Dr. John Ely of Westbrook

Dr. John Ely, one of the first Fellows elected by this society, was born in Lyme, 1737. He commenced the practice of medicine in Westbrook, where he married the daughter of Rev. William Worthington, of that place. He soon attained eminence in his profession, was especially successful in treating small-pox, and was interested in introducing inoculation. He entered the army at the very beginning of the Revolutionary war, raising a company of militia, and later, raising, and, to a great extent, equipping the regiment of which he was colonel. He won distinction as a surgeon as well, and was sent to the Army of the North on account of an epidemic of small-pox then raging. He was tall and erect of form, of decided character, and commanding presence.

His military career is succinctly told in the report of the Committee of Revolutionary Claims in the House of Representatives.

Jan. 23d, 1833. After reciting his earlier services, the report proceeds as follows, viz.:

On the 9th of December, 1777, he was captured by the enemy, and became a prisoner of war, and was paroled at Flatbush, on Long Island, where were also prisoners several hundred American officers. Among these officers a distressing sickness prevailed, and Col. Ely, from the humanity that belonged to his character, from the day of his captivity to the day of his exchange, faithfully and exclusively devoted his time and attention to them as a physician. In discharging this duty, he encountered great hardship and much expense, as the residences of the sick officers were scattered over a considerable space of country, many of them being as much as twenty miles apart. Col. Ely, when unable from bodily infirmity, or the state of the weather, to perform his long tours on foot, hired a horse at an extravagant price, and paid the cost out of his own private means; he was also frequently compelled to purchase medicine for the sick at his own cost.

Soon after he became a prisoner, his son, Captain, afterwards Dr. Worthington Ely, in conjunction with other friends, fitted out at their own expense a vessel, and manned her, for the purpose of surprising and capturing a British force, with which to effect the exchange of Col. Ely.

The object of the expedition succeeded, so far as regarded the surprise and capture of the enemy, and the prisoners were delivered to the proper authorities, to be exchanged for Col. Ely. This, however, was not done, by reason of the earnest entreaties of the sick American officers, who considered their lives as greatly depending upon the continued attendance and skill of Col. Ely. He was induced to forego his right to an exchange, and consented to remain for the comfort and safety of his brother officers.

It appeared from a certificate of Samuel Huntington, President of Congress, that still subsequent to the time when his exchange might have been effected through the valor of his son and friends, and when he became entitled to an exchange by the regular rule, that a deputation of exchanged officers, who had been his fellow-prisoners, were appointed to wait on Congress by the sick officers who remained in captivity, and to urge the continuance of Col. Ely as their physician and surgeon.

At the head of this deputation was Col. Matthews (since a member of Congress, and governor of Georgia), and Col. Ramsay, of the Maryland line. Col. Ely was, in consequence of this representation, not exchanged, although entitled to an exchange. He remained and acted as physician and surgeon till the 25th of December, 1780, when he was released — a period of three years.

On his return, in 1781, with impaired health and constitution, he found his affairs in a ruinous condition, and a burden of debt accumulated. He courageously commenced work, and to some extent retrieved his misfortunes, but his health failing, and just compensation for his services being denied in the Senate, after he had every expectation of favorable action, having received recommendation from the war department and the passage of his claim through the House, he became discouraged at the injustice, made no further efforts, and died soon after, in 1800. Although compensation had been promised by letters from Washington himself, the influence of Oliver Ellsworth, then prominent in the Senate, who was opposed to the payment of all claims in the interest of the treasury, secured the rejection of this. Years later, his sons received a grant of five thousand dollars, many original papers having been lost.

Dr. Ely won the love, respect, and admiration of all with whom he became intimately associated, and was idolized by the soldiers. He excelled as a conversationalist, and in the practice of his profession was characterized by zeal and humanity. The amiable traits of his character, his generosity, and self-sacrificing devotion to his country and humanity — sadly enough — were the cause of shortening his life, and embittering his last days. He left two sons and three sons-in-law in the profession.

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Source

Whittemore, Henry, History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, New York : J. B. Beers & Co., 1884.