Finding John O Dirlam

Prisoners Taken near Philadelphia

2012-01-22T08:55:00.000-08:00

While they held Philadelphia in the winter of 1777-1778, it became necessary for the British to open the Delaware River to their shipping. Over a period of weeks the large army garrisoned there became increasingly desperate for resupply. And so they set to work taking the mutually reinforcing fortifications on the river held by the Americans: Fort Mifflin (also called Mud Island, on the west bank) and Fort Mercer (also called Red Banks, on the east bank).

They laid siege to Fort Mifflin, starting in early October. They built a large artillery battery on nearby Providence Island and began an enormous bombardment November 10 that ended 5 days later when the Americans evacuated the fort.

Meanwhile, on October 10 they attempted to put a gun battery on Carpenter's Island, also nearby but closer, and easily fired on from Fort Mifflin and from the part of the river protected by the fort's guns. The British force charged with defending the new battery was quickly trapped, and forced to surrender the next morning. The captives were grenadiers from the 1st, 10th, 17th, 23rd, 27th, and 28th Regiments, and 4 men from the Royal Artillery: 300 to 400 men became prisoners. Including John O Dirlam?? Some prisoners were sent to Trenton.

At any rate, they surrendered to Lieut. Col. Samuel Smith of the 4th Maryland Regiment. The regiment fought at Brandywine in September, and Germantown in October 1777, and assigned to the 2nd Maryland Bridgade. Capt. Samuel Smith (1752-1839) had been promoted to major, Dec. 10, 1776; lieutenant colonel, Feb. 22, 1777; was wounded at Fort Mifflin on the Delaware River, Oct. 22, 1777 and presented with a sword by Congress, Nov. 4, 1777, for his gallant defense at that fort; resigned in May, 1779. He served in the Maryland State Legislature, 1790-1792; US House of Representatives, 1793-1803 and 1815-1822; US Senate, 1803-1815 and 1822-1833. He became a major general of Maryland Militia in the War of 1812, and served as mayor of Baltimore from 1835 to 1838.

Meanwhile, the British sent a largely Hessian force to attack Fort Mercer on October 22, 1777, and that attack failed badly. However, after Fort Mifflin was lost and 5000 British troops were sent to take Fort Mercer, the Americans abandoned it.

Providence Island and Carpenter Island both consisted of marshy land somewhat dried by dikes. They lay along the west bank of the Delaware River, south of the mouth of the Schuykill River. Hog Island and Mud Island lay in the river just to the east. All were eventually absorbed by Hog Island, and eventually by Philadelphia International Airport.

Stephen Kibby, private

2011-08-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

KIBBE, Samuel, Loudon (Otis). Descriptive list of men raised in Berkshire Co. for the term of 9 months from the time of their arrival at Fishkill, agreeable to resolve of April 20, 1778; Capt. Book's co.. Col. Ashley's regt. ; age, 31 yrs. ; stature, 6 ft. 1 in. ; complexion, dark ; residence, Loudon ; arrived at Fishkill May 31, 1778; also, list of men returned as mustered by Henry Rutgers, Jr., Deputy Muster Master, dated Fishkill, Aug. 1, 1778 ; engaged for town of Loudon ; also, payroll for 6 months men raised by the town of Loudon for service in the Continental Army during 1780; marched July 1, 1780; discharged Jan. 3, 1781; service, 6 mos. 8 days, including travel (120 miles) home.

KIBBE, Samuel. Private, Capt. Noah Lankton's co.. Col. John Ashley's (1st Berkshire Co.) regt.; enlisted July 22, 1777; discharged Aug. 14, 1777; service, 24: days; company marched on expedition to Kingsbury by order of Brig. Gen. John Fellows. Roll dated Tyringham.

KIBBY, Stephen, Blandford. List of men raised in Hampshire Co. for the term of 9 months from the time of their arrival at Fishkill, agreeable to resolve of April 20, 1778, returned as received of Jonathan Warner, Commissioner, by Col. R. Putnam July 20, 1778 ; residence, Blandford ; engaged for town of Blandford ; arrived at Fishkill June 22, 1778.

Peter Smith, private

2011-08-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

Smith, Peter, Blandford.

Descriptive list of men raised in Hampshire Co. to serve in the Continental Army for the term of 9 months;
Capt. Knox's co., Col. Moseley's regt.; age, 17 yrs.; stature, 5ft. 6in.; complexion,light; hair, light; residence, Blandford; engaged for town of Blandford;
arrived at Fishkill June 16, 1778;
also, list of men raised in Hampshire Co. for the term of 9 months from the time of their arrival at Fishkill, agreeable to resolve of April 20,1778, returned as received of Jonathan Warner, Commissioner, by Col. R. Putnam July 20, 1778.

William Shepard, colonel

2011-08-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

Shepard William Westfield

Lieutenant Colonel, Col. Timothy Danielson's regt. of Minute-men engaged April 20, 1775, service 4 days on the alarm of April 19, 1775;
also Lieutenant Colonel general return of Col. Timothy Danielson's regt. in camp at Roxbury May 27, 1775; ordered in Provincial Congress May 27, 1775 that officers of said regiment be commissioned;
also Lieutenant Colonel, Col. Timothy Danielson's regt. engaged April 24, 1775 service to Aug. 1, 1775; 3 mos. 2 weeks;
also Colonel 4th;
also given 3d Mass. regt. Continental Army pay accounts for service from Jan. 1, 1777 to Dec, 31. 1779;
also letter dated Camp Valley Forge May 1. 1778 signed by officers of said Shepard's regt requesting that application be made to the President of the Board of War for clothing granted them by resolve of March 13, 1778 certificate attached signed by said Shepard Colonel certifies that said officers belonged to his regiment;
also Colonel and Captain 3d Mass. regt. muster roll of field staff and commissioned officers for March and April 1779, dated Providence appointed Oct, 2. 1776;
also Colonel 4th Mass. regt. return of officers for clothing dated Salem Aug. 28, 1779;
also Colonel 4th Mass. regt. list of settlements of rank of Continental officers dated West Point made by a Board held for the purpose and confirmed by Congress Sept. 6, 1779 commissioned May 4, 1776;
also Colonel 4th Mass. regt. Continental Army pay accounts for service from Jan 1, 1780 to Dec. 31, 1780;
also return for rations of wagon department 2d Mass brigade dated Feb. 18, 1780 approved by said Shepard Colonel Commandant;
also Colonel 4th Mass. regt, muster rolls of field staff and commissioned officers for June, July, and Aug 1781 reported on command at Springfield;
also Colonel 4th Mass. regt. Brig. Gen. John Glover's 1st brigade return of effectives dated Sept 15 1781;
also return of effectives dated Sept. 28, 1781 reported on command at Springfield;
also muster rolls of field staff and commissioned officers for Oct, 1781, Jan, 1782 dated York Hutts;
reported on command at Springfield in Oct. and Nov. 1781 commanding 1st Mass. brigade in Dec. 1781 and Jan. 1782;
also returns of effectives between Feb. 8, 1782 and May, 24 1782 dated Hutts 1st Brigade and Cantonment 1st Mass. Brigade;
reported on furlough at West Point from May 20, 1782 by leave of the Commander in Chief.

- from Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors

This entry doesn't mention Fishkill at all.

David Knox, private

2011-08-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

Knox, David, Blandford.

Descriptive list of men raised in Hampshire Co. for the term of 9 months from the time of their arrival at Fishkill, agreeable to resolve of April 20, 1778;
Capt. Knox's co., Col. Moresley's (Mosely's) regt.; age, 20 yrs.; stature, 5 ft. 6 in.; complexion, light; hair, brown; residence, Blandford;
engaged for town of Blandford; arrived at Fishkill June 16, 1778;
also, list of men returned as received of Jonathan Warner, Commissioner, by Col. R. Putnam, July 20, 1778;
also, Private, Capt. J. Holden's (4th) co., Col. Nixon's (6th) regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from Nov. 2, 1779, to Dec. 31, 1779;
also, Capt. Abel Holden's co., Col. Thomas Nixon's regt.; pay rolls for Aug.-Oct., 1779;
also, Capt. John Holden's co., Col. Nixon's regt.; pay rolls for Nov. and Dec., 1779;
also, descriptive list of men belonging to 6th Mass. regt. who enlisted for the war subsequent to Sept. 30, 1779, as returned by Col. Thomas Nixon, dated Highlands; age, 20 yrs.; stature, 5 ft. 5 in.; complexion, light; engaged for town of Blandford;
also, Capt. A. Holden's co., Col. Nixon's regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from Jan. 1, 1780, to Dec. 31, 1780;
also, (late) Capt. John Holden's co., Col. Nixon's regt.; pay roll for Jan.-June, 1780; reported transferred to Capt. Abel Holden's (Light Infantry) co. Feb. 4, 1780;
also, Light Infantry co., 6th Mass. regt.; return of men in need of clothing, dated Peekskill, July 31, 1780;
also, Capt. Abel Holden's (Light Infantry) co., Col. Nixon's regt.; pay abstracts for July-Dec., 1780;
also, descriptive list dated West Point, Jan. 29, 1781; Capt. Holden's co., Col. Thomas Nixon's (6th) regt. commanded by Lieut. Col. Smith; rank, Private; age, 20 yrs.; stature, 5 ft. 5 in.; complexion, light; hair, dark; occupation, farmer; enlisted Nov. 2, 1779, by Lieut. Frost; enlistment, during war; also, Capt. Peter Clayes's (Light Infantry) co., commanded by Capt. John K. Smith until May 1, 1781, Lieut. Col. Calvin Smith's (6th) regt.; returns for wages; wages allowed said Knox for Jan., 1781-Dec., 1782, 24 mos.;
also, list dated Boston, Feb. 18, 1804, returned by John Avery, Secretary, and J. Jackson, Treasurer, of men who furnished satisfactory evidence of their service as soldiers and were entitled to gratuities under resolves of March 4, 1801, and June 19, 1801; 5th Mass. regt.

- from Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors

Knox served at Fishkill, New York from June 1778 to March 1779.

Leather and Shoe Supply to The Continental Army

2011-08-22T16:33:00.000-07:00

No article of clothing was more important to the soldier than shoes. Two pairs were included in the clothing bounty offered in the fall of 1776. While the troops lay at Boston the problem of supply did not become acute, but thereafter long marches over rough terrain wore out shoes faster than they could be supplied. On the retreat from New York in November 1776, Sgt. John Smith recorded that "our soldiers had no shoes to wair; was obliged to lace on their feet the hide of the cattle we had kill'd the day before." The shortage of shoes first received attention in the Northern Army. Maj. Gen. Philip Schuyler, then commanding that army, suggested in September 1776 that Congress appoint agents to erect and operate a tanyard wherever materials for tanning could be most readily procured and where hides-from cattle slaughtered to feed both the Northern Army and the main army-could be most easily conveyed. This method, he thought, would be the cheapest way of supplying the Continental Army with leather for shoes. Congress referred his proposal to the Board of War for consideration, but his suggestion apparently produced no results.

A congressional committee was sent to the Northern Department in the fall of 1776 to confer about the problems of the Northern Army. The disposition of the hides of cattle killed during the 1776 campaign was an aspect of operations that interested the committee. Its members soon discovered that agents of the Commissary Department at Ticonderoga, Albany, and elsewhere in the Northern Department had been disposing of hides at prices far below their real value because they would have spoiled during the summer. The committee halted any further sales and directed Commissary General Joseph Trumbull to have all hides dried and transported to Albany, where they could be sold or shipped elsewhere as Congress directed. Information on these low prices also reached the New York delegates in Congress through William Duer. Late in November Congress took action to prevent waste. It directed the commissaries in each military department to employ proper persons to take charge of the hides, cure them to prevent spoilage, and store them for the use of the Continental Army, subject to the orders of Congress. Congress, however, took no steps specifically to provide a better supply of shoes until the summer of 1777. By then shortages were so great, Washington informed Clothier General Mease, who was responsible for shoe procurement, that some corps were "almost entirely incapable of doing duty" for lack of shoes. Such shoes as Mease had supplied were too small and consequently of little use. Imported shoes were "thin french pumps" that tore to pieces whenever they got wet. He urged Mease to procure as many shoes as he could, adding that 50,000 pairs would not be too many.

In June Congress resolved to establish a Hide Department under the direction of a commissary who would receive all rawhides belonging to the United States and exchange them either for tanned leather or for shoes at the customary rate of exchange. He would then deliver the shoes to the Clothier General, who would distribute them to the troops. If such exchanges could not be made on reasonable terms, Congress authorized the Commissary of Hides either to provide tanyards, materials, and workmen himself, or to contract with proper persons for converting the hides into tanned leather. Congress placed the Hide Department under the supervision of the Board of War. At the latter's direction, the Commissary of Hides also made deliveries of leather to the Commissary General of Military Stores for making accouterments. Congress elected Peter Phillips to the office, which carried a monthly salary of 80 dollars. When he declined the post, Congress appointed George Ewing.

Only the exchange of hides for shoes, Washington later informed the Board of War, saved soldiers from being "rendered totally unfit for Service." No immediate improvement in shoe supply was apparent, and three months after Ewing's appointment, Washington demanded to know on what terms he was disposing of hides. If the hides of all cattle consumed by the Continental Army were returned in leather, "they would much more than shoe the soldiers." Commissary Ewing reported that he had received 144,376 pounds of hides since 2 September 1777. He was in the process of exchanging them for leather at the rate of five pounds for one pound of sole leather, and eight pounds per one pound of upper leather. Despite his efforts, the tanned leather was coming in slowly. The poor quality of the shoes procured, including those imported from France, and the continuing shortages led Washington to direct commanding officers to select their most suitable men and set them to work making moccasins for their corps. On the basis of returns by the officers, he directed commissaries to issue them hides. At one point the Commander in Chief offered 10 dollars to any person who produced the "best substitute for shoes, made of raw hides."

Ewing was beset by difficulties in managing the Hide Department. He needed wagons to haul hides but found it impossible to obtain them from the Quartermaster General. To enable him to operate more effectively, Congress authorized the Commissary of Hides or his deputy at any military department to hire or impress one or more wagons for the use of the Hide Department. These wagons were not to be subject to any further impressment by officers of the Continental Army for any other service. Moreover, commanding officers of military departments, posts, or detachments were to supply guards for the wagons at the request of the Commissary of Hides. Since hides were a valuable asset in the market and since the method of exchanging them for tanned leather or shoes was susceptible of much abuse by dishonest agents, Congress soon found it necessary to direct the Board of War to draft regulations for the guidance of the Hide Department. It also gave the board authority to appoint and dismiss personnel in the department.

- from SUPPLYING WASHINGTON'S ARMY, by Erna Risch

George Ewing, mentioned above, bought supplies on the expectation of reimbursement by the army. After the war he was forced to sell all his real property to pay this debt. Ewing served as Commissary of Hides from August 5, 1777 to April 20, 1779. After his resignation, The Board of War appointed five regional commissioners to replace him, including Robert Lamb for Massachusetts.

Dewery Russell, wagoner

2011-08-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

Dewey Russell. Murrayfield.

