Rev. David Love's Recollection of the Wreck

David Love was a 15 year old boy passenger
on the Brig Sutledge when it went upon the
rocks off Newport, RI.  For his seventieth
birthday, Rev. Love gave his account of the
wreck to a local newspaper and then included
the article as Chapter 2 in his 1907 book,
Family Souvenir.  His account is very similar
to the accounts my family recounted from
my great-grandfather who was also a boy
on that ship (those stories are previously
entered on this blog).

I tracked down this book in the Hanover
University library.  From that point, I
was able to get a scanned copy of the
chapter that I now include below:

Here is a photo of Rev. Love's tombstone
found by one of my Bowie kin:

-----------------Cut Here----------------------------
Chapter II.

THE STORY OF AN EARLY 
SHIPWRECK

Of which Rev. D. R. Love was a witness, and in which his mother, sister and brother perished. The particulars were related to The Banner Wednesday, Rev. Love's seventieth birthday.

(From the Frankfort Banner, May 18, 1901.) 

Tuesday eve, in honor of her husband's seventieth birthday, Mrs. D. R. Love gave a six-o'clock dinner to a few of her husband's friends of forty years' standing. Those present were Dr. Alex. M. Wilson and wife, Alexander B. Given, wife and sister; Mrs. Abram Given,  John H. Coulter and wife; R. P. Shanklin and wife, and Joseph Southard and wife. The gathering was made on Tuesday, rather than Wednesday, that it might not interfere with the regular Wednesday evening prayer-meeting. The evening was spent in recalling incidents of forty years ago, and was a most enjoyable one. It was closed with a reading of the Scriptures and prayer . . . . 
(Here was given a biographical sketch of Rev. Love. See Chapter I.)

In one of the old cemeteries at Newport, R., there stands a marble shaft which bears this inscription. "To the memory of eighteen persons who perished in the brig Rutledge [sic, Sutledge, Sutldj, or Sutley], from Pictou - here buried June, 1846." Among those who perished in the ill-fated brig were Rev. Love's mother, sister and brother; he and a younger sister being the only ones saved of the happy family on their way to join the husband and father, who had preceded them form Nova Scotia to "The States." . . . .  

The Banner has frequently importuned Rev. Love for permission to relate the story of the shipwreck which robbed him of his mother, sister and brother, but being, as is well known, of a retiring disposition, his answer, politely given, has always been, "Not now, some other time perhaps." Wednesday we renewed our request, desiring to use the sadder story in connection with the announcement of our good friends seventieth birthday, and were rewarded by being given permission to print the story as it was related to us by Rev. Love that morning.  It is as follows:

"Our voyage from Pictou, Nova Scotia, in the brig Rutledge, bound for Fall River, Mass., was, up to June 26, a pleasant one. We had on board, besides the crew, fifty-seven passengers, all Scotch Presbyterians except two. their destinations were Pottsville, PA. and Cumberland, MD. Of Friday evening, when surrounded by a number of passengers, I heard Captain Graham give the order to his first mate, Roderick McKay, to cast anchor. In explanation of the same, he said we were only about forty miles from our place of landing; that, if we continued sailing as we were then doing, we would enter the harbor at midnight, whereas he preferred to land in day light.  The anchor was cast, and we spent a pleasant evening socially.

Between two and three o'clock Saturday morning, June 27 [ofs,1846], we weighed anchor. At that time the weather was calm and somewhat foggy. It so continued until four o'clock, when it cleared, with a bright sunrise and gentle breeze. After sailing for some time our vessel missed the channel, and in Martha's Vineyard struck a ledge of rocks called "The Sow and Pigs." On that we lodged probably thirty minutes. the passengers hurriedly came on deck, and all was confusion. The Captain calmed the excitement, made light of the damage done, and assured us that there was no immediate danger, that the vessel would right itself and would reach the harbor safely. Many returned to their sleeping apartments, dressed comfortably, and secured their money and other small valuables. the pumps were kept constantly at work. All hands many times ran the deck of the vessel from stem to stern, in the hope that it would slide off the rock. With the rising tide we floated into deeper water. In the meantime signals of distress were made, and a fishing schooner, "The Dusky Sally." responded and made for our relief. The water in the hod of our vessel steadily increased,  and the ship was gradually sinking. Seeing this, the Captain ordered the lifeboat lowered. It was capable of carrying sixty persons; but when pushed off, it had in it, all told, eleven souls, viz.: The Captain, four sailors, one adult passenger, and five children. 

I saw George Oliver place four of his children, one of whom was blind, in the boat before it was hoisted from its place on the deck [ofs, legend has it that George Oliver was armed], and as it was being lowered he himself jumped in. I helped my sister Jean, two years younger than myself, to climb the bulwarks, so that she jumped into the boat as it reached the water. I, too, could have jumped in, but I had mother, Alexander and Baby Jessie to care for, and would not leave them. My father had gone a few weeks ahead of us to prepare us homes, and the fifteen-year-old boy was mother's helper.

As soon as the Captain entered the boat he ordered it pushed off, and, when at a safe distance from the sinking vessel, he called out repeatedly that if any one would jump overboard and swim to him he would pick him up. Two passengers and several sailors took him at his word. I saw a sailor kindly carry a young woman out on the bowsprit. They dropped together and sank out of sight. He was saved, she was drowned. I saw a dear friend take his much-loved three-year-old boy in his arms, and hear him say, "I will try." Before jumping into the sea he turned to his wife, who was holding their baby in her arms and had their seven-year-old son by her side; he kissed her and said, "Good-bye, Marget [sic]." Her words to him were, "Tam, meet me in heaven." He was picked up almost lifeless; the little boy, mother and baby were drowned, and Johnnie, the seven-year-old boy, was saved.

