American Revolution ( 1775 - 1783)

Starting with myself and then going back twelve generations I find that I am a descendant of Nathan Hurd, a Captain during the American Revolutionary War. While I am not the son of an American Revolutionary War hero, this story is about my genealogical links; the year, 1776.

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.

Captain Nathan Hurd joins at the beginning of the war; leading the eighth company of the first battalion toward Fort Ticonderoga New York where the nearest city is Burlington Vermont.  Joining on along this long march from Connecticut to Northern New York are the Green Mountain Boys and militia volunteers from Massachusetts and  Connecticut.  The battle begins in May 1775 and under the direct command of Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold these Americans are able to capture the fort from British control by a surprise attack.

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.

It is hard for me to get a grasp on the command of Captain Nathan Hurd.  In 1775, he marched his men north, over 200 miles from Litchfield Connecticut to Ticonderoga New York for the now famous battle of Ticonderoga.  Then in 1776, the Eighth Company marched south, over 300 miles to Harlem New York for the Battle of Long Island.

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.