Capt. Peter Kimball

The Granite Monthly, Vol 4, 1881
Diary of Capt. Peter Kimball, 1776
By Charles Carleton Coffin
Pages 230-233

There lies before me a time-worn book, which was carried by a patriot soldier through two campaigns of the revolution.  The covers are of boards covered with sheepskin, and first did service in enclosing the pages of the spelling book prepared by Thomas Dilworth, schoolmaster.  He was an authority in the last century, as Webster is in this.  Its possessor, Peter Kimball, one hundred and five years ago, tore out the printed pages, inserted blank leaves, and made it his diary, which I reproduce with its original spelling, with notes explanatory of some things which otherwise might be obscure.

Capt. Peter Kimball was born in Bradford, Mass., but removed to Boscawen in 1765, when he was twenty-six years of age.  He was a man of strong character and at once became a leading citizen.  He was an ardent patriot, and was ready to do his part in the struggle for independence.  The diary gives the distances between Boscawen and White Plains, near the city of New York, in the daily marches of himself and comrades to join Washington's army after the evacuation of New York, resulting in the battle of White Plains.

Capt. Kimball never had the advantages of an education.  His spelling is phonographic, but that does not detract from the value of the writing.

The diary is prefaced by the following list of towns on the line of march, where he passed the nights:

"An account of our march Day by Day from Boscawen. 

There is no date to show when he was appointed captain, but he was serving in that capacity in September, 1776, as will be seen by the context.
The diary thus begins:

"sept 16, 1776, in consequence of orders Recvd this Day from Col Stickney (of Concord) to Rais and Equip seven men to march to concord on the twentieth of this instant sept. the company was Raisd the 17th & after the order was Read and the incouragement known the invitation was given yt if there was Any man or men yt would go thay ware Desired to make it manifest.  none semed to be willing.  But at Length Lieut Jackman, Ensign Ames, Sargent plummer, clark Noyes, (clerk of the company), simeon Jacman, moses manuel and myself agreed to go, Simeon Jackman being hired by Saml Jackman & Dan Richards (all citizens of Boscawen).

fryday ye 26th we marched to Concord and past muster.

Saterday 21 we stayed at Concord.  Receivd our Billiten at Evening.

Sunday 22 we marcht to Rober mac gragors (Amoskeag), and I Paid for 8 mugs of syder for 8 men £ 0-2 s.o.p.

Monday 23 we marcht 8 mile and Breakfast.  from thence to Hollis and Loged.

tuesday 24 we marcht to Harfard and Loged.

fryday 27 we marcht to woster and Loged at Joneses.

thursday 26 we marcht to brookfield & Loged.

fryday 27 we marcht to Palmer & Loged.

Saterday 28 we marcht to Winsor Goshen and Loged.

Sunday 29 we marcht to hartford & Loged there.

munday 30 we stayd at hartford.

October 1 we marcht to wolingford and Loged thare.

wensday 2d we marcht to new haven and Loged thare.

thursday 3d we marcht to stratford & thare Loded and saw John Flanders on our way (of Boscawen).

fryday 4 we marcht to fairfield and Loged by the sound.

Saterday 5 we marcht to Stamford and Loged thare.

Sunday 6 we stayed at stamford & Drawed alowance and went to meeting in the afternoon & heard mr wells preach.

monday 7th we had no duty to Do but walked the streets.  at evening Drawd half pound of powder 16 Bawls at the meeting house and thare was a gard of 10 men out of our company.

tuesday we drawd allowance for two days & went & got some oysters for supper.

Wensday ye 9 stayed at Stamfard & heard a heavy fire at York.

thursday 10th we stayed at Stamfard & walkd the streets.

fryday 11th, a little Rain last Night.  fair morning and in the afternoon we marcht to Greenege (Greenwich) & stayed there.

Saterday 12 we marcht to Stamfard again and Loged there.

Sunday 13th orders came to march to horseneck & Loged thare.

monday 14th we marcht to New Rocher & Loged thare.

tuesday 15th we stayed at New Rochel & went to see Nat Burbank.

wensday 16 we stayed at N Rochel and about midnight was Alarmed.

thursday 17 we marcht to White plane & Loged thare.

fryday 18th I went for teage.

