Simeon Ashbow, Private of Marines

Posted on March 20, 2010 by Joe

Simeon Ashbow. According to an article from Narragansett Dawn, Reverend Samuel Ashpo Ashbow (1718-1795), son of Ashobapow and a pupil at the Mohegan school, and his wife Hannah Cutchegan or Catjagon (1716-1801) had four sons who fought in the Revolutionary War. These brothers were Mohegan Native Americans who were born in Norwich, CT. Samuel, Jr., the oldest born about 1746, was married and a father when he joined the colonial militia in May 1775. Samuel and his younger brother John, born about 1753, enlisted together and marched in the company of Capt. John Durkee of Colonial Israel Putnam’s Regiment. They marched from Norwich to Cambridge shortly after the Lexington and Concord Battles. On 16 June 1775 they joined the other colonial regiments on Breed’s Hill. The Connecticut troops were stationed to guard the rail fence on the northeast side of the hill. The men strengthened this fence and held the British soldiers back on the first two attacks. On the third attack the British were able to overtake the troops guarding the fence and storm into the redoubt. It is possibly during this last attack that Samuel was killed, becoming the first Native American to die in the American Revolution. He was probably buried on Breed’s Hill in a mass grave with the many other men who died that day. John survived to continue fighting until his discharge on 16 December 1775 and was later married to a woman named Ann. Their brother Robert, married to Betty, joined later and died in 1776 during the retreat from New York. The fourth brother who participated in the war was Simeon Ashbow who served on the frigate Confederacy. According to New London’s Indian Mariners by Jason R. Mancini adapted from his article in Perspectives on Gender, Race, Ethnicity and Power in Maritime America, Mystic Seaport (2006), “A number of the workers (on the Confederacy) were associated with the Mohegan community directly across the river. Many of these men, including Peter Neshoe, Thomas Mosset, Turtle Hunter, Gurden Wyaugs, Ebenezer Tanner, Daniel Uncas, Dennis Mohegan, Simeon Ashbow, and James Jeffrey, were almost exclusively employed as ships riggers between October 1778 and February 1779 (He is listed on the Frigate Confederacy Riggers’ Returns 1778-1779). The nature of this work, which involved detailed knowledge of ship engineering and operation, suggests that these men were all by this time experienced mariners and recognized as such. Furthermore, men from various Indian communities, including some of those involved in the construction of the Confederacy, later sailed as crew members: Simeon Ashbow and Daniel Uncas as marines, Ebenezer Tanner as a cook’s mate, and William Fagins, Jonas Peege, and Turtle Hunter as seamen.” Simeon Ashbow died at sea on the Confederacy on 13 March 1780.