Fifer, Capt. David Shepard's co. of Minute-men, Col. Seth Pomroy's regt., which marched April 22, 1775 in response to the alarm of April 19, 1775 to Cambridge;
service, 10 days; reported enlisted into the army May 2, 1775;
also Capt. Abijah Childs's co., Lieut. Col. William Bond's (late Thomas Gardner's) 37th regt.;
muster roll dated Aug 1 1775 enlisted April 30 1775 service 93 days stature 5 ft 7 in;
also company return dated Prospect Hill Oct 6 1775;
also order for bounty coat or Its equivalent in money, dated Prospect Hill, Dec 20, 1775;
also list of men raised to serve in the Continental Army, as returned by Capt. James Black, dated April 13, 1779, residence Murrayfield;
engaged for town of Murrayfield;
joined Capt. Ball's co., Col. Shepard's regt. term daring war;
also Quartermaster Sergeant, Col. William Sheppard's regt.;
Continental Army pay accounts for service from Jan. 1, 1777 to Nov. 1, 1779;
reported promoted to Wagon Master Nov. 1, 1779;
also Capt. Lebbeus Ball's co., Col. William Shepard's regt.;
muster return dated Feb. 3, 1778;
mustered by State and Continental Muster Masters;
also Colonel's co. Col. Shepard's (3d regt.);
muster roll for March and April 1779, dated Providence;
appointed Jan. 1, 1777;
reported sick at Westfield;
also Wagon Conductor of brigade;
return for rations of wagon department of 2d Mass. brigade approved by William Shepard, Colonel Commandant, dated Feb. 18, 1780.

- from Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors

This entry doesn't mention Fishkill at all. And Murrayfield is an early name for Chester, located just 10 miles north of Blandford.

Fishkill Supply Depot

2011-08-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

During the time he served as Postmaster General (July 1775 to November 1776), Benjamin Franklin established Fishkill as one of six Regional Post Offices. So mail between the New England Colonies and Philadelphia and the Southern Colonies passed through Fishkill. And also, travelers going from New York City to Albany, or Fort Ticonderoga, took the Albany Post Road, located on the east bank of the Hudson River and now Route 9. And passed through Fishkill.

In 1775 General George Washington established a supply depot there for the Continental Army. The depot provided logistical support for the army's operations in the Hudson Valley. Without it there would have been no victory at the Battles of Saratoga, and thus no turning point to the war. It housed a medical complex, a prison facility, powder magazines, store houses, an artillery park and numerous artisan workshops. It included officer's residences and barracks for thousands of soldiers. Although under British surveillance, the depot was never attacked.

Cannons, cannon balls, muskets, uniforms, blankets, etc., manufactured in the New York and Pennsylvania were shipped to the Fishkill depot for distribution to the army as needed. Equipment and supplies used during the Battle of Trenton, NJ (Dec. 1776), the Battle of Saratoga, NY (Oct. 1777), and at Valley Forge, PA (winter encampment 1777-1778), probably came from the Fishkill depot.

Hundreds of Continental Soldiers and Militia are buried in an unmarked graveyard at the Fishkill depot. This graveyard was discovered during archeological digs in the Spring of 2007, and is the largest Continental Army burial site.

Could John O. Dirlam spent time as a prisoner at Fishkill? Fishkill is located in Dutchess County (the county seat is Poughkeepsie, 12 miles north of Fishkill).

According to Blandford Soldiers and Sailors, seven Blandford men were "enlisted to Serve in the Continental Army for the term of Nine Months" and started arriving at Fishkill in mid-June 1778. They had all served previously at Ticonderoga in Capt. William Knox's company, in Col. Moseley's regiment:

Samuel Hubbard
Arunah Judd (Capt. William Cannon's Co., Col. John Mosley)
Stephen Kibby
David Knox
Peter Smith
William Kennedy (drafted but not called upon)
James Morton (drafted but not called upon)

Their enlistments would have expired mid-March 1779. I'm going to post on each of these men. Incidentally, Israel Gibbs served in Capt. Knox's company at Ticonderoga.

John Gibbs and John Watson

2011-08-18T22:48:00.000-07:00

At a busy tax collectors sale on 27 March 1780, John Gibbs bought 188 acres of farm lot 4 (£93 s17) , 217 acres of farm lot 14 (£96 s18), and with John Durlam he bought 456 acres (nearly the whole thing) of farm lot 34 (£107 s3 d6). The total expenditure was £297 s1. All three lots had belonged to proprietory owner Francis Brinley, who had not been able to sell them.

By 1754 John Gibbs owned town lot 34. His father, Israel Gibbs owned and lived on lot 35. In 1768 John Watson (1747-1823) bought town lot 9 and established a tannery there, near a little brook feed by a spring, on Tannery Hill. Watson, originally from Leicester, married Gibbs' sister Sarah in 1774. And original inhabitant, Robert Huston probably had a tannery on town lot 44, just on the other side of the old Church.

Curiously, John Gibbs' son (1763-1840) is described in a 1785 deed as "Samuel Crooks Gibbs, Cordwainer" and John Dirlam is described the same way in a 1789 deed. A cordwainer was a skilled craftsman who made soft leather goods. Did Samuel Crooks Gibbs learn his trade from John Dirlam? Traditionally a boy would be apprenticed for three years, usually ending at age 17.

Another person of interest is John Watson, brother-in-law to John Gibbs. He bought town lot 9 in 1768. He had a large farm and tannery in Blandford and was accustomed to traveling to Boston and Albany. And Watson's father and brother operated a large tannery in Leicester. As cordwainers, Dirlam and Gibbs' son would have had skills of use to the Watsons, or perhaps been customers. Watson's uncle served on the Committee of Correspondence for nearby Spencer, and represented it at the Provincial Congress called in response to the killings at Lexington and Concord. These were people who traveled, who might have seen the opportunity in a paroled John Dirlam. Now all I need is some proof.

In TABLE 12: Committees of Inspection, Correspondence and Safety
Appointed March 3, 1777
William Bois, John Bois, Nathaniel Taggart, Solomon Brown, Israel Gibbs, John Gibbs, Samuel Ferguson, John Watson, David MeConethy, Jr., Robert Blair, John Wilson (11 men).

John Watson is also listed as appointed March 11, 1775, June 14, 1779 and March 6, 1780.

Brothers Isaac (1744-1823) and John Gibbs (1730-1816) marched with Capt. William Knox's company in Col. John Mosley's regt. to Ticonderoga 21 October 1776.

Lt. John Watson is listed in the town record book as a Minute-man.

Although not individually listed, Capt. Watson, Col. Wesson's Regiment, is mentioned in the Record of Continental Pay Accounts for Michael McManners, for service May 25, 1777 to May 6, 1779.

And Sergt. John Watson marched to Northampton June 12th 1782 in support of the government, in Capt. Samuel Sloper's Twelfth Company in Col. David Mosley's Third Hampshire County Regiment. This was a precursor to Shay's Rebellion. In April 1782, Rev. Samuel Ely was found guilty of “seditious and disorderly behaviour” in Springfield, Mass., for speaking out against the new state constitution and encouraging a mob to prevent the debtors court from sitting. When a later mob broke Ely out of jail, government troops were brought in.

- from Blandford Soldiers and Sailors

Volume X Massachusetts Revolutionary Rolls State Archives show presence at Valley Forge on the twenty fifth of January, 1778 of the following captains of Colonel James Wesson's regiment: Captain John Blanchard of Sutton, Worcester County; Captain Samuel Carr of Newbury, Essex County; Captain Nathan Dix of Woburn, Middlesex County; Captain Joseph Pettingill of Fryeburg, Maine Province; Captain Amos Coggswell of Atkinson or Haverhill, Essex County. Daniel Wood was the major of the Twenty-Sixth Continental Massachusetts in 1776, when James Wesson was the lieutenant colonel of Loammi Baldwin's regiment that year. When Wesson was retired Jan 1, 1781, Lieutenant Colonel David Cobb MD of Attleborough or Taunton, Bristol County, also of Boston, became the senior field officer of the Ninth under Colonel Henry Jackson...
from The Magazine of History, Volume 20, April 1915

Although born in Sudbury, Wesson lived in Brookline, Norfolk County, Massachusetts (just outside Boston).

Oliver Watson' Sons in Massachusetts Service

2011-08-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

Oliver Watson II (1743-1826): Corporal, Capt. Ebeneezer Mason's co. of Minute-men, Col. Jonathan Warner's regt., which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, service 14 days.

Robert Watson (1746-1806): Private, Capt. Ebeneezer Mason's co. of Minute-men, Col. Jonathan Warner's regt., which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, service 14 days.

James Watson (1754-1823): Private, Capt. Ebeneezer Mason's co. of Minute-men, Col. Jonathan Warner's regt., which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, service 37 days.

Massachusetts Units in New Jersey 1777-1778

2011-08-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

This is a study of Massachusetts units serving in Pennsylvania and New Jersey during the Philadelphia campaign. I'm interested because of the possibility that John O. Dirlam was part of a group of several hundred British grenadiers captured attempting to fortify Carpenter's Island on the Delaware River, 10 October, 1777.

Sorry it still includes my notes.

Three brigades of Massachusetts troops under Glover, Patterson and Learned were assigned to Gates' army in the northern department. Glover and Patterson's brigades fought under Major General Benjamin Lincoln, and Learned's fought under Major General Horatio Gates. These brigades were transferred to Washington's main army in New Jersey after Burgoyne's surrender 17 October, 1777. They spent the winter of 1777-1778 largely at Valley Forge, serving in Baron DeKalb division. Because of ill health, Learned was absent.

Baron Johan DeKalb was born in Hüttendorf, Prussia on June 29, 1721. After a good basic education, he was trained in the military service of the French. He eventually became a Knight of the Royal Military Order of Merit. In 1747 he became brigadier-general under Marshall Broglie. During the French and Indian War (1754-1763), he was sent to the colonies as a secret agent to determine the attitude of the colonists toward the British.

In the spring of 1777, he returned with his protégé, the Marquis de Lafayette, and joined the Continental Army. He spent most of the winter of 1777–78 at Valley Forge, commanding a division of Patterson's and Learned's Brigades. Then DeKalb was placed in command of the American line between Elizabethtown and Amboy. During the siege of Charleston he commanded a division of the Maryland and Delaware troops. He died 16 August, 1780 from wounds sustained at the Battle of Camden.

Colonel James Wesson, commanded the 9th Regiment from November 1, 1776 to January 1, 1781.

"In the month of February 1777 I enlisted into Capt. Carr's Company in Col. James Wesson's Regiment in Genl. Learned's Brigade in the Massachusetts Line as a private during the war and we marched to Albany then up the Mohawk that summer and early in the fall of that year we joined Genl. Gate's army. I was in the two battles against Burgoyne then we marched to the [southern ?] and joined Genl. Washington's main army at Vally Forge and afterward I was in the battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778) and then rationed at Hartford."
from pension declaration of Joseph Currier

At the Battle of Monmouth, brigades under Glover, Patterson and Learned formed a division under Baron de Kalb 18 to 22 Jun. They were then attached to the left wing commanded by Lord Stirling, which formed on Perrine Hill, with a morass in front. On the day of the battle, Glover and Learned were on the main line at Perrine Hill under Stirling, and Patterson under de Kalb was in reserve at Englishtown.

John Glover (5 November 1732 - 30 January, 1797)
John Glover was born in Salem, Massachusetts and moved with his family to Marblehead where he grew up. He trained as a cordwainer, and married Hannah Gale in 1754. In 1759 he was appointed ensign in the Third Military Foot Company, the Marblehead militia regiment of 1,000 men. He was promoted to Colonel on the death of Colonel Jeremiah Lee in 1775. In June of that year, the Regiment joined the Continental Army encamped at Cambridge. Recognizing Glover's leadership skills and resourcefulness, General Washington sent him to Beverly (just across the bay from Marblehead) to protect that port against three British warships threatening attack. Soon after, Washington ordered Glover to commission and man two small naval vessels, the forerunners of Washington's Navy.

At the start of 1776, the Marblehead regiment formally became the 14th Continental Regiment and was ordered in July to march to New York and later to Long Island. In August, Glover organized and supervised the evacuation from Long Island of 9,000 Continental troops and all of their equipment, guns, horses, and cannon, at night and under appalling weather conditions. In mid-October, Glover and 750 of his soldiers fought to a standstill a British force of more than 4,000 regulars.

On Christmas night, 1776, Glover again proved his mettle, when the 14th Continental Regiment ferried Washington and 2,400 men across the Delaware River at night, again in desperate weather. They then marched nine miles to Trenton, fought a 36-hour successful battle there, marched back to the Delaware with 900 Hessian captives, and crossed back over the river. The regiment was disbanded as enlistments expired at year's end, and Glover went home to his ailing wife and business affairs.

He turned down a promotion to brigadier general in February 1777, but rejoined the war after a personal appeal from General Washington. He served in the successful Saratoga campaign in 1777 ( June 14 to October 17), at the Battle of Monmouth, and the failed Battle of Rhode Island in 1778. He was stationed along the Hudson River for the remainder of the war, guarding against British moves up the river from NYC.

Glover retired from the Army in 1782. He returned to Marblehead, rebuilt his business, and went on to serve two terms in the Massachusetts Legislature and six terms on the Marblehead Board of Selectmen. He died January 30, 1797, at the age of 64.
- from GloversRegiment.com and Wikipedia

Brigadier General John Glover's Brigade included:
1st Massachusetts Regiment: Colonel Joseph Vose (of Milton)
4th Massachusetts Regiment: Colonel William Shepard (of Westfield)
13th Massachusetts Regiment: Colonel Edward Wigglesworth (of Newburyport)
15th Massachusetts Regiment: Colonel Timothy Bigelow (of Worcester)

Colonel Timothy Bigelow (of Worcester), in 1762 wed 15 year old Anna Andrews, the daughter of Samuel and Anna (Rankin) Andrews. Her New Hampshire family did not approve of her associating with 23 year old Bigelow because of his financial standing. Anna was two years an orphan, and heir of the tannery fortune Samuel Andrews had built.

In 1775 he served on Dorchester Heights. in 1777 he went with Gen. Arnold march to Quebec, but was captured and held prisoner for 11 months. He spent the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge with Washington, took part in the defeat of Burgoyne at Saratoga. At the end of 1778 he was reported absent at Fishkill, and reported "deranged" Jan. 1, 1781.

He returned to Worcester in poor health and devastated financially by post-war inflation. He died after 7 weeks in debtors' prison on March 31, 1790, at the age of 51.

