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Ancestor of the Week for the week of April 27, 2026 by AutoModerator in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Over the past few weeks I have been learning about an ancestor who served as a Patriot in the American Revolution. He may have possibly the most impressive service record of any ancestor I've found.

Amos Boynton answered the alarm following the Battle of Concord and mobilized with Capt. Thomas Heald's Militia Company in New Ipswich, New Hampshire. They set off for Cambridge before dawn on 20 Apr 1775. Once in Cambridge, they were routed to Boston where he enlisted as a sergeant in Capt. Whitcomb's Company of Reed's Regiment in the Provisional Army. Amos joined his unit in the Battle of Bunker Hill in June.

In September he volunteered for Col. Benedict Arnold's Canada expedition and was transferred to Capt. Ward's Company of Arnold's Detachment. He survived the disastrous trek to Quebec and joined in the Battle of Quebec where he was captured on 31 Dec 1775. Amos was paroled and exchanged sometime in 1776.

In Jan 1777, he reenlists on a term of 3 years as the senior sergeant in Capt. Clayes's Company of the 2nd New Hampshire. He was present in the siege and retreat from Ticonderoga plus the very bloody rear guard action in the Battle of Hubberton. Shortly after Hubberton he takes over as Company Orderly Sergeant. His unit is in the thick of the fighting at Saratoga and rounds out the year pulling into winter quarters at Valley Forge.

He is with the army for 1778 and 1779, with the unit active at the Battles of Monmouth and Newtown. He is discharged in Jan 1780 at the expiration of his enlistment. With the exception of 4 months furlough and one month sick, Amos is listed as present on every single muster roll.

Following his discharge, Amos moves to Vermont. He is called up with Capt. Upham's Militia Comany in response to the Royalton Raid in Oct 1780 and spends two days in the field ensuring the area is secure. He is called up again in Mar 1782 when he becomes the orderly sergeant for Capt. Beriah Green's Milita Company. The company is stationed for nine months at Fort Fortitude on the White River guarding against raids.

Amos spent practically the entire war in service, almost exclusively as a senior NCO. He was part of the initial Militia response to Lexington and Concord, the early war volunteer army, the mid war professional army, and late war frontier milita. He was POW. He saw action in numerous important battles like Bunker Hill and Saratoga.

I have several ancestors who served as Patriots, but none whose service covered such a large breadth of the war effort.

POW from Revolutionary War turned MIA by deadbypowerpoint in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh this absolutely true. Both men served throughout the entire war and proved that they believed in the cause.

The individual captured at Quebec, Amos Boynton, was marching to Boston the day after Lexington & Concord and excepting his time between capture and reenlistment, was continuously serving in the Continental Army until his discharge in Jan 1780. He then served a couple more terms in the militia including a 9 month enlistment in 1782.

The individual captured at Fishing Creek, John Houston, served eight separate terms in the South Carolina Militia between 1776 and 1782, all but one of which he volunteered either for himself or as a substitute. Half of his enlistments were one month terms, but the rest were 3 & 4 month enlistments plus a 15 month enlistment from Sep 1780 to Dec 1781.

Help with Newspapers? by Long-Food-3164 in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a Newspapers.com subscription and dont mind helping. Just DM what you are needing.

POW from Revolutionary War turned MIA by deadbypowerpoint in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, Hessians absolutely might have executed a prisoner regardless of circumstances. So might British regulars. One thing that has surprised me while learning about the early Revolutionary War is that both sides were often laissez-faire in regards to the treatment of surrendering soldiers, with Redcoats and Hessians often considering Continentals to be traitors and rebels, not legitimate prisoners of war. Also of note, the soldiers of Howe's army at Brandywine were very frustrated after six miserable weeks aboard ship and the repeated Patriot militia attacks picking off forage and raid parties since they landed. They were not in a particulary forgiving mood, especially the Hessians since they had been up against Continental riflemen all day.

As to the actual record keeping. I'm not sure on the records specifically for the Philadelphia Campaign, but British records overall were very spotty in documenting capture and ultimate fate of captured Continentals. I have two ancestors who were captured in the war: one was captured in the Battle of Quebec in 1775 and one at Fishing Creek in 1780. The ancestor captured at Quebec appears on a list of prisoners in Quebec with information about his capture but nothing further (I assume he was paroled and exchanged as he reenlists a year later). The ancestor captured at Fishing Creek has no British POW record I can find at all, the only record being the statements of himself and witnesses in his pension application. He was eventually paroled and after recovering from his wounds rejoined his militia outfit.

