Database: William Barton, a daring man

In late 1776, General Charles Lee, second in Command of the Continental Army under the command of Washington, was captured by the British. Exchanging prisoners of similar ranks was common but the Patriots held no captive General at the moment. However, in mid-77, William Barton, a modest hat-maker from Providence who had joined the rebellion from the start learned from trusted sources that the General Richard Prescott, head of the British forcesin Rhode Island, was hosted at a farm, five miles north of Newport, near from the coast. Barton then planned and led a daring plan to kidnap Prescott and exchange him for Lee.