Ebenezer Learned (April 18, 1728 – April 1, 1801). Born in Oxford, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He married Jerusha Baker in 1749. He served as Captain of a Worcester militia regiment during the French and Indian War. He returned to his farm, and for several kept a public house, and served as town selectman until 1764. September 29, 1774, Learned became a member of the provincial congress which assembled at Concord. On April 24, 1775 the Massachusetts Committee of Safety named him colonel, and authorized him to raise the 4th Massachusetts Regiment, which was adopted into the Continental Army in June. In January 1776, Learned was made Colonel of the Third Continental Infantry, composed of re-enlistees from the old 4th Massachusetts and men from Danielson's Regiment to form the 3rd Massachusetts Regiment. He commanded the pivotal Dorchester Heights position at the siege of Boston in March 1776. Illness forced him to take a leave in May of 1776, but he returned to active duty on April 2, 1777 when he was appointed Brigadier General. His brigade consisted of the 2nd, 8th, and 9th Massachusetts line, and fought in the Battle at Freeman's Farm in September 1777 and the pivotal Battle of Saratoga in October 1777. He was absent due to illness from his brigade during it's encampment at Valley Forge, and his final resignation from military service was accepted in March 1778. I'd sure like to know the details of his return to Oxford - did he go from Saratoga or from Valley Forge? If from Valley Forge, did he take John O. Dirlam with him?

In 1779 Learned was a delegate to the convention at Cambridge for forming a State government, and in 1783 a State representative. He was elected Justice of the Peace for Worcester for 1776, 1778, 1780 and 1783, and every year from 1787 to 1795. After the death of his first wife he remarried, Eliphal Putnam in 1800.

Brigadier General Ebenezer Learned's brigade included:
2nd Massachusetts Regiment: Colonel John Bailey (of Hanover)
8th Massachusetts Regiment: Colonel Michael Jackson (of Newton)
9th Massachusetts Regiment: Colonel James Wesson (of Brookline)

John Paterson, also Patterson, (1744 – July 19, 1808) was born in New Britain, Connecticut and graduated from Yale in 1762. He practiced law, and served as justice of the peace in New Britain. In 1774 he moved to Lenox, , Berkshire County, Massachusetts. He married Elizabeth Lee and had at least one son and one daughter. He was elected to the Massachusetts General Court in October 1774 and again in 1775.

In April 1775 when word reached the Berkshires, Col. John Paterson marched his militia unit to besiege the British Army at Boston. Paterson's regiment now called the 1st Massachusetts Regiment saw action at the Battle of Bunker Hill. After the British evacuation of Boston, Col. Paterson and his regiment were took part in the Invasion of Canada, and the battles of Trenton (26 December and Princeton (3 January) in New Jersey. On February 21, 1777 John Paterson was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General in the Continental Army.

In 1777 during the Saratoga Campaign Gen. Paterson commanded a brigade of General Horatio Gates' army consisting of the 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th Massachusetts Regiments and 1st Berkshire County Militia Regiment that joined as reinforcements.

Brigadier General John Paterson's Brigade included:
10th Massachusetts Regiment: Colonel Thomas Marshall
11th Massachusetts Regiment: Colonel Benjamin Tupper
12th Massachusetts Regiment: Colonel Samuel Brewer
14th Massachusetts Regiment: Colonel Gamaliel Bradford

General Paterson served under George Washington at the Battle of Monmouth (28 June, 1778).
edited from Wikipedia

PATERSON, JOHN, Lenox. Colonel; general return of said Paterson's regt. showing field and company officers; ordered in Provincial Congress May 27, 1775, that commissions be delivered to said officers; also, Colonel, 26th regt.: engaged May 7, 1775; service to Aug. 1, 1775, 3 mos. 2 days; also, Colonel; list of field and staff officers appearing on a return of Capt. David Noble's co., dated Oct. 6, 1775; also Brigadier General; Continental Army pay accounts for service from Jan. 1, 1777, to Dec. 31, 1779; reported as serving 1 mo. 20 days as Colonel, 34 mos. 10 days as General.

PATTERSON, JOHN, Lenox. Colonel, 26th regt.; service from April 22, 1775, to May 7, 1775, 16 days; also, Colonel; general order dated Headquarters, Cambridge, July 22, 1775, making disposition of the forces about Boston...; also, communicated dated Ticonderoga, June 3, 1777... asking that a commission be issued...; also, Brigadier General; Continental Army pay accounts for service from Jan. 1, 1780, to Dec. 31, 1780.
from Mass Soldiers and Sailors

MASSACHUSETTS LINE

2011-08-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

Note: These first 27 regiments were organized immediately after the Lexington Alarm, and known only by the names of their commanders:

D. Brewer's.
Colonel David Brewer, 17th June, 1775, to 24th October, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Rufus Putnam, 17th June, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Nathaniel Danielson, 17th June, 1775 to December, 1775.

J. Brewer's.
Colonel Jonathan Brewer, Ulth May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel William Buckminster, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Nathaniel Cudworth, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Bridge's.
Colonel Ebenezer Bridge, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Moses Parker, 27th May, 1775, to 4th July, 1775.
Major John Brooks, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Cotton's.
Colonel Theophilus Cotton, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ichabod Alden, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Ebenezer Sprout, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Danielson's.
Colonel Timothy Danielson, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel William Shepard, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major David Leonard, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Doolittle's.
Colonel Ephraim Doolittle, 27th May, 1775, to October, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Benjamin Holden, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major William Moore, 27th May, 1775, to 17th June, 1775.

Fellows'.
Colonel John Fellows, 31st May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Nathan Eager, 31st May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Benjamin Tuppar, 31st May, 1775, to 4th November, 1775.

Frye's.
Colonel James Frye, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel James Brickett, 20th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Thomas Poor, 20th May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Gardner's.
Colonel Thomas Gardner, 2d June, 1775, to 3d July, 1775.
Colonel William Bond, 3d July, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel William Bond, 2d June, 1775, to 3d July, 1775.
Major Michael Jackson, 2d June, 1775, to December, 1775.

Gerrish's.
Colonel Samuel Gerrish, 19th May, 1775. to 19th August, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Loammi Baldwin, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major James Wesson, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Glover's.

Colonel John Glover, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Gerry, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Gabriel Johannet, 19th May, 1775, to December. 1775.

Heath's.
Colonel William Heath, 19th May, 1775, to 22d June, 1775.
Colonel John Greaton, 1st July, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Greaton, 19th May, 1775, to 1st July, 1775.
Major Jotham Loring, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Learned's.

Colonel Ebenezer Learned, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Danforth Keyes, 19th May, 1775. to December, 1775.
Major Jonathan Holman, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Little's.
Colonel Moses Little, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Isaac Smith, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major James Collins, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Mansfield's.
Colonel John Mansfield, 2,7th May, 1775, to 15th September, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Israel Hutchinson, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Ezra Putnam, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Nixon's.
Colonel John Xixon. 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Nixon, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major John Butteriek, 19th May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Paterson's.

Colonel John Paterson, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Seth Read, 27th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Jeremiah Cady, 27th May, 1775, to ?1775.

Phinney's.
Colonel Edmund Phinney, July, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel & Major, unknown

Prescott's.
Colonel William Prescott, May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Robinson, May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Henry Wood, May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Read's.
Colonel Joseph Read, 18th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ebenezer Clap, 18th May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Calvin Smith, 18th May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Sargent's.
Colonel Paul D. Sargent, May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel & Major, unknown

Scammon's.
Colonel James Scammon, May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson Moulton, May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Daniel Wood, May, 1775, to December, 1775.

Thomas'.
Colonel John Thomas, May, 1775, to June, 1775.
Colonel John Bailey, 1st July, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Bailey, May, 1775, to 1st July, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Mitchell, 1st July, 1775, to ?\
Major Thomas Mitchell, May, 1775, to 1st July, 1775.
Major John Jacobs, 1st July, 1775, to December, 1775.

Walker's.
Colonel Timothy Walker, 23d May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Nathaniel Leonard, 23d May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Abiel Mitchell, 23d May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel William Hull, 12th August, 1779, to November, 1783.
Lieutenant-Colonel James Mellen, 7th January, 1783, to June, 1783.
Major Edward Williams. 1st January, 1777, to 25th May, 1777.
Major John Popkin, 1st January, 1777, to 15th July, 1777.
Major Robert Oliver, 1st November, 1777, to 1st January, 1783.
Major Seth Drew, 1st January, 1783, to 12th June, 1783.
Major Billy Porter, 12th June, 1783, to November, 1783.

Ward's.
Colonel Artemus Ward, 23d May, 1775, to 17th June, 1775.
Colonel Jonathan Ward, 15th June, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Ward, 23d May, 1775, to 15th June, 1775.
Major Edward Barnes, 23d May, 1775, to December, 1775.
Major Timothy Bigelow, 15th June, 1775, to December, 1775.

Whitcomb's.
Colonel Asa Whitcomb, 3d June, 1775, to December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Josiah Whitney, 3d June, 1775, to 1775.
Major Ephraim Sawyer, 3d June, 1775, to 1775.

Woodbridge's.
Colonel Benjamin R. Woodbridge, 16th June, 1775, to — December, 1775.
Lieutenant-Colonel Abijah Brown, 16th June, 1775, to — December, 1775.
Major William Stacey, 16th June, 1775, to — December, 1775.

First Massachusetts.
Colonel Joseph Vose, 1st January, 1777, to November, 1783.
Lieutenant-Colonel Elijah Vose, 21st January, 1777, to November, 1783.
Major Elijah Vose, 1st January, 1777, to 21st January, 1777.
Major Thomas Cogswell, 21st January, 1777, to 26th November, 1779.
Major Joseph Pettingill, 1st January, 1781, to November, 1783.

Second Massachusetts.
Colonel John Bailey, 1st November, 1776, to 21st October, 1780.
Lieutenant-Colonel Benjamin Tupper, 1st November, 1776, to 7th July, 1777.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ezra Badlam, 7th July, 1777, to 1st January, 1781.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ebenezer Sprout, 1st January, 1781, to November, 1783.
Major Andrew Peters, 1st January, 1777, to 1st July, 1779.
Major Hugh Maxwell, 1st July, 1779, to 1st August, 1782.
Major Caleb Gibbs, 1st January, 1781, to November, 1783.
Major Robert Oliver, 1st January, 1783, to November, 1783.

Third Massachusetts.
Colonel John Greaton, 1st November, 1776, to 7th January, 1783.
Colonel Michael Jackson, 12th June, 1783, to November, 1783.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jotham Loring, 1st January, 1777, to 12th August, 1779.

Fourth Massachusetts.
Colonel William Shepard, 1st January, 1777, to 1st January, 1783.
Colonel Henry Jackson, 1st January, 1783, to November, 1783.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ebenezer Sprout, 1st January, 1777, to 29th September, 1778.
Lieutenant-Colonel William Stacey, 2'Jth September, 1778, to 1st January, 1781.
Lieutenant-Colonel James Mellen, 1st January, 1781, to 7th January, 1783.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ezra Newhall, 7th January, 1783, to November, 1783.
Major Warham Parks, 1st January, 1777, to July, 1778.
Major Libbeus Ball, 1st November, 1777, to 1st January, 1781.
Major Nathan Rice, 1st January, 1781, to 12th June, 1783.
Major Lemuel Trescott, 12th June, 178!, to — November, 1783.

Fifth Massachusetts.
Colonel Rufus Putnam, 1st November, 1776, to 7th January, 1783.
Lieutenant-Colonel David Henley, 1st November, 1776, to 1st January, 1777.
Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Farrington, 1st Jauuary, 1777, to 28th May, 1777.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ezra Newhall, 17 th May, 1777, to 7th January, 1783.
Lieutenant-Colonel David Cobb, 7th January, 1783, to 12th June, 1783.
Major Ezra Newhall, 1st November, 1776, to 17th May, 1777.
Major Jonathan Allen, 17th May, 1777, to 6th January, 1780.
Major Moses Ashley, 6th January, 1780, to 1st January, 1783.
Major Moses Knap, 1st January, 1783, to 12th June, 1783.
Major John Burnham, 9t!i January, 1783, to 12th June, 1783.

Sixth Massachusetts.
Colonel Thomas Nixon, 1st January, 1777, to 1st January, 1781.
Colonel Benjamin Tupper, 1st January, 1783, to 12th June, 1783.
Lieutenant-Colonel Calvin Smith, 1st November, 1776, to 10th March, 1779.
Lieutenant-Colonel Daniel Whiting, 29th September, 1778, to 1st January, 1781.
Lieutenant-Colonel Calvin Smith, 1st January, 1781, to 12th June, 1783.
Major Joseph Thompson, 1st November, 1776, to 19th December, 1777.
Major Peter Harwood, 29th September, 1778 to 16th October, 1780.
Major John Spurr, 16th October, 1780, to 1st Jauuary, 1781.
Major John Porter, 1st January 1781. to 1st January, 1783.
Major Moses Ashby, 1st January 1783, to 12th June, 1783.

Seventh Massachusetts.
Colonel Ichabod Alden, 1st November, 1776, to 10th November, 1778.
Lieutenant-Colonel William Stacey, 1st November, 1776, to 29th September, 1778.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Brooks, 11th November, 1778, to 12th June, 1783.
Major Daniel Whiting, 1st January, 1777, to 29th September. 1778.
Major Samuel Darby, 1st November, 1778, to 1st January, 1783.
Major Billy Porter, 1st January, 1781, to 12th June, 1783.
Major Lemuel Trescott, 1st January, 1783, to 12th June, 1783.

Eighth Massachusetts.
Colonel Michael Jackson, 1st January, 1777, to 12th June, 1783.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Brooks, 1st November, 1776, to 11th November, 1778.
Lieutenant-Colonel Tobias Fernald, 6th March, 1779, to 1st January, 1781.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ezra Badlam, 1st January, 1781, to 1st August, 1782.
Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Maxwell, 1st August, 1782, to 12th June, 1783.
Major William Hull, 1st January, 1777, to 12th August, 1779.
Major James Keith, 12th August, 1779, to 1st January, 1783.
Major Samuel Darby, 1st January, 1783, to 12th June, 1783.

Ninth Massachusetts.
Colonel James Wesson, 1st November, 1776, to 1st January, 1781.
Colonel Henry Jackson, 1st January, 1781, to 1st January, 1783.
Lieutenant-Colonel James Mellen, 1st November, 1776, to 1st January, 1781.
Lieutenant-Colonel David Cobb, 1st January, 1781, to 1st January, 1783.
Major Ezra Badlam, 1st November, 1776, to 7th July, 1777.
Major Joseph Pettengill, 26th July, 1779, to 1st January, 1783.
Major Lemuel Trescott, 1st January, 1781, to 1st January, 1783.

Tenth Massachusetts.
Colonel Thomas Marshall, 6th November, 1776, to 1st January, 1781.
Colonel Benjamin Tupper, 1st January, 1781, to 1st January, 1783.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ephraim Jackson, 6th November, 1776, to 19th December, 1777.
Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Thompson, 19th December, 1777, to 1st January, 1781.
Lieutenant-Colonel Tobias Fernald, 1st January, 1781, to 1st January, 1783.
Major John Woodbridge, 6th November, 1776, to 31st October, 1777.
Major Nathaniel Winslow, 1st November, 1777, to 26th October, 1780.
Major Billy Porter, 26th October, 1780, to 1st January, 1781.
Major Moses Knap, 1st January, 1781, to 1st January, 1783.

Eleventh Massachusetts.
Colonel Ebenezer Francis, 6th November, 1776, to 7th July, 1777.
Colonel Benjamin Tupper, 7th July, 1777, ta 1st January, 1781.
Lieutenant-Colonel Noah M. Littlefleld, 6th November, 1776, to 1st January, 1781.
Major William Lithgow, 1st January, 1777, to 29th July, 1779.
Major Moses Knap, 5th November, 1778, to 1st January, 1781.

