Midnight Confession

Janet at The Art of Getting By, has an interesting TITMT question this week.

If you could have heard the deathbed confession of one person from history, who would you pick and why?

I would have to pick Captain Daniel Carlisle, cashiered revolutionary patriot. You've never heard of him? Let me fill you in a bit.

Daniel was born in Harvard, MA 30 Oct 1738 to Irish (or Scottish) immigrants, David & Leatis Carlisle. The family moved around a bit and eventually ended up in Cheshire County, New Hampshire.

When the Revolution started he signed up and was a private in Col. Reed's regiment at Bunker Hill. January 20, 1776, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted to raise one regiment of soldiers forthwith. This regiment consisted of eight companies and was placed under the command of Colonel Timothy Bedell to reinforce the Northern Continental army. The second Company of this regiment was commanded by Captain Daniel Carlisle, of Westmoreland.

Capt. Carlisle ended up at Lake Champlain where his commanding officer sent him to hunt up some boats to get his men across the lake. The British had destroyed all the boats, making Capt. Carlisle's task impossible. Now here's where things get cloudy.

From "History of Cheshire and Sullivan Counties, New Hampshire Edited by, D. Hamilton Hurd, J W Lewis & Co., Philadelphia 1886:

"He was ordered to make another search, and necessarily with the same result and report. Sullivan flew into a passion, drew his sword and made a movement as if to strike Carlisle down. Carlisle instantly seized a gun from the hands of a soldier standing by his side, instantly leveled it at Sullivan's head, and, with a firm voice, informed Sullivan to lower his sword or die. Sullivan lowered his sword, but Carlisle was cashiered and sent home in disgrace. Nevertheless, Carlisle was a good soldier and a true patriot."

A different account of the incident at Lake Champlain as found in the History of Westmoreland - "Under date of Aug 9, 1776 Capt Carlisle was sent to get troops across Lake Champlain. For want of sufficient boats to transport the men, he was unable to do as ordered, and for this he was unjustly reprimanded by Lt Col Waite. He felt the censure was undeserved and on the moment drew his sword and would have struck Col Waite had not one of his Company stepped out of the ranks and with a sudden blow knocked him down and resumed his place before the Captain recovered himself. Capt Carlisle was cashiered and sent home in disgrace for behavior unbecoming an officer. He was a good citizen, a good soldier, and a true patriot."

On January 1, 1782, Capt. Carlisle "rescued" Samuel King from the New Hampshire sheriff.

So my questions for my Grampa Carlisle would be:

1. What really happened at Lake Champlain?
2. Tell me more about breaking Sam King out of jail!
3. What stories can you tell of running a public house late in the 18th century?
4. Was your 2nd marriage a "musket" wedding?
5. Who was your grandpa and are we Irish or Scottish?