Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/135

Rh her parents to Newburyport., Mass., where she was educated partly under the direction of her sister, Harriet Prescott, afterward Mrs. Spofford. She began to write prose and verse soon after leaving school. Her ﬁrst story, printed in "Harper's Monthly," was written for a school exercise. She wrote much for children. and many of her mature stories and poems have been widely copied. Her ﬁrst book for children was "Matt's Follies" (Boston, 1873). She never made a collection of her miscellaneous writings. She spent 1885 and part of 1886 in Europe, but her home was in Newburyport.

PRESCOTT, Richard, British officer, b. in England in 1725: d. there in October. 1788. He was appointed a major of the 33d foot. 20 Dec., 1756, and in May, 1762, became lieutenant-colonel of the 50th foot, with which regiment he served in Germany during the seven years' war. He was afterward brevetted colonel of the 7th foot, with which he came to Canada in 1773. On the reduction of Montreal by the Americans in 1775, Col. Prescott, who had the local rank of brigadier—general, attempted to descend to Quebec with the British troops and the military stores, but was obliged to surrender to the Americans on 17 Nov. In September, 1776. he was exchanged for Gen. John Sullivan, in November he became colonel of his regiment, and in December he was third in command of the expedition against Rhode Island, where he remained in command of the British forces until he was made prisoner, 10 July, 1777, by Lieut.-Col. William Barton (q. v.). He was finally exchanged for Gen. Charles Lee, and resumed his command at Rhode Island, but was almost immediately superseded by Sir Robert Pigot. He became a major-general, 29 Aug., 1777, and lieutenant-general, 26 Nov., 1782. His treatment of American prisoners was harsh and cruel. See "The Capture of Prescott by Lieut.-Col. William Barton," an address at the centennial celebration of the exploit, by Jeremiah Lewis Diman (Providence, 1877).

PRESCOTT, Robert, British soldier, b. in Lancashire, England, in 1725: d. near Battle, Sussex, 21 Dec., 1816. He became captain of the 15th foot, 22 Jan., 1755, and served in the expeditions against Rochefort in 1757, and Louisburg in 1758. He acted as aide-de-camp to Gen. Amherst in 1759, and afterward joined the army under Gen. James Wolfe. On 23 March, 1761, he was appointed major of the 95th foot, which formed part of the force that was sent under Gen. Robert Monckton to reduce Martinico. 110 became lieutenant-colonel of the 28th regiment, 8 Sept., 1775, and was present at the battle of Long Island, the several engagements in Westchester county, and the storming of Fort Washington in November, 1775. He was attached to the expedition against Philadelphia in 1777. appointed colonel by brevet on 29 Aug, and engaged in the battle of the Brandywine. In 1778 he was appointed ﬁrst brigadier-general in the expedition under Gen. James Grant against the French West Indies. He became colonel, 13 Oct. 1780; major-general. 19 Oct., 1781; was appointed colonel of the 28th regiment, 6 July. 1789; and lieutenant-general, 12 Oct., 1793. In October, 1793, he was ordered to Barbadoes to take command there, and in February, 1791, he sailed with the troops to Martinique, where he landed without opposition. He effected the complete reduction of the island and forts, which capitulated on 22 March, and was afterward appointed civil governor of the island. His wise and judicious management of affairs prevented an uprising of the natives. From Martinique he was sent to Guadaloupe, where he pursued the same ﬁrm and conciliatory policy, and at this time he refused the proffered governorship of St. Lucia. Finding it impossible to effect much at Guadaloupe, he withdrew the British troops there, and sent some to Antigua and Dominica, and the rest to Martinique, where he returned. His health failing, he applied for leave to return to England, where he arrived, 10 Feb. 1795. On 13 July, 1796, he succeeded Lord Dorchester as governor of Canada, and on his arrival in Quebec he began strengthening the fortiﬁcations of that city. In 1797 he was also appointed governor of Nova Scotia, and he remained at the head of the government of that colony, and of Canada and New Brunswick, till 1799, when he was recalled and succeeded by Sir Robert Shore Milnes. The principal event of his administration, during which he was made full general. was the attempt of David McLean to excite the people to insurrection. and to capture the city of Quebec, in which attempt McLean lost his life. Gen. Prescott returned to England, and settled at Rose Green, near Battle, where he died.

PRESCOTT, William, soldier, b. in Groton, Mass., 20 Feb., 1726; d. in Pepperell, Mass., 13 Oct., 1795. His father, Judge Benjamin Prescott, was the grandson of John, of Lincolnshire, England, an early settler of Lancaster, Mass. The son inherited a large estate and resided at Pepperell. In 1755 he served successively as lieutenant and captain in the provincial army under Gen. John Winslow during the expedition against Nova Scotia. His conduct in that campaign attracted the attention of the British general, who offered him a commission in the regular army, which he declined, and after the war he retired to his estate at Pepperell. In 1774 he was appointed to command a regiment of minute-men, with which he marched, on 19 April, 1775, to Lexington, to oppose the expedition that was sent out by Gen. Thomas Gage. Before Prescott arrived the British had retreated, and he then proceeded to Cambridge, where he entered the provincial army, the majority of his officers and men volunteering to serve with him during his first campaign. On 16 June, 1775, he was ordered to Charlestown with 1,000 men, and directed to throw up works on Bunker Hill. On arriving at the ground, it was perceived that the neighboring elevation, called Breed's Hill, was a more suitable station, and on it the defences, consisting of a redoubt and breastwork, were erected during the night. The following day a large British force commanded by Gen. William Howe attacked the Americans, and, after the latter had repelled two assaults, and had exhausted their ammunition, succeeded in dislodging them. In this battle, which owes its importance to the fact that it demonstrated the ability of the provincials successfully to oppose British regulars, Bancroft says that &ldquo;no one appeared to have any command but Col.