A Maine Family's History: Stories

The Story of John Stephenson and Rachel Tower
of Cohasset, Mass., as Related by General Luther Stephenson,
which was printed in the 3rd Annual Report of Tower Gen. Soc., 1911

Sometime in the year 1711, the British war-vessel, Lucitanus, was anchored off the Cohasset shore. She was bound for New York, but upon sighting the shores of this town, found that she had made errors in navigation, so she remained here through a day and night improving the opportunity of refilling her water casks in preparation for a continued voyage of unknown length.

About midnight one of her young sailors quietly lowered himself into the water, and, not withstanding the distance and the tide, succeeded in reaching the rocks along the shore. There he remained during the night, listening for any sound which would indicate that his flight had been discovered and that he was being pursued, but when daylight appeared he heard with satisfaction the noise of the windlass as the anchor was raised, the sails unfurled, and the vessel sent out upon the ocean.

He watched her until she disappeared beyond the horizon, and then the thoughts came rushing through his mind like a torrent that by his rash act he had severed all connection with his country, his home, mother, sister and brothers, that he was a deserter from the British navy, and that, if captured, he must pay the penalty for his act at the yard arm. He realized that he was alone in a strange country, without relatives or friends upon whom he could call for aid and sympathy. These thoughts brought a feeling of utter loneliness, almost of despair, but he was young, vigorous in body and mind, and when reason returned to him he realized that he must accept the conditions that confronted him, and by energy and activity, make his life in the new land.

Hunger pressed upon him, and he started for the village to obtain food and find temporary employment, after which he intended to proceed to Boston when he suddenly came upon a group of girls who had come out with the sunrise to witness the departure of the vessel. He ventured to speak to them and inquired whether they could direct him to some house where he could get something to eat and secure lodging for a few days. Some of these girls were ready to talk with him and gave him the information he desired, curious to know who he was and whence he came, but one of them stood aloof, taking no part in the conversation. Yet when he turned to leave them she gave him a look of kindness and sympathy which touched his heart; -- that glance settled his future life and destiny.

Following their directions, he wended his way toward the village and soon met an old citizen of the town, of whom he made further inquiries, and also ask the name of "that pretty girl", one of the group standing on the rocks, whom he had just passed. "Well! They are all pretty good looking," said the old man, "but which one do you mean?" "The tallest one, the one who is now standing alone." "Oh! That is Rachel Tower," was the reply. "That girl is going to be my wife," said the young fellow. "Well, I must say," again answered the old man, "you have plenty of assurance to make that boast. You are evidently absent without leave from the war-vessel, without a home, and seeking charity. Let me tell you that whoever gets Rachel Tower for a wife must be a true man in every respect and able to furnish her such a home as she has now." "I will make myself that man, and I will earn a home for her," was the final reply.

The young sailor gave up his thoughts of going to Boston, and decided to remain in Cohasset and work and strive for Rachel Tower. He was a skilled ship's carpenter and soon found employment at his trade. Day and night he labored to obtain the prize he sought, gradually gaining the confidence and respect of every one by his manly and courteous bearing. We read in Holy Writ how Jacob served seven years for his Rachel, but when John Stephenson, at the end of five years, was able to provide a comfortable home and support for Rachel Tower, he told her of his love, which she had long known, and was made happy by the frank avowal that his affection was returned. Together they walked, hand in hand, down the hillside of life, happy in their mutual love and confidence, true and faithful to the duties that devolved upon them, his industry and her wifely devotion and care bringing comfort and happiness into their home. Many children were born to them - sturdy boys and gentle girls. Some of them passed away before the lives of their parents were ended, but these sorrows only strengthened the ties of mutual dependence and affection between John and Rachel. John became prosperous in business and built a number of vessels. One of them, a fine barque, of which he was part owner, he named the "Mary," after his mother. He had the confidence of the people of the town and took a prominent part in the building of the meeting house which stands close by. (The home which he built is now 266 So. Mn. St. His son Jesse built No. 70 Blk. H.L.

The military spirit and the love of liberty which was in the blood that coursed through his veins, and Rachel's loyalty and devotion to duty, descended to their children and their children's children. Three of their sons served in the French and Indian War, four of their grandsons in the war of the Revolution, while a number of their descendants served on sea and land in the War of 1812.

And so the story of John and Rachel is concluded. But their story has a sequel, a second remarkable story, that of General Luther Stephenson, who related the foregoing.

