Looking ahead to Saturday’s celebration of Col. James Barrett’s 300th birthday in Concord, here’s a new online resource about the Battle of Lexington and Concord: a Soldier Search database of New England militiamen who participated in the fighting on 19 Apr 1775.As the website explains, the names in this database represent only a minority of the Americans who mustered immediately after hearing news of the shots at Lexington and Concord:
The 4000 minute and militiamen who were engaged in battle that day were just the first of many more to come. By April 21st, nearly 20,000 militiamen were mobilized and marching towards Boston to besiege the British Army, now trapped in the town.The online database, built on the work of Frank W. Coburn a century ago, lists all the men from the 27 towns whose companies saw combat on 19 Apr 1775, and whose company commanders got around to submitting their names. Here, for example, is Col. Barrett’s entry.
In the following months, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress wrestling with the logistics of such a large and rapid military mobilization, requested that all company commanders who led a company during the Lexington Alarm, to submit a muster roll, a list of names, of the men who served with their respective companies during this event. This was so the men could be paid for their service, mileage, days in camp, etc.
These muster rolls are now kept in the Massachusetts State Archives.
This database was funded by a grant to Minute Man National Historical Park, and is hosted by the Friends of Minute Man National Park.
I had an ancestor supposed to have fought in or near Lexington John Cooley and his father 95 year old Named Ogden ??? Any one have any information not sure if they where at the green or fought during the british retreat??
ReplyDeleteI would think the name Ogden Cooley would stand out in records, but I don't see a connection to 1775. As you're sensing, we tend to credit any militiaman who turned out on 19 Apr 1775 as having fought in the Battle of Lexington and Concord, even if they weren't near those particular towns and even if they didn't see actual combat. Since militia companies were organized by towns, it would be useful to know in which town this Cooley family lived. Very old men were excused from militia duties, though some who found themselves very close to the battle, such as Samuel Whittemore, did end up fighting.
ReplyDeleteLooking for a grandfather said to be engaged in this battle , Charles or henry Bodwell from Methuen or Andover
ReplyDeleteI see the link to this database no longer works.
ReplyDeleteAs for Henry Bodwell, some information about him is here.
I am the first cousin 8 times removed from Solomon Brown who fired the first shot at the battle of Lexington. I have copies of the records who witnessed his shot. His Musket is at the National Heritage museum in Lexington. I also believe that Daniel Brown, a brother or cousin to Soloman was one of the first eight to be killed in action on the common. John Brown who is buried in the mass grave has his name engraved on the large monument on the common is also a relative.
ReplyDeleteMy ancestor, Joseph Vance served with Morgans Riflemen. I find pay records
ReplyDeleteMy ancestor,Joseph Vance, Virginia, had a powder horn that is engraved with his name and Lexington and Bunker Hill, 1775. Is there a way to confirm that he was there.
ReplyDeleteThe Virginia Continental line had three individuals named Joseph Vance. There are complete records for Joseph Vance who settled in Kentucky, got a pension and is buried there. One stayed in Virginia and had a pension. My ancestor never applied for a pension and went to Ohio, where I believe he had a land grant, but can't prove it was him.
No Virginians were involved in the Battles of Lexington & Concord and Bunker Hill, just because of geography.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible that a Virginia soldier later carved those names on a powder horn, though usually men memorialized the names of places they had actually served.
IS there any record of a Maranville fighting in the militia at this time? I have a book of family history that names a few ancestors who fought in the Revolution and one that was supposedly there in Lexington/concord.
ReplyDeleteMassachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution doesn’t list anyone from the state named Maranville.
ReplyDeleteI am a decendant of LT. Samual Farrar of Lincoln Mass. who fought at the first battle of Concord. I have records saying his son, brother and his son were also present that day but I have no names for them can you help me locate that info ? TY Robert Farrar..
ReplyDeleteThe best place to start looking for particular Massachusetts men who might have fought in the Revolution is the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War volumes published by the state in the late 1800s. They are available in digital form through this page. Alphabetical by last name, and be sure to check variant spellings. Each entry is a compilation of the raw data that survives about a man’s service.
ReplyDeleteI had an ancestor my 8 time great grandfather named Ebenzer Withington who fought at Lexington and thought the revolutionary war. I am also related to the Cooley's,Hubbard's,Whitley's that also fought in the Revolutionary war including a John Cooley as well.
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