History of the town of Oxford, Massachusetts with genealogies and notes on persons and estates, Part 17

Author: Daniels, George Fisher, 1820-1897
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Oxford : Pub. by the author with the cooperation of the town
Number of Pages: 916

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Oxford > History of the town of Oxford, Massachusetts with genealogies and notes on persons and estates > Part 17

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On 17 June, 1778, the General Court passed a resolve that towns should furnish shirts, shoes and stockings for the army, of which Oxford's share was 28 each. In September the town voted to pay interest on money the selectmen might borrow to meet this demand, and also chose Joshua Merriam, Jonathan Pratt, Jr., and Ebenezer Coburn to provide for soldiers' families. In November £45 bounty was "voted to soldiers who went to Providence for 6 months last spring," and £200 for soldiers' families, also £213 " to buy clothing deficient last spring, and to pay for that provided by individuals." On 6 Jan., 1779, there were allowed to the town through William Hancock, selectman, by the authorities, 28 shirts, 28 pairs of shoes, 28 pairs of stockings, valued at £133.

As time passed the state of affairs became more critical and at the annual meeting for 1779, seven selectmen, Edward Davis, Esq., chairman, and five for a committee of " Correspondence, Inspection and Safety," Reuben Lamb, chairman, were elected. There was, however, little or no town action during the year on the subject of the war. In October and November authority was given the treasurer to borrow, not to exceed £700, for the use of soldiers' families.

The Town fined. By a vote of the Legislature, 9 June, 1779, any town which should on the last day of July be deficient in its quota of men was required to pay a fine of £350 for each man lacking. Oxford is in the list as deficient six men. There is a document in the State Archives,3 without date, but of 1779 or early in 1780, from which we learn that previous to the time of its being drawn a requisi- tion had been made for recruits of nine months' men, and that Oxford was in arrears and consequently fined £3,000. The selectmen de- murred and in their memorial stated the town had raised one man more than had been credited, and furthermore represented that

" there is a Gore of land between Oxford and Connecticut that is ordered to do military duty in Oxford, whereby our proportion of Continental men is three or four more than would have been our ' cota,' and as they do not live

1 This record is in an unusually bold handwrit- ing of Dea. Samuel Harris, the town clerk, and evidently was written under the influence of the " Spirit of '76."

2 Mass. Rolls, XLII., 51.

3 CCCXVII., 124.

131

REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

1780-1

in Oxford we cannot tax them one farthing towards raising men . . . said Town hath completed every draft excepting this, and it is not for want of good will, but by reason of thirty-seven persons in town that refuse to take up arms by reason of their religious principles,"

which 37, with those in said Gore, amounted to "about one-third part of the Training Band and Alarm List in Oxford."

A committee to whom this was referred reported that Oxford had three men in the Continental army for which it had not had credit, and therefore recommended that £1,800 of the fine be remitted-which was voted 12 April, 1780. As there is no recorded action of the town on the subject we infer that the men were later furnished and no fine was exacted.1

Army Supplies. On 14 Oct., 1780, it was voted, in compliance with a resolve of the General Court, 15 Sept., " to raise 5,760 pounds of beef" for the army, which Sylvanus Town, Elisha Davis and Amos Shumway, Jr., were chosen to provide. On 1 Jan., 1781, the question of furnishing men and beef was again before the town, a requisition having been made on 4 Dec., 1780, for 12 men and 11,062 pounds of beef. Edward Davis, Alexander Campbell and Abraham Hill were chosen to petition the "General Assembly for some relief in our Taxes, and More particularly about our Quota of Men and Beef." At a meeting 5 Feb., 1781, it was voted not to "raise the Beef," but to furnish the men. In May the town again refused to furnish the beef, but on 19 July reconsidered the matter and chose Ezra Bowman, Reuben Lamb, John Dana, Sylvanus Town and Amasa Kingsbury a committee to provide it as required. Action was, however, so tardy that "Sundry Gentlemen " were threatened by the " Superintendent of the Commonwealth" with an execution to enforce the requisition. These refusals were much deprecated by the loyal citizens and an association was at once formed to meet, so far as possible, personal responsibility. The following is in the town archives :-