Saterday 19th we was Allarmed.  it was sd the Lite horse was on thar way to white planes in sight.  the Rigement was collected together and under arms some time.

Sunday 20 we pitcht our tents.

monday 21 I was called for teage (fatigue).  Jackman went in my room & I helpt pitch the tent over & afternoon thare was a detachment of about 600 men sent to ingage the enemy at marnick (Mamaroneck) 8 out of our company.  the next morning all returned but Sim Jackman.  they atackted the enemy about 10 O clock at Night.  took about 36 pisoners.

tuesday 22 about 10 clock Jackman came in & there was a gallos orders by Genl Starling (Lord Sterling) to hang three of the pisoners at 12 o'clock.¹

wensDay 23 I mounted the Q. G. (Headquarter guard.) stood 10 hours in 24.

Thursday 24. this morning we Here that Last Night our People Had a scrimage with the Hessians & it was sd kild 10 and Drove the Regt.

friday 25th I went on the picket & laid on our arms on a hill about 2 miles from the camp.

Saterday 25th the gard was Dismist about 12 o'clock.  in the afternoon I saw John Hale (citizen of Boscawen).

Sunday 26 I was of off duty, took care of Jackman.  made him some pancakes.

monday 27.  in the morning was Alarmed and struck our tents about 10 Oclock.  we marcht to the Loins (lines).  about 12 Oclock in the Day they attackted our Loins on the Right wing & Drove our People and marcht on to a hill in Plain sight of our Loins in the front in whear I was Placed.  at night we Lay on our arms²

tuesday 28 we Lay on our arms.  the enemy Appeard all Round on every hill the Riflemen Afiring on there gards.  one of the Riflemen kild this day & at night our gard was Alarmed.  another fired and kild Capt Buntin.

wensday 29th we moved a little more to the Right wing & Lay on our arms & just before night we moved Back to our Loins and took our post.

thursday 31st we Lay on our arms & at Night we Retreated from the lines about a mile & ½ & Lay on our arms.

friday Nov 1 we was ordered to march & we marcht  about 1/4 of a mile & Returned to the same ground.  About 10 o'clock we was alarmd.  the evening we marcht to the Loins we left & our people fired on them & they Retreated a little.

Saterday 2d I went on teage (fatigue).

Sundy 3d General Sullivan wanted about 200 men to go with him as a gard to see what he could Discover of the enemy.  we marcht about 3 mile & Discovered the enemy.  he went with his spy glass & garling (bag for provisions) & 3 men went with me to a house & the enemy Discovered us & fired.  Our officers set us in a Battle Ray.  we waited some time and then Retreated and marcht home.

monday 4 there came orders for the scout to Do no Duty & we washt our shurts.

tuesday 5 the general gard was cald for But it was his pleasure not to go & so a part of the gard was Dismist.  so I Returned to my tent & there was a Revue of arms and amunision & at Night the scouting party was called for & I went to the general.  stayed about 2 hours & Dismist.  Lay on our arms.

wensday 6th we turned out before Day and went to the Larum post & about 8 o'clock there was a scout of 11 men cald for & I went for one & we marcht to the white plains to our old Loins and found the enemy Retreated & vewed the ground where the battle was fought the 27 of October & found whear they buried there Dead.  vewed there encampment and followed them about 2 mile & made no Discovery of them & Returned home & slept in our tents.

thursday 7th I was off Duty.  this Day about 3 o'clock we marcht on to the parade & the general vewed us.  at night Dismist & ordered us to parade at 8 o'clock next morning.

fryday 8th the Rigement mustered at 8 o'clock & marcht to the generals in sub division into the field & had a sham fite.  general Sullivan commanded our brigade.  ordered to appear in the field at 2 o'clock next Day.

Saterday 9th orders for the Rigement to muster at 2 o'clock.  we mustered & marcht into the field by grand Division.  at night Dismist.

