Rare Revolutionary War Journal Donated By Alexandria Woman

ALEXANDRIA, VA—An Alexandria woman and her family have donated a priceless Revolutionary War era artifact to Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. The museum received a rare Revolutionary War manuscript from Lynne Davis Boyle's ancestor that survived capture on a British ship.

Boyle's mother had come across the journal when was going through her late grandmother's belongings. The family learned the journal belonged to their ancestor Christopher Hawkins, who documents his capture and escape from a multiple prison ships.

His journey is an thrilling tale that will captive history buffs visiting the Revolutionary War museum. Born in Rhode Island, Hawkins became a cabin boy in 1777 on an American privateer ship at age 13, according to archives of his writing. The crew was taken prisoner after encountering a British ship, and it wasn't long before Hawkins plotted his escape and returned to his home state in late 1778.

However, he was captured again, describing this imprisonment as a "floating hell," as he was given brackish water from the sea and bread often covered with mold and maggots. In 1781, he made a perilous escape, swimming for three hours before reaching land. Later, he became the first permanent settler in the town of Newport, New York.

Boyle, her children and parents took a trip to the Museum of the American Revolution to donate the journal in person. The artifact is a fitting addition to the museum, which has a replica privateer ship among other exhibits. The museum opened in April of this year, located near Independence Hall and a number of other key Revolutionary War sites.

The Alexandria resident told Patch in an email her kids learned about the Revolutionary War in school last year, so the "ancestor's journal and our visit to the museum indeed brought history to life."

Image of the Boyle, her children and parents with the artifact at the museum via Museum of the American Revolution, used with permission