Fort Ticonderoga is located on Lake Champlain in northeastern New York. It is about 120 miles from Keene, New Hampshire. Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, joined by Benedict Arnold, attacked Fort Ticonderoga at dawn on May 10, 1775. They surprised and easily captured the sleeping British garrison, and seized a large stash of cannons and other armaments from the fort. This was the first significant American victory of the Revolutionary War. It raised moral and it gave the Continental Army greatly needed artillery.

Fort Ticonderoga was a key point of access to both Canada and the Hudson River Valley. Colonel Ashley’s militia regiment from southwestern New Hampshire, was available on a minutes notice to march to its defense.

John Chamberlain, Increase Chamberlain, Calvin Chamberlain and Silas French served in this militia. These men witnessed and fought for the birth and establishment of a new nation, the United States of America.

Increase Chamberlain is the son of Thomas, and is Spencer Chamberlain’s uncle. Silas French of Keene, New Hampshire is the father of Millie French Chamberlain. Therefore, he is a direct descendant of all of Spencer Chamberlain’s family.

Who was Lieutenant John Chamberlain?

John Chamberlain is on the record as serving in the Revolutionary War. However, Westmoreland historical records had confused the two different John Chamberlains as though they were the same person, (Chapter 10). It was troubling that I could find no direct proof of which John Chamberlain served.

So, was Lieutenant John Chamberlain the son of Thomas or of Henry?

Henry’s son has been given credit (at least since the 1920s) as Westmoreland’s John Chamberlain who served in the Revolutionary War. However, I didn’t want to take anything for granted. There were two troubling facts: 1- Henry’s son  John, (Eunice Edson’s husband), died in 1822 at the age of 80, yet no war pension records for him can be found. 2- His tombstone is engraved, “Mr. John Chamberlain”. Why would his family add the prefix “Mr.” if he had been a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary war?

On the other hand, the resolution of March 14, 1776 required all males twenty-one years of age or older to sign a pledge of their lives and fortunes. All males of age in Westmoreland either signed or were on the list of  those who refused. This record shows that only one John Chamberlain lived in Westmoreland at that time.

Westmoreland birth records for the children of John Chamberlain and Eunice Edson during this period establishes that John, the son of Henry, was a resident in Westmoreland. This confirms that Lieutenant John Chamberlain is the son of Henry.  John the son of Thomas apparently did not live in Westmorland during the war.

Lieutenant John Chamberlain is the son of Henry Chamberlain and Susannah Hinds. He is the husband of Eunice Edson. Calvin Chamberlain is Henry’s youngest son.

The British evacuate Boston

March 2, 1776 The Americans used the 57 cannons captured from Fort Ticonderoga to fortify Dorchester Heights, across the harbor from Boston, Massachusetts.

March 14, 1776 The General Congress passed a resolution that all town’s Committee of Safety “require all males above twenty-one years of age to sign a declaration, to pledge their lives and fortunes to oppose the Hostile Proceedings of the British Fleets and Armies against the United American Colonies.”²

March 17, 1776 The eight month siege of Boston ended. George Washington watched from his position in Dorchester Hieghts as General Howe and the British peacefully evacuated Boston. Washington’s artillary from Fort Ticonderoga, compelled the British to leave Boston and sail to their stronghold at Halifax, Nova Scotia.³

May 19, 1776   The British captured Colonel Timothy Bedel’s at a place called “The Cedars” about 45 Miles southwest of Montreal. Henry and Ebenezer Chamberlain were privates in Bedel’s regiment. Eight days later, they exchanged the American prisoners for British soldiers captured during the Canadian campaign.^1,2

June 3, 1776  In Westmoreland, 130 men signed the congressional petition of March 14. Henry Chamberlain (most likely the father), John Chamberlain (the son of Henry), Thomas Chamberlain, Jedediah Chamberlain, Increase Chamberlain and Isaac Chamberlain signed the petition. Six did not sign including Job Chamberlain.²

Henry’s sons Henry and Ebenezer Chamberlain were away in the army. Calvin Chamberlain did not sign because he was under the age of 21. Thomas’ sons Josiah, Joshua and John Chamberlain were not on the list. Apparently, they were not residents of Westmoreland at that time. Silas French signed the petition in Keene.

The declaration of Independence

July 4, 1776 The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia and the news was received with great rejoicing and celebration through out the land. A drum roll from town to town published the event over the next 14 days. That declaration brought great encouragement and powerful motivation to the patriots. Their objective now was clear. They will establish a new nation of their own that will governed under democratic principles.

The question was, would they live in freedom? Or, as conquered rebels? They must win the war! The alternative would be unthinkable. There could be no more powerful incentive to endure the current hardships and deprivation.¹

The First Celebration of the Fourth of July

Silas French and Sarah Blake heard the news of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and immediately joined in a patriotic celebration with the citizens of Keene, New Hampshire. They assembled at the town green where a liberty pole had been erected, and for which a flag had been provided. Unfortunately, they had no halyards and there was no way of fastening the flag to the top of the pole.  An announcement was made: “To any man brave enough to climb the pole and secure the banner this Spanish silver coin shall be your reward.” A nine year old boy stepped forward. “I would like to try,” he said.

The crowd was stunned and amused, but no one was willing to allow such a small child to run the risk. However, a proud father spoke out, “That’s my little Alec. He’s a cool-headed boy and can be trusted to get’er done.” With that reassurance, he was allowed to make the attempt.

