Newman Scarlett comes to life June 23

OR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

David Marcus, Treasurer (978-388-7262)

Tewksbury Historical Society

P.O. Box 522

Tewksbury, MA 01876

1775 REVOLUTIONARY WAR VETERAN, NEWMAN SCARLETT

IS COMING BACK TO LIFE !

On June 23, 2018, at 2:00pm at the Tewksbury Library, Tewksbury’s Newman Scarlett will come back to life thanks to a lecture about him by his distant relative, Donald Fidler, Phd. This will be followed up by two other events this summer and fall...all about Newman, where he is buried, and a 1775 ceremonial placement of a headstone for him.

Dr. Fidler will chronicle Newman’s life in Tewksbury from 1742-1799 on June 23. As with everyone from this Revolutionary War era, Newman has a story to tell. It is rare that we have a presentation by a blood relative who has done extensive research into his own ancestors and we are lucky that his focus will be on a Tewksbury veteran. Dr. Fidler will put the focus on Newman’s life.

This will be the first lecture given under the name of the “Warren Carey Lecture Series.” The town lost Warren, a retired Town Treasurer, several years ago and we want to honor him by naming this lecture series after him. Warren was a past President of the Society for 2 & 1/3 years. Warren always loved town meeting and he took full advantage to voice his side of a debate. To some he was an irritant and to others he was a vocal leader. Warren was definitely a leader in Tewksbury and so his legacy of public speaking will live on through the speakers, like Dr. Fidler. Society forums will bring forth knowledge and will lead the research into Tewksbury history, bringing our heritage to life. This event, the Battle of Concord, was an important part of our nation’s history happened on April 19, 1775, and this town was an enthusiastic participant by sending 100 men (1st Southeast Militia Company, 2nd Southeast Militia Company, and the West Minutemen Company) to march to Concord on that day. Newman was at the Concord battle and returned to Tewksbury after 2 days of service.

Dr. Fidler will tell Newman’s story at 2:00pm. The Society will be having its 25th Anniversary meeting and celebration starting at 1:00 when new members are elected to the Board of Directors and Officers. The President and Treasurer will present a brief overview of the past year and we will present 3 members to be placed on the Samuel Hunt Award for volunteering. A brief intermission will be held for socialization and shopping at the Society Store. Our special Society Store offer will be a “Yankee Doodle” hat. The song, Yankee Doodle, was first written by a British Surgeon in the French and Indian War. It was about the dirty, backwoods men who scouted out the French and Indians and led the American Militias and British Redcoats to victory. Roger’s Rangers, led by Robert Rogers who grew up in Methuen, led the British and American Militias with the scouting and ways of working and hunting in the woods of New England. During the French and Indians War, the British used the song written by the British Doctor to tease the Rangers about their dirty looks and backwood hats with feathers in them. Our Militia Rangers did not get mad. They loved every minute of the ridicule as they knew the Rangers, were the ones who led the Brits and American Militia to victory in this war.

Some, notably John Stark, was one young boy who was captured by Indians and had to live with them and learn their ways. He either escaped or was ransomed away from the Natives. He went on to help save the Middlesex Militias (Tewksbury included) at the Battle of Bunker Hill, when they were in retreat and battling the third charge of Brits up the Breeds Hill. Stark brought his New Hampshire men over to the Middlesex star-shaped redoubt or log fort and battled the British in hand-to-hand combat. Stark saved Tewksbury’s men who had finally run out of gunpowder and were into retreat. He also was the leader in the Northern Campaign in the Revolutionary War that trapped 7,000 British in Saratoga, NY and this ended Northern hostilities with the British in 1777-78.

The Rangers went on to become our Army’s Rangers today. Sticking a feather in your tricornered hat meant you were a brave and patriotic person who deserved respect for what they did to make America great. The song today has as many as 40 different stanzas for this song. Truly, this song is American history. [ Yankee Doodle hats will be on sale at our Society Store. Depending on the construction of the hat, the cost will vary from $15.00 to $20.00 per hat. ]

SUMMER 2018 (To be announced later)

During the summer season, we will be allowing people to watch the Ground Penetrating Radar working to find Newman Scarlett’s grave. We will try to have this videotaped for showing on local cable TV. This machine will not disturb any soil or final resting place of Newman Scarlett. We want to find out more about his burial location so we can place a head stone on or near his final resting place in Tewksbury Cemetery. We are working with the Tewksbury Cemetery and will post it in the newspaper when this grave search will be done so you, the public, can watch this scientific search.

Fall 2018

During the fall, perhaps for the Commonwealth’s Archeology Month, we will be holding a ceremony with the location of the headstone that Dr. Fidler will be procuring from a Revolutionary War group. We can put this stone on or as near to his burial site, as possible. The public may come and “view the placement of the headstone ceremony” in a Revolutionary Burial ceremony as done by the 2nd Middlesex Regiment, who are a re-enactment group. Join us and remember our past history on June 23, or in the upcoming Fall Program.