The Second Story by General Luther Stephenson

In April, 1861, after Sumpter had been fired upon, thus starting the Civil War, the Lincoln Light Infantry of Hingham received a sudden call from Gov. Andrews to report at once in Boston. (That military organization had been named in horor of Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, of Revolutionary fame. In command of the company was Captain Luther Stephenson who wrote this account many years later.) Six hours afterwards this company, which included in its ranks three descendants of John and Rachel, joined its regiment, the 4th Mass. Militia, at the state house in Boston, and in a few minutes the regiment was marching to "the music of the Union" for the South, the first to leave our own state, the first Union regiment to land on Virginia soil, and the first volunteer organization that was mustered into the service of the United States in the Civil War.

In two other respects there was the honor of being the first. It so happened that the Lincoln Light Infantry was the first company of the regiment to be mustered. And at the head of the muster-roll was the name of the great-great-great grandson of Rachel Tower, (none other than Luther Stevenson), the first soldier who took the oath to defend the Union and the Constitution at the commencement of the War of the Rebellion. Two more of her descendants, living in Hingham, enlisted in another regiment later in the war.

The secret of John Stephenson's life, his antecedents previous to his appearance in Cohasset, were never known to the people of that town, or even to his children, although Rachel probably knew his history. The reason for that was, of course, that throughout the entire period of their lives, until both John and Rachel had died, Massachusetts was still a British colony and he might have been arrested for desertion.

The following facts come to my knowledge in the strange manner which I will now relate. For a number of years I was a lecturer on three of the great battles of the Civil War - Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg, and in the early months of 1883 I had engagements for forty lectures in the states of New York and Michigan.

It was on the 13th of March and I was riding on the train from the central part of Michigan to the town of Bangor in the southern part. On the seat beside me I had my valise on which was pasted a printed slip giving my name and address. I had been riding between two and three hours when someone on the seat behind touched me on the shoulder. Turning around, I saw a gentleman who said courteously: "Please excuse me, Sir, but I noticed that name on your valise and I always make it a point to speak to everyone of that name whom I meet, for my name is Stephenson also.

We entered, at once, into a very pleasant, and to me a very important conversation. I asked him a number of questions regarding himself and his ancestry, and he related to me a part of his history.

He said that his father, which his family, had migrated from England to Canada about twenty-five years before. His father was a clergyman, energetic and self-willed, but earnestly devoted to his profession. He had been in charge of a parish some seven years when he was taken very ill. He had nearly _____ when he was called to minister at the death bed of one of his parishioners. His family protested but despite their protests he decided that his duty called him to obey the summons. He rode a long distance on horseback, was obliged to ford a stream, getting very wet, and on his return to his home had a relapse. He lived but a short time, leaving his widow with seven children to rear and support. Believing that she could do better in the States than in Canada, she moved to Ohio, where she raised and educated her children, three of whom, including my informant, entered the ministry.

After he had finished his story he asked me to tell of my own life and ancestors. I told him that I could not go back farther than one John Stephenson who deserted from a British war-vessel and settled in Cohasset, Massachusetts, then a part of the town of Hingham, where I resided. Where he came from and what his previous history was, none of his descendants ever knew. My acquaintance replied: "I can tell you all about him. For many years I have inquired of everyone bearing our name whom I have met, about this man, and you see the one who could give the slightest information regarding him, whose story has come down in the traditions of my family.

The Early Life of John Stevenson as told by the Chance Acquaintance

He was born and grew up in Carnford, England, which is near Newcastle on Tyne. His father had come from Scotland, across the mountains, married in Carnford and lived there for the remainder of his life. John learned his father's trade of ship's carpenter. One day, while at his work in Newcastle, he was impressed into the British navy, --dragged away without even being permitted to visit his home and say goodbye to his parents, his brothers and his sister. When the Lucitanus returned from her voyage to America it was reported that he had either fallen overboard and been drowned, or that he was a deserter. But one of his shipmates said that John had applied for employment as a ship's carpenter and not as a common sailor, and that, having been refused, after incurring the ill-will of one of the officers, he had determined to desert. He was a man of more than average ability, industrious, honest, respected and loved by all who knew him. He was well educated for those times, a student, especially of such scientific works as could be found in those days.

A story, which came down for nearly two centuries in the family traditions, credited him with being the first man to apply the solar system to navigation. As the story was told, he had made two voyages to America as ship's carpenter before his impressment into the British navy, and on one of these he heard the mate of the vessel ask the captain when he expected to reach land. The captain replied "In about two weeks." John spoke up and said: My calculations show that we shall sight land within forty-eight hours." The captain, angry at the interruption and at John's impudence, as he deemed it, ordered him to be put in irons, but before two days had elapsed land was sighted, and the crew compelled the captain to release him.
Copied by Gilbert S. Tower, Cohasset, in Nov. 1962