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Abel Gore, Master’s Mate

Posted on March 20, 2010 by Joe

Abel Gore. Abel Gore born 12 November 1749 in Norwich, CT is likely the Able Gore listed in the account book of the Confederacy. His location in the list and experience indicates he served as Master’s Mate. Abel Gore was the son of Desire Burris of Groton, CT and Moses Gore, first cousin of John Gore who was the father of MA Governor Christopher Gore. Born in Roxbury, MA, Moses Gore moved first to Groton with his family where he married Burris in 1740, afterwards residing in Preston and Norwich before moving to Cornwallis, Kings County, Nova Scotia. Abel Gore’s sisters were Mrs. Starr, Mrs. DeWolfe, Desire Ratchford, Mercy Bishop and Mercy Newcombe. Abel Gore is reputed to have had a brother in Holland named Asaph Gore. Early in the war beginning on 7 August 1778, Abel Gore commanded the MA privateer schooner Little Weasel of 4 guns and 10 swivels with a compliment of 20 men. Shipowners were Mungo Mackey and William Shattuck who were also the bonders with Abel Gore. On 26 April 1779, Abel Gore was appointed captain of the MA privateer schooner Resolution. Along with Gore, the bonders were Daniel Martin and owner Thomas Adams. Adams resided in Boston and Philadelphia and owned privateers registered in both states, as well as, Connecticut. The Resolution sailing out of Boston was captured by HMS Blonde previous to 11 May 1779 about “seven leagues to the westward of Halifax lighthouse.” Interestingly several years later, Resolution owner Thomas Adams would offer Captain Seth Harding command of his privateer brigantine Diana on 29 October 1782 after the loss of the Confederacy, in which Harding was captured by a British man-of-war and taken prisoner to Jamaica. From New London court records relating to civil assault prosecutions instituted by mariners beaten by masters on the high seas, we know that Abel Gore served brothers Beebe and Frederick Denison of Stonington on the sloop Unity under Stephen Martin sometime prior to June 1782 and probably subsequent to his capture on the Confederacy in April 1781 and release in August 1781. Apparently, for a number of years after the war, Abel Gore of Groton sailed regularly out of New London, CT where letters awaited him at the Post Office in April 1786, October 1787, July 1791 and January 1793. He appears to be associated with the schooner Nancy lying at Groton Ferry and sailing for the Bay of Fundy under the command of Robert Scott according to a newspaper advertisement of April 1791. He is also listed as a passenger arriving to New London on a packet schooner from Nova Scotia on 17 August 1795. Abel Gore was the second of five husbands of Elizabeth Experience Smith (1758-1841). Her other husbands were Patrick Ward, David Foster, Abraham Trites and Ralph Siddall. According to family history, Gore’s family originally came from County Mayo in Ireland. It is said he fathered three children; Abel Gore Jr., Deborah Gore who married Lewis Trites and Pollisene Gore. The youngest daughter, who married a Trueman, was born in Gratton Heights, NY in July 1788. Abel Gore is noted in several sources as having died in New Brunswick, Canada, however appears to have “wrecked at sea” in 1798.

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Nathaniel Richards, Lieutenant of Marines, Purser

Posted on March 20, 2010 by Joe

Nathaniel Richards. According to his pension application #S-35624, Nathaniel Richards was born in New London in 1756. His parents were Elizabeth Harris (1727-1793) and Guy Richards (1722-1782), a merchant of New London, although one source indicates Nathaniel was a native of Norwich. In late January or early February of 1777, Nathaniel Richards was commissioned Second Lieutenant of Marines on the Alfred commanded by Elisha Hinman replacing Alexander Neilson. His brother Peter Richards also served on the Alfred as First Lieutenant. Peter would be killed later in the war at Fort Griswold in 1781. Lifelong friend Charles Bulkeley who was the Alfred’s Master may have recommended Nathaniel. Both would later worship together at the First Church of Christ and serve together as directors of the Union Bank of New London. Nathaniel Richards went onboard in Boston for a number of months before sailing on a cruise to Europe with the frigate Raleigh under the command of Captain Thomas Thompson, capturing several prizes on the voyage. Making port in L’Orient, France in October 1777, they spent most of the Winter in port before sailing on 29 December 1777. They cruised off the Island of Madera, thence off the coast of Africa. The Alfred then cruised to the West Indies where just a little windward of Barbados, they were captured by the British frigate Ariadne and sloop Ceres under Captains Pringle and Daven on the 26 (or 9) March 1778, at least partly as a result of Captain Thompson and the Raleigh avoiding engagement. The prisoners were taken to Barbadoes. Here Nathaniel Richards was recognized by Captain Nicholas Vincent of the 74 gun Yarmouth, as he knew the Richards’ boys as children through his intimacy with their father’s family. Through the influence of Ariadne’s Captain Pringle and the intercession of Elisha Hinman, Richards was permitted to return home on parole. He recounted Captain Elisha Hinman’s “desire for me to return that I might give an account as early as possible to the Navy Board of the manner of our capture and of the defection of our consort the frigate Raleigh”. To that effect, Nathaniel Richards was charged with the duty of Purser. He declares that the Navy Board did not know of his appointment as Purser when the Alfred sailed from Boston, that he was involved in Hinman’s purchase of clothing for some of the crew in France and that he could not be listed on the ship’s returns in both capacities. Sent on a cartel to Martinique, he took passage for home from there in the brig Charming Sally under Master E. Hammond. He was captured again by Captain McCartney commanding His Brittanic Magisty’s Ship Ambuscade and taken prisoner to Halifax. He obtained his release on 7 July 1778 and sailed on a cartel to New London, arriving on 28 July. About the first of October 1778, Richards was exchanged and appointed Purser of the Confederacy, then outfitting at New London. Interestingly, William Richards was Purser for the Confederacy during construction in the shipyard. The Confederacy sailed 1 May 1779 in company with Continental Navy ship Boston and captured the British Privateer ship Pole on 6 June 1779. Richards served as Purser aboard the Confederacy until her capture by the British on 14 April 1781, and was probably paroled in New York with the remainder of the crew. Richards was residing in New London on 6 May 1782, when he acted as a bonder for the Connecticut Privateer ship Cato, under the command of Daniel Tappan. Nathaniel Richards was married to Elizabeth Coit of New London, daughter of Abigail and Thomas Coit, on 22 January 1784. After the war he engaged in the commercial mercantile business, although reputedly was not successful. Nathaniel Richards was a declarent in Richard Pearse’s pension application #W-4308. Richards pension was allowed on 24 March 1818. His file indicates that many of his papers were lost. In 1820, he was living in Waterford, CT with his wife Ann born 1768, his wife’s sister Jane Thompson born 1764 and Jane’s husband James Thompson born 1760. A relative George H. Richards is also mentioned in the file. Nathaniel Richards died on 1 June 1832.