" An account of the names of the several persons in Oxford that when they found they could not obtain a vote in the town to raise the beef ordered by the General Court ... being sensible of the great need of keeping up an army and supplying them well in the field, we associated together and raised money and paid the same into the hands of the agent to procure beef as by receipts will appear, to the full value of our proportion of said beef when carefully compared with the whole town : Edward Davis, Ebenezer Learned, Amos Shumway, Jeremiah Kingsbury, Joshua Merriam, Ezra Bowman, James Butler, John Ballard, Benjamin Hovey, Elias Pratt, Jonas Eddy, Samuel Harris, Ebenezer Humphrey, William Hancock, John Shumway, John Town,

1 A plan often adopted in raising recruits for the army was by "classing." The tax payers were grouped by tlie assessors, the rich and poor in as equitable a manner as possible, in as many divisions as there were men to be raised, and each class was taxed to raise one man. This was found to be a very efficient method. The

custom is recognized in the following receipt :

"Leicester, Aug. 30, 1781, this day recvd one man for the town of Oxford to Sarve in the army for three years for the clase whearof Mr. James Meriam is Chearman.

"SETH WASHBURN, Superint."

132

HISTORY OF OXFORD.

1781

Josiah Kingsbury, David Newcomb, William Eddy, Ambrose Stone, Nathaniel Hamlin, Isaac Hartwell, Uriah Stone, Joshua Merriam, Jr., James Merriam, Asa Conant, William Everden, Jedediah Barton, Levi Davis, Joshua Turner, Joseph Hurd, John Pratt, Benjamin Shumway, Reuben Eddy, Wid. Content Hovey, Ebenezer Pray, Silas Eddy, John Nichols, Allen Hancock, Thomas Pratt, Josiah Shumway, Amos Shumway, Jr., Abisha Shumway, Peter Shum- way, John Carriel, Bartholomew Woodbury, Samuel Rich, Jr., Daniel Har- wood, Samuel Waters, Reuben Lamb, Paul Sibley, Jason Coller." .

This may be regarded as a roll of honor. The amount which they contributed was sufficient to purchase, according to a memorandum attached to the list, 3,617 pounds of beef, leaving 7,445 pounds yet to be furnished by the town.

Execution served. The threatened execution was served and the balance of the beef consequently provided, as appears by the following document addressed to the assessors of Oxford :-

" Whereas we the subscribers, inhabitants of the town of Oxford some time past were arrested by one Benjamin Hovey a Sheriff's Deputy for the County of Worcester by virtue of an Execution issued by one Phelps, called superintendant for purchasing beef and dictated by one Col. Davis, said to be his agent; have paid to said agent 7573 pounds of beef which with the interest cost thirty three shillings per hundred; we do therefore hereby request the Gentlemen Assessors of the town of Oxford to assess the inhabit- ants of the town for said money and to be paid in in equal proportion as the law directs.

ABRAHAM HILL, ELISHA DAVIS for self and Brother JOHN DAVIS, ALEX'R CAMPBELL."

" Oxford, June 25, 1782."

In the General Court, 4 Feb., 1784, on the certificate of Jacob Davis, agent of Oliver Phelps, that the town of Oxford had filled the requisition of 4 Dec., 1780, for beef for the army, "Resolved that the Execution against the town be stayed, and there be no further process thereon." The records of the General Court, 7 Oct., 1783, show that the town had been fined £214. 2s. 6d. for failing to furnish soldiers as required by resolve of Dec., 1780; but at that date it appearing that the town's quota had been filled it was ordered that the treasurer credit Oxford the amount of the fine in the next State tax. On 22 June, 1781, a third call for beef was made, which was promptly met. A return of clothing and supplies, in 1781, gives as received from Oxford, 19 pairs shoes, 19 pairs hose, 18 shirts, 10 blankets.1

The close of the war was now approaching. A receipt of Seth Washburn, superintendent, dated at Leicester, 27 Dec., 1781, acknowl- edges the filling of its quota of men for the public service by the town of Oxford. A call for four men from Oxford was issued in March, 1782, but we find no record of action upon it.

