READ: Lost at sea
NOTE: The following is a letter about a Piscataqua boating accident in the winter of 1832, transcribed from a letter sent by a reader from Reston, Virginia. It is offered with minimal editing and the owner’s permission. The author, William Walker (1780-1856), lived near the Custom House in Portsmouth, NH, where he worked as a “weigher and gauger.” William was married to Margery Greenleaf Ward, who may have run a school for girls. Hartwell was born in Portsmouth around 1812 and, after surviving the boating accident, is credited with raising the first Texas Navy flag in 1836. Hartwell Walker reportedly commanded a ship out of Boston headed to the California Gold Rush. The story is a work-in-progress. The letter transcribed here also appears in an online genealogy website. With thanks to Bill Davis. – JDR
READ: Lost at sea
February 27, 1832
Dear Children, I steal a moment to drop you a line to inform you of a circumstance that you might possibly hear an exaggerated account of and in consequence be more worried than if you knew the facts – It is bad enough indeed – Poor Haley, you probably saw by the Journal, is drowned; he lost his life in attempting to save Hartwells.
The facts are these: on Thursday evening the Marion arrived in the lower Harbor, Mr H[aley] went down & boarded her & beat her to anchor in Channel way. Friday Morning, he sent up for Hartwell to come down on board; he accordingly rigged himself in his thickest clothes (for you know it was intensely cold) & started with Haley’s man, John Rindale, in his whale Boat.
The tide ran down very strong & the wind was high at N.W. They made no sail, but rowed down. Hartwell, aware it would be difficult boarding the ship in the strength of the tide with the wind so high, rounded the boat too before he got to the ship & hailed her, but there was not a soul on deck & he could not make them hear below. Seeing the bite of a rope hanging over the side, he sheared the boat in & told John to seize & hold on to it.
He got hold of the rope, but it being a bite with which they could not take a turn, the tide was so strong they could not hold on.The boat, of course, droped a stern & her mast striking the ship’s Bumpkin, she filled & sunk under them. At this moment the people alarmed by their hallowing run on deck & Haley finding them in that situation without thinking what he was about (for he must have been beside himself), jumped into the ship’s Boat hanging at ther stern & with a hatchet attempted to cut away the cable when striking the ringball to which the tackle hooks.
It broke & down went the end of the Boat he was in threw him into the water/ He came up a short distance from Hartwell. He hailed the ship & told them to save the others; he would take care of himself. They did accordingly [and] with great difficulty save[d] Hartwell & Rindall by ropes.
They were much exhausted & some frozen before their clothes could be shifted, & H[aley] was hurt some by peeling him in over the Tafrail with a bowlin[e] round him. He remained on board until that evening when he was brot home in a sleigh from New Castle. He has been out this fournoon for the first time & appears much better, tho very low-spirited.
He has not smiled since the accident. The Idea of his friend Haley losing his life in trying to rescue him seems to be almost too much for him to bear. Haley is truly a great loss, not only to his family, but to the public. He was a very fine man & you may say the only pilot belonging here, his death is universally regretted.
I am in great haste as you will observe by the writing & have only time to add that the rest of us are as well as usual & all join in love to you jointly & severally.
Your affectionate father,
W Walker
P.S. if you have opportunity, send this to Exeter as they will see the Gazette tomorrow which contains Hartwell’s card & will want to know particulars which I have not time to write them.
You will be able to judge by your own feeling what ours were on reading the above. Dear Sarah and I write this to add a few lines to thank you for the intelligence you communicated and to say that the folks will not visit you this week. We still remain in ignorance as to the fate of the books and expect them daily in vain.
We are all very well, excepting brother. He was quite sick yesterday with his cold, but is better this morning.
Much love from all to all in haste
Yours, Lucy M.
Hope Grandpa is better.
Letter © Bill Davis. All rights reserved.
SEE ALSO: Sanm Haley’s shipwrecks
Sorry, Not the Prescott Sisters