Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/78

the brig. "Dolphin," Anthony Knapp, master, from Newburyport to Barbadoes, and thence returned by way of Newfoundland to his port of departure. He enlisted in December. 1775. for a twelve months' service in the Continental army under Captain Enoch Putnam, in a regiment commanded by Colonel Israel Hutchinson, of Danvers. He was stationed at Winter Hill until after the evacuation of Boston, in the spring of 1776, after which his regiment was quartered in the college buildings, at Cambridge. He assisted in the fortification of Dorchester Heights, and in May, 1776, went with his regiment to New York, where he was engaged several weeks in building the defences of Fort Washington. He volunteered as an artillery man in the expedition against the British on Long Island and served in Captain Foster's company under command of Colonel Henry Knox, in the battle of Flatbush. Two months later he rejoined his regiment at Fort Washington, New York, and was in the battles of Harlem Heights and White Plains, New York. After the retreat of the northern army across New Jersey, he was in the expedition under Washington that captured the Hessians at Trenton, New Jersey, December 26, 1776, and took part in the later expedition against Trenton, January 2. and Princeton, January 3, 1777 however, his term of enlistment having expired on February 5, 1777, he was discharged from the service. He returned to Massachusetts in company with Captain Brown, of Cambridge, and Captain Winthrop Sargent. of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Soon after his release from military duty in 1777, he shipped on board a sloop, Isaac Elwell, master, bound for Demerara, and the next year made a voyage to Martinique, with Captain Moses Hale. In 1779 he was mate of an armed schooner carrying six guns, which sailed for Guadeloupe, commanded by John Holmes, of Ipswich, Massachusetts. On the return voyage the vessel was taken a prisoner to Cork Haven, Ireland, but escaped and returned home by way of Barbadoes and St. Eustatius, after absence of eleven months. Later he sailed in the prize ship. "Uriah," Isaac G. Rearson, master. and was again captured and taken to Antigua, but escaped and returned home in the brig, "Ruby," John Babson, master, in 1780. Next he shipped on board the brig, "Marquis de Lafayette," carrying six guns, Seth Thomas, master, and made a voyage to Guadeloupe and back. He then sailed on the brig, "Cormorant." John Perkins, master, but was captured on the homeward voyage and taken to Bermuda. Records of the Pension Bureau at Washington state that Abraham Wheelwright served about three years in all, on board the brig, "Spy," six guns, Captain Lane. The vessels previously mentioned were all privateers or armed vessels of other character. After the close of the revolution he sailed as master and part owner of the brig, "Active," for Joseph Marguand. At a later date, in partnership with his brother, Ebenezer Wheelwright, he established a profitable maritime business with the West Indies.

Captain Abraham Wheelwright, in company with eight other merchants, among whom were Captains William Coombs, Moses Brown, William P. Johnson, Nicholas Johnson, William Faris. Ebenezer Stocker, all members of the Marine Society. sent the following letter to the President of the United States, June 1, 1798: "Sir:—A number of the inhabitants of Newburyport have agreed to build and equip a ship of three hundred and fifty-five tons burthen. to be mounted with twenty-six pound cannons, and to offer her to the government of the United States for their use, requiring no other compensation than six per cent. on the net cost of the ship and equipments, and a final reimbursement at the convenience of the Government of net cost." This offer was accepted, the ship was built in seventy-five working days. The keel was laid on July 9, and she was launched on October 12, 1798. She was named the "Merrimack," and was sent to sea under the command of Captain Moses Brown. At the end of five years she was sold in Boston; her name was changed to the "Monticello," and she was soon afterwards wrecked and lost on Cape Cod.

Captain Abraham Wheelwright purchased land and buildings in Newburyport, Massachusetts. September 30, 1789, of Samuel Noyes and wife Abigail, of Campton, New Hampshire; on June 4, 1791, Mary Wheelwright, widow of Jeremiah Wheelwright, sold Abraham and Ebenezer Wheelwright all her real estate in Gloucester devised to her by her father, Abraham Davis, late of Gloucester, Massachusetts. On January 3. 1806, John Greenleaf sold to Abraham