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Lynn in the Revolution |
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A Very Special Thanks To The Lynn Public Library
For The Use Of This Important
Resource. |
Our Indians took
two men which had Done some ingery to our Countrys Cause & brought them to camp
alive, gave out word that they would Burn them on a Certain Night, myself and
many others went about midnight to see the Dreadful sean. They built a large
fire for that purpose, But after those men was brought & tormented by them near sd fire our general causd them to
be taken away tho it was said they was almost Dead. They was so unfaithfull to
our Camp that one of them Drew provisions in the morning with us &
that same Day was taken fighting against us
& Committed to the main Guard which Colol Newhall commanded
at that time. A Dreadful havock they made But I forbair.
Some singular circumstances turned up; one Circumstance was by
lightning which was singular. One flash Come & kill one man who had been
home and just got back to camp while he was in his tent with others &
the same flash wounded between twenty &
thirty of our Brigade. We lay there Near west
point after this We movd down the North river. Near King ferry in a town
calld Colobarock While laying there some of the enemys light horse Came to us by
Desarting which I saw them coming out. Our Colol major Adjent & Doctor
quartered at Mr. Barretts myself & two others. While laying there the Enemy rushd on us in
such a manner we with the regiment had to flee, Mr. Barrett having no protection
under general Clinton at New York these
[ 179 ]
Britans took his fether Beds
and Distroyed them out at his door and killd his Cows Near a dozen. One Barker a
tory who come with those men, killd one of his Near Neighbors in Coul Blood,
altho the man cryd for quarter. This miscreant man lived very Near Barker before
said Barker went to New York. The British had often been up the river Near this
town, one time sent up a barge to steal provisions but in landing we happened to
have a guard close by, before the Guard fired on them one man had Got on shore
& hid himself in a fox Burrow which we
took after he Lay there all that Night. It was thought our Guard killd near all
in sd Barge but she got away.
Not far from this
time General Wain of ours beseagd Stony point fort in the Night, part of our
regt was with him. We took them upon Surprise being in the Night they had but
little time to fight the general took many of them not dressd he also took some
who had Desertd from us and hung them up on trees without judge or jury as I was
in formd.
Capt. Shays who rose against our state government Belong in our
regt in the three years service and respected as a very good officer, was very
good to his men. Lieut Cory of sd regt was going to Desert to the Northern Army
But was Detected & put under Guard.
Ensign Cory, a brother of his belong to the Lodge of Masons he got very Drunk at
one of there meetings & Distroyd much
glass Wair at the Inn & was turnd out of the Lodge as we were informd.
One time myself and two others was passing in a field
& saw a shell Coming in the air straight
for us the two who were with me Dropt themselves in a Ditch & I run [ 180
]
out
sideways the shell Broak in the air& we got part of it which fell about were we was walking.
It was calld a 13 Inch shell. At another time I was ordered to go to a field
& Bring out the Colols horse before I
had got to sd field I found sd horse in the bushes, had I a gone to the field no
Doubt the Indins would have had me for they killd five men on Centry near sd
field. Our folks took a field peice to Drive the Indians Back & they shot
Colol Nixon's horse through his head.
At these
times cows was free for us the Inhabitants being gone. We had a very Nice Cow
for some Days would tye over Night at the Colols Waggon, one morning the enemy
ralied on us& killd a number of our men & put our camp very suddenly to flight, so sudden that the
Waggon was got under way before the Cow was cast off, it being a very Narrow
road many Waggons was following ours. The Cow fell on hur side &
she was held in that manner a Considerable Distance
before we could cut her away. At Night myself and one more went Back to find the
cow & found her laying on the ground,
like stupid mortals exposd our lives for such a trifel But it happened we met
with no harm. At another time we Lay on a hill Drew our water at the foot of sd
hill, the Colol observd to me not to go any more there for water as the Colol
knew the enemy movements better than myself. I left Drawing Water there the
Indians very soon after that time killd one of our officers near this sd spring
& we soon left this hill. O how
many ways I was exposd.
A number of times while
Waiting on Colol Newhall he has gave me his pocket book& the effects and Charge of other
things with a request to see that his children [ 181 ]
have if ever I should have an
opportunity, he being more exposd at these times then
myself.
One morning about Brake of Day Ezra Moulton
Being as Centnal at Colol Newhalls door fell on his post to the ground which was
Very uncommon. The Colol being a Very human man orderd me to git the man a Dram
and he recovered from the ground and Drank the same Which seemed to him very
agreeable.
One day While cooking I took out my pocket Book to git a neidle to mend my puden
bag & just turnd my
Back & lost it with my hard money
& all my papers,
the money I set by not knowing but I might be taken Prisoner. The Colol advisd
me to Advertise and ofer a reward which I did to no purpose.
Part of these years I had a Watch which had no
Cristle finely sould it to Colol Breed for he Delt in Watches.
On the first day of Jany 1776 I Joind the Army as a
Soldier at Winter hill Near Boston, was Discharged in Philadelphia on the 31st
December following. Did duty in the ranks that year and on the 10th of March
1777 I again inlisted for three year and Waited on Colo Newhall rising two year
and after that was Steward to a Company untill my Discharge in 1780, Jany the
17th.
Winter quarters in 1777 was in
Albany.
Winter quarters in 1778 was Near West
point calld Soldiers fortune. Lay in tents all winter.
In 1779 quartered at Soldiers fortune again. Lived
in huts of our own Building and discharged on the 17th of Jany 1780.
The three years Service I was of John Nixon's
Brigade, Rufus Putnam's regt Capt. Williams Compy - the
[ 182 ]
other three regts was Graton's, Thos. Nixons & Aldens
and he was killd by Indins at Cherry Vally, so calld.
I sold 1780
Dollars in two notes of paper money to Benja. Johnson for 30 Dolls. in silver
which I had for serving in the Revolution about the close of the War.
The names of those who obtained a pension
under the act of 1831.
Harris Chadwell
Calley Newhall
Josiah Rhodes
James Newhall
Theop. Bacheller
John Willis
Saml. Mansfield
D. Watts
Timothy Newhall.
The names of those of Lynn Who has and do draw a pension.
Fredk. Breed
James Nourse
Isaac Organ
William Tarbox
Amos Blanchard
Ebenzr Richardson
Ephrm Bailey
Lewis Bruce
David Tufts
Henry Hallowell
All of us begun under the act
of 1818.
[ 183 ]
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