Twelfth Massachusetts.
Colonel, unknown
Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Carlton, 6th November, 1776, to 28th September, 1778.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ebenezer Sprout, 29th September, 1778, to 1st January* 1781.
Major Tobias Fernald, 6th November, 1776, to 6th March, 1779.
Major Thomas Barnes, 6th March, 1779, to 7th November, 1789.

Thirteenth Massachusetts.
Colonel Edward Wigglesworth, 1st January, 1777, to 10th March, 1779.
Lieutenant-Colonel Nathan Fuller, 1st January, 1777, to 28th June, 1777.
Lieutenant-Colonel Dudley Coleman, 3d July, 1777, to 10th March, 1779.
Lieutenant-Colonel Calvin Smith, 10th March, 1779, to 1st January, 1781.
Major Dudley Coleman, 1st January, 1777, to 3d July, 1777.
Major John Porter, 30th May, 1777, to 1st January, 1781.

Fourteenth Massachusetts.
Colonel Gamaliel Bradford, 1st January, 1777, to 1st January, 1781.
Lieutenant-Colonel Barakiah Bassett, 19th November, 1776, to 1st January, 1781.
Major Samuel Tubbs, 1st January, 1777, to 11th November, 1778.
Major Joseph Morse, 11th November, 1778, to 15th December, 1779.
Major John Wiley, 15th December, 1779, to 1st January, 1781.

Fifteenth Massachusetts.
Colonel Timothy Bigelow, 1st January, 1777, to 1st January, 1781.
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Haskell, 1st January, 1777, to 1st July, 1779.
Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Peters, 1st July, 1779, to 26th November, 1779.
Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Cogswell, 26th November, 1779, to 1st January,. 1781.
Major David Bradish, 1st January, 1777, to 21st July, 1777.
Major Hugh Maxwell, 7th July, 1777, to 1st July, 1779.
Major William H. Ballard, 1st July, 1779, to 1st January, 1781.

Sixteenth Massachusetts.
(See Jackson's Additional Continental Regiment prior to 23d July, 1780.)
Colonel Henry Jackson, 23d July, 1780, to 1st January, 1781.
Lieutenant-Colonel David Cobb, 23d July, 1780, to 1st January, 1781.
Major Lemuel Trescott, 23d July, 1780, to 1st January, 1781.

from Historical Register of Officers of The Continental Army During The War of The Revolution, by Francis Bernard Heitman, 1893

Blandford Cemeteries

2011-08-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hill Cemetery (aka Centre Cemetery) 1741
North Street, Blandford, MA 01008
1/4 mile north of Otis Stage Road
574 graves listed on FindAGrave.com
Blandford Cemetery (aka Old Burying Ground)
Otis Stage Road Blandford
at Main Street
listed on FindAGrave.com
74 graves listed on FindAGrave.com
North Blandford Cemetery
Blair Road, Blandford, MA 01008
2 miles north of Otis Stage Road
104 graves listed on FindAGrave.com

Additional Blandford Cemeteries listed on CemeteryFind.com:
Gilbert Tracy Gravesite (1833)
Hastings Family Cemetery
Henry B. Wadham Gravesite (1812)
Old Sperry Road Cemetery
Stannard Cemetery (1800)*

*Horace Lorenzo Hastings, born 26 November, 1831, in Blandford, Mass. ; died 21 October, 1899 in Goshen, Mass ; married 12 Oct 1853, Harriet Frances Barnett of Moretown, Vermont. Four children were born, 3 in Providence, RI, and 1 in Lawrence, Mass. A minister and tract publisher, best known for his hymn writing.

Henry Beebe Wadhams, son of Beebe and Charlotte (Ives) Wadhams, born 9 March, 1805, in Goshen, Conn. ; died in September, 1892, in Richmond, Mass.; married 16 July. 1827, Hannah Scott of Blandford, Mass. Three children were born in Goshen.

There is a Sperry Road, east of the Turnpike, below the Elementary School.

I believe Stannard Cemetery is listed in error. The only Stannard I have found is in Caledonia County, Vermont.

POWs in Reading, PA

2011-08-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

Laura L. Becker of Clemson University wrote an article focusing on a single town, Reading, Pennsylvania, and its housing of British and Hessian prisoners of war. As early as February 1776, Reading was receiving prisoners, and her leading citizens petitioned the Pennsylvania Assembly to erect barracks "capable of containing four or five hundred men."

Reading was a market town of roughly 300 families, mostly German, about 60 miles northeast of Philadelphia. In the beginning most prisoners were officers, but after Cornwallis' surrender "in October of 1781, no fewer than 1050 prisoners arrived, most of whom were privates."

Newly arrived prisoners were disarmed and released subject to a requirement to remain in Reading and an 8:00 PM curfew. Becker writes, "This curfew was not strictly enforced because at least some of the officers participated in the town's social activities... And a substantial number of the officers held in Reading were permitted to go to Philadelphia, New York, or elsewhere. Still others were exchanged."

The mostly German citizens of Reading were perhaps harsher in their treatment of their own countrymen than English, Scottish or Canadian prisoners. One German officer wrote that the German-Americans of Reading "could hardly hide their anger and hostile thoughts."

Many former Hessian captives did stay in the county after the war. They were referred to as "Brunswickers and Hanauers" in local church records. The expression "Du bist ein Hesse" was an insult in Reading well into the nineteenth century.

from http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2002_summer_fall/pows.htm

Philadelphia Adjacent Counties

2011-07-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (north)
Bucks County, Pennsylvania (northeast)
Burlington County, New Jersey (east)
Camden County, New Jersey (southeast)
Gloucester County, New Jersey (south)
Delaware County, Pennsylvania (southwest)

Israel Gibbs in the American Revolution

2011-07-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

ISRAEL GIBBS (1738, Blandford - 17 Feb 1818, Blandford)
GIBBS, Israel. Private, in a detachment from Capt. William Know's co., Col. John Moseley's regt.; service, 28 days; detachment marched to Ticonderoga Oct. 21, 1776, under command of Lieut. Col. Timothy Robison (Robinson) to reinforce Continental Army. Roll sworn to at Blandford.

GIBBS, Israel. 2d Sergeant, Capt. William Cooley's co., Col. John Mosley's regt.; engaged Sept. 22, 1776; discharged Nov. 12, 1776; service, 2 mos. 3 days, travel included. Roll dated North Castle. [Mosley's was the 3rd Hampshire County Regiment]

GIBBS, Israel. Fifer, Capt. William Cannon's co., Col. David Leonard's regt.; service, 70 days; company drafted and marched to Ticonderoga May 6, 1777, and returned home July 14, 1777; roll sworn to at Blandford; also, Capt. Solomon Brown's co., Col. Elisha Porter's (Hampshire Co.) regt.; engaged July 31, 1779; discharged Sept. 1, 1779; service, 1 mo. 6 days, travel included, at New London, Conn. [Cannon's is the Blandford Company and Leonard succeeded Mosley to command the regiment]

- from Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of The Revolutionary War, Volume 6, page 382

CAPTAIN WILLIAM COOLEY (17 Mar 1736, Springfield - 14 Apr 1825, Granville)
COOLEY, William, Captain. Mass. Militia; wounded at White Plains Oct. 28, 1776; died 1825.
- from Hist. Reg. of Officers of the Continental Army

COOLEY, William, Captain. 9th and 5th Co., Col. John Moseley's (3rd Hampshire Co.) Regt. (In May 1776 a return was made of a military company in Granville, belonging to the 5th Regt. of Mass. Militia, of which Moseley of Westfield was Colonel. This company was commanded by Capt. William Cooley, Edmund Barlow was first Lieutenant, Samuel Bancroft, Jr., second Lieutenant, Richard Dickinson, Josel Strong and Samuel Williams, Sergeants; Joel Bancroft, John Cooley, Thomas Gilbert and James Coe, Corporals. The company numbered 73 men with 73 guns, 2 bayonets, 4 swords, 680 flints, and 5 1/2 lbs of powder. The strength and flower of the town were under enlistment. (quoted from Vol. II, page 62, Hist. of Western Mass., by Josiah Holland). List of Officers of Mass. Militia. Ordered in Council Apr. 26, 1776, that commission be issued; reported commissioned same day. Captain of detachment from 3rd Hampshire Regt. commanded by Lt. Col. Timothy Richardson; marched Oct.21, 1776, by order Gen. Schuyler, to reinforce army at Ticonderoga; also Col. John Moseley's Regt., engaged Sept. 23, 1776, disch. Nov. 16, 1776; same regt., July 9-Oct. 12, 1777, when company marched towards Bennington on an alarm; roll sworn to at Granville. Mass. Soldiers and Sailors.

COOLEY, William, Captain. A description of his Detachment for 2 mos. 3 days, return of, in which a number of his men were from Blandford. Blandford Soldiers and Sailors.

- from Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of The Revolutionary War, Volume 2, page 382

(V) Captain William son of Daniel (3) and Frances (McKintree) Cooley, was born March 17, 1736; died April 14, 1825. He settled in Granville, Massachusetts where he organized a military company for service in the revolutionary war. His commission as captain, issued April 26, 1776, signed by Perez Morton, secretary, assigns him to the Fifth Company, Third Regiment, Hampshire county militia, John Moseley, colonel. November 27, 1759, he married Sarah Mather, born November 26, 1734, died December 2, 1822, daughter of Timothy Mather, of Windsor, Connecticut, and a descendant of Rev. Richard Mather (see forward). The children of this union were: I. Sarah, born 1762; 2 William, 1763; 3 Abigail, May 3,1765; 4 Triphena, May 8, 1767; 5 Dorothy, April 22, 1768; 6 Timothy Mather DD; 7 Alexander, May 2, l775; 8 James, December 2, 1779.

- from Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to The Families of the State of New York, Volume 4, edited by William Richard Cutter, William Frederick Adams, page 2182

CAPTAIN WILLIAM CANNON
Cannon, William (Mass) Captain Massachusetts Militia, 1777.
- from Hist. Reg. of Officers of the Continental Army

Cannon, William. Captain, 12th co., Col. John Moseley's (3d Hampshire Co.) regt.; list of officers of Mass. militia; commissioned April 26, 1776; also, same regt.; company marched to Ticonderoga Oct. 21, 1776, under command of Lieut. Col. Timothy Robinson to reinforce Continental Army; service, 28 days; also, petition dated Blandford, Sept. 30, 1778, signed by said Cannon, asking for a discharge from his commission as Captain of the 12th (Blandford) co. in Col. Moseley's (3d Hampshire Co.) regt.; allowed in Council, Oct. 6, 1778.

Cannon, William. Sergeant, Capt. Samuel Sloper's (12th) co., Col. David Mosley's (3d Hampshire Co.) regt.; enlisted June 12, 1782; discharged June 17, 1782; service, 6 days; company marched to Northampton in support of the government June 12, 1782.

- from Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of The Revolutionary War, Volume 3, page 72

CAPTAIN WILLIAM KNOX (3 Nov 1722, Hopkinton - Mar. 19, 1802, Blandford)
Knox, William. Sergeant, Capt. William Cannon's detachment, Col. John Mosley's regt.; service, 28 days; mileage out and home (320 miles) allowed; detachment marched to Ticonderoga Oct. 21, 1776, under command of Lieut. Col. Timothy Robinson to reinforce Continental Army.

Knox, William. Private, Capt. William Cooley's co., Col. John Mosley's regt.; engaged Sept. 22, 1776; discharged Nov. 16, 1776; service, 2 mos 3 days, including 8 days (160 miles) travel home. Roll dated North Castle.

Knox, William. Captain, 6th co., Col. John Mosely's (3d Hampshire Co.) regt. of Mass. militia; list of officers chosen in said regiment, endorsed “April 26, 1776;” reported commissioned April 26, 1776; also, Captain, Lieut. Col. Timothy Robinson's detachment from 3d Hampshire Co. regt., which marched to Ticonderoga Oct. 21, 1776, by order of Gen. Skyler (Schuyler) to reinforce army at that place; [service not given]; also, petition dated Blandford, Jan. 5, 1779, signed by said Knox, stating that he had served for a considerable time as Captain of a militia company in Col. John Moseley's (Hampshire Co.) regt., and asking permission to resign his commission on account of age, lameness, and infirmity.

Knox, William, 2d. 2d Lieutenant, Capt. Samuel Sloper's (12th) co., Col. David Mosley's (3d Hampshire Co.) regt.; entered service June 12, 1782; discharged June 17, 1782; service, 6 days; company marched to Northampton June 12, 1782, in support of the government, and was allowed horse rations.

- from Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of The Revolutionary War, Volume 9, page 426

Knox served in the militia during the French & Indian War. He was promoted to Captain when the company went to Ticonderoga. He was a delegate to the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, convened May 22, 1775, and also to the General Court in 1799 and 1801.

Massachusetts Bay Provincial Militia

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On May 20, 1774 Parliament passed the Massachusetts Government Act, one of the Intolerable Acts designed to repress dissent and restore order. In the words of the prime Minister, the act took "the executive power from the hands of the democratic part of government." Many Americans were enraged by the Royal takeover, particularly the takeover of their courts, which they feared might be used against them. Feeling was so high that angry mobs began to prevent scheduled court sessions. When Royal Governor and General Thomas Gage announced he would send troops to protect the court scheduled to meet on September 6, 1774 in Worcester, patriots there called on neighboring towns for help. When the troops failed to appear, 4722 militiamen from 37 towns around the county lined Main Street and forced every official and prominent Tory in town to resign or recant thirty times over, before passing, hat in hand, through a gauntlet.

The elected provincial legislature met in Concord on October 7, 1774 despite its now extra-legal status, and assumed power to rule the province, collect taxes, buy supplies, and raise a militia. It become the defacto government outside of Boston, which was then garrisoned with a large British Army.

On October 26, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress began to coordinate the town militias, requesting that one quarter of their members be selected to serve as 'minute men' specially drilled and ready for quick service. That February, Concord became on of the first towns to comply. By April 19, 1775, when a 700 man British expedition attempted to confiscate the weapons and ammunition previously stored there, minutemen from Concord, Acton, Littleton, and other towns, and Lexington's 'training band' met them.

April 23, 1775 the provincial Congress created the Massachusetts State Troops, a volunteer force of 13,600 men, and called upon the other New England colonies for assistance in raising an army of 30,000 men. The troops were enlisted to serve until December 31, 1775.

The Continental Army of 1775

Then on June 14, 1775 the Continental Congress assumed responsibility for the regiments of the New England provinces then beseiging Boston, and appointed George Washington to command them the next day. Congress quickly appointed a general staff that included four disappointing major-generals: Artemas Ward, Charles Lee, Philip Schuyler, and Israel Putnam. Major General Schuyler's ten regiments in New York were sent to invade Canada.

The Continental Army of 1776
On November 4, 1775, the Continental Congress resolved that the Continental Army consisting of the regiments of the separate provinces, be renumbered into a unified continental list, organized into three divisions, six brigades, and 38 regiments.

