The Philadelphia Campaign / Connecticut Regiments

Connecticut Regiments That Served Philadelphia's Defense and Afterwards Wintered At Valley Forge

This is looking to see if there is an obvious personal link between any Continental officers of likely regiments and John Dirlam, or anyone else I recognize from Becket or Blandford. Dirlam married a daughter of Sylvanus Snow, in 1781. Snow served throughout the war, first in Ashford militia, and then in Capt. Nathaniel Webb's Company of Durkee's Regiment, also called the 4th Connecticut Regiment. They camped at Peekskill, were involved in the defense of Philadelphia (including at Fort Mifflin) and wintered at Valley Forge in 1777-1778.

Deaths reported in Webb's Company: Sgt. Silas Frink, Joseph Bond, Charles Brandon, Amos Brewster, Eliphalet Coburn, Ephraim Durfy, George Mitchell, Charles Ripley, Isaiah Rogers, John Shaw, and James Wharf. Of 41 privates, 10 died and 4 deserted.

Most of Becket's early settlers came from Ashford, ninety miles away.

Below are the field officers, company commanders and surgeons serving Connecticut regiments at Valley Forge. Every one of these regiments also served in the defense of Philadelphia, according to either https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Line or ValleyForgeMusterroll.org.

Prentice's Regiment / Huntington's Regiment / 1st Connecticut
Colonel Josiah Starr
Major David Still
Major Christopher Darrow
Captains William Belcher, Christopher Darrow, James Aldridge, Eliphalet Holmes, William Richards, John Shumway, Benjamin Throop, Christopher Ely
Surgeon Albigence Waldo
Surgeon’s Mate Samuel Brown

Webb's Regiment / 2nd Connecticut
Colonel Charles Webb
Lt. Colonel Isaac Sherman
Major Hezekiah Holdridge
Captains Stephen Bett, James Beebee, Ichabod Hinckley, William Manning, John Mills, Jonathan Parker, David Parson, Amos Walbridge, Samuel Granger
Surgeon Noah Coleman
Surgeon’s Mate Isaac Day

Durkee's Regiment / 4th Connecticut
Colonel John Durkee
Lt. Colonel Giles Russell
Major John Summer
Company Commanders
Captains Abner Bacon, Beriah Bill, Andrew Fitch, John Harmon, Robert Wallam, Elisha Lee, Nathaniel Webb, Robert Durkee, John McGriegier, Simon Spaulding
Surgeon Samuel Lee
Surgeon’s Mate Jonathan Knight

Bradley's Regiment / 5th Connecticut
Colonel Philip Bradley
Lt. Colonel Mathew Mead
Major Jonathan Johnson
Company Commanders
Captains Josiah Child, Eli Catlin, Samuel Hait, Josiah Lacey, Abner Prior, Ezekiel Sanford, Soloman Strong, Joseph A Wright
Surgeon Benjamin Putman
Surgeon’s Mate Jabez Smith

Swift's Regiment / 7th Connecticut
Colonel Heman Swift
Lt. Colonel Josiah Starr
Major John Sedwick
Captains Phineas Beardsley, Aaron Steevens, Ebenezer Hills, Titus Watson, Theodore Woodbridge, Albert Chapman, Stephen Hall, Thomas Converse
Surgeon Lancalot Jockques
Surgeon’s Mate Jonathan Todd

Chandler's Regiment / 8th Connecticut
Colonel John Chandler
Lt. Colonel Thomas Dyer
Major Joseph Hait
Captains Paul Brigham, Samual Mattocks, Theophils Monson, David Smith, Silvanus Brown, Samuel Comstock, Nehemiah Rice, Samuel Sanford
Surgeon David Holmes
Surgeon’s Mate Solomon Howe

The Philadelphia Campaign / Massachusetts Regiments

Massachusetts Regiments That Served Philadelphia's Defense and Afterwards Wintered At Valley Forge

This is looking to see if there is an obvious personal link between any Continental officers of likely regiments and John Dirlam, or anyone else I recognize from Becket/Blandford. Sadly, I don't see one. But it would have been a shame to have missed such an obvious link, just for not looking. Below are the field officers, company commanders and surgeons serving Massachusetts regiments at Valley Forge. Every one of these regiments also served in the defense of Philadelphia, according to either https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Line or ValleyForgeMusterroll.org.