1 Mass. Arch., CXL., 272.

133

REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

1776-9

Incidentals. In 1776, Stephen Streeter of Douglas, and two well-to-do Oxford farmers, were by the authorities of these towns, in the performance of their legal duties, ordered to march to reinforce the American army, and refused. On 14 Jan., 1777, the General Court considered a petition from these men stating that the select- men, etc., of these towns, notwithstanding their claim to be Quakers, had on their refusal, as aforesaid, "thrown them into Worcester Goal," asking relief. The Court replied that as in the act calling for soldiers the duties of selectmen, etc., respecting Quakers had been pointed out, if there had been abuse or wrong it should be tried in a court of justice before a jury. We have no further light on this sub- ject so far as concerns the Oxford men, but Streeter was persistent. [See Streeter. ]

On 6 Jan., 1777, in the General Court it was resolved that Alexan- der Nichols shall have a hearing before the selectmen, company offi- cers and Committee of Correspondence and Safety on his case. No record of hearing found. The State owned a large quantity of salt ; by a resolve of the General Court a distribution of a part was made among the towns, Oxford receiving, June, 1777, 66 bushels at 10s. a bushel. Edward Davis of Oxford represented to the General Court that he had occasion for laborers in the "farming way" and requested that he might have one of the Brunswick prisoners "now on board the guard ship in Boston harbor."

" 8 Oct., 1777. Ordered that the commissary of prisoners deliver to the peti- tioner one of said prisoners to be employed in his family as a servant if they should consent thereto, said Davis engaging to support them, allow them reasonable wages and return them when the Council call for them, and pay expenses of bringing them." 1

George King and others stated to the authorities they had pur- chased salt in Massachusetts to take to Windsor, Conn., which was stopped by the committee of Oxford and taken ; prayed for relief .- 20 Aug., 1777, ordered the petition be granted and the committee " are directed to deliver the salt to the petitioner." 2 In the Massa- chusetts Spy of 16 Oct., 1777, Isaac Pratt gave notice that he was about to start for the army and would carry letters and bring returns at one shilling postage. 14 Feb., 1778, Jeremiah Kingsbury was voted by the State authorities £13. 10s., which sum had been sent to him to be expended for shoes, stockings, etc., for the army, but was lost in the burning of his house.

" Pascal Nelson Smith sheweth that John Grinnell of Fairfield, Conn., on 15 Sept., 1779, two teams loaded with tea which said Grinnell imported from Amsterdam, several barrels of Flour and Rum, some Dry Goods . . . and sundry family utensils all the same being for the use of the family of said Grinnell except the tea, Thaddeus Burr, Esq., and other inhabitants of Fair- field who were bought out by the enemy and are now suffering the want of- that the said teams were stopped at the town of Oxford several days before

1 Arch., CLXXIII., 467. 2 Ibid., 357.

134

HISTORY OF OXFORD.

the Embargo was laid by the Honorable General Court, by the Committee of said town and the effects taken from them, and the owners of the teams obliged to return with them empty-that afterward the Committee of Oxford suffered the tea to go forward but they still detain the Sugar, Rum, Dry Goods and family utensils to the great detriment of the said Grinnell," &c .- He asked relief. 15 Oct., 1779, "Ordered that said John Grinnell be and hereby is permitted to transport from Oxford to Fairfield, Conn., said goods and effects, any Embargo to the contrary notwithstanding." 1

In 1783 Capt. John Town obtained judgment in court against the town for £136, " paid for procuring soldiers " in 1777.