Several large men gathered around to give the small standard bearer a boost, and little Alec Hutchinson began his climb. He succeeded in taking it up near the top where the pole was so slender that it began to bend under his weight. With courage and coolness he averted the pending danger and attached the flag. He then descended amid the applaud of the multitude and received the promised compensation.⁴

Colonel Ashley’s regiment sent to reinforce General Gates army

October, 1776 Colonels Ashley and Bellows marched from Cheshire county to reinforce General Gates, each with six companies of militia. Many men from Keene were in this campaign including  Silas French. We do not know the movement of these troops. However, they received a letter of thanks from General Gates at the close of the campaign:

Ticonderoga Nov. 9th 1776.

To Colonel Ashley & Colonel Bellows commanding the Regiments of Militia from the County of Cheshire, in the State of New Hampshire.

GENTLEMEN-I return you, and the officers & soldiers of the Regiments under your command, my sincere thanks for the Spirit and Expedition both you & they have shewn in marching upon the first alarm, upwards of one hundred & fifty miles, to the support of this important pass, when threatened with an immediate attack from the Enemy’s Army. I now dismiss you with the Honour you have so well deserved.

I am, Gentlemen your most obed. Humble Serv.,

Horatio Gates.¹

New Hampshire turns to God during “hard times” of war

December 1776 The people seriously felt the painful effects of the war on their prosperity. An attempt to relieve the situation by issuing paper money, made by both the Continental congress and the state legislature, was a lamentable failure. Lack of faith in its stability caused continual depreciation of its value. Prices of commodities in the newly issued paper money sky rocketed.

The legislature made a futile attempt to control the laws of trade by fixing prices. This, of course, resulted in shortages of goods. It was almost impossible to procure suitable tools and implements, or to have existing ones repaired, to accomplish the work of farm and family. Also, many of the men were in the army making the raising and gathering of crops extremely difficult. These were indeed “hard times.”¹

The Northern Continental Army had been experiencing monumental hardships for several months. Small pox sorely afflicted the men and many died. Dysentery and “putrid fever” had also broken out among those troops. Other units avoided sending them reinforcements or making other contact with them to avoid contagion. Colonel James Reed suffered so severely from sickness that he became totally blind.¹

Alarm was spreading through New England with the appearance of the British fleet off the coast with the apparent intention of landing troops. However, the army was in such a deplorable condition at this time that marching orders were never delivered.¹

December 13, 1776  A “Day of Solemn Fasting and Humiliation” was observed which had been appointed by the New Hampshire legislature.  In fasting and humility they turned toward God, with the invocation: “God save the United States of America.”¹

Cheshire County Militia called to aid Army at Ticonderoga

May 3, May 1777 Urgent appeals continued to come in from Gen. Schuyler, Gen. Wayne and others to call on troops to save Ticonderoga. The state committee of safety sent orders to the three colonels of militia in Cheshire county, “to raise as many of your Militia as possible and march them to Ticonderoga.”¹

May 5 1777  Express riders rode through the state bearing the news of an impending attack by the British Army upon Ticonderoga. This prompted General Folsom to call on portions of the western New Hampshire militia to march immediately to the aid of the American Army. Captain Waitstill Scott led the First Company of Colonel Ashley’s regiment. This company included Westmoreland’s Lieutenant John Chamberlain and privates Increase Chamberlain and Calvin Chamberlain.²  Two days later, May 7, they connected with a company from Keene, which included Private Silas French. They then began on their march of 120 miles to Fort Ticonderoga.¹

 

 

 

 

 

Ashley’s regiment goes home

About May 20, 1777 Colonel Ashley’s regiment arrived at Fort Ticonderoga. However, the alarm had subsided. Therefore, they headed home and the army discharged the unit between June 17 and June 24th, 1777.¹

The British make new plans

June 17, 1777 The British made plans to separate New England from the rest of the colonies. British General John Burgoyne and his army would march South from Canada to Albany where he would meet and join up with General Howe and his forces who would march north from New York City.³

June 20, 1777 General Burgoyne’s British invasion force assembled at the St. Lawrence River to begin their southern advance. He was in command of an army of 7700 redcoats with 42 fine brass artillery pieces. Also, the British used thousands of their Indian allies as instruments of terror. Reports of the strength and rapid advance of his army reached the states causing great fear of an imminent attack by an irresistible force of regular troops and savages.^1,3

Ashley’s orders, return to Ticonderoga

About June 24, 1777 Colonel Bellow’s and Colonel Ashley’s regiments had barely returned home when another express rider arrived with the news from General Gates that Burgoyne had actually arrived and was within a few miles of Ticonderoga.²

June 29- July 5, 1777  Colonel Ashley’s regiment of about 400 men, along with some other regiments were again ordered to Fort Ticonderoga. Henry Chamberlain was in this group. After traveling about 80 miles to Otter Creek, about 2/3 of the way to the Fort, they met a courier. He told them it was a another false alarm. So, they again changed direction and headed toward home. They traveled about 40 miles south (to Charlestown, NH), when they were overtaken by yet another express rider carrying orders to again change direction and march “with all speed for Ticonderoga.”^1,2

The Fall of Ticonderoga

July 6, 1777 British General Burgoyne placed a cannon on Mount Defiance and forced Ticonderoga under command General Arthur St. Clair to evacuate. General St. Clair gave up with little resistance.⁵

July 7, 1777 The regiments from Westmoreland and Keene were again about three miles from Otter Creek when they met the American army from Ticonderoga in retreat and therefore, headed for home once again.¹

The battles of Saratoga

July 23, 1777 – British General William Howe, who was scheduled to meet up with General Burgoyne at Albany, changed his plans. He decided instead to sail toward the Chesapeake Bay and invade the patriot capital of Philadelphia.³

September 19, 1777  In the first battle of Saratoga, British General John Burgoyne achieved a small victory over American forces led by Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold. However, his victory was costly and the battle weakened his troops. Meanwhile, General George Washington sent two brigades of Continentals from the Hudson Highlands. This raised Gates’s strength to about sixty-five hundred men.⁶

