Simeon Goff and the Battle for Rhode Island

This is the last in a series of posts on Simeon Goff's service during the Revolutionary War. Simeon is my wife’s 4th great grandfather. Simeon Goff would first serve in the Revolutionary War starting in April 1775, and again in the summer and autumn of 1776. He would then serve a few more, shorter tours, in 1777 and 1778 both in the Battle for nearby Rhode Island. For some of his enlistments he served as a substitute. His short stints in 1777 and 1778 were at Tiverton, RI. Tiverton was only about 15 miles as the crow flies from Rehoboth, MA, so it was rather close to his home. His service to his fledgling country would end in 1778 with the Colonial forces assault on parts of Rhode Island.  What was occurring in Rhode Island in 1777 and 1778 to draw Simeon from his home?  This is the story of Simeon Goff and the battle for Rhode Island.

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Simeon Goff Grave Marker

 

First some background to the issue of the battle of Rhode Island, at times referred to as the battle of Tiverton. In 1776 the Redcoats took control of Newport (RI) and Aquidneck Island. With control of these locations, the British had control of several inland waterways and the route to the ocean. Hence, Rhode Island was able to serve as a point of servicing and supplying the British land forces. With this, however, Tiverton, in 1777 became a hold out for colonial forces. In 1777 to 1778 thousands of American troops, including John Hancock and Paul Revere (both of Massachusetts), gathered at Tiverton in order to attack the British.  They hoped to cut off the Redcoat source to open waters, and to gain control of inland waters. Revere would write home saying “It seems as if half of Boston is here.” The forces put together to assault the British in Rhode Island, from Tiverton, were essentially regiments from Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Part of Simeon's Pension Record

 

Simeon's first service in Tiverton would begin as an enlisted man, in August of 1777. During June of 1777 construction was underway for a fort at Tiverton Heights. On June 28, the US colors were raised over the fort. A week later, Lt Col William Barton undertook a raid on Aquidneck to capture a British general, his bravery was so impressive that the fort became known as Fort Barton. Hence, it would be at this fort that Simeon Goff would arrive on a sultry summer day in early August of 1777. After this month of service.  What is interesting, a month later he was actually drafted into the service for the colonies in October, probably Oct 1, 1777. Having been drafted for a month of service shows the need for man power by the colonial forces. Simeon was close to the action, and instead of drawing troops from afar they probably went around to towns and villages in the area, with Rehoboth being 15 miles away, the daytime ride was made to obtain healthy military aged men.  It makes me wonder if General Washington ever came to appreciate the state militia. Simeon's service by the draft lasted a month as he was mustered out on 30 October. It was during October of 1777 that an invasion of the British holdings in Rhode Island was attempted, but in the end it was a half-hearted attempt due to logistical problems of supply and the inexperience of the commanding officer. Simeon was part of the large contingent of regiments assigned to Tiverton at Fort Barton.

Simeon’s muster roll makes note that he was at Tiverton on Oct 7, 1777, which makes me think that date was important and possibly one of the invasion dates. While his first month of service in 1777 was as a drummer, his service in October, for which he was drafted, he is listed as a private, and infantry. His service in 1777 would end at Tiverton, but less than a year later he would return once again to Tiverton for his final tour of duty.

Table in Pension Record, which Records of Tours
of Duty by Simeon Goff

In August 1778 Simeon began his final service in the Revolutionary War, again serving at Tiverton for 20 days, according to his pension request. For all of his prior services he was a single man, but on 30 January of 1778 he was betrothed to Thankful Jones at Rehoboth, and now added the title of husband to his title of patriot. The call for an invasion of Rhode Island would once again bring him to service, and once again as a substitute soldier. In this short term engagement, he served as a substitute for a man with the last name Basto. Given his service in August 1778, Simeon was present for the Battle of Rhode Island. With the failed attempts of 1777, things would be put on hold until August of 1778. General Sullivan had been put in charge of the invasion in early 1778 by General Washington. Prior to the noted invasion, the Continental forces gathered at Fort Barton, and then made their way to Howland’s Ferry for the crossing. I quote the following from http://www.tivertonhistorical.org/tiverton-stories/the-battle-of-rhode-island/:

On August 9th, the Battle of Rhode Island began with the crossing at Howland’s Ferry of 11,000 Continental line troops and militia. The French Navy blocked Narragansett Bay, forcing the British to scuttle their small naval force. The American Army, under Sullivan, landed at Rhode Island and forced the smaller British/German force to withdraw behind fortifications built around the Town of Newport.

Critical to the attack was the French Fleet, coordinated with American land forces The coordination was to be by the Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette, who is famous for his actions during the war. As the French took the British naval forces to open water for a sea battle a hurricane struck which significantly affected the attack, and left ships in need of repair. One issue with the attack was the lack of proper coordination with the ground troops making the attack which reduced the effect of the French fleet before the hurricane struck. After a twelve day siege General Sullivan realized he would never obtain his full goal of moving the British out. With regret he ordered the withdrawal of his troops back to the mainland. By August 30, all his forces were back to the mainland. The British failed to halt the retreat of the Continental forces, although the opportunity was present. As one source notes: After this battle, most of the soldiers departed the area, leaving only a handful of men at the fort. Simeon Goff was one of the men who left Rhode Island after the retreat.

Marriage Record to Thankful Jones

Simeon would return home after the Battle for Rhode Island, never to again see action in the Revolutionary War. Simeon had, however, served his country at critical times during his service over four years in the war. If you count his 1777 service as two services (one enlistment and one being drafted) you can say that he served five tours of duty in the war effort. Many of his tours were as a substitute soldier for someone else. In 1784 Thankful Jones died, likely due to childbirth. Simeon married Chloe Peck in Rehoboth in 1786. In 1793 my wife’s 3rd great grandfather was born in Rehoboth to Chloe and Simeon Goff. In Welsh, Goff means red-haired person, but I do not know the color of Simeon’s hair. Simeon, who was born in Rehoboth on 18 January 1754 in Rehoboth, Bristol County, in the Massachusetts Colony of British America would move from the family town of Rehoboth in June 1799 and move to Savoy, in the county of Berkshire, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States of America. His soul would be lifted from this earth on 27 July 1846, at the age of 92. Simeon, through five tours of duty would help secure the freedom, liberty and prosperity for himself and his descendants, including my redheaded wife, and our two children, among many others.

 

SOURCES:   

http://sakonnethistorical.org/items/show/11ges

https://rhodetour.org/items/show/52

http://www.tivertonhistorical.org/tiverton-stories/the-battle-of-rhode-island/

Ancestry.com

Ralstongenealogy.com 

Note: Harold Ralston kindly allowed me to borrow some of the Goff genealogy from his website, noted above, and it from his website that I found Simeon Goff.