Oliver Prescott should, by now, need very little introduction. The Rev. Timothy Alden, on the other hand, was a Protestant minister in New England, active in the early 19th century. He was also an associate of the Rev. Jonathan French, an ancestor from my mother’s side. In 1814, Alden published a sort of anthology of various things he and others had written; a mix of biography and brief obituaries…summaries, in one form or another, of people’s lives. To my 21st century mind, it’s a distinctly odd book. At any rate, I found among its pages the following tribute to the multi-talented doctor, general, and judge, Oliver Prescott. As it was written by and for people who knew the man, it is pretty much a primary source, and worth including here.

[A brief word on punctuation: I have more or less left the text as is, which includes a failure to capitalize titles, such as Rev. or Dr., etc., and other customs different from our own. Where absolutely necessary, I have edited lightly, to preserve the flow of the prose.–LSL]

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A collection of American epitaphs and inscriptions, with occasional notes 2nd ed. by Alden, Timothy

Published 1814 by [S. Marks, Printer] in New-York .

Online text available here.

GROTON, MASS.

299. Erected to the memory of the hon. Oliver Prescott, esquire, M. D. A. A. S. M. M. S. S. who departed this life, 17 November, A. D. 1804, aged 73 years, 6 months, and 9 days ; also, of Mrs. Lydia Prescott, consort of the above said Oliver Prescott, and daughter of the late David Baldwin, esq. of Sudbury, who died, 27 Sept. A.D. 1798, aged 62 years, 11 months, and 11 days.

Note.— The following sketch of the character of the hon. judge Prescott is drawn, principally, from a sermon, delivered, on the sabbath succeeding his interment, by a very respectable and worthy clergyman, who had enjoyed a long and intimate personal acquaintance with him, and who had the means of correct information.

He was born at Groton, Massachusetts, 27 April 1731. His father was the hon. Benjamin Prescott, of the same town, a very distinguished statesman, who died, 3 August 1T38, in the 43 year of his age, v/hen the subject of this article was about 7 years old. His mother was Abigail, daughter of the hon. Thomas Oliver, of Cambridge, a near relation of the provincial governour of that name. She died at Groton, 13 September, 1765, in the 69 year of her age. Judge Prescott w as educated at Harvard university, Cambridge, where he received his first degree in 1750. During the course of his collegiate studies he acquired and supported a distinguished character, not only for the regularity of his behaviour, but for his great literary attainments ; and this has been the case ever since that period. Accordingly, he was early noticed and his name enrolled as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Soon after receiving his baccalaureate he commenced the study of physick under the tuition of doctor Roby, of Sudbury, a disciple of the celebrated Boerhaave. His distinguished professional acquirements, his prompt and unremitting attention to his patients, his peculiarly tender and pleasant manner of treating them in their distress, his moderate charges, and forbearance towards the poor and the general success, which attended his practice, operated to render him, for nearly half a century, one of the most popular, while he was, unquestionably, one of the most eminent and useful physicians in the commonwealth. As an instrument in the hand of Providence, he saved the lives of thousands. His high standing, among his brethren of the faculty, gave him a place in the Massachusetts Medical Society at the time of its institution. He was also an honorary fellow of several Medical Societies out of the commonwealth. He was likewise president of the Middlesex Medical Society, and, many years previous to his death, received from Harvard university the honorary degree of doctor of physick.

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Oliver Prescott received less press in his lifetime than his world famous brother, but was in many ways an equally – if not more –  fascinating person, for reasons that the following makes clear. This is also from the Prescott Memorial, pp.59-60.

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Doctor Oliver b. April 27, 1731 ; m. Feb., 1756, Lydia. daughter of David and Abigail Baldwin, Esq., of Sudbury, b. Oct. 15, 1735; ten children. He graduated at Harvard College 1750, and was distinguished at college for his literary attainments and correct deportment. He studied physic with Dr. Roby of Sudbury, who had been educated in Europe, and a disciple of the renowned Boer­haave, and was an eminent physician. He settled in Groton, his native town, and for many years was extensively patronized, not only by that, but by the neighboring towns. It is said by his biographer that he had a careful and trusty horse, on whom he would frequently sleep when deprived of his rest in bed. His distinguished professional acquire­ments; his prompt and unremitted attention to the sick; his tender and pleasant demeanor while treating them in their distress; his moderate charges and forbearance toward the poor, together with the general success which attended. his practice, operated to render him for nearly half a century, one of the most popular, while he was one of the most eminent and useful physicians in the Common­wealth. He was one of the original members of the Mass. Medical Society at its incorporation in 1781, and an hono­rary member of sundry medical societies. He was presi­dent of the Middlesex Medical Society during the whole period of its existence.

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As Col. Prescott was a modest man of fairly humble financial means, there are no formal portraits, busts, etc. [Though, note, there is this.] A wonderful oral description, however, does survive… It is found in Beside Old Hearthstones, available online here.

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Some interesting facts are here added in regard to the personality of Colonel William Prescott, given by his grandniece, Mrs. Sarah (Chaplin) Rockwood, to Dr. Samuel A. Green. Her father was Rev. Daniel Chaplin, D.D., of Groton; and her mother was Susanna, eldest daughter of Judge James Prescott, brother of the colonel. She was ten years of age when the hero of Bunker Hill died.

She describes him as a tall, well-proportioned man, with blue eyes and a large head. He usually wore a skull-cap; and he parted his hair in the middle, wearing it long behind, braided loosely, and tied in a club with a black ribbon, as was common in those days. He had a pleasant countenance, and was remarkably social and full of fun and anecdotes. He was dignified in his manner, and had the bearing of a soldier.

Authorities agree on the value of early impressions; and we can but credit this description of the personal appearance of Colonel Prescott, for it was indelibly stamped upon the youthful Sarah Chaplin when sitting upon the knee of the old soldier.

…She attained the remarkable age of one hundred and four years.

During the early 19^th century, an idea took hold among a handful of academics that Col. Prescott was in fact NOT the American commander at Bunker Hill. He was. Writing near the centennial of the battle, Francis Parker was one of those who helped firmly establish the truth once and for all, and this was the article he used to accomplish that task.

A note on the references in this text…numbers occurring in parentheses represent the original document’s footnotes. Numbers in superscript following these are the new annotations for this site/ blog entry. –LSL

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BUNKER’S HILL BATTLE

AND ITS COMMAND.

“Honor to Whom Honor is Due”

Francis J. Parker, writing c. 1875

By the first of June, 1775, the increasing numbers of the invest­ing forces, and their improved organization, had begun to create discomfort in Boston. Every avenue except that by sea was absolutely closed to supplies. Cattle, hay and fuel, which the British supposed to be safe on the islands in the harbor, had been captured or destroyed, and the loss of them was severely felt—more severely because of recent additions to the numbers of the beleaguered army, requiring an increased supply of food and forage. In these affairs about the harbor several spirited skir­mishes had occurred between the belligerents, and the result of them had been to give the Americans confidence in themselves, and to make the royalists more uneasy under their restriction. The British had therefore determined to occupy the Charlestown peninsula, which could easily be defended by works at the Neck, and the possession of which would give them considerable grass and pasture, and afford them another opportunity of sallying out by land.

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On August 25, 1775, William Prescott wrote a letter to John Adams, in which he described the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Both a photo of the actual letter, and the more readable text below, are available on The Massachusetts Historical Society’s website.

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Camp at Cambridge August 25. 1775

Sir

I have recd. a Line from my Brother which informs me of your desire of a particular Account of the Action at Charlestown, it is not in my Power at present to give so minute an Account as I should choose being ordered to decamp and march to another Station.
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