Featured image: Civil War veterans at the Choate Bridge
Links to two dozen wars that Ipswich men fought in, from the town’s settlement in 1633 through the Vietnam War:
- 1634: Settlement and the early military annals
- 1636-1638 Pequot War
- 1675 -1676 King Philip’s War
- 1689-1697 War of William and Mary (King William’s War)
- 1690 Battle of Quebec
- 1702-1713 Queen Anne’s War (War of Spanish Succession)
- 1744-1748 King George’s War (War of Austrian Succession)
- 1756-1763 French and Indian War (Seven Years War) List of Ipswich soldiers
- 1775-1783 American Revolutionary War
- 1787 Shay’s Rebellion
- 1798-1800 Franco-American Naval War
- 1801-1805 First Barbary War
- 1815 Second Barbary War
- 1812-1815 War of 1812
- 1846-1848 Mexican-American War
- 1861-1865 U.S. Civil War
- 1898 Spanish-American War
- List of Ipswich Soldiers and Sailors in the Civil War, the Spanish War, 1898, and on the Mexican Frontier, 1916
- 1914-1918 World War I View Military Records of the Men and Women in Service, 1918
- 1939-1945 World War II
- 1950-1953 Korean War
- 1960-1975 Vietnam War
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The Price Act, passed at Ipswich, February 1777 - In 1777, the Ipswich Selectmen and the Committee of Correspondence and Safety, acting under the authority of the General Court, issued a schedule of prices covering all articles of food, clothing, wages of labor of every kind, entertainment at hotels, shipping rates etc.… Continue reading The Price Act, passed at Ipswich, February 1777 
Leslie’s Retreat, or how the Revolutionary War almost began in Salem, February 26, 1775 - In our struggle for Independence, the British military received its first setback from the inhabitants of Salem in an episode that could not have been more ludicrous or entertaining if it had been written for Monty Python. … Continue reading Leslie’s Retreat, or how the Revolutionary War almost began in Salem, February 26, 1775 
Lieutenant Ruhama Andrews and the 1775 Battle of Quebec - On Christmas Day 1823, Gen Benjamin Pierce of Hillsborough, NH held a reunion of twenty-two citizens who had served in the War of Independence. The oldest attendee was Ammi Andrews, born in Ipswich, MA, aged 89 years.… Continue reading Lieutenant Ruhama Andrews and the 1775 Battle of Quebec 
Ipswich and the breach with Britain - On June 10th, 1776, the men of Ipswich, in Town-meeting assembled, instructed their Representatives, that if the Continental Congress should for the safety of the said Colonies declare them Independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain, they will solemnly engage with their lives and Fortunes to support them in the Measure.… Continue reading Ipswich and the breach with Britain 
Old Toryism, mock Federalism & the Essex Junto - Baptist minister "Citizen Pottle" gave a toast, "To the Venerable Town of Ipswich. May it be purged of all old Toryism and mock Federalism." As the other ministers were indeed Federalists, his toasts aroused suspicion that the whole celebration was a spirited demonstration of Baptist enthusiasm.… Continue reading Old Toryism, mock Federalism & the Essex Junto 
“A State of Nature”, Worcester in 1774 - "In Worcester, they keep no Terms, openly threaten Resistance by Arms, have been purchasing Arms, preparing them, casting Ball, and providing Powder, and threaten to attack any Troops who dare to oppose them....the flames of sedition spread universally throughout the country beyond conception.” -Gen. Thomas Gage… Continue reading “A State of Nature”, Worcester in 1774 
The Intolerable Acts of 1774 - Despite the failure of the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts, the British Parliament responded to the "Boston Tea Party" by passing even more restrictive acts to punish the American extremists.… Continue reading The Intolerable Acts of 1774 
John Freeman, an African American Revolutionary War soldier from Ipswich - John Freeman, son of enslaved Peter and Jane Freeman of Ipswich, enlisted into the militia of the Revolutionary War in the year 1777, and served in Rhode Island, Providence and Cambridge.… Continue reading John Freeman, an African American Revolutionary War soldier from Ipswich 
Account of the soldiers of Chebacco Parish at Bunker Hill - Of the men from Chebacco parish who were in the battle at Bunker Hill, the names of six are known: James Andrews, Benjamin Burnham, Nehemiah Choate, Aaron Perkins, Jesse Story Jr., a minor who was killed, and Francis Burnham who was wounded. Two Chebacco boys, Aaron Low and Samuel Proctor, belonged to a Gloucester company which reached Cambridge on the afternoon of the 16th.… Continue reading Account of the soldiers of Chebacco Parish at Bunker Hill 
The Revolutionary War letters of Joseph Hodgkins and Sarah Perkins - Throughout the Revolutionary War, Joseph Hodgkins sent letters home from the battlefronts to his wife, Sarah Perkins Hodgkins.… Continue reading The Revolutionary War letters of Joseph Hodgkins and Sarah Perkins 