The most interesting name here is Col. William Shephard. His son, also called William Shepard, went to Washington County, New York around the time of the exodus from Becket/Blandford, 1795-1800, like John Dirlam. And 10 years later moved further west to Canandaigua, like Dirlam's sons.

Vose's Regiment / Paterson's Regiment / 1st Massachusetts / 15th Continental:

• Colonel Joseph Vose
• Lt. Colonel Elijah Vose
• Major Thomas Cogswell
• Captains Moses Ashley, Nathaniel Cushing, Robert Davis, Abraham Hunt, Jeremiah Miller, George Smith, Orringh Stoddard, Abraham Tuckerman
• Surgeon John Crain
• Surgeon’s Mate Joseph Fisk

Bailey's Regiment / Thomas' Regiment / 2nd Massachusetts / 23rd Continental:

• Colonel John Bailey
• Lt. Colonel John Bailey
• Major Andrew Peters
• Captains Judah Alden, Ephraim Burr, Samuel Darby, George Dunham, Hugh Maxwell, Isaac Warren, Seth Drew
• 1st Lieutenant Jacob Allen
• Surgeon John Hart
• Surgeon’s Mate Timothy Smith

Learned's Regiment / 4th Massachusetts / 3rd Continental:

• Colonel William Shephard
• Lt. Colonel Ebenezer Sprout
• Major Warham Parks
• Major Jonathan Allen
• Captains Job Alvord, Labbous Ball, Seth Bannister, Thomas Fish, Caleb Keep, Moses Knapp, Simon Learned, Isaac Pope, Reuben Slayton, George Webb
• Surgeon Jonathan King
• Surgeon Josiah Harvey
• Surgeon’s Mate Josiah Waterhouse
• Surgeon’s Mate Daniel Bartlet

Sargent's Regiment / 8th Massachusetts / 16th Continental:

• Colonel Michael Jackson
• Lt. Colonel John Brooks
• Major William Hull
• Captain James Bancroft, John Burnham, Ebenezer Cleaveland, Ephraim Cleaveland, James Keith, James Varnum, John Wiley, Benjamin Brown
• Surgeon Walter Hastings
• Surgeon’s Mate Calvin Scott

Wesson's Regiment / Gerrish's Regiment / 9th Massachusetts / 26th Continental Regiment:

• Colonel James Wesson
• Lt. Colonel James Mellen
• Captains Samuel Bartlett, John Blanchard, Samuel Carr, Abraham Childs, Amos Cogswell, Nathan Dix, Joseph Pettingill, Nahum Ward
• Surgeon John Thomas
• Surgeon’s Mate Henry Adams

Marshal's Regiment / 10th Massachusetts:

• Colonel Thomas Marshall
• Lt. Colonel Joseph Thompson
• Major Nathaniel Winslow
• Captains Benjamin Walcott, Amasa Soper, Josiah Smith, William Warner, Philip Thomas, Samuel King, Christopher Marshall, Jacob Wales
• Surgeon John Jones
• Surgeon James Parker
• Surgeon’s Mate Daniel Bartlet
• Surgeon’s Mate Elisha Skinner

Frances' Regiment / 11th Massachusetts:

• Colonel Benjamin Tupper
• Lt. Colonel Noah M. Littlefield
• Major William Lithgow
• Captains Daniel Wheelwright, Moses Greenleaf, Richard Mayberry, Samuel Page, John Skillings, George White
• Lieutenant William Burley

Phinney's Regiment /12th Massachusetts / 18th Continental Regiment:

• Colonel Samuel Brewer
• Lt. Colonel Samuel Carlton
• Major Tobias Fernald
• Captains Nathan Watkins, Elisha Brewer, Daniel Merrill, Silas Burbank, James Donnell, John Chadwick, Joseph Jenkins, Enos Stone
• Surgeon Paletiah Warren
• Surgeon’s Mate Josiah Waterbuse
• Surgeon’s Mate Joseph Gardner

Brewer's Regiment / 13th Massachusetts / 6th Continental:

• Colonel Edward Wigglesworth
• Lt. Colonel Dudley Coleman
• Major John Porter
• Captains Arron Haynes, Nathaniel Alexander, Noah Allen, Nicholas Blasdall, Israel Davis, Matthew Fairfield, Daniel Pillsbury, Thomas Wettington
• Surgeon John Wingate
• Surgeon’s Mate Joshia Chase

