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Rhode
Island Slavery Data
QUARCO
HONYMAN
Colonel Barton's successful exploit in capturing General
Prescott was made through the daring and foresight of a Newport black,
Quarco Honyman by name. An ex-slave, he was serving as waiter to General
Prescott, whose headquarters were in the old Bannister House. Thus
situated, he easily learned the General's habits as well as his
weaknesses. Prescott made frequent trips to Portsmouth, sometimes taking
Quarco with him. The information thus obtained was conveyed to Colonel
Barton, who was anxious to effect General Prescott's capture. An
expedition was hastily organized. Colonel Barton prepared to move at
midnight with about forty men. They started from a house about five,
miles above the city. Muffing their oars and moving noiselessly, they
escaped the ships in the bay and landed near the Inn where Prescott had
established temporary headquarters. As Barton advanced he was challenged
by the sentry who demanded the password. He threw the sentry off his
guard by denouncing rebels and talking about rebel
prisoners. Again the password was demanded. By this time he was near the
sentinel when, suddenly seizing his gun, he struck it to one side and
wrenched it from him. Quarco now seized the soldier in his powerful grip
and turned him over to the other men who had come up. The Colonel and
Quarco now rushed into the office and demanded of the landlord that he
show them General Prescott's room. This he refused. On being threatened
with instant death he pointed to the room above. They now rushed to the
room above, finding it locked. The powerful Quarco burst it open with
his head and seized the General in bed. Seeing that resistance was
useless and might mean death, he surrendered to his captors and was soon
in the boats and being conveyed to the American lines. He was afterwards
exchanged for General Lee, an American of equal rank. Colonel Barton
received the thanks of Congress for this exploit Honyman, on account of
threats, dared not venture back to Newport He died in Munson, Mass.,
1824.
Source: Negroes of Rhode Island, by
Charles A. Battle, 1932 - Transcribed by C.
Anthony
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