Marlborough 1775 Minuteman Roster

During the eight years of this war a total of 375 Marlborough men were in service, amounting to 25% of the population of the Town. This is remarkable as the scenes of action shifted more and more to the south as the war progressed. These men, of course, were not in service all at the same time, but, when the war ended at least 75% of the male population were veterans. Fortunately, however, the casualties were small.

For more information see Massachusetts Colonial Militia in the Revolutionary War.

Battles of Lexington and Concord

Sometime near midnight of 18/19 April 1775, express riders arrived into Marlborough with news of a British column on the march inland. Their most likely errand would be to sieze weapon stores. The Massachusetts militia had two large weapon stores, one at Lexington and the other at Cambridge.

The Marlborough militiamen (some 190 from list of four companies below) assembled quickly and marched to Cambridge. This would have placed them on the route to intercept British soldiers on their long retreat back to Boston late in the day of 19 April 1775. It is reasonable to assume that many of this men here had saw some form of action that day.

• Battles of Lexington and Concord - Wikipedia

Additionally many of the men here probably stuck around to participate in the Siege of Boston which started immediately afterwards. (19 Apr 1775 - 17 Mar 1776)

• The Siege of Boston Wikipedia

The Massachusetts Line

Immediately after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, many of these minutemen, plus a great deal more, immediately became involved with Siege of Boston (1775-1776). Many were recruited into Read's Regiment led by Colonel Joseph Read, it was first designated the 6th Massachusetts Regiment and then renamed as the 13th Continental Regiment.

After Boston, Colonel Read rushed this unit with Gen. Washington down to New York City (summer of 1776) to intercept the British invasion there and participated in the Famous Battles of Trenton and Princeton before disbanding at the end of 1776.

In 1777, many of these men would continue to serve the war effort in either the 4th Middlesex County Militia Regiment or the 6th Middlesex County Militia Regiment (led by Col Jonathan Reed) which participated in the Battle of Saratoga in upper New York.

Noteworthy Men in the Service

The following Marlborough men were in the service during the war:

1. Barnes, Asa (1756-1812) - a private in Capt. Silas Gates' Co., Ward's regiment, 1775. He was born in Marlboro.
2. Barnes, Daniel, Capt (1736-1813) - Capt of company of Minute men who marched 19 Apr 1775, but arrived after skirmish was over. Commissioned Captain 25 May 1775, served in 15th regiment.
3. Barnes, John (1763-1834) - was placed on the pension roll of Orange Co., Vt., 1818, for service of private # Brigham, Henry (1752-1829) - turned out as sergeant on the 1775 Lexington Alarm in Capt. William Brigham's company, Colonel Ward's regiment. He was born in Marlboro; He died in Barre.
4. Brigham, Uriah, Lt. (1727-1782) -
5. Brigham, William, Capt (1735-1793) - Captain William Brigham was the commanding officer of one of four companies listed in the Marlborough 1775 Minuteman Roster that marched on the alarm of 19 April 1775.
6. Rice, Jabez (1728-1809) was a minute man from Marlboro at the Lexington Alarm under Capt. Daniel Barnes. Later was a private in Capt. Robert's company, 15th Massachusetts battalion under Col. Timothy Bigelow. He was born in Shrewsbury; died in Marlboro, Mass.
7. Ward, Artemas, Gen. (1727-1800) - The Continental Army at Boston was under command of General Artemus Ward of Shrewsbury MA (and the same of Marlborough parents), until July 3, 1775 when he was succeeded, by order of the Continental Congress, by George Washington (1732-1799). On July 2nd, Washington stopped at the Williams Tavern in Marlborough, being escorted by an honor guard of prominent citizens of this and adjoining towns, and he then proceeded through Marlborough along the Post Road, accompanied by a military delegation from the Boston battle front to Cambridge where he took over Gen. Ward’s command. The 1775 minuteman companies are frequently listed as part of Ward's Regiment.