October 7, 1777 Burgoyne attempted another assault on the Americans at Bemis Heights. He had fortified his camp and waited for reinforcements from New York which never came. Benedict Arnold, Ignoring orders from General Gates to remain in his quarters, led an attack that captured key strong points and forced the British to retreat to Saratoga (modern Schuylerville). Reinforcements from General Washington had now finally arrived and surrounded Burgoyne.⁶

October 17, 1777 General Burgoyne’s army of 5,700 hundred men were forced to surrender to General Horatio Gates militia. This was a major victory for the American forces and the turning point of the war. The decisive victory convinced the French government to formally recognize the colonist’s cause and enter the war as their ally. If British General William Howe had followed through with the plan to meet Burgoyne, rather than occupy Philadelphia, the Continental Army likely would have fallen.^3,6

Marriage of Silas French and Sarah Blake

December 8, 1777 Silas French, age 25, married Sarah Blake, 20. They had known each other through out the war and probably had grown up together. According to family tradition, she supplied Silas with needed ammunition when she melted down the lead weights of the family clock and ran them into bullets. At the time of their marriage, the country was in poverty but the tides of war had turned and the future looked bright.

“Our first national Thanksgiving”

December 18, 1777  The Continental Congress designated this day, and the people heartily observed it as “a day of thanksgiving and praise to God”, It was our first national Thanksgiving.¹

The war rages on four more long years, until…

October 19, 1781  General Cornwallis formally surrendered with his full contingent of 8,000 troops at Yorktown. The British army was decimated the war was virtually over.³

April 19, 1783  Washington declares an end to fighting on the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the war.⁷

September 3, 1783 The final peace treaty between Britain and the United States was signed in Paris.⁷

A new Chamberlain generation is born

March 24, 1786 Millie French is born, the fourth child and third daughter of Silas and Sarah French. Also, about this time, somewhere in the wilds of New England, a baby boy is born to John Chamberlain and an Indian named Winona, They named him Spencer Chamberlain.

“We the People”

September 17, 1787 The constitution of The United States of America was created. It was ratified on June 21, 1788.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” – Preamble to the Constitution

March 4, 1789 The Constitution became the supreme law of the land. The framers of the constitution, through negotiation and inspiration, wisely separated and balanced governmental powers. This plan was to safeguard the interests of majority rule and minority rights, of liberty and equality, of the federal verses state governments and of small states verses large states. The new government was a representative republic made up of thirteen separate democracies.

The new nation was far from perfect. There was still the slavery issue and other problems which had been inherited from the society of the time. Now, however, it was up to “we the people” to solve these problems and to “form a more perfect Union”.

There is no longer a king or ruler. With the Constitution as our law, “We the People” are in charge. Our leaders and representatives are now a reflection of the integrity of those who elect them. Only by governing on principles of honesty and righteousness can we continue to “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”

April 6, 1789 The House and Senate met in joint session and counted the electoral votes for the first president and vice president of the United States of America. They unanimously elected  and certified George Washington and John Adams.⁷

April 30, 1789 George Washington took the oath of office in New York City and became the first President of the United States of America.

George Washington’s covenant with God

 In his inaugural address, Washington gave credit to God for the establishment of a free and independent United States of America:

“Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.” And that we as a free people are therefore, “bound to acknowledge and adore (His) invisible hand.” 

Washington then made a covenant with God that “the sacred fire of liberty” may be preserved by a nation that observes “the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained”.⁸

To be continued….  Chapter 14- Spencer Chamberlain’s Indian Mother Winona. 

© Copyright Dennis D. Chamberlain, The Chamberlain Story, 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the written content of this site without express and written permission from the author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that credit is given to Dennis D. Chamberlain and direction to  www.thechamberlainstory.com.

References:

1- S. G. Griffin, M. A., A HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF KEENE, Keene, NH, Sentinel Printing Co., 1904
2- History of Westmoreland, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, www.nh.searchroots.com
3- American Revolution Time Line for Kids, mrnussbaum.com/revolution/
4- S. G. Griffin, M. A., A HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF KEENE, Keene, NH, Sentinel Printing Co., 1904, Based on the story by Col. Rush C. Hawkins of New York in his biographical sketch of Rev. Aaron Hutchinson.
5- The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga www.history.com
6-  http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battle-of-saratoga
7- https://www.nps.gov/vafo/learn/historyculture/upload/timeline
8- Dan Hormandl, George Washington’s Covenant with God,  https://lessonsfromthefounders.wordpress.com/

By 1773 the controversy with Great Britain was becoming increasingly bitter and the people in all parts of the country grew more and more excited. Thomas Chamberlain and several of his sons were living in Westmoreland during this pivotal time in American history. Henry Chamberlain’s sons also were there and played prominent rolls in the Revolutionary War. Silas French, the father-in-law of Spencer Chamberlain also served in the Revolutionary War.

The next two chapters will highlight the activities of these two unrelated Chamberlain families of Westmoreland, and also, Silas French, my 4th great-grandfather from Keene, New Hampshire.

The Boston Tea Party

May 10, 1773 British Parliament passed the Tea Act which, by adjusting import duties, granted the East India Company a monopoly in tea sales in the colonies. The British government wanted to rescue the financially weak company so they could continue to benefit from its valuable position in India.

November 27, 1773 The first tea ship, Dartmouth, reached Boston and two more arrived shortly thereafter. Colonists led by Samuel Adams and Josiah Quincy held several mass meetings. They demanded that Governor Hutchinson send the tea back to England with duties unpaid. He did not accept their demands.

