RIDDELLS OF SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
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beach on the side we lay with our boats. We were but thirty strong, in-
cluding the fifteen we had landed; the enemy about seventy. While we
were looking over the beach for them from our boats, they came suddenly
around a point within pistol-shot of us, and opened fire on us by a volley
from a platoon; and twelve of us returned the fire with our muskets in
such quick succession that the barrels burned our hands. The other three
men of our boat-party managed a four-pounder loaded with langrage. It
was growing very hot for us, when our captain cried, Men, land! land!
and we will have them all'; the four-pounder was instantly discharged,
we raised the yell, and with the precision of our fire from our muskets
discomfitted the enemy, and they broke to run, but the fifteen men we
had previously landed came up at the moment, and charging in the rear,
took the British officer and nine of his men prisoners.
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Captain Hiller's privateer was a terror to the British shipping, not
only because she was considered a very fast sailer, but because the cap-
tain's bravery and knowledge of the coast enabled him to thwart all their
efforts to capture us.
On one occasion we made a hair-breadth escape
from capture. We were pursuing and fighting a large British gun-boat,
between Sandy Hook and Amboy, and during the chase we ran in between
a galley and a brig of the enemy that carried an eighteen-pounder at her
bows. The gun-boat had struck her colors, but before we were able to
board her, an eighteen-pound ball passed through our ship, which had
obliged us to make the best of our way to the Jersey shore, and getting
everything out of any value, under a continual fire of cannon and small
arms from the British frigate which lasted until nine o'clock at night,
we left The Fair American' to the British, our ammunition being all
spent so that we could not blow her up."
After peace was declared, Mr. Riddle returned to his home at Eliza-
bethtown, N. J., where he worked at his trade as blacksmith, until 1790,
when he emigrated to Ohio. Although quietly pursuing his occupation
as a farmer and blacksmith, he figured in all of the volunteer military or-
ganizations of the settlement for its defence, or for offensive operations
against the Indians. He was commissioned an ensign by General St. Clair,
and afterwards, Aug. 23, 1797, promoted to lieutenant, and commissioned
as such by Winthrop Sargeant, acting Governor of the Territory. On
the 13th of May, 1804, he was commissioned captain, by Edward Tiffin,
the first Governor of the State, and on the 14th of December, 1806, he
was commissioned major by the same Governor. On the 17th of March,
1811, he was elected colonel of the First Regiment of State Militia, and
commissioned as such by Gov. Jonathan Meigs. In 1805 he commanded
the troops during the Aaron Burr excitement, and the well-deserved honor
of commanding the troops at Greenville, Dark County, O., during the
making of the first and last treaty with the Indians, - a treaty which se-
cured a lasting peace to the people of Ohio, Gen. William Henry Har-
rison and General Cass being the United States Commissioners on the
occasion.
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Soon after the war of 1812 Colonel Riddle resigned his commission,
and devoted himself to farming operations, taking little part in public af-
fairs. That he was always passionately fond of agricultural pursuits can-
not be better or more briefly shown than by the fact that he planted and
raised the first crop of wheat, and the first apple and peach orchard be-
tween the Little and Big Miami Rivers. In the year 1808 he was elected
a commissioner of Hamilton County, which office he filled acceptably for