1. Aaron Ames (1759-1824)
2. Joel Babbett
3. Silas Baker
4. Benjamin Bartlett
5. Abraham Beaman
6. Joel Beaman
7. Richard Bradford
8. George Brigham (1730-1808)
9. Alexander Church
10. Jonathan Crosby
11. John Dexter (1735-1800)
12. Zerubbabel Eager
13. Samuel Gates
14. William Goodall
15. Pomeroy Grove
16. Joel Hager
17. Robert Horn
18. Abraham Howe
19. Luke Howe
20. Samuel Hudson
21. David Hunter
22. Samuel Kelley
23. Edward Knapp
24. Jonathan Lamb
25. William Loring
26. Samuel McNale
27. Francis Mensurve
28. Francis Morse
29. Joseph Newton
30. Aaron Nurse
31. Roger Phelps (1760-1832)
32. Joseph Pulling
33. Ashbel Rice
34. Gershom Rice
35. Joseph Robbins
36. John Stow
37. David Sale
38. William Shield
39. Robert Scott
40. Samuel Spofford
41. Peter Stevenson
42. Quartus Stow (1755-1798)
43. David Walt
44. Samuel Ward
45. Joseph Waters - a Scotch Highlander in the English Service, was captured by the Americans, came to Marlborough and then enlisted into the American Service and served in many campaigns of the war. He later settled in Marlborough and lived to an old age.
46. Alexander Watson
47. William Weeks (1762-1810)
48. Fortunatus Wheeler
49. Asa Witt
50. John Wiggins
51. Joseph Williams
52. Morse Williams
53. Thomas Williams
54. John Wyman (1745-1813)
55. Jonathan Wyman
56. Samuel Wyman
57. Samuel Willard

Marlborough 1775 Minuteman Rosters

From the book History of Middlesex County - Vol III, page 822-823 by Duane Hamilton Hurd: On 19 April 1775, news reached Marlborough that the British Army had left Boston and were marching to sieze rebel arms at Concord. Within a few hours, four companies of Marlborough men, consisting of 190 men, were marching to battle.

In 1774, three companies of “Minutemen” were organized in Marlborough under Captain Cyprian Howe, William Brigham and Daniel Barnes, representing (roughly) the east, west and central parts of the To9wn respectively, and each, seemingly, based on a separate tavern. At the first intelligence of bloodshed at Lexington and Concord as of the morning of April 19, 1775, these companies assembled and marched for the scene of action, probably to Watertown MA to prevent any of the English army moving out on the Post Road.

According to the army payrolls some of these men were away but a few days and some for as long as forty days, in their original companies. They then were reorganized and many served throughout the siege of Boston which was lifted March 16, 1776, and which ended British occupation in Massachusetts.

Roll of Captain Howe's Company

They marched to Cambridge on 19 April 1775, absent from home 16 days.

1. Cyprian Howe (1726-1790), Captain
2. Amasa Cranston, Lieutenant, later led expedition to Claverack, in 1780. But other records show he died in 1777?
3. Uriah Eager (1700-1780), Ensign
4. Solomon Bowers, Sergeant
5. Robert Hunter, Sergeant
6. William Hager
7. Matthias Moseman
8. Josiah Wilkins (1717-1783)
9. Jeduthan Alexander
10. John Baker
11. Joseph Baker
12. Joel Barnard (1732-1775)
13. Asa Barnes (1756-1812)
14. Silas Barnes
15. Joel Brigham (1714-1797)
16. William Brown
17. James Bruce
18. Nathaniel Bruce
19. Timothy Bruce
20. Jabez Bush
21. Timothy Darling
22. Abner Dunton
23. Aaron Eager
24. Ebenezer Eames
25. Abner Goodale (1755-1823)
26. Thomas Goodale
27. Luke Hager
28. Nebediah Howe
29. Peter Howe (1756-1842) - later settled in Vermont, then Ohio.
30. David Hunter
31. Frances James
32. Ephraim Maynard (1745-1826)
33. Simon Maynard
34. Joseph Miller
35. Alpheus Morse
36. Adonijah Newton
37. James Priest
38. Jacob Priest (1757-1824)
39. Jabez Rice (1728-1809) - ??? Documented for Barnes Company only.
40. Thaddeus Shattuck
41. William Speakman
42. Hiram Stow
43. Jonathan Temple (1735-1813)
44. Frederick Walcott
45. Amos Walt
46. Forunatus Wheeler
47. Abraham Whitney

