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Lynn in the Revolution
Supplement

A Very Special Thanks To The Lynn Public Library For The Use Of This Important Resource.

Transcribed by Shaun Cook
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     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
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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
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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.
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