COUSIN ARTEMAS WARD

A man universally esteemed, beloved and confided in by his army and their country. ~ John Adams

a forgotten man

Our Cousin Artemas Ward's (4C10X) claim to fame is a pretty substantial one. He was the very first commander in chief of the newly budding United States Army. The man who took over after him was none other than George Washington. Harry Schenawolf, who wrote a lengthy article about him for the Revolutionary War Journal, says that Artemas has "unceremoniously slipped between the dusty pages of history, overshadowed by the more flamboyant figures such as Washington, Daniel Morgan, or the boisterous Boston ‘rabble rousers’ like the Adams family." Though mostly overlooked, Cousin Artemas did his part in the creation of our nation.

Cousin Artemas' early life

Artemis Ward, who descended from our Marlborough Brigham family, was born in Shrewsbury MA in 1727. His father was Nahum Ward (3C9X) whose mother was Hannah Brigham Ward (2C8X).

(1) Marlborough (2) Shrewsbury

Nahum was "a sailor, a Boston merchant, a town founder, a military officer, a lawyer and a judge." According to Nahum's own account of himself, he was master of a ship in West Indian service when "a spiritual change" came over him, causing him to "relinquish that mode of life..." He ended up helping to found the town of Shrewsbury.

Artemas was the seventh of Nahum's eight children. He graduated from Harvard in 1748. Shortly afterward, in 1750, Artemas married Sarah Trowbridge. The couple lived in a house that had been built by Nahum. In 1753, Nahum deeded the house to Artemas and that is where he lived for the rest of his life. Today, the house sits on a beautiful, sweeping piece of property in Shrewsbury. I found information about the house on Wikipedia:

The building was enlarged by the General in 1785. . .nearly doubling its size, to accommodate the family of his son Thomas Walter Ward (4C9X) alongside his own household. It was enlarged again in 1820 by Thomas Walter Ward, adding a two-story ell to the rear. The main structure was occupied by Ward family members until 1909. From 1909 until 1954 descendants of the general lived in a second structure situated behind the colonial home. The property was donated by the family to Harvard University in 1925.

The home is now operated by Harvard as a museum. . .The property also includes a four-story barn, the largest structure of its kind in New England.

In the first years after his marriage, Artemas operated a small general store. He sold a wide assortment of items from dry-goods to rum. According to Harry Schenawolf, "[t]hroughout his business and personal affairs, Ward’s strict adherence to Puritan values became his guiding light."

Nahum's death

With Nahum's illness and subsequent death in 1754, the Ward family had dealings with two men who also happened to be relatives of ours. The doctor who treated both Nahum and his wife was our cousin Dr. Samuel Crosby (4C9X). Below is the bill for services signed by Dr. Crosby. On March 25th 1754, he billed the Ward family 15 shillings sixpence for seven visits and sundry medicines and ninepence for medicine for Ms. Patty, possibly a daughter. Then in June 1755, Dr. Crosby treated Nahum's widow, Martha. He billed the family 15 shillings onepence for 8 visits, bleeding and medicine.

After the deaths of Nahum and Martha, the house they lived in was sold for £540 to our cousin Henry Baldwin (3C7X). Henry received 160 acres plus the buildings on the property. According to Schenawolf, "[it] was soon turned it into a popular hangout for future patriots: Baldwin Tavern." We'll have more on Henry's tavern in a future post.

French and Indian War

Artemas began his military career in the final French and Indian War. In 1757, he was promoted to colonel and, the very next year, he was commissioned a major. At this point in his life, Artemas became so involved in army life that he had no time for his store which he gave up. From then on, he worked whole-heartedly on both his military and legislative careers.

In June of 1758, Artemas set off with General Abercombie's regiment for an attack on the French Fort Carillon (later called Ticonderoga) at the north end of Lake George. In July, just days before the attack, Artemas was promoted to Lt. Colonel. As luck would have it, however, he didn't take part in the disastrous assault on Fort Carillon. While his regiment marched off, Artemas lay "prone in his tent from painful bladder stones..." Bladder stones would plague poor Atemas for the rest of his life.

the pre-Revolution years

Artemas returned to Shrewbury in 1762 and was appointed a judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Then, in 1763, he was elected to the Provincial Assembly. There, he worked on a taxation committee with John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Over the next decade he became increasingly involved in committee work, first for the British Crown and later for the Massachusetts Committee of Correspondence.