The patriots then persuaded merchants in New York, Charleston and Philadelphia to refuse to accept the tea shipments. Boston merchants however, refused to cooperate. These merchants, many of whom were relatives of the Governor, could then expect even greater profits at the expense of the other merchants.

December 16, 1773 A group of patriots meeting at the Old South Church were told of the governor’s final refusal. About midnight, Samuel Adams and a small group called the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians and boarded the three ships.  In three hours, they dumped 342 chests containing 45 tons of tea into the Boston harbor.

March 31, 1774 In response to the Boston Tea Party, British Parliament closed the port of Boston.

Lexington, the first battle of the Revolutionary War

April 18, 1775 The British army controlled the city of Boston and its harbor. At 11 pm the British army, under the command of General Thomas Gage, crossed the Charles river into East Cambridge. British grenadiers and light infantry began marching toward Lexington and Concord. They hoped to capture the rebel leaders, John Hancock and Samuel Adams at Lexington and seize the weapons and gun powder stored at Concord.^3,5

Patriot sentinels were on alert and hung lanterns in the steeple of Boston’s Christ Church on Copp’s hill. As the signal light flickered from the steeple, Paul Revere crossed the river in a boat to Charlestown.  Within five minutes, the British closed Boston and allowed no one to leave.

On a fleet horse, Revere sped toward Lexington, rousing people along the way. However, he did not work alone. On this historic night dozens of patriotic activists ignited an intricate web of communicating which had been in place for months. Heroic messengers hastened in all directions. They fired signal shots, rang bells and spread the word from neighbor to neighbor.^3,8

April 19, 1775 Before sunrise, 800 British regulars arrived at Lexington and found a militia company of about 70 facing them. Their captain ordered the colonists to disperse. A shot rang out which was followed by a volley from the British leaving eight colonists slain.

The British continued their march toward their objective. However, Hancock and Adams, escaped and the Americans removed the weapons and gun powder safely from Concord.  And now, thousands of minute-men and other patriots were flocking toward the scene of action.⁵

News arrives in Keene, New Hampshire

April 20, 1775 One message-bearer traveled ninety miles to bring the news to Keene, New Hampshire. Marks cut in trees along a bridal path were all he had to lead him through the woods. Nevertheless, he arrived before noon.

He dispersed the word to all parts of town for citizens to meet at the green. There, they voted unanimously to oppose the regulars, and choose Captain Wyman, a 51 year old veteran of the French and Indian wars, to be the commander. Thirty volunteers from Keene left the next morning at sunrise and headed toward Boston.³

Many more men from Keene might have volunteered. However, thirteen wealthy, active and prominent men of the county, including the commander of the militia regiment, Col. Josiah Willard, were Tories. These influential men believed the patriot cause was hopeless and that it would be prudent to stand by the royal government. Their adverse influence greatly inhibited the volunteer effort.³

Two thousand New Hampshire men head for Boston

April 21, 1775 A convention of delegates gathered at Exeter and appointed Nathaniel Folsom a brigadier general to command the NH troops around Boston. The delegation resolved that the towns people provide flour and pork and also “minute men” properly equipped and ready to march on a minutes notice.³

April 23, 1775 Two thousand New Hampshire men headed for Boston. When added to those from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, they formed an unorganized and poorly equipped army of nearly 20,000. They completely surrounded Boston on the land side. The patriots began to build up entrenchments along their lines and the city of Boston was in a state of siege.³

The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

May 10, 1775  The Green Mountain Boys militia joined the revolutionary effort without hesitation. Under the joint command of Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, less than 100 men crossed to the New York side of Lake Champlain. At dawn they surprised and captured the sleeping British garrison at Fort Ticonderoga without firing a shot. This was the first rebel victory of the Revolutionary War. The victory lifted patriot morale was and provided much needed artillery for the Continental Army.

John Stark and James Reed accept commands

May 17, 1775 Delegates from Westmoreland, Keene and 100 other New Hampshire towns attended another provincial congress in Exeter. They formed a committee of supplies for the army, and a committee of safety and secured provincial records. They resolved to immediately raise two thousand more officers and men from the province.^1,3

John Stark had extensive military experience and was probably the most capable soldier in the province. He felt that the congress passed over him for General simply because he was active in the field while Nathaniel Folsom gathered support at the convention. Nevertheless, he accepted the commission as a Colonel from General Folsom, to command the First New Hampshire regiment.

James Reed had been a Captain in the French and Indian wars. When he found the troops at Cambridge were unorganized, he enlisted volunteers to form a regiment. Exeter convention delegates appointed Colonel Reed to lead the Third New Hampshire regiment. General Folsom ordered that he immediately travel to Cheshire County to collect the recruits enlisted for him there. Among these were privates Henry Chamberlain (28) and Ebenezer Chamberlain (20) in a company commanded by Captain Jacob Hinds.^1,3

The Battle of Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill

On a peninsula across the Charles River from Boston there were two strategically important hills near the town of Charlestown. Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill would be excellent positions from which the British could fire their cannons at the Americans surrounding the city. The patriots also recognized this fact.

Fortification of Breeds Hill begins at Midnight

June 16, 1775  Colonel William Prescott was commander of a detachment of about 1,000 men and two pieces of artillery. His orders were to take provisions and entrenching tools and proceed to the Charlestown peninsula to fortify and hold Bunker’s hill.

At 9 pm, they served a ration of rum to the men from a hogshead. President Langdon of Harvard college offered a prayer. The column then began their silent march, carrying dark lanterns open only to the rear.³

Upon arrival, the officers marked out the fortification plan and placed sentinels along the shore. At midnight, they began to build a six foot high defensive redoubt on Breeds Hill. The men were within cannon range of six British war ships. They worked in strict silence.