The Col. Nathaniel Wade house, 88 County Rd. (1727) - The house at 88 County Road was built in 1727 by Captain Thomas Wade. His son, Nathaniel Wade, at drilled the Ipswich Minute Men on the South Green across from this house. Wade was given command at West Point by Gen. Washington when Benedict Arnold joined the enemy.… Continue reading The Col. Nathaniel Wade house, 88 County Rd. (1727) 
Paul Revere’s not so famous ride through Ipswich, December 13, 1774 - On the cold icy morning of December 13, 1774, Paul Revere headed out on a 60 mile gallop from Boston along the Old Bay Road through Ipswich to warn the citizens of Portsmouth that British troops may be landing.… Continue reading Paul Revere’s not so famous ride through Ipswich, December 13, 1774 
Ipswich mob attacks Loyalist Representative Dr. John Calef - Dr. John Calef was among a handful of members of the Massachusetts Assembly who voted to retract the "Massachusetts Circular Letter" which was adopted in response to the 1767 Townshend Acts. Ipswich citizens' anger at Calef lingered as war with England approached.… Continue reading Ipswich mob attacks Loyalist Representative Dr. John Calef 
General Michael Farley - In 1774, the Town of Ipswich chose Michael Farley, a tanner, as a delegate to the Provincial Congress. He was appointed major-general of the Militia of Massachusetts in 1777. Farley is buried at the Old North Burying Ground beside his wife Elizabeth. The site of his home is now the Richdale store on Market St..… Continue reading General Michael Farley 
The Arnold Expedition arrives in Ipswich, September 15, 1775 - A memorial sits in the intersection between the South Green and the site of the former South Congregational Church in Ipswich. It reads, “The expedition against Quebec, Benedict Arnold in command, Aaron Burr in the ranks, marched by this spot, September 15, 1775."… Continue reading The Arnold Expedition arrives in Ipswich, September 15, 1775 
Ipswich in the Revolutionary War - On June 10th, 1776, the men of Ipswich, in Town-meeting assembled, instructed their Representatives, that if the Continental Congress should for the safety of the said Colonies Declare them Independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain, they will solemnly engage with their lives and Fortunes to support them in the Measure.… Continue reading Ipswich in the Revolutionary War 
A Revolutionary Guest: John Adams’ letters from Ipswich - John Adams visited Ipswich many times during his tenure as the Boston representative to the colonial legislature from 1770 to 1774.… Continue reading A Revolutionary Guest: John Adams’ letters from Ipswich 
The “Detested Tea” and the Ipswich Resolves - From Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, by Thomas Franklin Waters In 1767, the Townshend Acts were passed, one of which provided for a tax on wine, glass, tea, gloves, etc, imported into the Province. During the winter, the General Court issued a Circular Letter, which was sent to the other Assemblies, notifying them of… Continue reading The “Detested Tea” and the Ipswich Resolves 
The Ipswich Convention and the Essex Result - Delegates from 67 towns arrived in Ipswich on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 1774 and began deliberations regarding a Constitution for Massachusetts. "Surely a state of nature is more excellent than that in which men are meanly submissive to the haughty will of an imperious tyrant."… Continue reading The Ipswich Convention and the Essex Result 
The Great Ipswich Fright, April 21, 1775 - A rumor spread that two British ships were in the river, and were going to burn the town. The news spread as far as New Hampshire, and in every place the report was that the regulars were but a few miles behind them, slashing everyone in sight.… Continue reading The Great Ipswich Fright, April 21, 1775 
How Ipswich celebrated the end of the Revolutionary War - The manner in which residents of Ipswich celebrated the end of hostilities was recorded in "The Life, Journals and Correspondence of Rev. Manasseh Cutler."… Continue reading How Ipswich celebrated the end of the Revolutionary War 
Shay’s Rebellion - On the last Tuesday of August, 1786 some 1500 armed insurgents took possession of the Northampton Court House, initiating a brief war known as Shay's Rebellion.… Continue reading Shay’s Rebellion 
The Newburyport Tea Party, March 1775 - When Parliament laid a tax on tea, the British locked all the tea that had arrived in Newburyport into the powder house. Eleazer Johnson led a group of men who shattered the door and burned the tea in Market Square.… Continue reading The Newburyport Tea Party, March 1775 
Madame Shatswell’s cup of tea - Madame Shatswell loved her cup of tea, and as a large store had been stored for family use before the hated tax was imposed, she saw no harm in using it as usual. News of the treason spread throughout the town.… Continue reading Madame Shatswell’s cup of tea 
Reply by the Town of Ipswich to the Boston Pamphlet, December 28, 1772 - A document known as the “Boston Pamphlet” was distributed throughout the colony, asserting the colonists’ rights. Ipswich held a Town Meeting and established its own “Committee of Correspondence."… Continue reading Reply by the Town of Ipswich to the Boston Pamphlet, December 28, 1772 