Supplies in the line of shoes, stockings, shirts, etc., could not be had on contract as at the present day. Requisitions were therefore made for them on the towns as for men. Some orders sent to Oxford were, 20 Jan., 1777, 14 blankets ; 17 June, 1778, shoes, stockings and shirts, 28 each ; June, 1779, do., 28 each; May, 1780, do., 20 each and 10 blankets ; June, 1781, do., 19 each.

Demands of the war. Revolutionary papers of Isaac Hartwell remain, and are interesting documents, suggesting what the great struggle meant financially to one who did not enter the ranks. The following payments are indicated, there may have been others: On 24 July, 1776, £7 " for hiring samuel White for the service." White served three years in Capt. Moore's Co. On 23 Sept., 1777, £15 fine, he having been drafted for eight months; 21 July, 1779, £30 "for a man to sarve in Road island" until 1 Jan. following; 13 Jan., 1781, £320 [currency] towards hiring three months men the previous June ; 18 Jan., 1781, he received an order for "foore Boushels of Rye," to be his discharge towards raising three months men July previous ; 2 March, 1781, £224. 14s. " towards raising the 6 mos. men last June"; 7 April, 1781, £20. 3s. "hard money," towards paying Samuel White for three years, "agreeable to act of the Assembly"; 18 July, 1781, " Six silver dollars for the hire of three-months men to West Point, N. Y."

Revolutionary soldiers. The largest call of Massachusetts for men (after April, 1775, when 13,500 were required) was on 25 June, 1776, when 5,000 were called for, Oxford's quota 23; some later calls were, 8 June, 1779, for 2,000, Oxford 6; 5 June, 1780, for 3,934, Oxford 13; 4 Dec., 1780, Oxford 12; 30 June, 1781, for 3,000, Oxford 9; March, 1782, for 1,500, Oxford 4.

The list of Oxford men must be for the present imperfect. From the incomplete rolls in the office of Secretary of State and other sources the following have been gathered. Capt. Town's Co., Col. Learned's Reg., marched 20 April, 1775, on the " Lexington Alarm " :

John Town, Capt .; Daniel Hovey, Lieut .; Thomas Fish, Sec. Lieut. ; Richard Ferrars, Serg. [deserted 11 Sept., 1775]; Samuel Manning, Serg .; Arthur Humphrey, Corp. ; Phinehas Allen, John Ballard, Samuel Baker, William Bogle, John Campbell, Daniel Sabin, Abijah Harris, William Foster, Joshua Turner, Allen Hancock, John Hudson [served 3 yrs., trad. ], Robert

1 Arch., CLXXV., 643.

135

REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

Manning, Elias Pratt [later Capt., served through the war], Ebenezer Shum- way, Anthony Sigourney, Timothy Sparhawk, David D. Town, Jonas Pratt, Jr., Haines Learned [disch. 17 Sept., 1775], Abraham Merrifield, Amasa Allen; total, 7 officers, 21 privates.

In May there was a reorganization of troops. William Campbell, previously in Capt. Craft's cavalry Co., Sturbridge, was made captain of the Oxford company, and the following additional names appear that year on its rolls :-

Sylvanus Town, Serg., from Craft's company ; Abner Shumway, drummer ; Moses Coburn, Jonathan Marsh [S. Gore], Thomas Bogle [took the place of Asa Larned, disch.], Frost Rockwood, Thomas Mcknight, Jason Coller, James H. Parker, John Conant, John Fessenden, Josiah Eddy, Moses Knowland [S. Gore], Paul Thurston, from Craft's company, Will [a negro, servt. of Campbell ? disch. 5 Oct., 1775].

In Col. Learned's Reg., April, 1775, were also in Craft's Co., cavalry, Sturbridge, William Campbell, Lieut. ; Levi Davis, Joseph Hurd, Sylvanus Town, Paul Thurston, John Walker, William Moore.

In Capt. Curtis' Co., 1775, Robert Manning, corp. [transferred from Town's Co.], Stephen Griffith, corp., d. 31 July, 1775, Daniel Griffith, Isaac Pratt, Joseph Streeter, Moses Town, Elias Town, John Mellen, Samuel Learned, Phinehas Allen, Benjamin Edwards.