Sunday 10th I went on teage.  built some breastwork.

monday 11 we built a chimney to our tent & at night it Raind.  it was a coald storm.

tuesday 12th the Rigement was ordered to parade and ensign hecock (Hickock) pickt 6 men to go with him a scout towards New Rochel.  moses manuel and I went with him.  we went about 8 mile.  we Discovered the enemys fires for 4 mile in Length. -- Retured about 4 mile.  went to a house built a fire & went to sleep.  the Next morning got some sass such as winter squash & cabig & Returned to our tents.

wensday 13th off of Duty.  this Day I Recvd a Letter from my wife.

thursday 14th about 1 o'clock ensign hecock with 7 men of whom I was one went a scout Down towards King's bridge about 15 mile & about 12 at Night surprised & took a Hessian & a tory negro & brought them in.

friday 15th we brought in our prisoners and Delivered them to general Lee.

Saterday 16th Lieut Crumly (?) & I went to North Castle to see brother Daniel.

Sunday 17th News that fort Washenton was taken by the brittons yesterday & at night I went on the picket.

monday 18th we was ordered into the field & was trained by Col Duglas.

tuesday 19th settled our accounts Respecting the mess & in the afternoon washt my shurt.

Wensday 20th I went on a scout.  brought in 31 cattle 5 colts 68 sheep 44 hogs to the main gard.

Thursdey 21st a lowery Day.

fryday 22 still lowery.

saterday 23 still lowery.  the general sent for a scout.  I went but it Raind & we were dismist.

Sunday 24  Last night cilly Rainy & about noon a scout was cald for & I went Down to East Chester & took one of Royce's men from thence to Dob's ferry.

monday 25th Returnd to our camp.

tuesday 26 Rainy Day.  we Loge in our camp.

Wednesday 27th still Rainy & cold.  baldin (Baldwin) went to Hed quarters with the muster Roals in order to git our wages.

thursday 28th there come orders for 22 men to go to Dobb's ferry for a gard.  Anniah bohonan (Bohonan, of Salisbury) & I went with ensign Dunkin about 2 mile & Loged.

friday 29 we was down to Dobb's ferry & Returnd to John Hammons & Loged there.

Saterday 30th we marcht to our camp.

Sunday December 1st we marcht from New Castle to Stamford on our journey home.  Left Ames & moses (Moses Manuel) about 5 miles from the camp and & Loged 3 on this side of Stamford town.

Mondy ye 2d we marcht about 3 mile this side of stratford ferry & Loged.

tuesday 3d we marcht to wollingford & Loged thare.

wensday 4th we marcht to Hartford East and Loged thare.

Thursday 5 we marcht to Ashford.  Left Samuel Gerrish on the way to Coventry & we Loged at Ashford.

fryday ye 6 we marcht to Oxford & Loged thare.

Saterday 7th we marcht to Wooster & thare I met William Jackman with my horse.  from thence I Rode to Chockset and Loged there.

Sunday 8th I rode to Merimack & Loged thare.

monday 9th I Rode to Boscawen to my own house & Loged thare."

1.  There is no clue to the crime of the prisoners.  Quite likely they were Tories.  It is not probable that they were executed.

2.  The battle of White Plains was a severe contest.  The British numbered nearly thirty thousand, the Americans nineteen thousand.  It began with the skirmishing, as stated by Capt. Kimball, the Americans retreating behind the little river Bronx, and taking a position on Chatterton hill, west of White Plains.  Howe advanced on the 28th, and was severely handled.  The Hessians were repulsed with a loss of between three and four hundred.  Only a small portion of either army was engaged.  Howe recalled his troops intending to make a flank attack the next day.  Washington retreated three miles and took up a much stronger position.  A heavy storm set in, and when it became fair Howe reconnoitered the new position but did not dare to attack, and retreated ingloriously to New York.  Capt Kimball was on the left of the American line, under Sullivan, and was not in the thick of the fight.

Alexander Hamilton, then a very young man, commanded a battery which was effective in the repulse of the British.  The American brigades in the fight were commanded by Putnam, McDougal and Col. Smallwood; the British by Col. Leslie and Gen. Rhal  The British greatly outnumbered the Americans, but the latter had advantage of position.

The diary of Capt. Kimball is exceedingly valuable, in that it exhibits the readiness of the people to respond to the call, after the first outburst of patriotism had cooled; also because it brings vividly before us the long marches from Central New Hampshire to New York, each soldier carrying  his provisions, gun and knapsack.  There were no deserters.  Each soldier marched as in duty bound, making no halts by the way.  When Howe retreated the militia was disbanded, and they returned in the same orderly manner to their homes.