 1764 the Castle was used as an inoculation station during the
ravages of a plague of smallpox which swept the little city.
[Illustration: FORT WINTHROP FROM CASTLE ISLAND
Main Entrance
FORT INDEPENDENCE, CASTLE ISLAND, BOSTON, MASS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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