Roll of Captain Brigham's Company

They marched to Cambridge on 19 April 1775, saw service of 10-30 days.

1. William Brigham (1735-1793), Captain
2. Silas Gates (1727-1793), 1st Lieutenant
3. Ithamar Brigham, 2nd Lieutenant
4. Brigham, Henry (1752-1829) - turned out as sergeant on the 1775 Lexington Alarm in Capt. William Brigham's company, Colonel Ward's regiment. He was born in Marlboro; He died in Barre.
5. Noah Beaman, Sergeant
6. Joseph Brigham, Sergeant
7. Lewis Brigham (1756-1803), Corporal
8. Ichabod Jones, Corporal
9. Josiah Priest, Corporal
10. Thomas Rice (1747-1840), Corporal
11. Ephraim Ward, Corporal
12. James Ball (1754-1834)
13. John Bagley
14. Timothy Baker
15. Jonathan Barnes, Jr
16. Abraham Beaman
17. Jabez Bent
18. Abraham Brigham
19. George Brigham (1730-1808)
20. Gershom Brigham (1749-1817)
21. Lovewell Brigham
22. Silas Carly
23. Alexander Church
24. Samuel Eames
25. Ezekiel Gilsby
26. Ithamar Goodnow
27. Frederick Goodsew
28. Oliver Hale
29. Robert Horn
30. Ephraim Howe
31. Luke Howe
32. Phineas Howe (1739-1832) - Served until 1777 in Reed's Regiment
33. Reuben Howe
34. Samuel Howe (1756-1842)
35. Simon Howe (1722-1806)
36. Thomas Joslie
37. William Loring
38. Isaac Morse
39. Jonah Newton
40. Abijah Perry
41. Gershom Rice, Jr
42. Jabez Rice (1728-1809) - ??? Documented for Barnes Company only.
43. Willard Rice
44. Redist Stewart
45. Samuel Ward, Jr
46. Ephraim Wilder
47. Moses Williams, Jr
48. Reuben Wyman

Roll of Captain Barne's Company

They marched to Cambridge on 19 April 1775, saw service 10-40 days.

1. Daniel Barnes (1736-1813) - Capt of company of Minute men who marched 19 Apr 1775, but arrived after skirmish was over. Commissioned Captain 25 May 1775, served in 15th regiment.
2. William Morse (1738-1802) - first lieutenant
3. Paul Brigham (1732-1777) ??? - second lieutenant
4. Ephraim Baker - sergeant
5. John Loring - sergeant
6. Antipas Brigham (1740-1791) - corporal
7. Jedediah Taister - corporal
8. Robert Ames (1738-1821)
9. John Baker
10. Nathan Baker
11. Moses Barnes (1740-1781)
12. Obadiah Barre
13. Ivory Bigelow (1741-1804) -
14. James Bowers
15. Benjamin Boyd
16. Jonathan Brigham (1754-1848)
17. Peter Bent (1702-1798) ???
18. Jonas Darling
19. Levi Fay
20. Stephen Felton (1752-1827)
21. Abraham Gould
22. Dudley Hardy
23. John Harrington (1743-1824)
24. Klizer Holyoke
25. Benjamin Howe
26. Thaddeus Howe
27. John Lamb
28. Elihu Maynard
29. Hezekiah Maynard (1742-1824)
30. Francis Morse
31. Nahum Newton
32. Isaac Sherman
33. Stephen Phelps
34. Daniel Rice
35. Jabez Rice (1728-1809) - Later was a private in Capt. Robert's company, 15th Massachusetts battalion under Col. Timothy Bigelow. He was born in Shrewsbury; died in Marlboro, Mass.
36. John Rice
37. John Rice Jr
38. William Rice (1755-1815)
39. Daniel Robbins
40. Moses Roberts
41. Nathaniel Prentice Russell (1744-1812)
42. Oliver Russell (1753-1820)
43. Robert Saintclair
44. Benjamin Stevens
45. Daniel Stevens (1727-)
46. Ephriam Stow
47. Heman Stow
48. Francis Walkup (1754-1831)
49. Jonathan Weeks
50. Aaron Wheeler
51. William Williams
52. Asa Witt
53. John Woods
54. David Wyman