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Rufus Ballard, Private of Marines

Posted on March 20, 2010 by Joe

Rufus Ballard. Rufus Ballard may be the declarent in pension application #W-26657 for his sister Ruth Ballard Johnstone, widow of John Johnston who was sergeant of Marines under Captain Saltonstall on the Warren. If so, he was born about 1768 and lived in Vassalboro, Kennebec County, ME in November 1838. Rufus Ballard testified that at the time of the wedding in January 1780, he lived a few miles away from the home of his father but but was not present at the ceremony performed by Ezekiel Pattee Esq. of Winslow, ME who had earlier lived at the dismantled Fort Halifax. This Rufus Ballard was born 28 March 1768 in Oxford or Charlton, MA to Jonathan Ballard and Alice Ellis Moore. Jonathan and his brother Ephraim Ballard moved their families the 200 plus miles to Kennebec County, ME between 1775-1777 after Jonathan Ballard sold his sawmill in Charlton. Jonathan was killed by a falling tree in 1785 and his widow Martha came to live with her son Rufus. Rufus Ballard was married to Martha “Patty” Moore (1/22/1780-7/7/1869), daughter of Ebenezer and Sarah Moore on 15 December 1797 in Vassalboro, ME. Rufus Ballard died 19 March 1855 in Vassalboro, ME and was buried in Center Vassalboro Baptist Cemetery.

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Charles Brooks, Seaman

Posted on March 20, 2010 by Joe

Charles Brooks. On 26 July 1792, the federal government settled the payroll claims of Charles Brooks related to his service as Seaman on the Confederacy dated 14 April 1781 for $59.46. Two men with this name appear on the prisoner list of the Jersey prison ship suggesting that he served on the Confederacy when captured. According to DAR records, his wife was Rachel Atwood and his daughter was Mary Ann Brooks who married Stephen Nelson Herrick, a civil engineer who lived in Greenbush near Albany, NY before moving to Cleveland. Mary Ann Brooks was born in East Haddam, CT. Rachel Atwood and Charles Brooks were married on 25 April 1802. Rachael Atwood again married Nathan Norton on 24 January 1819, after the presumed death of Charles Brooks sometime between 1803-1818 and suspected to be in 1813.

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