“All’s well!” shouted the British sentinels along the Boston shore. Their call gave comforting reassurance to both sides.³

Colonels Reed and Stark rush to Prescott’s aid

June 17, 1775 As dawn approached, lookouts on HMS Lively, a 20-gun sloop, noticed some activity and opened fire on the night-darkened hills. This, of course, caught the attention of the British admiral. He demanded to know what they were shooting at.

At dawn, the British could clearly see the hastily constructed fortifications and opened a barrage of cannon fire. Colonel Prescott held the hill throughout the intense initial bombardment with only a few hundred American militia. Outgunned and outnumbered, he sent a desperate request for reinforcements.⁶

Colonel Reed and his New Hampshire minutemen’s were bivouacking at Charlestown Neck and arrived at the scene soon after Prescott’s request. The Lively directed an accurate rain of artillery fire toward the narrow neck of land which Colonel Stark’s regiment had to cross. Other regiments were in disarray and afraid to march into range of the artillery. Stark, however, ordered those men to stand aside and calmly marched his troops to Prescott’s positions without taking any casualties.⁶

A grateful Colonel Prescott told Stark to deploy his men where he saw fit. Stark surveyed the ground and immediately saw that the British would flank the rebels by landing on the Mystic River beach east of Bunker Hill. While the sea was at ebb tide, they gathered stones to fortify the beach.⁶

A fence line fortress of hay

Colonel Reed had moved his regiment to the front and formed his line behind a long rail fence. Stark’s regiment lined the fence to his left and Captain Knowlton’s company to his right. They brought other nearby fence material over and set them up parallel about three feet apart. Fortunately, the grass on the hill had been cut for hay the day before. Henry and Ebenezer Chamberlain, along with hundreds of other men, carried the hay in their arms and trod it down between the fences so that the packed hay would stop many of the musket balls.^1,3

The British soldiers knew it was “conquer or die”

It was a hot Saturday afternoon. By 3 o’clock, 3,000 British troops were off the boats and on the ground. When the barges returned to the Boston side of the river, the British soldiers knew that it was “conquer or die”. They formed two columns of grenadiers and light infantry with field artillery. General Pigot, on the left would direct his attack toward the redoubt and General Howe on the right would aim his assaulted at the rail fence.³

New Hampshire regiments taunt British

In the past, as far back as the French and Indian wars, the British had often played a certain song to ridicule the Provincials. The elite British military thereby expressed their condescending view toward the rag tag colonist forces. Now, a chorus of that song rang out from behind the rail fence. The New Hampshire regiments sang this song for the first time in defiance of the British: “Yankee Doodle went to town, a riding on a pony, Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni.“^7,11

At forty yards, fire!

Ammunition and gun powder was scarce. Stark and Reed gave each of their men 15 balls, a cup of gun powder and an extra flint. Since guns were of different calibers, some of the balls were to large and had to be hammered, or they were to small and had to be wrapped in cloth to fit. If they didn’t have a powder horn, they had to carry their gun powder in their waistcoat pocket.³

The minutemen crouched and waited. The field officers walked the line giving the men encouragement and instruction. “Fire low, aim at the waist.” “Powder is scarce, don’t waste it.” “Wait till you can see the whites of their eyes!” Stark paced off forty yards in front of the fence, stuck a stick in the ground and said to his men: “Don’t fire a shot till the redcoats come up to that stick and I say the word!”³

The British advanced toward the American lines with the precision of a dress parade, halting to fire now and then, but doing little harm. As they approached the forty yard mark, hundreds of Americans held there breath.

“Fire!” came the command from Stark, and an explosion burst from the line of muskets.  Another volley followed as soon as they could reload.  The ground was seen strewn with hundreds of dead, dying, and wounded. The British wavered then retreated.³

Charlestown burning

Sniper fire aimed at the British was coming from the Charlestown area. This was returned with a rain of grape-shot from the cannons. Smoke now filled the sky toward the south as the whole town was ablaze. Hundreds of residents, who had not previously evacuated, were now heading for safety beyond Charlestown Neck.

General Putnam provided little assistance to the front line

General Putnam and Colonel Gerrish had over 1000 men on and behind Bunker Hill one-half mile to the rear. They were working to fortify the hill as a rallying point in case of disaster. There was great confusion, and that part of the field provided little assistance to Stark, Reed and Prescott on the front line.³

British rally, patriot’s ammunition runs low

The British officers rallied their troops at the water’s edge and regrouped. They then made a second advance as steady as the first. The patriots withheld their fire until they were even closer than before. Another deadly volley burst upon them, and again the British broke and fled in disorder. General Clinton hastened to bring more troops across the river from Boston to aid in the assault.

The Amrican’s ammunition was now almost completely exhausted. The few remaining artillery cartridges were broken open and the powder distributed among the infantry. A few squads of reinforcements from the rear joined the front line, but it was too little and too late to be effective. The British officers realized that the Americans’ ammunition was running out. This news was spread among their troops, encouraging them to renew the fight.

British advance toward the right wing, Americans retreat

During the final assault, General Howe changed his strategy and directed his infantry with their bayonets toward the redoubt. He then advanced a strong column of the grenadiers of his right wing, with artillery, and turned it toward the hill with a such a destructive force that the Americans were forced abandon their positions there. The British then advanced and entered the redoubt at the rear. Prescott and his men were compelled to retreat.

The men behind the rail fence were powerless to drive back the British who were now on their right flank.  In this dire situation, they might soon be cut off from any means of escape.  A retreat was ordered and the men of the two New Hampshire regiments began to move over or around Bunker Hill while assisting Prescott and his men escape from the overrun redoubt.³

The patriot soldiers had now became a crowd of refugees retreating over and beyond the hill. They were caught in a cross fire from General Howe’s grenadiers behind them and from ships in the Mystic river to their side. All British fire was now focused on the fleeing hoard of men struggling to get through the hour-glass shape of Charlestown neck. The heaviest loss for the Americans this day was on this ground.