Ipswich Pillow lace - In the late eighteenth century, Ipswich had 600 women and girls producing more than 40,000 yards of lace annually. Ipswich industrialists imported machines from England to mechanize and speed up the operation, which destroyed the hand-made lace industry. … Continue reading Ipswich Pillow lace 
The Massachusetts Circular Letter, February 11, 1768 - Dr. John Calef represented Ipswich in the Massachusetts Assembly and was one of only 17 members who voted to retract the Circular Letter opposing the Townshend Acts. An engraving by Paul Revere portrays Calef being pushed into Hell.… Continue reading The Massachusetts Circular Letter, February 11, 1768 
The Loyalists - An angry mob surrounded the Haverhill home of Col. Richard Saltonstall, a Loyalist, who opened his door and stated that that he was bound to discharge the duties of the office.… Continue reading The Loyalists 
The “Commonwealth” - "Commonwealth" is defined as a state in which authority is vested in the citizenry. In the 17th Century it was the radical philosophy the work and the proceeds thereof should be shared by the people.… Continue reading The “Commonwealth” 
Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the fate of the American Revolution - I listened today to an interview with author Nathaniel Philbrick on NPR, and was impressed with his fresh take on the social dynamics of the Revolutionary War, portrayed in his book, Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution. His account of the Revolution and the tragic relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold… Continue reading Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the fate of the American Revolution 
5-7 Poplar Street, the Dr. John Calef house (1671) - This house was built on South Main St. between 1671 and 1688 by Deacon Thomas Knowlton. In the mid-18th Century the house was owned by Dr. John Calef, a Loyalist. John Heard moved the house to its present location in order to build his elaborate Federalist home which now houses the Ipswich Museum. … Continue reading 5-7 Poplar Street, the Dr. John Calef house (1671) 88 County Road, the Col. Nathaniel Wade House (1727) - This house was built in 1727 by Captain Thomas Wade. On September 25, 1780, his son Nathaniel Wade received an urgent correspondence from General George Washington that General Arnold had "gone to the enemy" and to take command at West Point. The house is protected by a preservation covenant with the Ipswich Historical Commission.… Continue reading 88 County Road, the Col. Nathaniel Wade House (1727) Leslie’s Retreat, or how the Revolutionary War almost began in Salem, February 26, 1775 - In our struggle for Independence, the British military received its first setback from the inhabitants of Salem in an episode that could not have been more ludicrous or entertaining if it had been written for Monty Python. … Continue reading Leslie’s Retreat, or how the Revolutionary War almost began in Salem, February 26, 1775 
Ipswich during World War II - The end to the Great Depression coincided with America's entry into World War II. The Ipswich Guard was stationed on Old England Rd., and Sylvania employees worked on a top-secret project. Minesweepers and other small craft were produced at Robinson's Boatyard. … Continue reading Ipswich during World War II 
The Rev. John Wise of Ipswich - The concepts of freedom about which Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence originated from the pen of the Rev. John Wise of Ipswich: "The origin of civil power is the people...and when they are free, they may set up what species of government they please."… Continue reading The Rev. John Wise of Ipswich 
The Proximity Fuze: How Ipswich women helped win WW II - The former Ipswich Mills, now owned by EBSCO, was the site of one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Second World War.… Continue reading The Proximity Fuze: How Ipswich women helped win WW II 
William Clancy, WWI hero - William Clancy, a young Ipswich man, enlisted in the English Army, and was the first American to carry the Stars and Stripes into action during WWI.… Continue reading William Clancy, WWI hero 
The “Dungeons of Ipswich” during the War of 1812 - On October 7, 1813, the keeper of the Ipswich jail was given orders by the President "to "receive into his custody and safely keep in dungeons, in the gaol aforesaid, 16 British prisoners of war" as hostages.… Continue reading The “Dungeons of Ipswich” during the War of 1812 
April 1, 1970: The Massachusetts Legislature challenges the Vietnam War - On April 1st, 1970, both houses of the Massachusetts legislature passed a bill known as the "Shea Act," which declared that no inhabitant of Massachusetts "shall be required to serve" abroad in an armed hostility that has not been declared a war by Congress, under Article I of the U.S. Constitution.… Continue reading April 1, 1970: The Massachusetts Legislature challenges the Vietnam War The “Birthplace of American Independence” - Resistance by the citizens and leaders of Ipswich to a tax imposed by the Crown in 1687 is commemorated in the seal of the town of Ipswich, which bears the motto, "The Birthplace of American Independence 1687."… Continue reading The “Birthplace of American Independence”