Each regiment had an official establishment of 728 officers and men in eight companies. The regiments were to use numbers instead of names. For the campaign of 1776, Massachusetts was to provide the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 23d, 24th, 25th, 26th, and 27th Continental Regiments.

The reduction of the Massachusetts Line from an establishment of 16,468 officers and men in 275 companies to an establishment of 11,648 officers and men in 128 companies required a difficult reorganization.

The numbered Continental regiments raised in Massachusetts were widely scattered in the campaign of 1776. In April, following the British evacuation of Boston, five regiments (the 6th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 27th) were ordered to remain in Massachusetts, four of them occupying Boston. Three of these regiments (the 14th, 16th, and 27th) joined the Main Army in July. The 6th and 18th regiments joined the Northern Army in August, and never rejoined the Main Army. Of the eleven regiments that moved to New York City in April, three regiments (the 15th, 24th, and 25th) were ordered to Canada as reinforcements. One of these regiments (the 15th) rejoined the Main Army in November, and served at Trenton and Princeton. The 24th and 25th regiments, that had served in the Northern theater, also rejoined the Main Army in November, but marched directly to the army's winter quarters at Morristown, New Jersey. Finally, the 7th Continental Regiment, which served in Parsons' Brigade, was assigned to the Highlands Department in November.[83]

Nicholas Dike's Regiment, Mass. State Troops (1727 Lunenberg to 29 Jul 1812 at Westminster)

The 9th Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Line was created on November 1, 1776. The regiment had two, successive commanders: Colonel James Wesson, from November 1, 1776 to January 1, 1781; and Colonel Henry Jackson, from the latter date to January 1, 1783. The regiment was a part of Learned's Brigade, which consisted of the 2nd, 8th, and 9th Massachusetts regiments, and possibly the 1st Canadian Regiment. When in battle formation, the regiment was always positioned in the second line of the left wing, between the 3rd Mass and the 6th Mass. Overall command was by Major General Stirling.
The regiment served, as did all Massachusetts units, in what was known as the Northern Department during the war. It participated at Fort Stanwix, Saratoga and Valley Forge. At Valley Forge (1777–1778), under the command of Col. Wesson and assisted by Lt. Col. James Mellen, it was incorporated by Lt. Col. James Mellen into Major General DeKalb's division. The unit served until January 1, 1783 when, in compliance with the general order of December 24, 1782, the unit was disbanded.

Ebenezer Francis' Regiment, Mass. State Troops, became the 11th Massachusetts Regiment on September 16, 1776 under Colonel Ebenezer Francis. The 11th saw action at the Battle of Hubbardton, Battle of Saratoga and the Battle of Monmouth, and was disbanded on January 1, 1781 at West Point, New York.
Colonel Ebenezer Francis commanded the 11th from November 6, 1776 until July 7, 1777, when he was killed at the Battle of Hubbardton. Colonel Benjamin Tupper commanded after that.

John Mansfield's Regiment, Mass. State Troops
(became 7th MBPR)
Nathaniel Wade's Regiment, Mass. State Troops

The 1st Massachusetts Regiment was authorized on 23 April 1775 as Paterson's Regiment of State Troops under Colonel John Paterson. It was organized at Cambridge with 11 companies of volunteers from Berkshire, Hampshire, Suffolk, Middlesex, Worcester, York counties of Massachusetts, and the county of Litchfield in the colony of Connecticut. The regiment was adopted into the main Continental Army on 14 June 1775. On 1 January 1776 the regiment (less two companies) was consolidated two companies of Scammon's Regiment; re-organized into eight companies and redesignated as the 15th Continental Regiment in the main Continental Army. On 15 April 1776 it was assigned to the Canadian Department, on 20 July 1776 to the Northern Department, and on 26 November 1776 to the main Continental Army.

The regiment was formally disbanded with the 1777 establishment of the Continental Army. It was consolidated with two companies from the 18th Continental Regiment and two companies from the 6th Continental regiment, re-organized into eight companies and redesignated as Col. Joseph Vose's Regiment on 1 January 1777.

The regiment was assigned to the Northern Department on 9 February 1777, to the Highlands Department on 13 March 1777, the Northern department on 24 July 1777, and to the main Continental Army on 7 November 1777. On 22 July 1778 the regiment was assigned to the Eastern Department and re-organized to nine companies. On 7 July 1779 the regiment was assigned to the Highland's Department and designated as the 1st Massachusetts Regiment on 1 August 1779.

Joseph Vose (1738 in Milton, to 1816 in Milton) was chosen Colonel in the district militia in November 1774. He was appointed Major in Heath's 3rd Massachusetts Regiment on 23 April 1775. On 15 July 1775, minutemen in whaleboats, commanded by Major Vose, raided Nantasket Point, also known as Little Brewster Island, in Boston Harbor. On January 1, 1777, he became colonel of the 1st Massachusetts Regiment. Vose led the regiment during the campaign resulting June 28, 1778 in the Battle of Monmouth, NJ, as part of the main Continental Army. The regiment was then sent north for operations around Newport, RI.

In February 1781, "the eight eldest companies" of Massachusetts troops were formed into a battalion and placed under the command of Vose. This battalion was placed in Lafayette's Division and participated in the military operations in Virginia in 1781. In a reorganization of the American army in June 1783, Vose was given command of one of the Massachusetts regiments whose enlistments had not expired. He led this regiment into New York City on Evacuation Day, November 25, 1783.

The 2nd Massachusetts Regiment was authorized on 23 April 1775 as Thomas' Regiment of State Troops, and organized under Col. John Thomas at Roxbury to consist of 10 companies. The regiment was adopted into the main Continental Army on 14 June 1775 and re-designated as Bailey's Regiment. On 1 January 1776 the regiment (less two companies) was consolidated with Cotton's Regiment; re-organized to eight companies and redesignated as the 23rd Continental Regiment.

Although raised under Colonel John Thomas, the commanding officer for much of its existence was Colonel John Bailey. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, New York Campaign, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Battle of Saratoga and the Battle of Monmouth. The regiment was disbanded on November 3, 1783 at West Point, New York.

John Thomas (1724 Marshfield to 1776 at Chambly) was a surgeon during King George's War in 1746, and a Colonel in the French and Indian War. He recruited Plymouth county's 2nd Regiment of State Troops in April 1775, was appointed Brigadier by the continental Congress in June 1775, and commanded a division at the Seige of Boston, supervising the fortification of Dorchester Heights 4 March 1776. He was promoted to major General, and after the death of General Richard Montgomery, briefly commanded the Army during its withdrawal from Quebec. He died of smallpox 2 June 1776.

John Bailey (30 Oct 1730 in Hanover, to 27 Oct 1810 also in Hanover) was Lieutenant Colonel May 27, 1775, in Col. Thomas' regiment. Soon after this, he was commissioned as colonel. At West Point, about August 1, 1779, a board of army officers decided on the rank of the different officers, and Col. Bailey was the first, or ranking colonel, his commission being made to date from July 1, 1775; and he was called of the second regiment. This settlement of rank was soon after confirmed by Congress.

In a letter dated at West Point, April, 1780, directed to General Washington, Colonel Bailey asks for his discharge "on account of the situation of his domestic affairs and ill health and having served in the army from the commencement of the War." He was continued in the service, however, until December 30, 1780, when he was retired on half-pay. Probably this half-pay was commuted and he took a lump sum. Previous to the war, he was a shipbuilder and one of the largest landowners in Hanover; but his long service proved disastrous to his financial interests and he died a poor man. Appleton's biography as well as Drake's gives him honorable mention, saying that ''he earned distinction, especially in the campaign against Burgoyne."

He was second in command at Dorchester and in important positions around New York. In September, 1776, his regiment and two others, Glover's Brigade, were thanked by Washington for their gallant conduct and, when Washington resolved to make a sudden dash upon the Hessians at Trenton [December 26, 1776], among the trusty men he chose was Bailey's regiment. These troops were in two divisions, Bailey being in the first. They crossed the river in the storm and amid the floating ice and won the fight, recrossed, and, the next morning Washington warmly thanked them for "their brave and steady conduct." Lossing says that, at Saratoga, Gates felt confident of victory, aided by such men as "Poor, Learned, Stark, and Bailey." After the war, Col. Bailey resided on Main street, where he kept a hotel, with slight patronage. He and his son Luther both died in this house.

The 3rd Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment, later known as the 24th Continental Regiment was raised, on April 23, 1775, under Colonel William Heath outside of Boston. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, Battle of Trois-Rivières, Battle of Valcour Island and the Battle of Saratoga.The regiment was disbanded, on November 3, 1783, at West Point, New York.

The 4th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment, later known as 3rd Continental Regiment, was raised on April 23, 1775 under Colonel Ebenezer Learned outside of Boston. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, New York Campaign, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Battle of Saratoga, Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Rhode Island. The regiment was disbanded on November 3, 1783 at West Point, New York.

The 5th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment, later known as the 27th Continental Regiment, was raised on April 23, 1775 under Colonel Mansfield outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, New York Campaign, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton. Colonel Rufus Putnam took command in January, 1777 and participated in the Battle of Saratoga. The regiment was furloughed June 12, 1783 at New Windsor, New York and disbanded on November 3, 1783.

The Regiment contained eleven companies and had an official establishment of 658 officers and men. It was commanded by Colonel Asa Whitcomb, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Whitcomb's Regiment was designated "The 23d Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 6th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel Joseph Read of Uxbridge, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Read's Regiment was designated "The 20th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 7th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel John Mansfield of Lynn, who left the service on September 15, 1775. From then until the end of the year the regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Israel Hutchinson, of Danvers. In August 1775, Mansfield's Regiment was designated "The 19th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 8th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment contained eleven companies and had an official establishment of 658 officers and men. It was commanded by Colonel Timothy Danielson, of Brimfield, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Danielson's Regiment was designated "The 18th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 9th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment contained eleven companies and had an official establishment of 658 officers and men. It was commanded by Colonel William Prescott of Pepperell, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Prescott's Regiment was designated "The 10th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 10th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel James Frye of Andover, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Frye's Regiment was designated "The 1st Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 11th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment contained eleven companies and had an official establishment of 658 officers and men. It was commanded by Colonel Ebenezer Bridge of Billerica, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Bridge's Regiment was designated "The 27th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 12th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment contained eleven companies and had an official establishment of 658 officers and men. It was commanded by Colonel John Paterson of Lenox,who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Paterson's Regiment was designated "The 26th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 13th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel James Scammon. His regiment was raised in what were then known as the “eastern counties,” the present state of Maine. Scammon served as colonel of his regiment until the end of the year. In August 1775, Scammon's Regiment was designated "The 30th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 14th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel Ebenezer Learned of Oxford, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Learned's Regiment was designated "The 4th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 15th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel Thomas Gardner. He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775, and died July 3, 1775. On that date the regiment’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel William Bond, was promoted to the rank of colonel and the regiment became Bond’s Regiment. In August 1775, Bond's Regiment was designated "The 37th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 16th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel John Nixon, of Framingham and Sudbury, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Nixon's Regiment was designated "The 5th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 17th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel John Fellows of Sheffield, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Fellows' Regiment was designated "The 8th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 18th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel Ephraim Doolittle, who left the service in October 1775. Command of the regiment passed to its next senior officer, Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Holden, of Princeton. In August 1775, Doolittle's Regiment was designated "The 24th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 19th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel Jonathan Brewer, of Waltham, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Jonathan Brewer's Regiment was designated "The 6th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 20th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel David Brewer, of Palmer, who was dismissed from the service on October 24, 1775. The next senior officer, Lieutenant Colonel Rufus Putnam of Brookfield, assumed command of the regiment and served until the end of the year. In August 1775, David Brewer's Regiment was designated "The 9th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 21st Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel William Heath of Roxbury. Heath was made a Continental brigadier general on June 22, 1775, and command of the regiment passed to Lieutenant Colonel John Greaton. Greaton was promoted to the rank of colonel on July 1, 1775, and the regiment became Greaton’s Regiment. In August 1775, Greaton's Regiment was designated "The 36th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 22d Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge of South Hadley, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Woodbridge's Regiment was designated "The 25th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 23d Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel John Glover of Marblehead, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Glover's Regiment was designated "The 21st Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment. In December 1775, Glover's Regiment was stationed at Beverly to defend the naval base located there.

The 24th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel Moses Little of Newbury, who served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Little's Regiment was designated "The 17th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 25th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel Samuel Gerrish of Newbury, who was dismissed from the service on August 19, 1775. Command of the regiment passed to its next senior officer, Lieutenant Colonel Loammi Baldwin, of Woburn. In August 1775, Gerrish's Regiment was designated "The 38th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 26th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel Edmund Phinney, whose regiment was raised in the present state of Maine. Phinney served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Phinney's Regiment was designated "The 31st Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

The 27th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment was commanded by Colonel Paul Dudley Sargent of Amherst, New Hampshire. Sargent served as colonel until the end of the year. In August 1775, Sargent's Regiment was designated "The 28th Regiment of Foot." It served in the Siege of Boston until its disbandment.

Field-Officers of County Militia, 1776

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The following is a List of the Field-Officers of the several Regiments of Militia in this Colony, as chosen by the House the present Session, viz:

For the County of HAMPSIRE.

First Regiment: Charles Pyncheon, Colonel; John Bliss, Lieutenant-Colonel; William Pyncheon, First Major; Jonathan Hale, Second Major. [Springfield, Wilbraham, Brimfield, South-Brimfield, Palmer, Monson, Ludlow.]
Second Regiment: Seth Pomeroy, Colonel; John Dickenson, Lieutenant-Colonel; Ezra May, First Major; Jonathan Clap, Second Major. [Northampton, Hatfield, Whately, Williamsburgh, Chesterfield with the Gore, Southampton, Worthington, Norwich, Number-Five.]
Third Regiment: John Mosely, Colonel; Timothy Robinson, Lieutenant-Colonel; Benjamin Ely, First Major; David Leonard, Second Major. [West Springfield, Westfield, Southwick, Granville, Blanford, Murrayfield.]
Fourth Regiment: Samuel Howe, Colonel; Ruggles Woodbridge, Lieutenant-Colonel; John Chester Williams, First Major; Josiah White, Second Major. [Hadley, South-Hadley, Granby, Belchenown, Ware, Greenwich, Pelham, Amherst.]
Fifth Regiment: David Field, Colonel; David Wells, Lieutenant-Colonel; Hezekiah Smith, First Major; David Dickenson, Second Major. [Deerfield, Greenfield, Charlemont, with the Wards' Grant, Merryfield, Colerain, Barnardston, Shelburne, Conway, Ashfield, Hatfield, Equivalent, Number-Seven, No-Town.]
Sixth Regiment: Phineas Wright, Colonel; Samuel Williams, Lieutenant-Colonel; Joseph Locke, First Major; Daniel Whitmore, Second Major. [Northfield, Sunderland, Leveret, Shulesbury, New-Salem, Ervinshire, Montagu, Warwick.]

For the County of WORCESTER.

