Prescott's Headquarters

American Lieutenant Colonel William Barton learned that British General Richard Prescott, commander of the occupying forces on Aquidneck Island (Newport, Rhode Island), was staying at a farmhouse away from the main British encampment. On the night of July 9, 1777, men familiar with the terrain slipped past sentries and approached the farmhouse (the Overing house), capturing Prescott, his aide‑de‑camp, and a guard.  Prescott’s capture was a major morale boost for the Americans. It also provided a crucial bargaining chip: the British agreed to exchange Prescott for  American Major General Charles Lee, who had been captured months earlier.