Forever Marbleheaders: Memories of growing up in Marblehead, Massachusetts (1)

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True Marbleheader: Time is of the essence in determining who is a Marbleheader and who is not. How long have you lived here? In a crude but generous way, anyone who arrived in town after Doliber in 1629 can be called a Marbleheader. In this Age of Roots, however, a strict definition of family tree is often applied: Your grandfather on both sides should have been born a Marbleheader. But since Mary Alley Hospital closed its maternity ward in the mid-1960's, only those born at home today can claim to have taken their first breath in Marblehead. Going native is getting more and more difficult. John Glover and his family lived in Marblehead, MA where he built a house in 1762, now known as the John Glover House, a National Historic Landmark. The General Glover farmhouse, in Swampscott, MA, and also built in 1700s, is where Glover lived beginning in 1782 after retiring from the military. While living here, he served as a local selectman and Massachusetts State representative. The house still stands today in Swampscott, MA but threatened by demolition. [21] Memorials and legacy [ edit ]

All Together Now: Deep down in their bones, true Marbleheaders (see item #1) know the chorus to "Marblehead Forever," sung to the tune of "The Lily of the Valley'': Then Marblehead forever! God bless the good old town! May she never shame her noble ancestry! She was first in Revolution, was first in '61, And from all dishonor we will keep her free!On the stormy night of August 29th, 1776, the Continental Army faced capture or annihilation after losing the Battle of Brooklyn. The British had trapped George Washington’s forces against the East River, and the fate of the Revolution rested upon the shoulders of the soldier-mariners from Marblehead, Massachusetts. Serving side by side in one of the country’s first diverse units, they pulled off an “American Dunkirk” and saved the army by transporting it across the treacherous waters of the river to Manhattan. Few regiments in the Continental Army have been given such attention as that of the 14th Continental Regiment, a short-lived band of brothers that history remembered for their grizzled, hard-nosed ruggedness and willingness to assist in some of the war’s earliest, most dire moments. The ‘men of Marblehead’ have earned the mythical treatment of our respect and pause, but most have only heard of the town that brought these soldiers into combat. Who were they and how exactly did their service earn them a place in annuals of American military history? Knox realized the wet weather would render the soldier’s powder nearly useless, making the artillery crucial to success. Glover’s Regiment therefore managed to ferry 18 cannons and frightened horses across the Delaware. Knox later wrote, ‘ . . . perseverance accomplished what at first seemed impossible.’ Always a winner: For anyone thinking of running for selectman, every true Marbleheader (see item #I) knows that incumbents never lose. A few years later, Edward Augustus Holyoke took charge of the a smallpox hospital in Salem. Six hundred patients received the smallpox inoculation, and the disease never took hold in the town.

On the stormy night of August 29, 1776, the Continental Army faced capture or annihilation after losing the Battle of Brooklyn. The British had trapped George Washington’s forces against the East River, and the fate of the Revolution rested upon the shoulders of the soldier-mariners from Marblehead, Massachusetts. Serving side by side in one of the country’s first diverse units, they pulled off an “American Dunkirk” and saved the army by transporting it across the treacherous waters of the river to Manhattan. On Christmas Day, 1776, the Americans had suffered a series of defeats since the debacle on Long Island. Washington’s army had grown tired of retreating. Washington desperately needed to motivate his men to re-enlist at the end of the year. Fort Glover in Marblehead, originally built for the Revolutionary War as the Huit's Head Battery, was named for him when rebuilt in the Civil War. [23] Roberts, Robert B. (1988). Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States. New York: Macmillan. p.400. ISBN 0-02-926880-X. They safely landed 9,500 men on Manhattan, along with all their baggage, nearly all their artillery, stores, horses and provisions. Had the evacuation failed, Washington’s army—and probably the war—would have been lost. Washington and GloverThe townspeople were skeptical. They believed God, not man, should decide who lived and died. They also knew there wasn’t enough money to inoculate everyone, only the wealthiest citizens. At Town Meeting on Oct. 12, 1720, they voted to ban the practice unless everyone in town received a smallpox inoculation. John Glover (November 5, 1732–January 30, 1797) was an American fisherman, merchant, politician, and military leader from Marblehead, Massachusetts, who served as a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. [1] He is most famous in American history for his regiment rowing Washington across the Delaware, the Battle of Long Island, and leading one of the first integrated regiments in the American Revolution. [2] Early life [ edit ] The frigate USS Glover (FF-1098) was named for him, and sponsored by Mrs. William S. Pederson, Sr., and Mrs. Claude V. Signer, his great-great-great-granddaughters.

At the entrance to the Trenton Battle Monument in Trenton New Jersey are the bronze statues of two soldiers. One of the statues is of Private John Russell, a member of the 14th Regiment. Glover told Washington “not to be troubled about that, as his boys could manage it.” They managed. Glover’s RegimentCaswell noticed that while the VFW has a memorial to the 1,400 Marblehead residents who served in World War II, there was nothing honoring vets who served during Vietnam and Korea.So he worked with Marblehead Veterans Agent Dave Rodgers to get a list of every resident who was enlisted during those two conflicts. Glover was born in Salem, Massachusetts, the son of a house carpenter. When John was four years old, his father died. Shortly thereafter, his mother and three brothers moved to the neighboring town of Marblehead. [3] As a young man, Glover became a cordwainer and rum trade and eventually a ship owner and international merchant. [4] He married Hannah Gale in October 1754. [5] Fogle, Lauren (2008). Colonial Marblehead: From Rogues to Revolutionaries. Charleston, SC: History Press. ISBN 978-1-59629-411-0. Red Litmus Test: As you walk down-town, you will know you are a true Marbleheader if ''Red" the Old Town foot patrolman ever said hello to you. Billias, George Athan (1960). General John Glover and his Marblehead Mariners. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.