Roll of Capt Silas Gates' Company

Called out on the Lexington Alarm, 19 April 1775:

1. Silas Gates (1727-1793) - Captain
2. Aaron Ames (1759-1824) - private
3. Asa Barnes (1756-1812) - a private in Capt. Silas Gates' Co., Ward's regiment, 1775. He was born in Marlboro.
4. Elisha Barnes
5. Benjamin Bartlett
6. Abraham Bearman
7. Joel Brewer
8. George Brigham (1730-1808)
9. Henry Brigham (1752-1829) - sergeant
10. Usiah Brigham
11. Alexander Church
12. John Dexter (1735-1800)
13. Matthias Felton
14. Samuel Gates
15. Abner Goodale (1755-1823)
16. William Goodale
17. Joel Hager
18. Robert Horn
19. Aaron Howe
20. Abraham Howe
21. Luke Howe
22. David Hunter
23. John Kelly
24. Joshua Lamb
25. William Loring
26. Joseph Maynard (1750-1785)
27. Francis Morse
28. Ashbel Rice
29. Gershom Rice
30. Quartus Stow (1755-1798)
31. Samuel Ward
32. Joseph Williams
33. Moses Williams
34. Thomas Williams
35. Jelothan Wyman

1775 Additional Service

Military Rolls of men who enrolled for eight months extended service- 8 month's men.

1. Edward Barnes (1744-1803) - Lt Col
2. Paul Brigham (1732-1777) - Capt
3. Daniel Barnes (1736-1813) - Capt
4. Amasa Cranston - Capt
5. Silas Gates - Capt
6. Moses Barnes (1740-1781) - Lieutenant
7. Obadiah Bruce - Lieutenant
8. William Morse (1738-1802) - Lieutenant
9. Simon Adams (1748-1825)
10. Jeduthun Alexander - killed at Bunker Hill where a portion of the Marlborough men were engaged under the command of Lt Col Jonathan Ward and Maj Edward Barnes of Marlborough.
11. Stephen Allen
12. James Ball (1754-1834)
13. John Baker
14. Ephraim Barber (1748-1817)
15. George Bender
16. Peter Bent (1707-1798)
17. James Bowers
18. William Boyd (1735-1817)
19. Abraham Brigham
20. Artemas Brigham
21. Jonathan Brigham (1754-1848)
22. Jonas Darling
23. Robert Eames (1733-1821)
24. Frederick Goodnow
25. Abraham Gould
26. Elizur Holyoke
27. Nehemiah Howe (1720-1777) ???
28. Obadiah Johnson
29. John Kidder
30. Elihu Maynard
31. Hezekiah Maynard (1742-1824)
32. Joseph Miller
33. Paul Newton
34. Daniel Rice
35. John Rice
36. John Rice, Jr
37. William Rice (1755-1815)
38. Daniel Robbins
39. Moses Robbins
40. Oliver Russell (1753-1820)
41. John Sawin
42. Ephraim Simonde
43. Francis Walkup (1754-1831)
44. David Wyman
45. Asa Witt
46. John Woods
47. John Wright
48. Reuben Wyman