The British costly victory

The battle lasted one hour and a half and the British now occupied Bunker Hill. Their victory, however, came at a great cost. Approximately 226 British soldiers had died on the battlefield with another 800 wounded. American casualties were much less, approximately 140 killed and 310 wounded.⁵

This is the most casualties the British would have in any single engagement during the American Revolutionary War. Colonel Stark described the scene in front of the rail fence: “The dead lay as thick as sheep in a fold.”^3,6

The grass fence served as a surprisingly effective defense. After two assaults at the rail fence the British decided to change their strategy. “The battle began with the intention of flanking the redoubt by breaking the fence line. It ended by flanking the fence by carrying the redoubt.“⁹

One British officer later reported the cost of attacking at the fence line: “Our light infantry was served up in companies against the grass fence, without being able to penetrate. Indeed how could we penetrate? Most of our grenadiers and light infantry, the moment of presenting themselves, lost three-fourths, and many nine-tenths of their men. Some had only eight and nine men a company left; some only three, four and five.”¹⁰

Henry and Ebenezer Chamberlain

The Chamberlain brothers, Henry and Ebenezer had fought in the thick of the fight in the bloodiest battle of the Revolutionary war and survived. That night they, with the other New Hampshire troops, slept at Winter hill a mile from Bunker’s hill. The next day they would begin to entrench there for a new line of defense. The siege of Boston had just begun.

General George Washington assumes command.

On July 3, 1775, General George Washington assumed the command of the Continental Army in Massachusetts.

Silas French enlisted on July 14, 1775

On July 14, 1775, four weeks after the Battle of Bunker Hill, Silas French enlisted in Captain Jeremiah Stiles company in Colonel Paul Dudley Sargent’s regiment. This company from Keene, NH had been transferred from Stark’s to Sargent’s regiment in the central division of the army under General Putnam. Each man who enlisted was required to supply himself with a gun and cartridge box.¹

Silas French is the father of Millie French, the wife of Spencer Chamberlain, and therefore a direct descendant of all of the Spencer Chamberlain family. Silas French lived in Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire just east of Westmoreland.

Preparing for War

Under the militia law from the French and Indian Wars, every male inhabitant from sixteen to sixty years of age was required to provide himself with a musket and bayonet, knapsack, cartridge-box, one pound of powder, twenty bullets and twelve flints. Every town was required to keep on hand one barrel of powder, 200 pounds of lead and 300 flints for every sixty men.³

After fifteen years of peace, this law was not being enforced. But now, the prospect of revolutionary war on the horizon, gave them a rude awakening. Less than half the required military supplies were in store and new supplies were nowhere available. Furthermore, the veterans of the Indian wars were fast passing away, and their young men were learning nothing of military arts and duties.³ 

The story of how Silas French (23) addressed this dilemma and personal responsibility has been passed down through the generations. The story is recorded in the history of Northwest Iowa:

“A great-grandfather of Harry Chamberlain in the paternal line (Silas French) participated in the Revolutionary war. His wife (Sarah Blake) melted and ran into bullets the lead weights of the family clock, replacing the weights with bags of sand. This clock and the old Queen’s Arm musket which the great- grandfather used are still (1926) in possession of members of the Chamberlain family in Vermont.”⁴

The family story

Sarah Blake was 18 years old at the time the Revolutionary war broke out in 1775. Silas and Sarah were not married at that time. My interpretation of this story is that she melted down the weights from her parent’s family clock to provide the bullets for the young patriot Silas French. However, this incident may have happened during the critical lead shortage of 1777. (Another version of this story in our family history)

To be continued… Chapter 13- The Chamberlain’s in the March to Ticonderoga

© Dennis D. Chamberlain, The Chamberlain Story, 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the written content of this site without express and written permission from the author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that  credit is given to Dennis D. Chamberlain and direction to  www.thechamberlainstory.com.

References:

3- S. G. Griffin, M. A., A HISTORYOF THE TOWN OF KEENE, Keene, NH, Sentinel Printing Co., 1904
4- Northwestern Iowa Its History and Traditions, Volume II, (Harry Chamberlain), 1804-1926. http://iagenweb.org
5- American Revolutionary War Facts, http://www.american-revolutionary-war-facts.com
6- John Stark, https://en.wikipedia.org
7- A HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF KEENE, Keene, NH, Sentinel Printing Co., 1904. Address of Rev, Geo. E. Ellis, June 17, 1841
8-Ray Raphael Paul Revere’s Other Riders htts://allthingsliberty.com
9- A HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF KEENE, Keene, NH, Sentinel Printing Co., 1904, Tarbox’s Life of Israel Putnam, page 197
10- Ibid.,  Letter of English officer during Revolutionary War, dated July 5, 1775.

11- Yankee Doodle Dandy was sung by the British during the French and Indian wars to deride the colonists with a pretense of superiority. There were many verses written by various lyricists.

In the 1760s a “Yankee” was a derogatory term for a New England colonist country bumpkin. “Doodle” was a fool or simpleton. “Dandee” was one who thought of himself as stylish. “Macaroni” was English slang for anything fashionable, originally a fancy Italian dress which was imitated in England at the time.

A Yankee Doodle Dandy thought he could make himself fashionable by sticking a feather in his coon skin cap. Now in open rebellion, the colonists sang it to mock the British. It was an almost spontaneous expression of their pent up resentment of British rule and condescension. Yankee Doodle Dandy became a source of patriotism and pride for the colonists. And, perhaps never sweeter than when it was sung at the British surrender at Yorktown, and the end of the Revolutionary war.