First Regiment: Samuel Denny, Colonel; Benjamin Flagg, Lieutenant-Colonel; Paul Raymond, First Major; Asa Baldwin, Second Major. [Worcester, Leicester, Holden, Spencer, Paxton, (including the new Parish called Boogychoge.)]**
Second, Regiment: Josiah Whitney, Colonel; Ephraim Sawyer, Lieutenant-Colonel; Jonas Houghton, First Major; Ebenezer Jones, Second Major. [Lancaster, Harvard, Bolton, Princeton.]
Third Regiment: Ezra Wood, Colonel; Joseph Chapen, Lieutenant-Colonel; Joseph Daniels, First Major; Caleb Whiling, Second Major. [Mendon, Uxbridge, Northbridge, Upton, Douglass.]
Fourth Regiment: Jonathan Warner, Colonel; Joseph Gilbert, Lieutenant-Colonel; Reuben Reed, First Major; Joseph Bowman, Second Major. [Brookfield, Western, New-Braintree, Hardwick, Oakham.]
Fifth Regiment: Jonathan Holman, Colonel; Daniel Plympton, Lieutenant-Colonel; William Learned, First Major; Jacob Davis, Second Major. [Sutton, Oxford, Slurbridge, Charlton, Dudley, (including adjacent lands lying in No-Town.)]
Sixth Regiment: [Southborough, Westborough, Shrewsbury, Northborough, Grafton.]
Seventh Regiment: Nathan Sparhawk, Colonel; Jonathan Grout, Lieutenant-Colonel; Jonas Wilder, First Major; Daniel Clap, Second Major. [Rutland, Petersham, Hutchinson, Athol, Templeton, Winchendon, Royalston, Hubbardston.]
Eighth Regiment: Abijah Steams, Colonel; Josiah Carter, Lieutenant-Colonel; John Rand, First Major; Ebenezer Bridge, Second Major. [Lunenburgh, Leominster, Westminster, Fitchburgh, Ashburnham, (including adjacent lands lying north of Princeton.)]

For the County of BERKSHIRE.

First Regiment: Mark Hopkins, Colonel; Aaron Root, Lieutenant-Colonel; Giles Jackson, First Major; Jacob Brown, Second Major. [Sheffield, Great-Barrington, Egremont, New-Marlborough, Sandisfield, Tyringham, Alford, Louden.]
Second Regiment: Benjamin Symonds, Colonel; Jonathan Smith, Lieutenant-Colonel; David Rosseler, First Major; Caleb Hyde, Second Major. [Stockbridge, West-Stockbrldge, the Glass-Works, Lenox, Richmond, Pittsfield, Lanesborough, Jericho, Becket, Hartwood, Partridgefield, Gageborough, New-Providence, Ashawillet, Equivalent, New-Ashford, Williamstown, East-Hoosick.]

This is a portion of the list approved February 20, 1766. Only the three counties of interest are given here.

** This is William Watson's unit

Watson Family Military Service

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Watson, Oliver:

Corporal, Capt. Ebenezer Mason's co. of Minute-men, Col. Jonathan Warner's
regt., marched on alarm of 19 Apr 1775;
also, Capt. Jonathan Carriel's co., Col. Josiah Whitney's regt.; at Point
Shirley, 13 Jun 1776;
also, Private, same co. and regt.; from 17 May to 1 Nov 1776, at Camp at
Hull;
also, Capt. Josiah White's co., Lieut. Col. Benjamin Flagg's division, Col.
Samuel Denny's (Worcester Co.) regt.; from 21 Aug to 23 Aug 1777; marched
to Hadley on an alarm at the Northward.

Watson, William:

1st Lieutenant, Capt. Seth Washburn's co., Col. Ward's regt., marched on
alarm of 19 Apr 1775 for 16 days;
also, 2d Lieutenant, Capt. Samuel Green's (5th) co. (South co. in Leicester),
Col. Samuel Denny's (1st Worcester Co.) regt. of Mass. militia; commissioned
5 Apr 1776;
also, Captain, 5th co., Col. Denny's (1st Worcester Co.) regt. of Mass.
militia; commissioned 5 Mar 1779.

-from Massachusetts Commonwealth; Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution (17 vols); Wright and Potter Printing Co., (Boston, 1896)

Both men served at Saratoga. Is this the same William Watson (1750-1844), brother of John Watson and brother-in-law to John's wife Sarah Gibbs? And Oliver Watson (1743-1826), their second cousin?

Capt. Seth Washburn: In 1749, Seth took part in the campaign against the Indians in New Hampshire. At the opening of the Revolutionary War, Seth, who was fifty-two years old, served as Captain of his company of Minute Men of Leicester. They marched on the alarm of 19 April, 1775 to Lexington. At Bunker Hill they fought along the ‘rail fence.’ His was was sent on patrol between Cambridge and ‘the Neck’ with other captains and 18 soldiers during the night. These men were made part of the regiment of General Artemas Ward. Washburn was promoted to Major during the war and became a Colonel of militia after it ended. He was the muster-master for Worcester County and was elected to the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1779. He was a founder of the Leicester Academy and a senator in the State Legislature.

County Militia in Massachusetts

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This is part of an effort to identify Massachusetts units that might have brought John O Dirlam to Blandford, or brought him to the attention of someone in the Snow, Gibbs or Watson families in Blandford, Becket or Leicester. The provincial Legislature on January 22, 1776 established the number of regiments to be raised by each county.

Berkshire County Militia

Ashley's Regiment

Ashley's Regiment of Militia also known as the 1st Berkshire County Militia Regiment, was named after its commander, Col. John Ashley (1736-1799) of Sheffield. The regiment was called up in Berkshire County, Massachusetts in July 1777 and sent for a month to Fort Edward and on September 19, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Paterson's brigade. Burgoyne's Army surrendered on October 17, 1777 and the regiment disbanded the next day.

Browns' Regiment

Browns' Regiment of Militia also known as the 2nd Berkshire County Regiment, also called Col. John Brown's Detachment of Berkshire County Militia, was named after its commander. Brown (1744-1780) lived in Pittsfield, and died in battle at Stone Arabia, New York (west of Albany).

Simonds' Regiment

Simonds' Regiment of Militia also known as the 3rd Berkshire County Regiment, was named after its commander, Col. Benjamin Simonds (1726-1807) of Williamstown. The regiment was raised in Berkshire County. The Regiment was at Fort Ticonderoga during the winter of 1776-1777. Simonds' Regiment was called up in the summer of 1777 during the Saratoga Campaign, fighting at the Battle of Bennington with General John Stark's Brigade of New Hampshire Militia. Many volunteers also joined the regiment at this time including William Easton, and the "Fighting Parson," Thomas Allen. Simonds' Regiment attacked Friedrich Baum's redoubt from the south during the battle as Stickney's (11th NH), Hale's (15th NH) and Hobart's (12th NH) attacked form the east and Nichols' (5th NH) attacked from the west. The regiment continued on to the Battle of Bemis Heights and the surrender of British General John Burgoyne's army. The regiment was also called up in response to Carleton's Raid and the Royalton Raid of 1780.

Worchester County Militia

Whitney's Regiment

Whitney's Regiment of Militia, also known as the 2nd Worchester County Militia Regiment, was named after its commander, Col. Josiah Whitney (1731-1806), of Athol. The regiment was called up at Harvard, Massachusetts on October 2, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Fellow's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, 1777, the regiment was disbanded the next day.

Holman's Regiment

Holman's Regiment of Militia, also known as the 5th Worchester County Militia Regiment, was named after its commander, Col. Jonathan Holman (1732-1814). The regiment was called up at Sutton, Massachusetts on September 26, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Warner's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, 1777, the regiment was disbanded the next day.

Cushing's Regiment

Cushing's Regiment of Militia, also known as the 6th Worcester County Militia Regiment, took its name from its commander, Col. Job Cushing (1727-1808) of Shrewsbury. The regiment was called up at Westborough, Massachusetts on August 16, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Warner's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, 1777, the regiment was disbanded the next day.

Sparhawk's Regiment

Sparhawk's Regiment of Militia, also known as the 7th Worchester County Militia Regiment. The Regiment took its name from its commander, Col. Nathan Sparhawk (1715-1776). The regiment spent the winter of 1776-1777 with Gen. George Washington's main army at Morristown, New Jersey. The regiment was again called up at Barre, Massachusetts on August 16, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join John Stark at Bennington, Vermont and then to General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, New York as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Warner's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, 1777, the regiment was disbanded the next day.

Warner's Regiment

Warner's Regiment of Militia, took its name from its commander, Col. Jonathan Warner (1726-1814) of Hardwick.

Hampshire County Militia

Woodbridge's Regiment of Militia

Woodbridge's Regiment of Militia, also known as the 1st Hampshire County Militia Regiment, and Woodbridge's (25th) Regiment and The 25th Regiment of Foot, was named for its commander Col. Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge (1739–1819) of South Hadley. On April 20, 1775, the day immediately following the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Woodbridge's regiment was formed and marched to Cambridge, Massachusetts near Boston, and participated in the Siege of Boston and the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The regiment spent part of the summer and the fall of 1776 as part of the Fort Ticonderoga garrison. The next year the regiment was called up at South Hadley, Massachusetts on August 16, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Warner's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, the regiment was disbanded on November 29, 1777.

Wright's Regiment of Militia

Wright's Regiment of Militia also known as the 5th Hampshire County Militia Regiment, was named after its commander, Col. Phineas Wright (1710-1795). The regiment was called up at Northfield, Massachusetts on September 22, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Nixion's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, 1777, the regiment was disbanded the next day.

Northfield is located in Franklin County, created from the northernmost third of Hampshire County in 1811.

Wells' Regiment of Militia

Wells' Regiment of Militia also known as the 5th Hampshire County Militia Regiment was called up at Shelburne, Massachusetts on September 22, 1777 as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. The regiment marched quickly to join the gathering forces of General Horatio Gates as he faced British General John Burgoyne in northern New York. The regiment served in General Fellow's brigade. With the surrender of Burgoyne's Army on October 17, 1777, the regiment was disbanded the next day.

Shelburne is located in Franklin County, created from the northernmost third of Hampshire County in 1811.

John O. Dirlam's Route to Blandford

2011-06-12T03:02:00.000-07:00

John Dirlam was reported at Philadelphia in February 1778 by the 23rd Foot to have been "captured by the rebels". We don't know yet where he was captured, but it was certainly a long way from the the remote towns in western Massachusetts, where he bought land in 1780, and was married in 1781. How would he have even known it existed? Once he got there, how did he find a place to live and work?

By comparison, we live in extremely open communities today. Three factors would have made the unassisted route to marriage in eighteenth century Blandford difficult for Dirlam: the poor laws, the established church, and the sheltered position of women.

The Province's poor law put the financial responsibility for paupers on the towns. So, towns as big as Boston, and as small as Blandford and Becket, were "warning out" indigents. And town registers record many of these warnings, carried out and certified by the sheriff.

Massachusetts retained an establishment of religion until 1833, requiring every man to belong to a church, and pay taxes towards it. The earlier requirement to belong to a specifically Puritan church was eliminated in 1691. But Church trials for refusal to be governed by one's congregation on matters of belief and behavior could result in excommunication, and resulted in the harassment and eventual exodus of the entire Scots-Irish population of Hopkinton and the settling of Blandford in the 1730s. By the 1780s most towns like Becket had Congregational Churches, but Blandford, with its Scots-Irish immigrants, had a Presbyterian Church. The ledgers of these little churches are filled with accounts of church trials over drunkenness, telling lies about other church members, and accusations of heresy.

Although mutual consent and love before marriage were routine in eighteenth century New England, courtship was not simply a matter of personal choice. Rev. John Gill expressed this clearly, in a discussion of Adam and Eve, saying it "affords a rule and example to be followed by parents and children, the one to dispose of their children in marriage, and the other to have the consent of their parents in it." And by John Wesley, in a letter to a fellow minister, "I was much concerned yesterday when I heard you were likely to marry a woman against the consent of your parents. I have never in an observation of fifty years known such a marriage attended with a blessing. I know not how it should be, since it is flatly contrary to the fifth commandment."

Children were inevitable in marriage, and families had to grow all of their own food. Consequently, a man was expected to bring land to marriage, and a woman a dowry of about half of its value. Dirlam would have needed to own land before he could court a woman. So, it would have been impossible for an penniless unemployed stranger, if that's what Dirlam was, to meet the marriageable Sarah Snow, daughter of a war veteran, somewhere far away from her father's home. It's much more likely he was established in Blandford first. In fact, from the land records, it looks like Dirlam had a place in Blandford before his future father-in-law had a place in nearby Becket. By the way, there would have been pressure on Dirlam to marry - single men were mistrusted.

It seems likely that Dirlam was sent to Boston or Albany or Philadelphia with other prisoners. From there he may have been paroled: British and Hessian prisoners were often given into the custody of American farmers, if they promised not to rejoin the army. Farmers liked the arrangement because the war had created a labor shortage. And since the militias and Continental Army were operated on a shoestring, and maintained no long term POW camps, they preferred to avoid paying for captive enemy soldier's rations - hence parole. And the parolees received a point of entry into a beautiful country rich with opportunity.

Since it was desirable for former soldiers to be held far from the field of battle, and far from the coast, the hill country of western Massachusetts may have seemed ideal. But somebody from Brandford, or a town nearby, must have arranged it. I'm not suggesting Dirlam would have objected to settling in a remote place - because there are risks with going over to the other side, I think it probably seemed safer to be far far away from military action.

If John Dirlam was captured in February 1778, one of two things might have happened. In 1776 Congress adopted a report designed to encourage Hessians and other foreigners to quit the British service by extending protection to any who would settle here. Some were offered money and land in exchange for a promise "not in any wise to forward or assist the subjects or allies of the King of Great Britain in their operations against the United States of America neither to correspond or have any connection with them during the present war."

Or he might have been paroled into the custody of some trusted local person, who traveled regularly. Somehow Dirlam met someone who had enough business in Blandford to be able to employ him there, and enough knowledge to be aware of the opportunity. This could have been someone in a militia unit charged with managing or transferring prisoners, or it could have been someone on a Committee of Correspondence.

Surprisingly, this all happened rather quickly. John Gibbs bought property in Blandford at a tax auction in partnership with John Durlam, according to Ulster Scots and Blandford Scouts, and the Registry of Deeds in Springfield documents that purchase from the sheriff in 1780.

Curiously, Gibbs' son (1763-1840) is described in a 1785 deed as "Samuel Crooks Gibbs, Cordwainer" and John Dirlam is described the same way in a 1789 deed. A cordwainer was a skilled craftsman who made soft leather goods. Did Samuel Crooks Gibbs learn his trade from John Dirlam? Traditionally a boy would be apprenticed for three years, usually ending at age 17.

Another person of interest is John Watson, brother-in-law to John Gibbs. He had a large farm and tannery in Blandford and was accustomed to traveling to Boston and Albany. And Watson's father and brother operated a large tannery in Leicester. As cordwainers, Dirlam and Gibbs' son would have had skills of use to the Watsons, or perhaps been customers. Watson's uncle served on the Committee of Correspondence for nearby Spencer, and represented it at the Provincial Congress called in response to the killings at Lexington and Concord. These were people who traveled, who might have seen the opportunity in a paroled John Dirlam. Now all I need is some proof.