In Capt. Healy's Co., 1775, William Moore, serg., transferred from Craft's Co., Curtis Dixon, Aaron Wakefield, Amos Wakefield.

In Capt. Green's Co., Oct., 1775, Asa Meriam, Samuel Stone. At Dorchester, 1775, for 3 months, in Dike's Reg., Richardson's Co., Ebenezer Fish, Samuel Kingsbury.

In Whitney's Reg., Carriel's Co., 4 mos. at least, 1776, at Hull, Sampson Marvin, corp., William Jordan, Jedediah Blaney, Richard Moore, Moses Town, Elisha Town, Amos Parsons, Moses Knowland.

In Guild's Co., Whiting's Reg., 1776, Nathaniel Wyman.

In Craft's Reg., Art. Todd's Co., 1776, Elisha Livermore, bom- bardier, three months. This was not the limit of his service.

In Tyler's Reg., Ferrer's Co., Dec., 1776, Daniel Fisk.

The following enlisted early in 1777 for 3 years or during the war : Benjamin Wakefield, Josiah Eddy, corp., John Hudson, corp., Joseph Cody, corp., Peter Shumway, drummer, Moses Knowland, Richard Moore, William Jordan, David Town, all in Capt. Moore's Co.1 In Webb's Co., Sylvanus Learned, serg., Noah Harkins, serg., John Harvey, David Manning.

Capt. Jeremiah Kingsbury's Co., Col. Jonathan Holman's Regt., Providence, 20 Jan., 1777, roll :-

Jeremiah Kingsbury, Capt. ; Silas Town, Lieut. ; Jonas Pratt, Levi Davis, Jonas Eddy, Allen Hancock, Sergts .; William Hudson, John Pratt, Amos Shumway, Ebenezer Shumway, Corp's; Zaccheus Ballard, John Rawson, Joseph Kingsbury, John Allen, John Larned, Josiah Shumway, Curtis Dixon, Sampson Marvin, John White, Amos Wakefield, Thomas Wolcott, Jesse

1 Moore, first a private in Craft's troops, Sturbridge, was promoted and served through the war.

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136

HISTORY OF OXFORD.

Gleason, Nathan Pratt, Reuben Eddy, Jonathan Coolidge, Elisha Town, Sylvanus Learned, Jesse Pratt, Jesse Merriam, Samuel Stone, Joseph Spar- hawk, Aaron Parker, Jonathan Merriam, Jonas Davis, Benjamin Hovey, William Lamb. Time in camp 43 days.

A detachment of this company was again in service beginning 27 Sept., 1777, " when the Militia marched to Reinforce General Gates' Army at the Northward Agreeable to an order of the General Court." They were out 30 days and marched 158 miles. Roll :-

Jeremiah Kingsbury, Capt .; John Ballard, Lieut. ; Ebenezer Coburn, Haines Learned, Sergts .; Jonas Eddy, Allen Hancock, Corps .; John Larned, Aaron Parker, Jesse Pratt, Joseph Rockwood, Jesse Merriam, William Nichols, Nathan Pratt, John Rawson, Ambrose Stone, Jonas Davis, David Stone, Abraham Fitts, Amos Shumway, Anthony Sigourney.

Jesse Stone of Oxford was captain of a company which marched on the " Bennington Alarm," and was out from 19 July to 29 Aug., 1777. There were no Oxford men in the ranks.

A reinforcement for Gates' army, in service from 1 Aug. to 29 Nov., 1777, was commanded by Abijah Lamb under Col. Cushing, believed to have been in the Saratoga battles. The roll is as fol- lows :-

Abijah Lamb, Capt. ; Ebenezer Humphrey, Sylvanus Town, Lieuts .; Elijah Larned, Arthur Humphrey, Sergts. ; Dana Town, Timothy Sparhawk, Corps. ; Thomas Baker, Jonathan Coolidge, Jason Coller, Ebenezer Davis, John Fitts, Joseph Hurd, Isaac Larned [a family record says Isaac Larned was bom- bardier in Capt. Todd's Art. Company], Jonathan Merriam, Samuel Stone [commissary], Elias Town, Isaac Larned, Jr., privates.

