Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

CAPT. DAVID CULLAM. 109
much property, ranking with the lowest in tax assessment.
In 1777 his taxes had increased about four fold, and in
1779 he was one of the rich men of Portsmouth, being one
of the twenty highest tax payers. He was a lieutenant
with Elijah Hall, under John Paul Jones, either in the
Reliance, or the Ranger, or Bonne Homme Richard.
There is a naval anecdote of Capt. Cullam which one of
our old citizens, now dead, used to relate, as told him by
Capt. Cullam. When sailing with Jones, they had on
board a large number of green hands. One day a number
of vessels hove in sight. The number was rather terrifying to the crew. Have we got to fight them? What are
they?-were the general inquiries. "They are all seventyfours," said Capt. Cullam, " we shall have to fight them,
and they will kill you all-so prepare for the worst!"
They did fight andtake them-valuable merchantmen, and
the five shares owned by Capt. C. as Lieut. was a fortune
to him. Capt. C. had not been much in the habit of attending church. One Sunday, after he became rich, he
was seen in his pew in the North Church, and the old gentleman to whom we just now referred, when they next
met, referred to the rare occurrence. " O," said he, they
sent me the devil of a tax bill for my pew, and I mean to
get my money's worth." (There was a property assessment on pews.)
After the death of his first wife, Capt. Cullam broke up
house-keeping and boarded at a hotel, kept by Zachariah
Foss, on the spot in Fleet street where the stable of the
Franklin House now stands. Foss had three daughters.
One of them married Col. Wmin. Brewster, and another married Capt. Cochrane who had the command of Fort William
and Mary, at Newcastle, when it was captured by the citizens in 1775; and the other daughter, Margaret, Capt.
Cullam took as his second wife. She was handsome and
neat in her personal appearance, but in disposition very