The fishing vessel came slowly toward us, and, when within thirty feet of our stern, cast anchor and lowered her boat; but before it touched the water our ship gave a sudden lurch, bow downward, and sank into water fifty feet deep. Eight feet of the tallest mast stood out of the water when the vessel settled, and on it the mate, the steward and one sailor found safety. The passengers had crowded together on the cabin deck. My mother, holding dear little Jessie in here arms, with two other women, were drawn by the suction of the water into the cabin door and were never seen again. Alexander, my six-year-old brother, was on my back. We all went down into the water together, perhaps twenty or thirty feet, and came up very much as dogs paw water. I could feel the hands of others touch me as we came upward. On reaching the surface, my first impulse was to find something to float on. I saw a half barrel, and swam for it. One of my boy friends was of the same mind, and we both laid hod of it at the same moment. It filled with water and sank, for it had in it a coil of heavy rope. Michael immediately swam toward the Captain's boat, and was picked up. I thought I could not make it, for I was heavily freighted. I had my brother on my back, and around my body was a belt containing forty silver dollars. I sank a second time, and went down, I know not how far. Suddenly a voice seemed to say to me: "Your are sinning, you are sinning; save yourself, save yourself." I made an effort, rose to the surface, and saw but a short distance from me a small boat-oar. I swam for it, drew it under my arms, then lifted "Sandy." that I might raise his head out of the water, for in coming up the second time he had caught me under the arms. But alas! the dear boy was dead; he had drowned while clinging to my back. After a time were were picked up by the schooner's boat, and, with the other, brought to Newport, R. I.

Of the passengers twenty-seven were saved and thirty drowned. Of the latter, eighteen bodies were laid to rest in the Newport cemetery. When our vessel struck on the rock we were about half a mile from shore. When it sank we were fully two miles out at sea.

The citizens of Newport were exceedingly kind to us. They had heard of our shipwreck before we reached the wharf. A committee of citizens met us, conducted us to one of the large hotels, cared for us, and paid all expenses. The ladies of the churches caused great quantities of wearing apparel to be provided for us, and as most of the men passengers were either Odd Fellows or Masons, both of these fraternities sent cash donations, giving $30 to each male and $35 to every female. On Sabbath afternoon the funeral service were conducted int he First Presbyterian Church. A very large congregation was present, with lodges of Odd Fellows and masons in regalia. And here a singular incident occurred - at least, so it seemed to me. One man, who had lost his wife and six children, had five dead bodies there. He had saved the baby, a few months old. It was found floating on the surface of the sea. A lady of the city wished to adopt it and call it by her own name. The father was very grateful, but would not part with his baby, but willingly gave it the lady's name, and the child, in that presence, that Sabbath afternoon, was baptized and named "Margaret Hoyt Penelope Knights McMillen." 

Of Captain Graham I need not speak, save to say that on Friday morning he declined to signal a pilot, though there were several within hailing distance, saying that he himself thoroughly knew the channel and had often sailed it. At Newport he failed to pay off in full his officers and crew, yet got some of them to testify in the presence of the British Consul that he had done his duty as Captain and owner of the brig, and with these papers he went to Halifax, where he drew his insurance money. From Halifax he went seventy miles by stage to his home. In doing so he passed Grandfather David Love's store and the former residence of most of his passengers, yet he made no mention of the shipwreck until he reached New Glasgow, and then only when questioned. There were no telegraphs in those days, and in that new country but few steamboats or railroads.

To the Christian people of Newport our hearts have often gone out in loving gratitude, and in later years we have sought somewhat to repay to others their kindness to us, and to Him who said: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

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From the Newport (R.I.) Mercury of July 4, 1846, the following list of names, which I have grouped in families and given their approximate ages, is taken:

WHO WERE SAVED.

The Captain, mate, and crew, with the following passengers were saved: Wm. Archibald, aged 29 years; Margaret Bowie, mother; Robert Bowie 14 years; Hugh Denoon, 30 years; Thomas Fatkin, 35 years; John Fatkin, 7 years; Margret Frasier, mother; John Hoyt, father; James Hoyt, 18 years; Michael Hoyt, 15 years; David Love, 15 years; Jean Love, 13 years; Wm. Loraine, 26 years; Robert McMillen, father; Margret McMillen, baby; James Monroe, 30 years; George Oliver, father; Mary Oliver, mother; Robert Oliver, 21 years; Janet Oliver, 19 years; George Oliver 17 years; Isabella Oliver, 12 years; Hugh Oliver, 10 years; John Oliver, 8 years; Archibald Smith, 24 years; Ellen Smith, 20 years (brother and sister); William Wier, 26 years, recently married - 27 [ofs, passengers]. 

THE DEATH ROLL

Margaret Bowie, 22 years; Christie Bowie, 20 years; Mary Bowie, 16 years, Alexander Bowie, 12 years; James Bowie, 10 years; Jeanie Bowie, 7 years (all the children of the lady who was saved; the father, Charles Bowie, had preceded them [to America]); Margret Denoon, mother; Marion Denoon, 8 years; Mary Denoon, 5 years; Margret Fatkin, mother; Peter Fatkin, 3 years; Margret Fatkin, 1 year; William Frasier, father; Sarah Frasier, 10 years; Ann Frasier, 6 years; Elizabeth Hoyt, mother; Agnes Hoyt, 20 years; Jean Love, mother; Alexander Love, 6 years; Jessie Love, 2 years; Margret McMillen, mother; Elizabeth McMillen, 5 years; Ann McMillen, 12 years; Hugh McMillen; 10 years; William McMillen, 7 years; Janet McMillen, 5 years; Robert McMillen, 3 years; Daniel McLean, 28 years; Effie Wier, the young wife of Wm. Wier, and Joanna Gream her sister, 18 years - 30.