Draft Registers

1777 Draft List

1. John Barnes (1763-1834)
2. James Bruce
3. Stephen Baker
4. John Gott Brigham
5. Lovewell Brigham
6. Jonas Darling
7. Robert Eames (1733-1821
8. Matthias Felton
9. James Hunter
10. Ebenezer Howe
11. Samual Hunting
12. John Fay
13. Eli Goodnow
14. Theophilus Hardy
15. Jason Harrington
16. John Harrington (1743-1824)
17. Elizur Holyoke
18. Josiah Newton
19. Jacob Priest (1757-1824)
20. Reuben Priest
21. Ashbel Rice
22. Phinehas Rice
23. John Sawin
24. Jonas Smith (1754-1845)
25. Joseph Williams
26. Zelates Whitcomb (1759-1863)
27. Jonathan Wyman

1778 Draft List

In the service three months.

1. Jonathan Weeks - Lieutenant
2. Aaron Brigham (1762-1831)
3. Abner Dunton
4. Samuel Howe (1756-1842)
5. David Hunter
6. Aaron Eager
7. Nathaniel Prentice Russell (1744-1812)
8. John Woods

White Plains Battle 1778

1. Amasa Cranston - Captain
2. Daniel Barnes (1736-1813)
3. Silas Barnes
4. Abner Goodale (1755-1823)
5. James Gleason
6. Robert Hunter
7. Edward Wilkins
8. Josiah Wilkins (1717-1783)

1778 nine months

Saaw nine months service in 1778

1. Silas Baker
2. Joseph Johnson
3. Phinehas Moore
4. Josiah Priest
5. Reuben Priest
6. Timothy Rand
7. Abner Ward

1779 Service

May to July 1779, Capt Moses Barnes (1740-1781) was in service for two months with the following Marlborough men under him:

1. Aaron Beaman
2. David Brigham (1745-1824)
3. Phineas Brigham (1757-1813)
4. William Gates
5. Nathan Rice
6. Quartus Stow (1755-1798)

1779 Six Months Men

1. Joshua Bailey
2. Stephen Baker
3. Aaron Beaman
4. Aaron Brigham (1762-1831)
5. David Brigham (1745-1824)
6. Paul Brigham (1737-1777)
7. Zerubbabel Eager
8. Samuel Gates
9. David Holloway
10. Joseph Johnson
11. Elihu Maynard
12. Joseph Newton
13. Roger Phelps (1760-1832)
14. Joseph Robbins
15. David Sale
16. Abraham Stow
17. John Stow
18. Joseph Waters
19. Asa Witt
20. David Wait
21. Alexander Watson
22. William Weeks (1762-1810)

1779 Rhode Island Service

1. Jotham Bayley
2. Aaron Beaman
3. Aaron Brigham (1762-1831)
4. Daniel Brigham (1760-1818)
5. Lovewell Brigham (1754-1824)
6. Paul Brigham (1737-1777)
7. Samuel Brigham (1756-1830)
8. Stephen Brigham
9. Israel Brown
10. Jacob Brown
11. Morris Clary
12. William Dawson
13. Aaron Eager
14. Stephen Eager
15. Uriah Eager
16. Moses Eames
17. John Gates (1764-1839)
18. Samuel Gates
19. Silas Gates (1727-1793)
20. William Gates
21. Jonathan Goodnow
22. Tolman Howe
23. Elihu Maynard
24. David Greenleaf
25. Israel Greenleaf
26. David Holloway
27. Joseph Robbins
28. William Rice (1755-1815)
29. Putnam Phelps
30. Roger Phelps (1760-1832)
31. Abraham Priest
32. Abraham Show
33. Winslow Stow
34. David Wait
35. Joseph Waters
36. Alexander Watson
37. William Weeks (1762-1810)
38. Jonas Wilkins
39. Moses Williams
40. Thomas Williams
41. Silas Wilson
42. Asa Witt