Sylvanus Snow in the American Revolution

2011-06-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

Rolls of Connecticut Men in the French and Indian War. Ed. By Albert C. Bates

1758 - Sylvanus Snow, age 26, served 10 April to 5 November in Colonel Eleazer Fitch's Third Regiment (Captain Jedediah Fay's Tenth Company recruited in Ashford)
1759 - Savanus Snow, age 27, served in General Phineas Lyman's First Regiment, based in Sheffield (Major John Slapp's Third Company recruited in Mansfield)
1762 - Silvanus Snow, age 30, served 18 March to 3 December in General Phineas Lyman's First Regiment, based in Sheffield (Captain Hugh Ledlie's Tenth Company)
1775 - Age 43, served 1 May to 11 September in General Putnam's Third Regiment, recruited in Windham County (Captain Knowlton's Fifth Company recruited in Ashford). He is mentioned in an officer's report as having lost his gun in the fight at Bunker Hill

Connecticut Revolutionary War Military Lists, 1775-83

1775 - Silvanus Snow. Page #: 16 - 25; Regiment: Putnam. Remarks: Expenses extracted from vol. of "Sick Bills"

Note: These last two items are interesting. He was injured while fighting along the fence at Breed's Hill, lost his gun, and required care. The first three items are from the French and Indian War.

Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War

1776 - Snow, Sylvanus. Private, Capt. John Grannis's co.; entered service June 1, 1776; service to Aug. 31, 1776, 3 mos; company stationed at Elizabeth Islands [Massachusetts] for defence of seacoast; roll dated Tarpaulin Cove and sworn to in Barnstable Co.;
also, Capt. John Grannis's co. commanded by Lieut. James Blossom; service from Sept. 1, 1776, to Nov. 21, 1776, 2 mos. 21 days; company stationed at Elizabeth Islands for defence of seacoast.
1777 - Snow, Sylvanus. Capt. Isaac Stone's Company, Lieut. Peter Keith; Commencement of pay. Aug. 23; Paid to Nov. 9 [Called up for Saratoga Campaign, they fought there Sept 19 and Oct 9,1777 - 7th alarm list company in the 11th Connecticut regiment]
1778 - Snow, Silvanus. Col. Durkee's Fourth Regiment, Continental Line, May 28, 1778, 8 months, discharged Oct 29, 1778.
On June 28, '78 engaged closely at Battle of Monmouth. Col Durkee then commanding the Brigade. Lieut Col. Russell in command at close of the action.

From the New York Spectator of Feb. 26, 1828:

Died in Becket, Mass., on the 19th ult., Mr. Sylvanus Snow, aged ninety-seven years, a Revolutionary pensioner. He served several campaigns in the French war, and through nearly the whole War of the Revolution. He was engaged in fourteen different battles, in all of which he was but once wounded, and that at Bunker Hill; and the ball which he then received has been carried in his body to the grave. He lived with his wife (who died at the age of ninety-one) seventy-two years, and has left a numerous posterity and an exemplary reputation.

Timeline (preliminary)

2010-11-14T17:08:00.000-08:00

1735	Blandford first settled
1740	Oliver Watson (1718-1782) bought 2000 acre lot #2 in Leicester
1740	Becket first settled
1741	Town of Blandford incorporated
27 Jan 1754	John Gibbs purchased 60 acre Blandford home lot #34 from his father for £56 13s.
1750s	Chester first settled
1765	Towns of Chester and Becket incorporated
1768	John Watson (1747-1823) bought Blandford home lot #9 and established a tannery
1772	Oliver Snow Jr. moved to Becket
16 Dec 1773	Boston Tea Party
1773	Town of Otis incorporated (as Loudon)
1774	Oliver Snow Jr. married at Becket
19 Apr 1775	Battles of Lexington and Concord
13 May-19 Jul 1775	Oliver Watson attended provincial Congress at Watertown, MA
16 Jun 1775	Battle of Bunker Hill (Sylvanus Snow injured)
17 Mar 1776	British evacuated Boston
14 May 1776	von Scheither recruits left the Hannoverian port of Stade, incl. John Dirlam
7 July 1776	Second Continental Congress adopted Declaration of Independence at Philadelphia
12 July 1776	Fleet of 150 British ships arrived in New York Harbor, incl. John Dirlam
27 Aug 1776	Battle of Brooklyn Heights, NY (incl. 23rd Foot)
16 Sep 1776	Battle of Harlem Heights, NY (incl. 23rd Foot)
18 Oct 1776	John Dirlam first mustered (Blakeney Company, 23rd Foot)
28 Oct 1776	Battle of White Plains, NY (incl. 23rd Foot)
Nov 1776	Nathan Snow's Ashford militia unit guarded Providence, RI for 3 months
16 Nov 1776	British captured Fort Washington, NY (incl. Royal Welch Fusiliers)
17 Nov 1776	Royal Welch Fusiliers garrison in New York City
8 Dec 1776	British captured Newport, RI
26 Dec 1776	Battle of Trenton, NJ
1 Dec 1776	John Dirlam mustered again for Blakeney Company
2 Jan 1777	Battle of Assunpink Creek, NJ
3 Jan 1777	Battle of Princeton, NJ
13 Apr 1777	Battle of Bound Brook, NJ
26 Apr 1777	Asa Snow and Oliver Jr's** Becket militia unit marched to Saratoga, NY
26 Apr 1777	Burning of Danbury, CT (23rd Foot in rearguard)
27 Apr 1777	Battle of Ridgefield, CT
23 May 1777	Battle of Sag Harbor, NY
26 Jun 1777	Battle of Metuchen Meeting House, NJ
6 Jul 1777	Fort Ticonderoga, NY surrendered to the British
18 Jul 1777	Oliver Snow Jr** and Amos Kingsley's* Becket militia unit called for 5 days to Manchester, VT
14 Aug 1777	Jonathan Wadsworth** and Amos Kingley's* Becket militia unit called for 9 days to Bennington, VT
16 Aug 1777	Battle of Bennington, NY
1 Sep 1777	Nathan Snow** and Sylvanus Snow's Ashford militia unit marched to Stillwater, NY
11 Sep 1777	Battle of Brandywine, PA (incl. 23rd Foot)
19 Sep 1777	First Battle of Saratoga, NY
21 Sep 1777	Battle of Battle of Paoli Tavern at Malvern, PA
26 Sep 1777	Capture of Philadelphia, PA (incl. 23rd Foot)
26 Sep 1777	23rd Foot moved to Germantown, PA
3 Oct 1777	23rd Foot sent from Germantown to guard Middle Ferry and Chester Road at Philadelphia
4 Oct 1777	Battle of Germantown, PA (not incl. 23rd Foot)
7 Oct 1777	Second Battle of Saratoga, NY
8 Oct 1777	Nathan Snow** and Sylvanus Snow's Ashford militia unit marched to Albany,NY
10 Oct 1777	Battery on Carpenter's Isl. (behind Redbank) surrendered 300+ men by British (mostly grenadiers, incl. of 23rd Foot)
15 Oct 1777	Fort Mifflin, PA (opposite Redbank) evacuated by Continentals
19-26 Oct 1777	Middletown, CT militia escorted prisoners from Ticonderoga and Bennington through Connecticut and delivered them to the sheriff in Hartford, CT
22 Oct 1777	Battle of Redbank, NJ for Fort Mercer (incl. 23rd Foot)
Nov 1777	Burgoyne's Convention Army marched to stockade in Cambridge, MA
12 Nov 1777	Sylvanus Snow's youngest child born in Ashford, CT
11-12 Dec '77	British forage in force from Philadelphia to Radnor, PA (incl. 23rd Foot) 15 mi
Jan 1778	Timothy, Levi and Nathan Snow's Ashford militia unit guarded Providence, RI for 2 months
18 Feb 1778	Loyalist raid on Jenk's Fulling Mill, Newton, PA (25 mi to Philadelphia)
20 Feb 1778	Raid near Frankford, PA (8 mi to Philadelphia)
24-25 Feb '78	Raid near Skippack, PA ( 65 mi to Philadelphia)
24 Feb 1778	John O Dirlam reported 'captured by rebels' (by 23rd Foot)
Apr 1778	Levi Snow's* Ashford militia unit served at Greenwich, Hartford and New Haven, CT
1 May 1778	Silas Snow's** Ashford militia unit in West Point, NY and New London, CT for 1 year
18 Jun 1778	Evacuation of Philadelphia, PA (incl. 23rd Foot)
28 Jun 1778	Battle of Monmouth, NJ (incl. 23rd Foot, whose grenadier company lost 1/3 of it's men)
Jul 1778	Levi Snow's* Ashford militia unit served at White Plains and West Point, NY
1 Aug 1778	John Gibbs purchased 18 acres of Blandford lot #14 from sheriff for 17s. 3p.
Sep 1778	Nathan and Bilarcah* Snow's Ashford unit guarded New London, built Ft. Trumbull
Nov 1778	Levi Snow's* Ashford militia unit served at New London, CT
Feb 1779	Nathan Snow** moved from Ashford to Becket
May 1779	British captured the King's Ferry Forts (incl. 23rd Foot)
Jun 1779	Silas Snow's** Ashford militia unit served 3 months, guarded Groton, CT lighthouse
30 Jun 1779	British raided Fairport, New Haven and Norwalk, CT (incl. 23rd Foot)
Jul 1779	Nathan Snow's** Becket militia unit guarded New Haven, CT
5 Jul 1779	British raided New Haven, CT
9 Jul 1779	British burned Fairfield and Green Farms, CT
11 Jul 1779	British burned Norwalk, CT
7 Mar 1780	John Gibbs bought 405 acres on Blandford lots 4 and 14 from sheriff for £190 5s.
7 Mar 1780	John Gibbs and John Durlam bought 456 acres on lot 34 from sheriff for £107 s3 d6
Jul 1780	Silas Snow's** Ashford militia unit served 3 months at West Point, NY
21 Jul 1780	Asa Snow** enlisted for 6 months in Continental Army unit from Becket
16 Oct 1780	British raided Royalton, VT (Asa Snow present?)
25 Oct 1780	Asa Snow** mustered at Camp Totoway, NJ
15 Mar 1781	Battle of Guilford Courthouse, NC (incl. 23rd Foot, except grenadiers at NYC garrison)
Jul 1781	Silas Snow's** Ashford militia unit served 3 months at Mohegan, CT
18 Sep 1781	John Dirlam married Sarah Snow at Becket
19 Oct 1781	British surrender at Yorktown, VA
29 Oct 1781	Royal Welch Fusiliers marched to stockade in Winchester, VA
12 Jan 1782	Royal Welch Fusiliers marched to stockade in Lancaster, PA
5 Mar 1783	Oldest Dirlam son born
May 1783	Royal Welch Fusiliers marched to Staten Island, NY to rejoin the Army
24 Jun 1783	Royal Welch Fusiliers at Herricks, NY recorded John Dirlam as 'deserted'
Jan 1784	Royal Welch Fusiliers embarked for England
24 Sep 1788	John Dirlam land purchase in Becket recorded
10 Oct 1788	Sylvanus Snow land purchase in Becket recorded

* Sylvanus Snow's sons, Levi, Timothy and son-in-law, Amos Kingsle
** Oliver Snow's sons Asa, Nathan, Silas, Oliver Jr. and son-in-law Jonathan Wadsworth
*** Samuel Snow's son, Bilarchy

Snow Family

2010-10-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

Sylvanus Snow was the father of John Dirlam's first wife, Sarah. His father, Samuel, moved his young family to Ashford in Windham County, Connecticut in 1725. Five more children were born there.

Two of those children are interesting here. One, our ancestor Sylvanus, had a long history of military service, and three of his sons also served. And the other of interest, Sylvanus older brother, Stephen, was a business success.

By 1774 Ashford had 2231 inhabitants including 13 slaves, one of whom belonged to Stephen Snow. And although in 1784 Connecticut adopted emancipation at age 25 of slaves born after that year, Snow accumulated more slaves. By the time of the 1790 census, he owned 3 of the 7 in Ashford. All the principal families in the larger towns had a slave or two, especially the families of doctors, lawyers, and public officials. And slaves worked in New London's manufacturing businesses and large farms. Stephen Snow was prosperous and operated several successful businesses in Ashford. The slaves are a measure of that success. Incidentally, no other Ashford based Snow owned slaves.

And interestingly, I can't find a record of any form of military service for Stephen Snow. There was a Cape Cod, Massachusetts man with the same name, who was called to New Bedford in September 1778 when a British raiding party from New York landed and destroyed 70 vessels and a large number of buildings. And again when HMS Somerset ran aground off Truro, while chasing a French squadron in a gale, this other Stephen Snow helped guard rescued crewmen.

von Scheither recruits

2010-09-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

Here's something tantalizing from AMREV-HESSIANS: the von Scheither recruits. When the British Army realized they were headed towards war in the American Colonies, they hired Colonel Georg Heinrich Albrecht von Scheither of Hanover to recruit 2000 Germans to beef up existing British Regiments.

Forty soldiers were recruited for the Royal Welsh Fusiliers 23rd Foot, including a John Dirlam, who served in Blakeney Company and was reported dead. Bob Mertz found him on a War Office index provided by Don Hagist: WO 12/3960 Dates 18-10-1776, 31-12-1776 and 30-06-1777. Of the 3 dates, the last would be the date the 23rd Foot recorded Dirlam's "death," 30 June 1777. WO12 is a collection of muster rolls for the regiment.

UPDATE: After obtaining copies of WO12 muster rolls, it appears Dirlam was listed as 'captured by the rebels' on 24 Feb 1778, and on musters subsequent, until the company mustered before their return to England, when Dirlam, who clearly had not returned from his capture, was listed as 'deserted.' In other words, this post must be substantially rewritten.

And Bob Dirlam reported viewing original documents in Kew at The National Archives of the United Kingdom (WO 43/405). This refers to a “Liste Des Recrués Anglois embarqués á Stade pour Spithead en Irlande ce 14me de Mai 1776” which records the name, age, place of birth, height, and religion of some 400 of the men recruited by von Scheither, including the forty assigned to the 23rd Regiment. Stade is a port city on the Elbe River, where the recruits were inventoried before heading to the naval base at Southampton, on route to America.

British Regiments consisted of ten companies: eight line companies, whose soldiers stood shoulder to should in lines; on the left flank a light infantry company trained as skirmishers; and on the right flank, a grenadier company. Grenadiers were typically the biggest men, wore mitered caps, carried swords and muskets, and got the toughest assignments. "The Diary of Lieutenant Frederick Mackenzie" and Serjeant Roger Lamb's "Original and Authentic Journal of Occurrences During the Late American War" are the only published first hand accounts from the 23rd Foot. Then Capt. William Blakeney commanded the 23rd's Grenadier Company at Bunker Hill, where the company led the repeated and eventually successful assaults on the fortifications there. Like most of the company, Blakeney was injured.

Dirlam arrived the following summer, joining the 23rd Foot fought in the Battles of Long Island (27 August 1776), Harlem Heights (16 September), White Plains (28 October), and Fort Washington (16 November), and then garrisoned for the winter in New York.