Note: Committees of correspondence were "emergency provisional governments set up between the thirteen colonies in response to British policies that led up to the Revolutionary War."

As a member of the Committee of Correspondence, Artemas helped draft responses to British legislation such as the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts. Over time, he became an outspoken critic of the British Parliament. Schenawolf says that "[w]hen taking the floor in debates, Ward was second only to James Otis in speaking against the Revenue acts of Parliament." Governor Barnard, in retaliation, banned Artemas from the Assembly and revoked his military commission.

That action didn't stop Cousin Artemas. When the provincial Assembly was disbanded altogether by Governor Barnard, Artemas remained active as a member of the Sons of Liberty. He chaired various committees that sprang up in place of the defunct Assembly. According to Schenawolf, "[w]hen the Sons of Liberty erupted in protest against the newly enacted revenue on tea, resulting in the December 16, 1763 Tea Party, Ward and his colleagues were once more in the thick of what was becoming open rebellion."

By February of 1775, five generals had been appointed by the newly formed Provincial Congress. Cousin Artemas was one of them. On February 6, the Congress decided a central command was needed in case of an attack by Britain. Shortly afterward, Artemas was chosen commander in chief of the entire militia.

General Artemis Ward

the war begins

When news of the attack on Lexington came to Shrewsbury on April 19, Artemas had been in bed dealing with his everlasting bladder stones. He was, however, able to rise to the challenge. At dawn on the morning of April 20th, he set off for Boston. A siege had been set up around the city. Artemas took command of the forces and "called the first council of war of the American Revolution." Below is a picture of Artemas' headquarters in Cambridge:

In his article, Schenawolf gives this description of the new commander in chief:

The commander who took his place at the head of the council table was a man of medium height; clean shaven, of prominent features; too stout for his forty-seven years (some stated too fat to mount his horse, which proved an exaggeration) and at that moment, showing the effects of his recent illness.

While his tenure as commander in chief was brief, it was Cousin Artemas who first organized and maintained the siege that became so important to the rebel cause. Exactly one month after the siege began, on June 19, 1775, George Washington would take over as commander in chief of the newly formed Continental Army. Artemas became Washington's second in command.

Bunker Hill

Unfortunately for Cousin Artemas, the Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, just two days before his watch over Cambridge ended. His role in that conflict was severely criticized by his own officers and he has since been skewered by historians over the years for his "painfully slow" decision making.

Note: We'll cover the Battle of Bunker Hill in more depth in our next post.

Schenawolf does offer some defense for beleaguered Cousin Artemas who was in command of a ragtag group of men from all different parts of the country: "Discipline was at an all time low. Men followed orders only if they so desired. Many of the men still wore the same clothes they had on when they first responded to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Hygiene was deplorable the stench becoming unbearable. Sickness began to take its toll." In addition, Artemas had been kept exceptionally busy trying to obtain the desperately needed supplies required for his army to even continue as a fighting force.

Schenawolf also points out that in May, a month before Bunker Hill, Artemas had come up with a plan to seize Dorchester Heights but the Continental Congress didn't agree. It was the taking of Dorchester that finally drove out the British under Washington's command almost a year later.

(1) Dorchester Heights (2) Bunker Hill

demotion

Two days after Bunker Hill, George Washington was named commander in chief of the Continental Army. On June 22, however, the Congress showed their appreciation of the now second in command Artemas by naming him the first Major-General of the army. He wrote an extremely modest letter to of thanks to John Hancock, President of the Congress:

Head Quarters Cambridge June 30th 1775

Sir-

I have this Day rec'd your Favor of the 22nd in which you are so kind as to inform me of the general officers, that the Hon'[or]able continental congress have appointed. I wish Sir, the appointment in the Colony may not have a Tendency to create uneasiness among us, which we ought at this critical Time, to be extremely careful to avoid. I have Sir, to acknowledge the rec't [receipt] of the commission of a Major General & do heartily wish that the honor had been conferred upon a Person better qualified to execute a Trust so important. It would give me great satisfaction, if I thought myself capacitated to act with Dignity, & to do Honor to that Congress which has exalted me to be second in Command over the american Army. I hope they will accept my sincere Desire to serve them, my most grateful acknowledgement for the Honor conferred upon me; & pray they may not be wholly disappointed in their expectations. I always have been, & am still ready to divote [sic] my Life, in attempting to deliver my native country from insupportable Slavery.