Thomas Chamberlain was born in Billerica, Massachusetts, August 9, 1703. He was the son of Daniel Chamberlain and Mary Swain. Daniel was the thirteenth and youngest child of William Chamberlain and Rebecca (Addington) Chamberlain.¹

Spencer Chamberlain told his his grandson, Alonzo Chamberlain Phillips that his family “located on the east coast of Maine” (Chapter 9).  I believe that Daniel and his brother William and their families moved to Rye, Rockingham, NH about 1704. William’s son, William, 3rd., was born there that year. Daniel and Mary’s son, Jonathan, also was born there. Jonathan, Thomas’ younger brother, was born in Rye, NH on February 21, 1708. Daniel and Mary and their family apparently moved back to Billerica by 1713.

25 December 1713 Thomas’ sister Dorothy was born in Billerica. The mother, Mary Swain died that year, apparently from complications of child birth.¹

22 November 1725 Thomas’ father Daniel Chamberlain died in Billerica, Massachusetts.

About 1730 Thomas Chamberlain, age 27, married Abigail Pierce, she was about 24 years old.¹

1731 through 1748 Thomas and Abigail had seven sons and finally, one daughter.  Their birth location and approximate birth year were: Josiah (1731) and Isaac (1732) were born in Billerica, Joshua (1734) in Lynnfield, Job (1736) location unknown, Jedediah (1737) in Stoneham, John (1739) in Newton, Increase (1741) and Abigail (1748) in Westmoreland.¹  (For more details about their births see Chapter 10)

Settling Westmoreland

On November 30, 1736, the land survey committee accepted and chartered a township east of the Connecticut River called “No. 2”. They named it Great Meadow. Thomas Chamberlain was one of the grantees under the Massachusetts charter. A few Abenaki Indians remained for a brief time in the north part of town by a small brook known as Wigwam Brook.²

In the spring of 1741, a few families canoeing up the Connecticut River from Northfield made the first settlement. Stories of the fertility of the “Great Meadows” got their attention. Thomas and Abigail were among the first to come here. The Sentinel of Sept 15, 1813 reported that their son, Increase Chamberlain, born there in 1741, was “supposed to have been the first male (white) child born in (the settlement now known as) Westmoreland.”³

Fort Hill or Putney

1744-48 King George’s War widened in Europe with the out break of the War of Austrian succession, in which Spain and France were allied against Britain. This again spilled into the colonies as the (1744-48) segment of the French and Indian Wars. Settlers of Town No.2, Putney, and Westminster came together to build a stockade fort on the Great Meadow named Fort Hill, also called Fort Putney.

The Indians, in their travels up the river occasionally surprised individuals or small groups of men working outside the fort. In these skirmishes, they killed or captured several settlers, and took them as prisoners to Canada.²

Thomas and sons signed the Westmoreland Charter

On January 30, 1750, officials determined that the area of Town No. 2 was under New Hampshire Jurisdiction. Adult male citizens* of the town signed a petition and sent it to the New Hampshire Governor et al. Forty-one men including five Chamberlains, Thomas, Isaac, Joshua, Jedidiah and Job signed this document.²

February 12, 1752 The new charter named sixty grantees of Westmoreland including Thomas Chamberlain, Isaac Chamberlain, Josiah Chamberlain, Jedediah Chamberlain and John Chamberlain.²  “John Chamberlain, one of the original grantees of this town was born in Newton, Mass.”⁴  This John Chamberlain is the son of Thomas who came from Newton Mass.

*Adult male citizens- It appears that all who signed the charter or were grantees were males, 12 years old or older at the time.

March 31, 1752 Thomas Chamberlain held the first meeting of the proprietors of the township of Westmoreland at his house. The proprietors chose a committee to lay out the the house lots.² They also voted to give anyone who would build a gristmill the sum of 150 pounds and 50 acres of land on Mill Brook. Thomas Chamberlain and Samuel Minot accepted the offer and built the first Mill in town⁵

The final French and Indian War

1754-60 The French and Indian War, (aka the seven year war), was heating up again. Residents built a second fort at the Great Meadows made of yellow pine. It was rectangular (120′ by 80′) with the backs of fifteen dwellings forming the outside walls with a square open court yard at their front.  There were two watch towers at the northeast and southwest corners and a large gate on the south side and small gate on the west. The residents included thirteen individuals/families including Thomas and his son Isaac Chamberlain. The danger from the French and their hostile Indian allies remained high until about 1760.^6,7

“In 1755 another horrible Indian war was in progress where people were killed, scalped and carried away prisoners from all the towns in all this region around about. These two forts were private property, but were garrisoned in times of peril so that these posts were kept through the wars, but could not accommodate all the settlers with their families and a great many left N.H. and went back to Mass. to await better times. It would not be safe to try to live in Westmoreland before 1760. After that settlement progressed rapidly.” – June 17, 1927⁸

February 10, 1763 A peace treaty formally ended the French and Indian War. It ceded Canada and the American mid-west to the English and tightened the control of Great Britain’s colonial administration of North America.

Thomas Chamberlain transferred his church membership from Newton, Massachusetts

September 26, 1764 Thomas Chamberlain signed the covenant of the new Westmoreland Congregational Church. “Thos Chamberlain Chh at Newtown.”⁹

April 7, 1765 Thomas Chamberlain officially transferred his membership to the new church. “Thos Chamberlain April 7, 1765 from Newtown.”⁹

October 7, 1765 Nine American colonies held a Stamp Act Congress in New York where they adopted a Declaration of Rights against taxation without representation. This was in response to the British Government requiring a revenue stamp tax to pay for British troops.

