"65 MINUTE MEN
ANSWERED THE CALL TO ARMS
APRIL 19, 775,
MARCHING FROM THIS VERY SPOT
TO FIGHT THE BRITISH
UNDER THE COMMAND OF
CAPT. SAMUEL GREELEY"
This simple monument stands in Hudson, New Hampshire on the corner of Central Street and Kimball Hill Road, near the Center Cemetery. According to The History of Hudson, New Hampshire, by Kimball Webster, 1913, page 258 "According to tradition the news reached here before noon of the 19th, and was quickly sent in every direction by mounted couriers riding to the most remote sections of the town...". This is amazing to me because Hudson is 45 miles from Boston and 30 miles from Lexington, Massachusetts! But men answered the alarm not only from Hudson, but from Windham, Londonderry, and even from as far away as Peterborough, New Hampshire! (a distance of 60 miles on the other side of the Monadnock mountain region!
Also in the book "The brave volunteers quickly organized under the command of Capt. Samuel Greeley, and awaited his order to march to meet the British Red-coats at Lexington. Unfortunately the old military records of this town were lost long since, or destroyed. Had they been preserved many interesting facts could have been gleaned from them, which are now impossible to obtain. Fortunately, however, the muster roll of this company of sixty-five Minute Men, all from this town and mustered so quickly that they marched that very evening for Lexington, has been preserved." On pages 258 and 259 you will find these names:
Capt. Samuel Greeley
Lieut. Joseph Kelly
Ens. John Pollard
Clerk James Ford
Serft. Wilm. Merrill
Sergt. Wm. Burns
Sergt. Ebenezer Pollard
Corpl. Justus Dakin
Corpl. Simeon Berrot
Corpl. Jona. Bradley
Corpl. John Pollard
fifer Benj. Marshall
fifer Samll. Currier
Samll. Marsh
Reuben Spaulding
Peter Cross
Ebenezer Cummings
Ebenezer Perry
Elijah Hills
Jeremiah Hills
Samll. Hills
Richard Marshall
Daniel Hardy
Seth Hadley
Abijah Reed
Richard Cutter
Nehemiah Winn
Benj. Whittemore
Abathar Winn
Stephen Chase, Jr.
Joshua Chase
John Haseltine
David Glover
Page Smith
Samll. Campbell
Samll. Smith
Moses Berrot
Richard Hardy
Jona. Blodgett
Joseph Greeley
Samll. Durrent
Samll. Moor
Andrew Seavey
Stephen Chase
James Pemberton
John Osgood
Nat. Hardy
Benja. Marshall
Danl. Marshall
John Walker
Joseph Gould, Jr.
John Merrill
David Cummings
Thomas Wason
Alexander Caldwell
Thomas Caldwell
Asa Davis
Samll. Wason
Echobad Easman
Abraham Page
Nat. Davis
John Campbell
Henry Heuey
[My note: I counted 63 names. Close enough?]
a few pages later in this same book...
"Little time was lost in effecting an organization, and the company marched post-haste towards Lexington. Before reaching their destination they were met by a courier, who informed them of the retreat of the enemy, thus they returned to Nottingham West.
Many of these Minute Men immediately enlisted in the army at Cambridge, and at least sixteen of them fought at the battle of Bunker Hill on the 17th of June, 1775. The names of those who figured in that memorable fight were —
Moses Barritt, Benjamin Marshall,
Robert Bettis, Benjamin Marshall, Jr.,
Josiah Burrows, John Marshall,
Gideon Butler, William Merrill,
Joshua Chase, John Osgood,
Stephen Chase, Jr., James Pemberton,
Thomas Campbell, Timothy Pollard,
Samuel Currier, Abijah Reed, Corp.,
Richard Cutter, John Robinson,
Jonathan Emerson, Caleb Severance,
James Ford, Lieut., Joshua Severance,
David Glover, John Seavey,
Robert Glover, Thomas Senter, Sergt.,
Benjamin Greeley, John Walker,
Joseph Greeley, Benjamin Whittemore,
Simeon Hills, Nehemiah Winn,
David Marsh.
Five of these men, viz.: Josiah Burrows, Simeon Hills, John Marshall, John Robinson and Thomas Senter, were residents of that part of Londonderry that was annexed to Nottingham West in 1778. [note: Nottingham West became the town of Hudson, NH in 1830]
It is not known that any fatalities occurred among the Nottingham West men at the battle of Bunker Hill. Joseph Greeley was severely wounded and was carried from the field on the backs of his comrades, when the patriot troops were forced to retreat. Young Greeley thus escaped being made a prisoner, and eventually recovered from his wound Richard Cutter, who was serving as a substitute for his son Seth, was also wounded. He and Seth, his son, who did service in the colonial army at Cambridge the same year, have been sometimes credited to Pelham. But Richard Cutter was a resident of this town at that time, and continued to live here until his death April 8, 1795. Seth, his son, who was only seventeen years old at the battle of Bunker Hill, was living here in this town with his father, where he continued to live until his marriage to Abiah Tallant, of Pelham, September 11,
1781, when he became a resident of Pelham."
Many of these Minute Men immediately enlisted in the army at Cambridge, and at least sixteen of them fought at the battle of Bunker Hill on the 17th of June, 1775. The names of those who figured in that memorable fight were —
Moses Barritt, Benjamin Marshall,
Robert Bettis, Benjamin Marshall, Jr.,
Josiah Burrows, John Marshall,
Gideon Butler, William Merrill,
Joshua Chase, John Osgood,
Stephen Chase, Jr., James Pemberton,
Thomas Campbell, Timothy Pollard,
Samuel Currier, Abijah Reed, Corp.,
Richard Cutter, John Robinson,
Jonathan Emerson, Caleb Severance,
James Ford, Lieut., Joshua Severance,
David Glover, John Seavey,
Robert Glover, Thomas Senter, Sergt.,
Benjamin Greeley, John Walker,
Joseph Greeley, Benjamin Whittemore,
Simeon Hills, Nehemiah Winn,
David Marsh.
Five of these men, viz.: Josiah Burrows, Simeon Hills, John Marshall, John Robinson and Thomas Senter, were residents of that part of Londonderry that was annexed to Nottingham West in 1778. [note: Nottingham West became the town of Hudson, NH in 1830]
It is not known that any fatalities occurred among the Nottingham West men at the battle of Bunker Hill. Joseph Greeley was severely wounded and was carried from the field on the backs of his comrades, when the patriot troops were forced to retreat. Young Greeley thus escaped being made a prisoner, and eventually recovered from his wound Richard Cutter, who was serving as a substitute for his son Seth, was also wounded. He and Seth, his son, who did service in the colonial army at Cambridge the same year, have been sometimes credited to Pelham. But Richard Cutter was a resident of this town at that time, and continued to live here until his death April 8, 1795. Seth, his son, who was only seventeen years old at the battle of Bunker Hill, was living here in this town with his father, where he continued to live until his marriage to Abiah Tallant, of Pelham, September 11,
1781, when he became a resident of Pelham."
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Captain (later Major) Samuel Greeley is my 5th great grandfather. He is listed in my Surname Saturday-Greeley post. This line can be confusing: Samuel is the son of Samuel and father of Samuel.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this book information. These old local histories are great, although a researcher does have to check some of the information in them.
Just spent last night reading about this event in a detailed report by author very intriguing. Thanks cousin.
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