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Subject: Hist. of Harvard, MA by H. S. Nourse - Harvard in the Rev. War p. 336 - p. 337
Date: Mon, 8 May 2006 18:28:27 EDT
The History of Harvard, Massachusetts, 1643-1732, by Henry S. Nourse,
Clinton, Mass.
1894. - W. J. Coulter, Printer.
p.336 - Companies of Capts. John Drury & Ephraim Stearns - Ticonderoga.
In the companies of Captains John Drury and Ephraim Stearns of Col. Ezra
Wood's Regt.
at Ticonderoga from May to December, 1778, were:
Serg. James Burt
Thomas Dodge
Phineas Fullam
Jonathan Houghton
Joseph Houghton
Joseph Houghton, Jr.
Jacob Hutchins
Thomas Laughton
Jonathan Stearns.
[Massachusetts Archives, Revolutionary Rolls, XI.VI, 89, etc.]
To fill a call for nine-months' men, in 1778, to re-enforce the Continental
Army, Harvard's quota of nine men reported at Fishkill, June 17, as follows:
Age. Stature.
Complexion.
Lysaias Blanchard 29 5 ft. 8 in. Dark.
Jonath Crouch, Jr. 31 5 ft. 9 in. Light.
Harbour Farnsworth 21 5 ft. 6 in. Dark.
George Leason (Gleason) 30 5 ft. 6 in. Light.
Europe Hamlin 20 5 ft. 10 in. Dark.
William Parks 28 6 ft. Light.
Aaron Priest 20 5 ft. 9 in. Dark.
Freedom Ramsdell 20 4 ft. 8 in. Light.
Abraham Willard 28 6 ft. Dark.
[Massachusetts Archives. Revolutionary Rolls, XXVII. 135.]
The Harvard nine-months' men, in 1779 were:
Adam Amsden 17 5 ft. 7 in.
Aaron Priest 21 5 ft 8 in.
Reuben Garfield 25 5 ft. 10 in.
Samuel Russell 18 5 ft. 7 in.
America Hamlin 17 5 ft. 6 in.
John Todd 28 5 ft. 9 in.
Jonathan Houghton 18 5 ft. 6 in.
Reuben Willard 23 6 ft.
[Massachusetts Archives, Revolutionary Rolls. XXIX, 55: XLI 352; XLII, 42.]
From October 27 to December 11, 1779, there were also in Continental Service
at
Claverack, New York, in the company of Captain Luke Wilder of Lancaster and
the
regiment of Colonel Samuel Denny:
Leiut. John Daby
Serg. Wilder Chamberlain
Serg. Jacob Whitney
Corp. Luther Stevens
Benjamin Bridge
Thomas Davis
William Farr
David Farwell
Oliver Haskell
Joel Whitney
Amos Wetherbee
[Massachusetts Archives, Revolutionary Rolls, XXIV. 173.]
p.337 The Hard Winter.
The winter of 1779-1780 was long remembered in New England as the "hard
winter." From November until April the snow lay deep over the country,
and the cold was intense. Walls and fences were mostly covered from
sight and for weeks no roads were broken out in the rural towns. Grain
for the family bread had to be drawn to and from the mill upon hand sleds
and no travelling was possible except upon snow shoes.
Hardly had the winter surrendered to the genial air of spring, than there
came, May 19, 1780, the "dark day," which spread consternation throughout
eastern Massachusetts. Daylight faded slowly out a little before noon and
candles had to be lighted for the conduct of ordinary household work. The
fowls retired to their roosts, the bats came out, and everything wore the
semblance of night.
These phenomenal disturbances in Nature's laws seemed to many, the frowns
of an offended Deity. They were co-incident with the chilling of fond hopes
and the gloom of despair in patriot councils and patriot homes.
The French Alliance thus far had brought only disappointments. Disaster
followed disaster in the field of military operations which had been removed
from the Northern to the Southern states.
The army, greatly reduced in numbers, was ill-fed, half-clad and despondent.
Congress had lost its credit and the paper currency was fast losing all pur-
chasing power. Everywhere was distress, privation, dejection. But the mili-
tary authorities calmly pursued their prescribed routine, the inexorable
draft
bore its fruit and the terrible mill of war ground on.
To be continued - the list of six-months' men raised for the Continental Army
in 1780. p.337, cont'd.
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
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