1780 Claverack Expedition

1. Amasa Cranston - Captain
2. Silas Baker
3. Noah Beaman, Jr
4. Aaron Brigham (1762-1831)
5. John Dunn (1761-1832)
6. Ephraim Jewell
7. Nathan Rice
8. Samuel Dunton
9. William Goodale
10. Alexander Watson

1780 Three Month's Men

1. Elisha Auetia
2. John Baker
3. Noah Beaman
4. Aaron Brigham (1762-1831)
5. Nathaniel Brown
6. William Cory
7. John Dunn (1761-1832)
8. Samuel Dunton
9. Samuel Gates
10. Adam Harrington
11. Daniel Harrington (1707-1795)
12. Eli Howe
13. Gardner Howe
14. Luke Howe
15. Solomon Howe
16. Charles Hudson - Killed by Friendly fire when returning at night from a mission scouting enemy lines.
17. Stephen Hudson (-1827)
18. John Jennison
19. Timothy Johnson
20. Francis Jones
21. Eber Keyes
22. Joseph Johnson
23. Peter Little
24. John Maccanella
25. Jedediah Maynard
26. William Mercer
27. Elias Morse
28. Phinehas Morse
29. Dana Newton
30. Caleb Parker
31. Stephen Phelps
32. Isaac Proctor
33. William Rice (1755-1815)
34. Samuel Ruse
35. David Sale
36. Stephen Smith
37. Francis Soames
38. Silas Stow
39. Joseph Temple

1. Joseph Weeks
2. James Whitney
3. Jonathan Wiggins
4. Ephraim Wilder
5. Reuben Wilder
6. Moses Williams
7. Elias Witt
8. William Woods
9. David Wyman

Three Years' Men

1. Silas Baker
2. Thomas Baker
3. John Barnes (1763-1834)
4. William Bigelow (1764-1807)
5. Aaron Brigham (1762-1831)
6. John Cain
7. Alexander Crawford
8. Jonathan Crosby
9. John Dexter (1735-1800)
10. Jonathan Dexter
11. John Dunn (1761-1832)
12. Zerubbabel Eager
13. William Foedick
14. Jacob Groun
15. David Harris
16. David Hill
17. Enoch Kidder
18. Samuel Little
19. James Mahew
20. Joseph Miller
21. John Newton
22. Jonah Newton
23. Joseph Newton
24. Jonathan Pollard
25. Nathan Pratt
26. Josiah Priest
27. Reuben Priest
28. John Rice
29. Stephen Russell
30. Silas Sawin
31. Abner Smith
32. Levi Fletcher
33. Job Spaulding
34. Samuel Ditson
35. Thomas Ditson
36. Thomas Ridgeway
37. Josiah Bailey
38. Thomas Greenough
39. James Ely
40. John Gilliard
41. Silas Hawthorn
42. William Messer
43. Thomas Ridgeway
44. James Parker
45. Andrew Kettle
46. Patrick Mahony
47. Peter Willard
48. Joseph Dawson
49. Robert Mansfield
50. William Rice
51. John Johnson
52. Samuel French
53. John Ansel
54. Charles Benjean
55. John Denmark
56. Jonathan Newton
57. John Torrey
58. Samuel Fletcher
59. Benjamin Roberts
60. Nathaniel Prentice Russell (1744-1812)
61. William Goodale
62. Ephraim Newton
63. Joseph Waters
64. Peter Sieverance
65. Samuel Spofford
66. Israel Greenleaf
67. Benjamin Gould
68. Richard Wyman
69. Abel Ray
70. Job Spaulding
71. John Rice
72. Joel Bartlett
73. Francis Menford
74. John Gates
75. Samuel McNair
76. Edward Knapp
77. Thomas Joslis
78. John Newton
79. Stephen Phelps
80. Robert Scott
81. William Shield
82. William Walker
83. Joseph Waters
84. Samuel Willard
85. Dean Wyman
86. Reuben Wyman
87. Samuel Wyman

References

• History of Marlborough MA
• D.A.R. Records - Marlborough Soldiers listed in the Daughters of American Revolution database.