Fort William and Mary

The scenic town of New Castle, New Hampshire, is home to the ruins of Fort William and Mary. Similar to the college in Virginia, the fort was named in honor of the somewhat iconic British rulers associated with the Glorious Revolution. It's ironic that each played a role in establishing the British monarchy in America under the guise of a revolution. However, some argue that the first armed resistance to royal authority started here long before Lexington and Concord.

The Agitation

Royal Governor Wentworth

In May 1774, the closing of Boston's port greatly angered most New Englanders. British authorities insisted that the "salt-water tea" be paid for and forced Bostonians to accept this. In New Hampshire, the Committee of Correspondence vowed to make Boston's fight their own. Royal Governor John Wentworth recognized a radical shift in public opinion and saw a possible threat to Royal authority. He attempted to establish a garrison at his only military post, Fort William and Mary in New Castle. However, the Assembly, now hostile to the British, approved only 200 pounds for the effort. Wentworth appointed an officer and three men to run the fort, showing the King's authority. But the army was too small to prevent a revolution.

The Politics

The Assembly was not deterred by Wentworth's measures. Later that month, they voted to create a second Committee of Correspondence. Wentworth and the Rockingham County sheriff tried to intimidate and shut down the Assembly, dismissing them from the chamber for holding an unlawful meeting. Unfazed, they went to a local tavern, and in that friendly setting, they made plans for a Provincial Congress to be held in Exeter in July. Over the next few months, the situation around Boston escalated from simmering to boiling, and the impact spread across New England like wildfire.

The Action

On December 13th, 1774, Paul Revere rode south to Portsmouth to report the British ban on importing military supplies and that rumors about expected British troops were the worst kind: true rumors. John Sullivan, a Patriot leader and firebrand, just returned from the First Continental Congress, decided to take action. Along with local Patriot merchant John Langdon, he vowed to seize the symbol of Royal authority sitting right under their noses at New Castle. On the 14th, Langdon made his way through Portsmouth with a drummer leading the charge. Once he had gathered a crowd, he addressed them. 

About 400 people joined him, forming a mob that set out to take the powder from the fort. A single volley fired from the fort was answered by some shots from the crowd, but no one was injured. They surged into the fort quickly. Breaking into the magazine, they took about 100 barrels of gunpowder. Overwhelmed, the fort's commandant, Captain John Cochran, quickly surrendered his four-man garrison. This marks Fort William and Mary as one of the first locations of overt action in the American struggle for independence. Some compared it to Lexington and Concord, but because there was no bloodshed, it is less well-known. Still, it was the first organized resistance to the King.

Fort William and Mary 1704

The Take

The following day, John Sullivan led more rebel forces now pouring in from across the colony. They first surrounded the governor's residence, but violence was avoided there, as Wentworth complied with their demands. That evening, December 15th, they returned to the fort and seized all the arms and supplies, including some cannons. This action resulted in the Americans capturing some loot, a tangible gain. This included about sixty muskets, sixteen cannons, and one hundred barrels of valuable powder. The gunpowder was quickly transported inland and distributed among various armed groups in New Hampshire. Some of it may have reached the Patriots around Boston. In a land starved for ammunition, this was a small treasure desperately needed.

Gunpowder from the fort moved inland over ice

The Place

History revolves around a sense of time, people, and place. On a scenic promontory overlooking the ocean, a colonial community driven by perceived injustice left their mark. New Castle is a charming town with about 900 residents. It is also the smallest and easternmost town in the state. Its narrow streets are lined with colonial-style houses. The fort was built in the early 18th century on the site of an earlier fort designed to deter pirates. Its main landmark is the Fort Point Lighthouse, built in 1877 on the site of an earlier lighthouse from 1771. Before the latter was built, the only navigational aid for the rocky harbor was a lantern hung high on Fort William and Mary.

Site of Fort William and Mary today