Bradford's Regiment / 14th Massachusetts:

• Colonel Gamaliel Bradford
• Lt. Colonel Barakieh Bassett
• Major Samuel Tubbs
• Captains Zebedee Redding, Joseph Wadsworth, Thomas Turner, James Cooper, Elinathan Haskell, Joshua Eddy, John Lamonts, Josiah Stetson, John Russell
• Surgeon Samuel Finley
• Surgeon John Wingate
• Surgeon’s Mate George Fairbanks
• Surgeon’s Mate Jonathan Clark

Patterson's Regiment / 15th Massachusetts:

• Colonel Timothy Bigelow
• Lt. Colonel Henry Haskell
• Major Hugh Maxwell
• Major David Bradish
• Captains Daniel Barnes, Joshua Brown, Paul Ellis, William Gates, Joseph Hodgkins, Adam Martin, Edmund Munro, Silvanus Smith
• Surgeon James E.B. Finley
• Surgeon’s Mate William S. Little

The surgeons were:

• Surgeon John Crain
• Surgeon’s Mate Joseph Fisk
• Surgeon John Hart
• Surgeon’s Mate Timothy Smith
• Surgeon Jonathan King
• Surgeon Josiah Harvey
• Surgeon’s Mate Josiah Waterhouse
• Surgeon’s Mate Daniel Bartlet
• Surgeon Walter Hastings
• Surgeon’s Mate Calvin Scott
• Surgeon John Thomas
• Surgeon’s Mate Henry Adams
• Surgeon John Jones
• Surgeon James Parker
• Surgeon’s Mate Daniel Bartlet
• Surgeon’s Mate Elisha Skinner
• Surgeon Paletiah Warren
• Surgeon’s Mate Josiah Waterbuse
• Surgeon’s Mate Joseph Gardner
• Surgeon John Wingate
• Surgeon’s Mate Joshia Chase
• Surgeon Samuel Finley
• Surgeon John Wingate
• Surgeon’s Mate George Fairbanks
• Surgeon’s Mate Jonathan Clark
• Surgeon James E.B. Finley
• Surgeon’s Mate William S. Little

State & County Troops Sent to Reinforce the Continentals

Colonel John Moseley's Regiment (3rd Hampshire County) - served 9 months at Fishkill in 1778

Colonel Thomas Nixon's Regiment (6th Massachusetts) - 1777 to 1780

Nixon's orderly books are preserved at the New-York Historical Society. Here's a resource for many many many orderly books - http://www.revwar75.com/

The Philadelphia Campaign Part 1

British Grenadiers

John Dirlam served in Blakeney company of the 23rd Foot Regiment. Companys were named after their commanders, in this case Major William Blakeney (later Colonel), injured twice during the Seven Years War, and again at Bunker Hill.

Blakeney's was a grenadier company. Grenadiers were a 17th century invention, originally trained to use grenades, hence the name. They were specialized assault troops, useful in siege warfare, and common to European armies. Technological improvements to guns, cannons, and gunpowder made those weapons vastly more lethal than bombs and grenades. But the value of specially trained assault troops continued to be popular into the 19th century, and they were widely deployed by the British against fortifications during the Revolutionary War.

Ideally, Grenadiers were picked from the most experienced and toughest soldiers, but were sometimes just the tallest and strongest. They wore tall bearskin caps to add to their towering appearance. Think of the Grenadier Guards at Buckingham Palace. The soldiers were proud of the bearskins -- regular infantry wore tri-cornered 'cocked hats' and were called 'hatmen'.

I suspect John Dirlam was selected for his height, since he was assigned to Blakeney Company on his arrival in New York City, before his skills could have been known; and also since there's some height among his descendants today. To quote from the orderly book for the 4th Grenadier Battalion, “…the Grenadier Company is to be constantly kept compleat, from the best and tallest Men in the Regiment…, and have such Men only in it, as are perfect masters of their business… as experience proves that Grenadier Company which covers most ground when under Arms, to be much superior in point of Marching, and every sort of fatigue…”

This from http://www.revwar75.com/library/pace/4th-Brit-Gren-Bn-OB-1776.pdf

A typical British infantry regiment consisted of ten companies; eight center companies, and two flank companies: a grenadier company on the right flank, and a light infantry company on the left. But these are parade ground positions. Because of their toughness, grenadier companies from different regiments were often combined into battalions, larger assault teams. In early 1776, after the British realized they needed to prepare for war, their grenadier companies were detached from the parent regiments and grouped into composite grenadier battalions. This included Blakeney company, which was assigned to a 1st Battalion of Grenadiers, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel [William] Meadows [55th Regt.].