In Sparhawk's Reg., Chase's Co., at Dorchester, 1778, Jesse Hill, David Smith, Isaac Anabell.

Drafted in 1778, Jonathan Fuller, John M. Jewell, Eleazer Stowell.

In 1778, 9 months in Capt. Kingsbury's company, Jeremiah Kings- bury, Capt. ; Eleazer Stockwell, David Chamberlin, Uriah Carpenter.

In Tyler's Reg., Fish's Co., Tiverton, R. I., Dec., 1779, 6 mos., Thomas Fish, Capt. ; Ebenezer Coburn, Lieut. ; Abisha Shumway, Jacob Works, Samuel Atwood.

In a list of "new levies," 1780, 6 months' men, are Thomas Wolcott, Moses Baker, Elisha Town, David Town, Jacob Nichols, James Atwood, Samuel White, Noah Dodge, Samuel Killey. On the rolls for the same year appear also Samuel Wiley, Jacob Winslow, Joseph Atwood, Benjamin Turner.

A pay roll, Capt. Ebenezer Humphrey, Col. Jacob Davis ; company marched 30 July, 1780, to Rhode Island " on the alarm " :-

Ebenezer Humphrey, Capt .; Levi Davis, Lieut .; Joshua Turner, Sec. Lieut. ; Joseph Hurd, Ebenezer Humphrey, Jr., John Campbell, Amos Shum- way, Sergts .; Benjamin Shumway, Jonathan Coburn, David Stone, Samuel Stone, Corps .; Lemuel Cudworth, fifer; Philip Amidown, Ezekiel Coller, Thomas Campbell, Solomon Covel, Jonas Davis, Simon Gleason, Nathaniel Hamlin, Jonathan Harris, Gideon Hovey, Jeremiah Kingsbury, Reuben Lamb,

137

REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

John Nichols, Jonas Pratt, Thomas Parker, Nathan Pratt, Ebenezer Redding, Moses Rowell, Timothy Sparhawk, Josiah Shumway, Sylvanus Town, Archi- bald Todd, Ambrose Stone, privates. Isaac Larned was in this expedition in another company. Time of service about 13 days.

In Drury's Reg., Reuben Davis' Co., 1781, were William Tucker, Corp. ; John M. Jewell, James Atwood, Ebenezer Stone, Phinehas Jones, Jonas Cummings.

In Thomas' Reg., Elliott's Co., R. I., 1781, Lemuel Cudworth, served 4 m. 12 d.'

The following list, without date, but near the close of the war, gives names of men in the Continental army from Oxford with time of service :- 1

Richard Moore,2

44 m. 17 d.

invalid. killed.

Capt. Moore.

Jedediah Adams,

7 " 13 " .

Wiley.

Zaccheus Ballard,

37 “ 15 "

Moore.

Josiah Eddy,

48 ".

William Foster,

36 “ 27 "

John Florey,

48 “

John Fessenden,

9 " 5 4

dead.

Coburn.

Jesse Forsyth,

22 “

Wiley.

Adonijah Gleason,

40 "

17 "

deserted.

Moore.

John Hudson,

William Jordan,

36 “

Moses Knowland,

45 “ 26 “

invalid.

Sylvanus Learned,

9 4

Wells.

Samuel Putney,

38 “

27 “

deserted.

Moore.

Ebenezer Robbins,

Peter Shumway,

45 .

David Scanning,

47 .

Coburn.

William Steward,3

10 "

17 4

Pierce.

Moses Town,

35 “ 15 "

invalid.

Moore.

David Town (son of David),

Fowle.