In the spring they were part of an 1800 man force, commanded by General William Tryon and sent to Danbury, Connecticut, to destroy the Continental Army supply depot there. They reached Danbury (26 April 1777), quickly drove off the 150 man detail left to defend the place, and destroyed large quantities of preserved food, supplies and medicine. Surprised at reports of Connecticut Militia camped nearby in the rain, they set fire to buildings belonging to known patriots and began the fast march back to their ships. Militia and Continental Army continued to arrive and conducted a two day campaign of harrassment and delay that included several hours that is called the "Battle of Ridgefield."

John Dirlam was reported to have died, but did he? Just because a British officer reports your death, doesn't mean you're actually dead. And to prove that point, there's the circumstance of Major John Lamb, Commander of Artillery in the Northwest Department of the Continental Army. Lamb bravely led an assault on British soldiers behind a stone wall on Campo Hill, where they defended the boarding place on the beach. Lamb rode his horse into a hail of buckshot. A book by Robert Beatson published in 1804, Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, from 1727 to 1783, repeated General Howe's written report that Lamb was killed; indeed his injuries were severe enough that he appeared to retreating British officers to be dead on the field. But they obviously didn't stop to check his vital signs, and he survived. After the war he commanded the artillery at West Point, served as Collector of the Port of New York, and agitated against approval of the new Federal constitution. In other words, he lived many active years more. Perhaps they made the same understandable and possibly common mistake about John Dirlam, 23rd Foot.

Okay, the dates. The engagement ended April 28, and it took the British several days to get back to New York. They were joined by General Howe's troops returning from a half-hearted effort to trap and destroy the Continental Army in New Jersey. Howe decided next to capture Philadelphia. It took several weeks for the combined army of 17,000 soldiers to resupply and pack itself onto the 265 ships gathered to move it. So that 30 June 1777 date, reported by Mertz and Hagist, was the muster roll made as part of preparation for the Philadelphia Campaign - a written report on the number of soldiers ready to fight. Not the actual date when Dirlam was seen by men running away under fire to be dead - but the date several weeks later when a written accounting was made.

So, English troops were left behind. What to do with an injured soldier?

I'm struggling here to get the wounded but recovering John Dirlam to meet his future father-in-law, Sylvanus Snow. Did Dirlam escape detection and find help among the people of Fairfield County? Since he was in the English Army, maybe he already spoke English. And there were people in Connecticut who might have helped a lone soldier, there were loyalists in Windham County - some residents there had passed a petition in 1776 to have Sheriff Eleazor Fitch removed for his opposition to the war.

Or was Dirlam among the 200 prisoners taken to Princeton, New Jersey? Snow's militia unit marched to Saratoga at the end of August, 1777, so it's unlikely they met that year. In 1778 Snow served 8 months in Col. Durkee's Fourth Regiment, Continental Line and fought at the Battle of Monmouth 28 June. That might put Snow and Dirlam just 35 miles apart. But how would they get together?

To put this in context, John Dirlam and Sarah Snow were married at Becket, Massachusetts 18 September 1781, just 29 days before the Siege of Yorktown resulted in Cornwallis' surrender and just 6 months after adoption of the Articles of Confederation on March 1, 1781. How did that happen?

UPDATE: After pursuing this idea of a Connecticut/Snow connection with no result I've given up on the idea of one of the Snow's bringing Dirlam back to Becket. And, I've recently learned that Dirlam came first to Blandford, so that's now the focus of my search. Now I'm wondering if he was taken prisoner to Boston or Albany. See my post Three Mysteries.

Kestrich

2010-09-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

Some people on Ancestry assert the village of Kestrich as the birthplace of John O Dirlam. It seems plausible because it's close to Dirlam related towns I've discussed - Neukirchen, Ottrau, Schrecksbach, Schwalmstadt, Vadenrod, Ziegenhain and Dirlammen. And they're close together, it's just 40 miles from Schwalmstadt to Dirlammen.

But three of those towns were in the Landgraviate of Hessen-Darmstadt, and Landgrave Louis IX didn't send any troops to aid the English King in America. However, Colonel Albrecht von Scheiter recruited there under a contract with the British War Department. And he paid each enlistee a nice bounty.

It was a different thing for Konrad and Wigand Dirlam of Otrau (remember them from Hetrina Volume 3?) who enlisted as privates in the Hesse-Kassel army unit stationed at Ziegenhain - and just 40 miles from Dirlammen.

I put Lauterbach on the map because it's the birthplace of General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel, who commanded the German and American Indian forces with General Burgoyne during the disastrous Saratoga campaign of 1777. Well-off, young and bored, Riedesel wandered into Hesse-Kassel service while attending the University of Marburg. But he distinguished himself during the Seven Years War, where he rose to command two regiments of Brunswick troops, and was promoted for the British to invade the Colonies from Canada.

HETRINA

2008-09-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

HETRINA is a six volume index of Hessian troops who fought for the British in the American Revolution. The full name of the work is Hessische Truppen im Amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskreig (I love unabhängigkeitskreig, it's such a sprawling octopus of a word).

Volume 3 of HETRINA lists two Dirlams, Konrad and Wigand, both from Ottrau. Ottrau is a little farm community in the former Hesse-Kassel. Were these Dirlams brothers? Cousins to our ancestor?

Konrad and Wigand served as Privates in Company 3 of the Fusilier Regiment von Knyphausen. Fusiliers were specialized infantry troops, lightly equipped so they could move quickly, and usually used either to harass enemy troops or to protect the main body of their own troops from similar attacks by the enemy.

The Regiment von Knyphausen, commanded by General Werner von Mirbach, was garrisoned at Ziegenhain, just 18 miles north of the Dirlam home town, Ottrau. They got on a ship in April 1776, and arrived 4 months later in New York. They fought at Long Island and White Plains before General Mirbach suffered a stroke. He was replaced by Colonel Johann Gottlieb Rall, and on October 28 they fought again at Fort Washington. These battles resulted in capture of New York City by the British, and flight into New Jersey by the Continental Army.

Konrad Dirlam, who was born 1753/54, has just one HETRINA entry - his death in November 1776.

Wigand (also spelled Weigand) Dirlam, born 1758/1759, survived to fight at Trenton in December 1776, before being listed as a Prisoner of War in February 1777. According to the Journal of The Johannes Schwalm Historical Assocation, Inc. volume 3, number 1, he appears on a list made by the Germans on 27 February 1777 of prisoners taken as a result of the battle at Trenton: he was sent 100 miles west as a prisoner to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was parolled in July 1783 after preliminaries to the Treaty of Paris ended the war. He was still in the army in 1785, 2 years later.

So, these two Dirlams helped drive Washington's army from Manhattan. Unfortunately, HETRINA's first 5 volumes do not list John O Dirlam, and my local geneology library doesn't have Volume 6.

Update: I've since had a chance to review Volume 6 in San Diego, and there are no Dirlams listed. None. But a John Dirlam does appear on a less well known list. See my post on the von Scheither Recruits.

Sylvanus Snow

2008-09-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

Sylvanus Snow was the father of John O Dirlam's first wife, Sarah. Sarah's grandfather moved to Ashford in Windham County, Connecticut in 1725 and played an active role in village life. Five more children were born there, including Sylvanus, born on March 17, 1732. By 1775 Ashford had 2231 inhabitants including 13 slaves, one of whom belonged to Sylvanus' brother, Samuel Snow. And Sylvanus had served repeatedly in the Militia during the French and Indian War:

1758 - Sylvanus Snow, age 26, served 10 April to 5 November in Colonel Eleazer Fitch's Third Regiment (Captain Jedediah Fay's Tenth Company recruited in Ashford) *
1759 - Savanus Snow, age 27, served in General Phineas Lyman's First Regiment, based in Sheffield (Major John Slapp's Third Company recruited in Mansfield)
1762 - Silvanus Snow, age 30, served 18 March to 3 December in General Phineas Lyman's First Regiment, based in Sheffield (Captain Hugh Ledlie's Tenth Company)

Mansfield is just 8 miles down the road from Ashford, but Sheffield (the base of Snow's third enlistment) is 75 miles farther west in the southwest corner of Massachusetts. Why was Snow stationed there? Connecticut Colony worked cooperatively with it's neighbors, supporting New York on the northern frontier around Albany and leading the defense of western Massachusetts (where Sheffield is located).

During the struggle over taxes in the run-up to the Revolutionary War, Boston was a center of protest, and 4000 British troops were in occupation. There was a great deal of public sympathy, both generally in Connecticut, and specifically in Ashford, and in 1769 the legislature passed the Non-importation Agreement. An Ashford town meeting appointed brother Samuel Snow and two other men to a committee, "To see that no merchants, shop-keepers, nor peddlers import, put off, or traffick in Ashford, any goods, wares, or merchanize that are imported contrary to the Non-importation Agreement."

A few days after the fighting at Lexington and Concord, near Boston, in April of 1775, the Connecticut Assembly called for a 6000 man militia, and Sylvanus Snow enlisted again. Aged 43, he served May 1 to September 11 in General Putnam's Third Regiment, recruited in Windham County (specifically Captain Knowlton's Fifth Company recruited in Ashford). Two 1000-man regiments raised in the northeast, and therefore closest, raced to Boston to try to keep the British garrison there from traveling out into the countryside again. Thomas Knowlton, elected Captain, led 200 of his neighbors, mostly farmers armed with shotguns. June 17, they fought along the fence at Breed's Hill, and Knowlton was promoted to Major by Congress. Our ancestor, Private Sylvanus Snow, was mentioned in an officer's report as having lost his gun in the fight. **

These enlistments were for the "fighting season" only, because in the 18th Century it was too difficult to fight during the winter months when average temperatures were below freezing, and too expensive to support men in camps.

When did Sylvanus Snow move his wife and 8 surviving children to Becket, Berkshire County, Massachusetts? Perhaps after 1775, the date of his final enlistment, and before 1781, when his oldest daughter married John O Dirlam in Becket?

Update: Sylvanus Snow first bought land in Becket in 1788. His son Levi, brother Timothy, and nephews all bought first, starting in 1782.

He lived out the rest of his life in Becket, where he appears on the rolls of the first three census. He doesn't appear on the 1820 census, but he and his wife may included with the men and women over 45 listed with their son Levi. Sylvanus died January 19, 1828, two years after his wife, and they are buried together at the old Congregational Church graveyard in Becket. ***

Sources:

Rolls of Connecticut Men in the French and Indian War, 1755-1762, edited by Albert C. Bates, 1903
Record of Service of Connecticut Men in the War of the Revolution, compiled by authority of the General Assembly, Hartford, 1889
Personal visit April 2008

German telephone listings

2008-09-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

Does an online search point to John O Dirlam's birthplace in Germany? Does the family name continues in Hesse today.

Spelling can be an issue with old American records of German names. My mother's family spelled the name Dirlam, but descendants of John O Dirlam and his second wife spelled it Durlam. All the Berkshire and Hampden County records spell it Durlam. Census workers spelled it Derling, Derlam, and Durlham. To American ears some German sounds are confusing, like 'ü' or 'oe' and 'D' or 'T.' So how is it spelled in the old country? I searched for lots of spelling variants and Dirlam is by far most common, with Dierlam a distant second. No other variants have phone listings in Hesse.

The German language genealogy website www.verwandt.de shows 69 telephone listings for Dirlam in:

Schwalm-Eder-Kreis=16 numbers
Geissen=5
Main-Kinzig-Kreis=4
Vogelsbergkreis=2
Wetteraukreis=2
Brunswick=1

That's 30 phone numbers concentrated in the areas which supplied soldiers to help suppress the American Revolution. The remainder are in districts spread around the county, none with more than two listings.

Brunswick was in the Duchy (Herzogtum in German) of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Most of the districts supplying troops were Hessian, but Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel is actually closer to Hannover. In fact, besides being King of Great Britain and Ireland, George III was also Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Prince-Elector of Hannover. In the pre-unification mess of Germany, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was subsidiary to Brunswick-Lüneburg, which explains why Duke Charles William Ferdinand (ruled 1773 to 1806) hired 5,723 troops to his brother-in-law George III.

Since the Hessian duchies supplied 2/3 of the troops it's not accurate to call them Hessians. So why do it? Of course it's much easier than listing Anspach-Bayreuth, Anhalt Zerbst, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Waldeck. But more important, at the time, was lack of strong German national identity.

Hesse runs roughly from Kassel in the north to Darmstadt in the south. The two cities are about 140 miles apart and Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, with its 16 Dirlam telephones, is a rural district about halfway between them. Schwalm-Eder-Kreis is a modern political division located in the former Landgraviate (Landgrafschaft in German) of Hesse-Kassel. Landgrave Frederick II (who ruled from 1760 to 1785) rented 16,992 troops to King George III of the United Kingdom. The Hannovers (George's family) were related by blood or marriage to every Protestant noble family in Europe, especially the Hessians. George's niece Mary became Frederick's first wife. When Frederick converted to Catholicism, abandoned his Protestant wife, and threatened to take Hesse-Hanau out of the Protestant alignment, Frederick's father and George III forced him to create a separate Hesse-Hanau Landgraviate for Mary and their son William IX.

Main-Kinzig-Kreis, with its 4 listings, was in that new Landgraviate of Hesse-Hanau. And Landgrave William IX (who ruled 1763 to 1806), hired 2,422 troops to his uncle, George III.

Wetteraukreis, Giessen and Vogelsbergkreis, totalling 9 listings, were all in the former Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, ruled by Landgrave Louis IX from 1768 to 1790, and not involved in the War of Independence.

But two Dirlam families actually emigrated here from Vogelsbergkreis. Fortunately they came in the 19th Century when better records were kept. One of these, the George Dierlam family, settled in Seadrift, Texas in 1848. Another, the Jacob Dirlam family came to Honesdale, Pennsylvania in 1854. Both these families were from Vadenrod, a little farming village in Vogelsbergkreis with just a few hundred residents. Curiously, there are two phone listings in Geissen for the spelling variant Dierlam, as well as the 5 spelled Dirlam. We don't know if there is any blood relationship to either family. If you take a moment to look at a map, you'll find another village, just 3-1/2 miles south, called Dirlammen - so there's a locational version of the family name.

SUMMARY:

Place            Troops sent   Phone numbers   in HETRINA
Hesse-Kassel        16,992           16            III
Hesse-Hannau         2,422            4             VI
Brunswick            5,723            2             No
Anspach-Bayreuth     2,553            0             No
Anhalt Zerbst        1,152            0             No
Waldeck              1,225            0              V

Total               30,067           22          18,217

The 16 telephones in Hesse-Kassel are in Neukirchen, Schrecksbach, and Schwalmstadt, just 5 miles away from Ottrau, the birthplace of Konrad and Wigand Dirlam. And Vadenrod, the Hesse-Darmstadt town the Jacob and George Dirlam families left when they emigrated to America in the 1840s and 1850s, is just 14 miles further south. So we know this area has been Dirlam-active for a long time.

And the 4 telephones in Hesse-Hanau are in Linsengericht, 70 miles south of Ottrau. The 2 phones in Brunswick are in Söllingen and Braunschweig proper.

CONCLUSION:

Modern telephone records suggest possible origins of our ancestor John O Dirlam without proving anything. And Dirlams are still living in the most populous old Hessian principalities.