The Ipswich Company, Massachusetts State Guard, 1942 - The Ipswich Company of the Massachusetts State Guard during WWII… Continue reading The Ipswich Company, Massachusetts State Guard, 1942 
Captain Arthur H. Hardy, 1972 - Arthur Hans Hardy grew up in Ipswich, On a mission over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos on March 14, 1972, Hardy's aircraft was hit and he bailed out nar enemy troops. His body is buried at Highland Cemetery in Ipswich.… Continue reading Captain Arthur H. Hardy, 1972 
Daniel Denison - Daniel Denison became Major General of the colonial forces and represented Ipswich in the general court. He was remembered with high esteem by the people of Ipswich well into the 19th Century. You can visit Denison's grave at the Old North Burial Ground.… Continue reading Daniel Denison 
Bombshell from Louisbourg - Mounted securely to a stone post at the corner of Middle and Independent Streets in Newburyport, there was for many years a large cast-iron bombshell, thrown from a mortar at the Second Siege of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia in 1758.… Continue reading Bombshell from Louisbourg How Ipswich celebrated the end of the Revolutionary War - The manner in which residents of Ipswich celebrated the end of hostilities was recorded in "The Life, Journals and Correspondence of Rev. Manasseh Cutler."… Continue reading How Ipswich celebrated the end of the Revolutionary War 
Acadian exiles in Ipswich, 1755 - Massachusetts men played a conspicuous part in the French and Indian War, which resulted in wholesale destruction and deportation in French-speaking Nova Scotia. Surviviors were exiled to the Colonies, their children taken from them and distributed to English families as "nothing more than slaves."… Continue reading Acadian exiles in Ipswich, 1755 
“To the Inhabitants of the Town of Ipswich,” from Thomas Jefferson - The Embargo Act of 1807 put New England ports at a standstill and its towns into a depression. The Ipswich Town Meeting petitioned the President to relieve "the people of this once prosperous country from their present embarrassed and distressed condition." The town found Jefferson's answer "Not Satisfactory."… Continue reading “To the Inhabitants of the Town of Ipswich,” from Thomas Jefferson 
Daniel Hovey - At the foot of Hovey Street along the Ipswich River is a plaque dedicated to the memory of Ipswich settler Daniel Hovey, whose home and wharf were across the river on what is now Tansey Lane. … Continue reading Daniel Hovey 
In Congress, July 4, 1776 - When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.… Continue reading In Congress, July 4, 1776 
The Civil War Monument - By Harold Bowen: The monument was first erected by the town in 1871 as a memorial to those who died in the Civil War. It had an iron fence all around it and inside the enclosure was a stack of cannon balls in each corner where a flag was inserted.… Continue reading The Civil War Monument 
The Constitutional Convention and establishment of the Electoral College - Many of our founding fathers had little trust in the instincts of the common man. John Adams observed that "Pure democracy has also been viewed as a threat to individual rights," and warned against the “tyranny of the majority.” Alexander Hamilton, one of the three authors of the "Federalist Papers" defended the system of electors by which we choose a President today.… Continue reading The Constitutional Convention and establishment of the Electoral College 
The British attack on Sandy Bay, Sept. 8, 1814 - Rockport experienced one of the oddest invasions in U.S. history during the War of 1812 when the town's fearless residents stopped the British with rocks and anything they could get their hands on.… Continue reading The British attack on Sandy Bay, Sept. 8, 1814 
Ghosts of Independence Day - My wife and I were reminiscing of Independence Days long past, when our children were little, some of our parents still alive and our families mostly living nearby. Backyard cook-outs scheduled around shifts at Beverly Hospital or the I.P.D., Betty Dorman’s Recreation Department Fourth of July Children’s Parade – thankfully still going strong, decking out… Continue reading Ghosts of Independence Day 
Ipswich in the World War - On the afternoon of Thursday, November 7, 1918, a rumor spread through Ipswich that an armistice had been arranged. News of the end of the war was received on Monday morning, November 11. Ten blasts on the fire alarm whistle proclaimed the news, church bells began to ring, whistles were blown, all business was suspended, and the streets were filled with people. … Continue reading Ipswich in the World War 
Historic Ipswich 