Naval officer; born in
Dighton, Mass., in 1751; was captain in a Rhode Island regiment at the siege of
Boston; accompanied the
American army to New York; and, for skilful operations with fire-rafts against the British shipping there, received from Congress the commission of major.
In the summer of
1776 he accepted the command of a firebrig on the
Hudson.
By orders of
Washington, after gaining
Harlem Heights (Sept. 15),
Talbot attempted the destruction of the British vessels of war lying off the present 124th Street, New York City.
At 2 A. M. on the 16th, when it was dark and cloudy,
Talbot left his hidingplace under the Palisades, 3 or 4 miles above
Fort Lee, ran down the river with a fair wind, and, grappling the
Romney, set his brig on fire.
The crew of the brig escaped in a boat, and the
Romney soon freed herself without injury.
The other war-vessels fled out of the harbor in alarm.
Talbot received a severe wound in the defence of Fort Mifflin, and gave material aid to
General Sullivan on
Rhode Island in 1778.
A few weeks later he captured a British floating battery anchored in one of the channels commanding
Newport, and for this exploit was commissioned captain.
In his prize (the
Pigot) he cruised off the
New England coast, capturing several prizes.
In 1780 he was captured and confined in the prison-ship
Jersey, removed to
England, and exchanged in 1781.
After the war he purchased the confiscated estate of
Sir William Johnson, near the
Mohawk River; served in the New York Assembly, and was a member of Congress in 1793-94.
He was employed in 1794 to superintend the construction of the frigate
Constitution, which, in 1799, was his flag-ship in a cruise to the
West Indies.
He resigned Sept. 21, 1801.
He died in New York City, June 30, 1813.