November 20, 1767  British Government’s Townshend Acts placed additional levies on goods in the American colonies. This included levies on such things as glass, painter’s lead, paper, and tea. The American colonies greatly opposed these taxes.

May 18, 1769 Thomas Chamberlain’s wife Abigail died at Westmoreland at age 63.⁵

March 5, 1770 In Boston, about fifty patriots demonstrated against the British troops at the customs office. The troops opened fire into the mob killing five. The Boston Massacre incident furthered the colonists cause of rebellion.

April 12, 1770 The British parliament repealed the Townshend Acts, except for the one on tea. British Prime Minister Lord North and the parliament maintained the tea tax to show their supremacy.

A plague of army worms swarm down the valley

In July through September, 1770, an army of worms invaded the Connecticut River Valley. They called them the Northern Army because they appeared in Lancaster, NH in July, and continued their ravage, advancing south-west to Northfield, MA.

Some whole pastures were so covered with worms that that, “no single spot could be touched with a finger without placing it upon a worm”.

They had brown bodies with a black, velvet like stripe on their back and yellow stripes on each side.  Sometimes they were no larger that a pin, but quickly grew to be as long as a man’s finger. They filled the houses, marching up the side and over a house in such a compact column that one could not see the boards or shingles.

They spared pumpkin-vines, peas, potatoes, and flax, but wheat and corn vanished before them. There were fields of corn standing thick, large and tall. However, ten days from the first appearing of the Northern Army, nothing remained but the bare stalks!

The battle of man against the worm

The inhabitants tried everything to protect their fields of corn, but all in vain. They dug trenches around their fields a foot and a half deep, but the worms soon filled the ditch until millions in the rear went over the worms in the trench and took possession of the field.

Some farmers took round, smooth sapling sticks, six or eight inches in diameter, and six or eight feet in length, sharpened them to a point, and with these made holes in the bottom of their trenches. In these meadow bottom lands, they were able to extend these holes three feet deep below the bottom of the ditch.

The sides of these holes were smooth, and when the worms fell from the precipice, they landed at the bottom. Their fellow worms soon buried them alive. Now, the farmers went around their fields and plunged the pointed levers into the holes filled with the crawling invaders and destroyed everyone of them in a single thrust. In this way, some farmers reserved for themselves corn enough for seed the next year.

Pigeons, pumpkins and potatoes

The worms destroyed the principal grains of that year and all the settlements severely felt the loss. Their bread and feed for growing their pork was lost, and fodder for their cattle decimated.

On the bright side, there was an extraordinary crop of pumpkins. The untouched pumpkins grew astonishingly in the fields, overtaking the land where the corn once stood.

Swarms of pigeons flew in to feed on the army worms. They were too late to save the grain crops. However, thousands of pigeons were dressed, dried, and preserved for the winter. They were very palatable and nutritious, and proved a good substitute for other meats.

Pigeons, pumpkins and potatoes saved the inhabitants from starvation. The inhabitants recognized “the Divine Goodness in this providential supply, when the ordinary means of subsistence were cut off”.^2,10

This must have been a devastating time for Thomas Chamberlain who was a miller, as the grain crops were completely wiped out.

Chamberlain brothers occupations before the War

In 1775 three of Thomas’s sons held an office in the town of Westmoreland. Isaac Chamberlain (44) was one of seven highway surveyors, Job Chamberlain (40) was one of two town constables, he also served as a sealer of weights and measures, Jedediah Chamberlain (39) was a hog-reeve.¹¹

A hog-reeve was an 18th century animal control officer with the responsibility of preventing damage to the town by stray swine. Wandering domestic pigs rooting in farms and gardens could do great damage.

Owners were responsible for yoking their pigs by placing rings in their noses. If they got loose and became a nuisance, one or more hog-reeves would capture and impound the animals.

If a nose ring was absent, the hog-reeve performed the chore. The owner was then legally responsible for a small service fee. Other fines including a four shilling fee per head would be charged to reclaim their animals.  If unclaimed, the live stock could be sold at public auction after the owner was given 48 hours written notice.

The noble occupation of the hog-reeve originated in Saxon England where there was a need to station men at the doors of the cathedral to prevent swine from entering church during services.¹²

To be continued…. Chapter 12- The Chamberlains During the Revolutionary War

© Copyright Dennis D. Chamberlain, The Chamberlain Story, 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the written content of this site without express and written permission from the author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that credit is given to Dennis D. Chamberlain and direction to  www.thechamberlainstory.com.

References:

1- Familysearch.org, Thomas/ Chamberlain/
2- History of Westmoreland, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, www.nh.searchroots.com
3- Hamilton Child, Gazetteer of Cheshire County, N. H. 1736-1885 Syracuse, N. Y. August 1885, p.371.
4- Abid., p.519.
5- Thomas Chamberlain (3) Daniel (2), William (1), Born at Billerica, Mass. Aug. 1703; died in Vermont. (Type writer document, undated and unknown author) from The Historical Society of Cheshire County

6- Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Military Forts, The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, page 799.
7- Childs Gazetter of Windham Co. VT, 1724-1884 p. 275
8- Ella E. Abbott, Letters to Mrs. Chamberlain, provided by Alan Rumrill director of the Historical Society of Cheshire County.
9- Westmoreland Congregational Church (Park Hill) records. Email from Alan Rumrill, Historical Society of Cheshire County.
10- Grant Powers, Historical Sketches of the Discovery, Settlement, and Progress of Events in the Coos County and Vicinity Principally Included Between the Years 1754 and 1785 (Haverhill: Henry Merrill, 1880), 103-109. www.dartmouth.edu

11- History of Westmoreland, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, www.nh.searchroots.com
12- Hog-reeves, https://en.wikipedia.org