On April 18, 1775 the British commander in Boston sent soldiers to Concord to find guns and powder. They were also ordered to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock who were hiding in Lexington. Paul Revere made his famous midnight ride from Boston to Lexington, Massachusetts to warn the citizens that the British army was on its way. Revere was captured, but he escaped safely.
John Hancock who signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence was elected President of the Second Continental Congress on May 24 1775. John Hancock had just established the first Colonial Post Office of which was appointed by Congress, Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin, Esquire who was unanimously chosen. On the other side of the pond, King George III was the King of Great Britain and Ireland and the ruler over the colonies.
Prior to this battle, the Second Continental Congress chose in 1775 as Commander-In-Chief of the Continental Army General George Washington. Above I used the term "Americans.” Inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans,” with occasional references to "Patriots", "Whigs", "Rebels," or "Revolutionaries.” Colonists who supported the British in opposing the Revolution usually referred to as "Loyalists" or "Tories”. Keep note of this in the future as you read my blog you will find we are descendants of both sides sometimes splitting families and thus possible name changes.
Upon a call for reinforcement for Washington's army in the summer of 1776, the Connecticut assembly ordered the enlistment of seven battalions for the service of the command of Brigadier General James Wadsworth of Durham Connecticut. Colonel Gold Selleck Silliman of Fairfield Connecticut was in charge of the first battalion, which was comprised of eight companies. As mentioned above, Captain Nathan Hurd led Company Eight. These same young men lived to fight again in the Battle of Long Island on August 27, 1776. This was the first major battle if not the largest in The American Revolution following the United States Declaration of Independence July 4th 1776.
In July 1776, British General William Howe landed on Staten Island New York to plan an attack that General George Washington was not prepared for. General Howe defeated the Americans in Manhattan New York when on the night of August 29-30 General George Washington evacuated all men and property and retreated through New Jersey into Pennsylvania without loss of a single life. Genealogy of Nathan Hurd to myslelf:
Beginning in July 1775, Ticonderoga was used as a staging area for the invasion of Quebec to begin in September. The war moves northward.More of a direct link to being a son of the American Revolution was Sergeant Stephen England. On 22 May 1775, Stephen England was just 16 years old when he was called to duty to fight in Captain Pillsbury's Company. This Company went on to fight at the Battle of Bennington Vermont on August 16, 1777. This was an American victory. Today the tallest monument in Vermont is at the Battle of Bennington. 
Here is my genealogy link to Sgt. Stephen England:After the American Revolutionary War Stephen England went on to be the owner of the first hotel in Fairfax.
Here is a new addition that also relates to the above battles. The story below on Hezekiah Smith is from the Smith Family History compiled by Kathleen Smith.
1. Hezekiah Smith (Major) was born about 1726 in Barrington, RI. He died at Colrain, MA 8-19-1800 at age 74. He was married in Woodstock, CT 12-19-1747. He married Eunice Morris who was born in Woodstock, CT 1-12-1728 and died in Colrain 11-9-1807 at age 79 years. She was the daughter of Lt. Edward Morris and Bethiah Peake. Edward Morris served in the revolution. Edward Morris was a lieutenant in the French and Indian Wars and was in the Crown Point and Louisberg expeditions. Hezekiah and Eunice Smith moved to Colrain around 1764. They came with the Fox and Wells families and settled on the “Well’s lot” on the west side of the North River just south of the Branch. The population of Colrain in 1765 was 297 (reference #4). He was prominent in local affairs and in the Revolution in which he and 3 of his sons (Nathaniel, David, and Calvin) attained the rank of major. A total of 5 sons fought in the Revolutionary War. Afterwards, these 3 sons married the 3 daughters of Joseph Thompson. Smiths fought at Ticonderoga and were present at Buergoyne’s surrender. He was a member of the First Committee of Correspondence in 1773, a delegate to the Provincial Congress in 1775, and a member of the Convention that formed the Constitution of Massachusetts in 1780. Additional information from reference #5 follows: Joshua Wells of Greenfield sold 100 acres to Hezekiah for 93 pounds, 6 shillings, and 8 pence on 12-6-1764. This tract lay west of the North River and just south of the junction of the east and west branches (p. 12). In January 1773, a town meeting was called in Colrain to consider the first statements received from Boston. They were probably Samuel Adams’ “Statement of the Rights of Colonists” and Joseph Warren’s “List of Infringements and Violations of Those Rights” which had been sent out together in November. A committee of 7 members was appointed to represent Colrain and among them was Hezekiah (p. 61). At a town meeting held 3-7-1774, Hezekiah was one of 7 men appointed to the Committee of Correspondence for the coming year (p. 64). Hezekiah joined the militia in 1774 to join in the siege of Boston (p. 68). Hezekiah was named on 5-23-1775 as a delegate to the Provincial Congress meeting in Watertown. It voted to raise an army of 13, 600 men and provide money to defray expenses (p. 68). Hezekiah was on of the Colrain men with Capt. Robert Oliver in the 24th regiment of Col. Ephraim Doolittle at Charlestown and Winter Hill from August 1 to October 6, 1775 (p. 73-74). By April 3, 1777, Hezekiah was a major in the 5th Massachusetts Regiment and was in charge of the Commissary Department at Ticonderoga. He and one of his sons were also there in June 1777 when Burgoyne attacked and stayed until evacuation 7-10-1777. They were in the regiment of Col. David Wells. Immediately after the evacuation of Ticonderoga, Captain Agrippa Wells’ Company of Col. Porter’s regiment marched to reinforce the northern army. Hezekiah and 2 of his sons (Hezekiah, junior and Nathaniel) served in this company from 7-10-1777 to 8-12-1777. When the fort was reoccupied, he was stationed there again in charge of the stores from 1777-1779 (p. 70-74).
Hezekiah founded the First Baptist Church of Colrain 9-5-1780 with 8 family members and 9 other community people, at total of 18 in all (p. 212). This information is from reference #1 page 64 and reference #5 pages 145-147: There is a large monument in the West Branch Cemetery in Colrain dedicated to Hezekiah and which has the names of his sons engraved on its side. This monument was built by Joseph Smith, the grandson of Hezekiah and the son of Calvin who was brother to Nathaniel. Hezekiah and Eunice has 13 children. The 5th one was Nathaniel. The children were all born in Woodstock, CT except the last two. The children were:
- Hannah B. 8-28-1748 and died at age 6
- Abigail B. 12-5-1749
- Oren B. 3-10-1751
- Hezekiah, Jr. B. 12-2-1752
- *Nathaniel B. 7-9-1754
- Hannah and Bette B. 2-11-1756 (Bette died after 3 days)
- David B. 10-16-1757 and died 2-10-1816
- Rominer B. 1759 and died 10-23-1827 (was married to Hannah who died 1-12-1850)
- Sabrina B. 11-10-1762
- Calvin B. 7-11-1764 (was married to Ann who died 3-26-1845)
- Luther B. 2-7-1767 and died 7-17-1837
- Ester B. 9-16-1770