I am Sir, with great Respect,

Your most obedient

Humble Servant,

Artemas Ward

Most probably, Cousin Artemas felt that the major-general honor should have gone first to George Washington. Washington, when he arrived was highly criticial of the deplorable army he had inherited from Artemas. Washington would soon enough discover his own difficulties in keeping his army clothed, supplied and disciplined.

second in command

According to Schenawolf, Cousin Artemas and George Washingtion did not like each other. Still, they soldiered on together trying to make the best of a bad situation. Artemas' organizational skills became increasingly valuable to Washington. In 1776, after the British retreat from Boston, Artemas sent a resignation request to Congress, citing his ongoing health problems. When Washington asked to him stay on and manage affairs in Boston while he, Washington, took the army north to New York, Artemas agreed to stay.

When Washington complained about Artemas' slow action in reinforcing forts in the north, Artemas once again asked to resign. He wrote to Congress, “I cannot be content to continue in office when I am conscious, I am not able to do the duties.” On April 23, 1776, Congress accepted his resignation. Washington, however, wouldn't release Artemas until March of 1777 when Major-General William Heath was appointed second in command.

legislative duties

Artemas returned to Shrewsbury and devoted his time to the state Council where he served for the next three years. Shenawolf wrote that Cousin Artemas flourished "in government; standing before local assemblies, proclaiming virtues to the patriotic cause while spending innumerable hours mumbling through boring committees as the nuts and bolts of insurrection were hatched out. This is where he made his mark, where his organizational skills shined. It was the meticulous attention to details that helped guide his fellow patriots."

Artemas was chosen by the General Court as a delegate to the 1780 Continental Congress in Philadelphia where he served for one year. In 1781 he declined to take the position for another year because of failing health. After the war, in 1788, Artemas was chosen as one of the nine councilors who advised the state’s governor. In 1790, he was still at it, representing the county of Worcester in the House of Representatives. He served two terms. Though Artemas and Washington never got along personally, Artemas did support Washington's Federalist government.

retirement

When the Third Congress retired on March 3, 1795, Artemas retired along with it. He wrote to his son Henry (5C9X), “…and this day finisheth my public political life. I shall now return to the private walks of life, and spend the few remaining days of my Pilgrimage. . . in solitude. . . ” After a full life spent in service to his country, solitude was obviously not in Artemas' makeup. He presided as chief justice of the Worcester County Court of Common Pleas for almost three years after his "retirement."

By the end of 1797, however, health issues once again cropped up. Artemas wrote to his daughter Maria (5C9X) that “. . .I shall soon leave that Court and confine myself at home. I am old & infirm, it is time for me to quit the theatre of action, and while I remain here live a domestic life.” Cousin Artemas' spent the last two years of his life " in quiet retirement in his home." He died on October 28, 1800 at 73 years of age.

Legacy

Largely forgotten by his country after his death, there would be no statues or monuments of Artemas until one of his grandsons, another Artemas Ward (6C8X), left instructions in a bequest to Harvard College for a statue to be erected in Washington D.C.

As to Artemas' legacy, Harry Shenawolf had this to say:

Lackluster, ulta-conservative, slow to act, some at the time might say slow to think, he was one who enjoyed eating – a lot. . .But, as things ended up, when war erupted, General Artemas Ward was the right man at just the right time with the necessary skills to keep the American army and the rebellion intact. . .waiting for the real pros to take over who, as it turned out, pretty much blundered along in the beginning as paunchy Artemas did. . .no matter how shabby the army appeared, or how justified the new commander was to complain, Ward was able to hand over an army. A force he led through two ferocious battles, one inflicting the highest number of British casualties for the entire war, while keeping the English ‘hounds at bay’, neatly tucked up in Boston. He relinquished an army to be reckoned with; that of determined men who proved they could fight, and were ready to become soldiers.

General Ward never concocted a brilliant plan to drive the British into the sea. Yet perhaps more importantly, he didn’t do anything that could have destroyed his army of amateurs.

One person who always remained in Cousin Artemas' corner was future president John Adams. Adams had this to say about Artemas: “A man universally esteemed, beloved and confided in by his army and their country.”