Samuel White,

36 " 22 "

66 Moore.

George Robinson, son-in-law of Gen. Learned, was in his brigade and killed, it is said, at Saratoga. 4 Reuben, brother of George Robinson, was also in the service and died of fever in 1776.

The following names, gathered from pension rolls and other sources, by Rev. H. Bardwell, D.D., are given in Ammidown's Historical Collections :-

Benjamin Vassal [said to have served through the war], David Lamb, Ebenezer Pray, adjutant [served 3 years-tradition], William Simpson, George Alverson, Caleb, son of John Barton, Abijah Kingsbury, James Meriam, Elisha Blanding [3 years], Francis Blanding, Jonas Blanding, Arthur Daggett [Sutton], Elisha Ward, Sewall, Richard Coburn, Jacob Larned, Silas Eddy, Solomon Cook, Elijah Kingsbury.

1 Printed Con. Army Books, 1777 to 1780.

2 His time of service was from 5 April, 1777, to 22 Dec., 1780, at which date he was discharged as an invalid. Capt. Moore's Co. was in 4th Reg., Col. Shepard.

3 William Stuart, tailor, of Oxford was in 19

Pierce's Co., Col. Bigelow's Regt., 26 Feb., 1780. 4 When he was about to die he said to Adjutant Pray, who was attending him, " Ebenezer, take good care of Deborah," referring to his wife. Pray heeded the charge, and married her soon after returning home.

138

HISTORY OF OXFORD.

Joseph Kingsbury was drafted in 1777, and Samuel, his son, went in his stead and was in the Saratoga battles.

Josiah, son of Jeremiah Kingsbury, joined the army at 16 years of age in 1775 and served till the close of the war; was acting quarter- master under Arnold at West Point, and ensign when discharged.

Others were as follows : James Hovey Davis, Samuel Jennison, Lieut. and Quartermaster Nixon's Brig. at Saratoga battles ; David, son of John Barton, sick at Richmond after Cornwallis' surrender ; William, son of Benjamin Eddy, Parley, son of William Eddy, six months ; Jacob Fellows, Abijah, son of Abijah Gale, Brewer's Reg., d. in service ; Jesse Gale, his bro., k. 24 March, 1780; Hezekiah Larned, marched from Upton on Lexington alarm; Abijah Conant, son-in-law of Capt. John Nichols, went as servant to Nichols, d. in service ; John Twichell, grandson of Benoni; Gideon Sibley, from Sutton on Lexington alarm ; Abijah and Elihu, sons of David Thurs- ton, in the same company and both k. in the same battle, Aug. (?), 1777 ; Jedediah Adams, seven mos., in Wiley's Co., killed ; Phinehas Barton, Capt. John Nichols, joined the army 1777 ; Andrew Sigourney, in battle at White Plains and others, commissary with rank of Capt. ; Anthony Sigourney in same Reg., Nathan Atwood, Elijah Shumway, John Bowers, Benjamin Rider, Adams Sully, William Stowell, Joseph Phillips.

On 29 Sept., 1777, Ezra Bowman was appointed by the Legislature Adjutant of the Fifth Regiment and entered the service, continuing until April, 1781, at least.

General Learned. On 21 Sept., 1774, at a convention at Worcester to consider public affairs, a resolution was passed recom- mending the reorganization of the militia of the county. Accordingly a meeting of the "commission officers" of the 2nd Regiment was held 5 Oct., 1774, at Oxford, at which the following were chosen :- EBENEZER LEARNED of Oxford, Colonel. 1 TIMOTHY SIBLEY of Sutton, Lieut .- Colonel. DANIEL PLIMPTON of Sturbridge, First Major. WILLIAM LARNED of Dudley, Second Major.

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History of the town of Oxford, Massachusetts with genealogies and notes on persons and estates, Part 17

Author: Daniels, George Fisher, 1820-1897 Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Oxford : Pub. by the author with the cooperation of the town Number of Pages: 916

Author: Daniels, George Fisher, 1820-1897
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Oxford : Pub. by the author with the cooperation of the town
Number of Pages: 916