This summary is taken from "British Grenadier Companies at Monmouth" on Yahoo Group: Revlist (sorry for the amount of detail).

Head Quarters Halifax 14th May 1776... The Commander in Chief is pleased to form the Grenadier and Light Infantry Companies into four Battalions.

1st Battalion of Grenadiers, composed of the following Companies, To be Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel [William] Meadows [55th Regt.] and Major [Edward] Mitchell [5th Regt.], Viz.: 4th, 5th, 10th, 17th, 22d, 23d, 27th, 35th, 38th, 40th.

2d Battalion of Grenadiers composed of the following Companies, To be Commanded by Lieut.-Col. [Hon. Henry] Monckton [45th Regt.] and Major [Hon. Charles] Stuart [43rd Regt.], viz.: 43d., 44th, 45th, 46th, 49th, 52d, 55th, 63d, 64th, 1st. and 2d. Marines.

Source: Gen. Sir William Howe's Orders, 1776, in "The Kemble Papers, Vol. I, 1773-1789" in Collections of the New-York Historical Society for the Year 1883, Publication Fund Series, Printed for the Society, New York, 1884, Google Books, pp. 352-353.

General Order to Disband the 3rd British Grenadier Bn. and Assign the 42nd Grenadier Co. to the 2nd British Grenadier Bn., Mar. 23, 1777

Source: "Orderly Book of General Sir William Howe, Kept By Major Stephen Kemble, Deputy Adjutant General, 29 January 1777 - 20 June 1777" in New York State Library Manuscripts and History Library, Accession Number 6744.

General Order to Disband the British Flank Battalion and Return the Grenadier and Light Infantry Companies to Their Regiments, July 5, 1778

Source: "The Kemble Papers, Vol. I, 1773-1789" in Collections of the New-York Historical Society for the Year 1883, Publication Fund Series, Printed for the Society, New York, 1884, Google Books. This order was issued following the departure from Philadelphia and the battle of Monmouth Courthouse, New Jersey on June 28, 1778. The officers of the grenadiers and light infantry, took this order to disband as an insult to the elite status of their battalions and it was soon reversed.

General Order to Reestablish the British Flank Battalions, July 31, 1778

Source: "Captured British Army Orderly Book, January 29-August 9, 1778" in the George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799: Series 6. Military Papers. 1755-1798

Saturday 11th Septr 1779 ...found the Battalion divided as follows 1st [Lt. Col. Henry] Hopes consisting of 7th, 17th, 23d, 33d, 37th, 38th, 42d, & 43d. 2nd [Lt Col. John] York's, the 22d, 54th, 57th, 63d, 64th, 70th, & 74th...

The 1st Battalion, and thus Blakney company, saw action repeatedly near Philadelphia in late 1777, so it's likely this is where John Dirlam was injured. Gen. Howe was replaced in May 1778, and the British army was marched back to New York City, but without Dirlam, who less than two years later was buying land in western Massachusetts.

What can Wigand Dirlam tell us about John O Dirlam?

Wigand Dirlam and his brother Konrad, from Otrau (south of Kassel) served in Knyphausen's Hessen-Kassel Regiment during the War for Independence. Their service is documented in HETRINA. Konrad died in New York, injured within a few weeks of his arrival there in 1776. But Wigand survived the war and returned home.

HETRINA doesn't reveal their relationship, but Ancestry does -- as sons of Johannes Dirlam and Martha Elisabeth Krey. And another brother's son, Jacob Dirlam, settled in Wayne County, Pennsylvania in the 1850s. These Dirlams used the name Johannes every generation, going back into the 17th century. The use of a Saint's name, here it's John the Baptist, was common, and often became a family tradition. That was often combined with another name like Johann Peter, Johann Jost or Johann Heinrich, and at home the child was called Peter, Jost or Heinrich. But all the sons could have the same Saint's name. And their cousins could too! Which one is our John O. Dirlam?!!??!!

