Benjamin Lincoln

(Other Images Below)

Benjamin Lincoln was born on January 24, 1732/3 in Hingham, Mass. As a child he lived and worked there on his family’s farm. Lincoln is best known for his military exploits before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War.

Before the war he began his service as an adjutant in the 3^rd Suffolk regiment, which was commanded by his father. He rose through the ranks to become a Lieutenant-Colonel in 1772.

As the Revolutionary War approached Lincoln firmly established himself as a Whig. He became a member of the Committee of Safety, the Committee of Correspondent, and the Provincial Congress. By 1776 the war had officially begun, and he was appointed Commander of the Continental Forces in Massachusetts. In this position he broke the British blockade of the port of Boston and reinforced George Washington at the Battle of the White Plains. In January of 1777 Lincoln was promoted to the rank of Major General and became the commander of the entire New England militia. In this role he organized the militia, served as the contact between the government and the army, and participated in the battle at Stillwater, N.Y. as the second in command.

After this battle, in October of 1777, Lincoln’s right ankle was shattered by a musket ball, resulting in a ten month recovery at home in Hingham. Although he returned to military service, his ankle would bother him for the rest of his life. In the fall of 1778 Lincoln obtained the position of Commander of the South Department (see the image below).

Lincoln’s war service did not go unnoticed. While attending the graduation of his son at Harvard University in 1780, Lincoln was awarded an honorary degree. In October of 1781 he was appointed the first Secretary of War, a position he held for two years before resigning and returning to Hingham. His popularity led him to be appointed the Commander of the Massachusetts Militia, and in that position he was instrumental in the successful suppression of Shay's 1787 Rebellion. Finally, in 1789 George Washington appointed him to be the first collector of the Port of Boston. He bought a mansion on State Street which served as both his residence and a customs house. He would remain collector until 1809 when he resigned and returned to Hingham.

Although Lincoln is most renowned for his military experience, he was also a very important figure in Hingham and the surrounding area. He became the Town Clerk in 1757, a position previously held by his father and grandfather, and one he would hold for twenty years. By 1762 he was also appointed a justice of the peace. In 1780 he was voted to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and became very involved in the Third Church of Hingham and at Derby Academy. He also owned a flour mill on the Weir River. Some of his other interests were of the Massachusetts Humane Society and the Massachusetts Historical Society. He was also one of the founders of Boston Magazine. Lincoln died on May 9, 1810, leaving behind a large family.

The document above lists Benjamin Lincoln as an adjutant in the First Foot Company of Hingham in 1757. This was his first military position. During his long career he proved himself a worthy soldier, which resulted in several different promotions. He became a Major in 1763, Lieutenant-Colonel in 1772, and then a Major-General during the Revolution.

In the fall of 1778 Lincoln became the Commander of the South Department. He found that there were many difficulties in the South, especially in regards to recruits and supplies. He persevered and played a major role in winning the battles of Charleston and Savannah.

Located at 181 North Street in Hingham, parts of this house were built by Benjamin’s great-great grandfather, Thomas, who settled in Hingham in 1635. The house remains generally the same as it was when Benjamin Lincoln lived there in the 18th century, and remains within control of the Lincoln family.

In Benjamin Lincoln’s will he divides his property among his wife and children. There are no grand statements of self-importance from this famous general in his last will and testament.

According to George Lincoln’s genealogy of Hingham (Volume III, pages 9-10), “At his funeral ‘a long train of bereaved relatives and mourning friends, including the Governor of Massachusetts and other State and Government officials, followed his remains to the family tomb in the Hingham cemetery […] The bells in Boston and other places were tolled an hour; and the flags of the vessels, and of Forts Independence and Warren, and of the Navy Yard in Charlestown were hoisted half-mast as tokens of respect for the memory of the deceased.’”