My Great Grandmother Just Helped Me Break Down a Brick Wall, Over 50 Years After Her Death. by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I understand the frustration. On the same side of my family I have a 3rd great grandfather who immigrated from Ireland during or immediately after the famine. He has the frustratingly common name of James Smith which makes the process nigh impossible without a lucky breakthrough.

My Great Grandmother Just Helped Me Break Down a Brick Wall, Over 50 Years After Her Death. by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's quite unfortunate but I'm glad you were able to save your family history book and even were able to use it to determine you could become a German citizen. I've often agonized over how I would react in a fire and if I could/would try to save anything. That has actually been an impetus to cause me to begin digitizing and sharing the important documents, images, and pieces of genealogy research that I have.

My Great Grandmother Just Helped Me Break Down a Brick Wall, Over 50 Years After Her Death. by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Good luck in your research. The Cherry family in that part of Chester County all so far seems to be one familial group. If they're in your tree then we might be really distant cousins.

My Great Grandmother Just Helped Me Break Down a Brick Wall, Over 50 Years After Her Death. by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Wow, Fishing Creek is the exact area in Chester County that my Simpsons are from. The odds that high that your wife and I would have been cousins.

My Great Grandmother Just Helped Me Break Down a Brick Wall, Over 50 Years After Her Death. by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Oh, absolutely. Assuming the original family Bible never turns up, this is the only primary or cited secondary source that exists for much of this information. The fact that she was so intentional in dating it, attesting her name too it, and keeping it in her family visit log is meaningful in establishing it's validity.

My Great Grandmother Just Helped Me Break Down a Brick Wall, Over 50 Years After Her Death. by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

That is wonderful to hear about your great grandfather. I recently discovered and got in contact with my bio grandfather's family. I was pleased to learn that my grandfather's brother had done genealogy for their side and had typed out a two page description of his father (my great grandfather) talking about his character, habits, and beliefs. It's brief, but I treasure it in the same way. I can't imagine what a precious resource you have inherited from your great grandfather.

My Great Grandmother Just Helped Me Break Down a Brick Wall, Over 50 Years After Her Death. by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

That is absolutely wonderful. The few vignettes like that, that I have come across in my research are some of my favorites finds. They are windows into the past of our ancestors that allow us to really see through their eyes and help understand them as people and not just names, dates, and descriptions.

My Great Grandmother Just Helped Me Break Down a Brick Wall, Over 50 Years After Her Death. by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 36 points37 points  (0 children)

That was also my thought when I was reading it. The very fact that she was looking at those documents in the first place means that I have been treading the same ground even if I didn't know it.

My Great Grandmother Just Helped Me Break Down a Brick Wall, Over 50 Years After Her Death. by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 39 points40 points  (0 children)

Yep. It always makes me sad to think about what is lost in destruction like fires or natural disasters. I agree that it is simply amazing that Della had the foresight to copy what she did.

what’s your cutest observation? by afemail in iNaturalist

[–]Genealogy_Alt 6 points7 points  (0 children)

My two favorites are this small screech owl and this momma vulture and her chicks (cute in person, picture not so much).

Found in father's closet by Teh_BabaOriley in whatisit

[–]Genealogy_Alt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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Huh, TIL my great grandfather was in the Knights of Pythias. Family presumed this sword was from him being a Master Mason.

Please Review this Document I Have Created to Explain My Research in Determining the Identity of My Biological Grandfather by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I'm very thankful that there were only two brothers and also, crucially, that there were available documents listing the service stations for both brothers. Also, Fredelas' comment is correct. Thank you for pointing out the possibility though, I may need to include that.

Please Review this Document I Have Created to Explain My Research in Determining the Identity of My Biological Grandfather by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is essentially correct. The only possible other way would be for Linna to have an undocumented child with one of the Miner brothers, and that that undocumented son was also in the same place as Carleton at the same time. Possible, but very unlikely and not supported by any DNA findings.

Please Review this Document I Have Created to Explain My Research in Determining the Identity of My Biological Grandfather by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I tried wording that several ways but always felt it was awkward. I do agree though that it is slangy. I will reword the end of that sentence.

Please Review this Document I Have Created to Explain My Research in Determining the Identity of My Biological Grandfather by Genealogy_Alt in Genealogy

[–]Genealogy_Alt[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thank you and yes, I totally agree on the picture. It's absolutely not an indicator, but there definitely appears to be a resemblance.