Wigand's military service is also documented in two volumes of the Journal of The Johannes Schwalm Historical Assocation, Inc. According to volume 3, number 1, he was taken prisoner at Trenton, New Jersey 26 December 1776 and appears on a list made by the Germans on 27 February 1777. Nearly nine hundred Hessians were captured, and Dirlam was part of a group marched 100 miles west to Lancaster. Most of these prisoners were exchanged between June and August 1778, when Dirlam returned to his regiment, then occupying Philadelphia.

After the British surrendered an army at Saratoga, their overall strategy changed. 18 June 1778 they abandoned Philadelphia, and the Knyphausen Regiment returned to New York. After France entered the war, the British, never really trusting the loyalty of Quebeckers, sent Knyphausen's Regiment to prevent rebellion among the French-speaking inhabitants. Anyway, 8 September 1779 the regiment sailed north aboard 3 ships, part of a much larger fleet. Two ships, Molly and Triton, were damaged by a storm and captured by privateers. Wigand Dirlam was part of this group, sent to Philadelphia's New Gaol. These prisoners were exchanged and allowed to travel to their post in Quebec.

The regiment was later transferred to New York, arriving 28 Oct 1781, just three days before Cornwallis' surrender. They remained in New York for the duration of the treaty negotiations, finally returning to their garrison at Ziegenhain 16 Oct 1783.

According to JJSHA, volume 2, number 1, Wigand Dirlam's captivity (from his capture 26 Sep 1779 to his release 13 Oct 1779) at The New Gaol is recorded in the Bradford papers, summarized as:

• an undated list of 91 POWs signed by Capt. Wiederhold. 
• a list of 92 POWs signed by Feldwebel (1st Sgt.) Johannes Meinguth, dated 10 Oct 1779, including notations about Wigand's 2 week hospitalization 
•  a list made by the Americans of POWs held during 1781 and 1782, Wigand appears in section F 
• a list of POWs who worked for Jacob Faesch, Iron Master in 1782 
• a list of 122 German POWs made 5 Feb 1782 

It's a wild story. Wigand was

• captured at Trenton, PA 26 December 1776
• marched to 65 miles to Lancaster, PA 2 January 1777
• released March 1777
• part of occupation of Philadelphia 26 Sep 1777?
• left Philadelphia 18 Jun 1778
• wintered in New York
• set sail for Quebec 8 September 1779
• captured at sea 26 September 1779
• held briefly in Philadelphia Gaol 10 October 1779
• released 13 Oct 1779
• surrendered at Yorktown 19 October 1781
• marched to Rockaway, NJ to work 

More research is required to confirm what's actually on these lists. Schwalm lists file no. 59 of the Bradford Papers (held by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania) as belonging to Wigand Dirlam, Regt. Knyphausen, Company 3.

For those of us interested in his presumed-cousin, John O Dirlam, the most tantalizing item here is one about POWs working to make iron in an American foundry. An article by Lion G. Miles follows the list, and it says:

Sometimes this use of captured enemy soldiers was done on a quasi-legal basis, depending on government policy at the time, but always it was done in an attempt to alleviate the acute labor shortage that prevailed in colonial America. Hessians and other Germans were used in the various Pennsylvania ironworks of York, Lancaster, Berks, and Bucks Counties. Others worked on the construction of government buildings, some were used as shoemakers, and many more employed as farm hands.

I added the emphasis on shoemakers, because John O Dirlam was a shoemaker. The significance is nicely summarized by George Washington, writing 21 April 1778 at Valley Forge:

To see the men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie upon, without shoes...without a house or hut to cover them until those could be built, and submitting without a murmur, is a proof of patience and obedience which, in my opinion, can scarcely be paralleled.

 An article in this same volume 3 of JJSHA by Kenneth S. Jones describes orders to transfer POWs from the overcrowded Worcester jail to Newbury Port 2 June 1777. And to move POWs  from Boston's Workinghouse to Worcester jail or into work arrangements with Worcester families 31 July 1777. These records are in the Massachusetts Archives, Vol. 167 -1-2a. Volume 167 are Revolution Council Papers from 1777, when the Council acted as sole executive. The volume primarily relates to requests to leave the state, prisoners of war, and commissions for the commanders of privateers. The papers are viewable at The Massachusetts Archives Reading Room, 220 Morrissey Blvd., Boston MA 02125.