Prescott, Richard

PRESCOTT, RICHARD. (1725–1788). British general. Born in England in 1725, Prescott became a major in the Thirty-third Foot on 20 December 1756 and a lieutenant colonel of the Fiftieth Foot in May 1762, serving in Germany during the Seven Years' War. In 1773 he was brevetted colonel of the Seventh Foot and ordered to Canada, where his notorious abuse of the captured Ethan Allen was followed by his own capture on 17 November 1775 when he failed in an attempt to escape from Montreal to Quebec. Holding the local rank of brigadier general, Prescott was exchanged for General John Sullivan in September 1776. In November 1776 Prescott became colonel of his regiment and the next month he was third in command of the British expedition that occupied Newport. Remaining there as commander of the garrison, he made himself an object of American hatred. On the night of 9-10 July 1777 he was taken prisoner by Major William Barton (1748–1831) and forty men in a daring raid. Despite his humiliating capture, Prescott was promoted to major general on 29 August 1777 while still a POW. Exchanged on 6 May 1778 for General Charles Lee, Prescott briefly resumed his command in Newport before being superseded by General Robert Pigot. He commanded a brigade in the Battle of Rhode Island on 29 August. About a year later he succeeded Pigot and in October 1779 complied with the orders of Clinton to destroy the works and evacuate his garrison of slightly more than four thousand effectives to New York. On 26 November 1782, he was promoted to lieutenant general. He died in England in October 1788.

SEE ALSO Allen, Ethan; Newport, Rhode Island (29 July-31 August 1778).

                         revised by Michael Bellesiles