A List of REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS OF BERWICK. Compiled from the Records of the Town by W. C. SPENCER. 1898. Berwick is destined to be a place of historical interest. The number of persons tracing their family lines within its limits is surprising, and it will not be deemed presumptuous to say, that there is hardly a person of ancient American descent in New England, who does not include in his ancestry the name of some settler or early resident of the original town of this name. To aid those who are making historical and genealogical enquiries, this list of Revolutionary soldiers has been prepared from the town records. A tribute to the citizen soldiers of Berwick is the following: "To their everlasting honor be it said that they have furnished as many men, according to their number of inhabitants, as any town in the country. There are but a few ancient homesteads in the town, that are not honored by the grave of some Revolutionary soldier." During the Revolution two full companies were raised in Berwick. They were commanded by Captain Philip Hubbard and Daniel Wood. Captain Wood was soon after promoted to Major, and Ebenezer Sullivan, a brother of General John, succeeded him in command. More than one hundred from the two companies were minute men, who were enlisted May 5, 1775, and remained in the army throughout the entire struggle. The town sent sixteen soldiers to Dorchester Heights. The spirit of the times is well illustrated by a few short extracts from the town books. Major Ichabod Goodwin, Junior, was sent as the first delegate to the Provincial Congress and by him was presented the following petition: "To the Honorable, the Delegates of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay in Provincial Congress at Watertown convened: The petition of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the town of Berwick in the county of York in town meeting convened humbly showeth: That the harbors of York and Kittery within the said county lie open to our now known enemies and the lives and properties of the inhabitants thereof and the neighboring Towns along the sea coast exposed to the ravages and depredations of the enemy and the remaining part of the inhabitants of this and the neighboring Towns labor under the disagreeable situation for a scant of arms and ammunition, of being incapable to defend themselves, wives, children and properties should a descent be made by the King's troops on this coast, which they have the greatest reason to fear will inevitably be the cost. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray this Honorable House in their great wisdom to take the premises into consideration and that they would dispatch one or more of the companies in the service of the Colony in order to guard and defend this coast and enable them by raising more troops in the service of the Colony in some measure to defend themselves. Berwick, May 31, 1775. A later communication reads as follows: "The melancholy state of this Province, of which this town is a part, calls upon us, the inhabitants, to declare our sentiments and show how they agree with those of our brethren in this and the neighboring colonies of North American, relating to the improprieties of the Parliament of Great Britain in taxing North America. But the distance we are from the metropolis of this Province, and the little acquaintance we have with the nature of the dispute, renders it needless for us to attempt to say much upon the subject; yet as the cause is general we are in duty bound to declare our sentiments upon this important dispute, and so far as we understand it, we join with our brothers in this and the neighboring colonies in opposing the operation of those late acts of the British Parliament subjecting any article sent here from Great Britain to pay a duty for raising a revenue in North America, more especially that relative to East India teas, which we apprehend is unrighteous and unconstitutional, and has a direct tendency to destroy this and all other colonies of North America; and if the East India Company are permitted to send their teas and vend them here whilst they are subject to a duty to be paid in this Province, it will fully complete our ruin, and that speedily. We acknowledge and profess true and faithful allegiance to our faithful sovereign, King George the Third, and are willing at all times to risk our lives and fortunes in defense of his person and his family, but at the same time must earnestly contend for those rights and liberties we are entitled to by the laws of God, Nature, and the Constitution of this Province. Therefore, resolved, That no power on earth hath any just right to impose taxes upon us but the great and general Court of this Province, and all others are unconstitutional and not to be submitted to. That the East India Company sending their teas and vending them subject to a duty to be paid here to raise a revenue, is a high infringement upon the rights and liberties of this people, and has a direct tendency to complete our ruin. That we will at all times join with our brethren in all legal methods in opposing the East India Company in sending their teas here subject to a duty. That the thanks of this town be presented to the people of this and the neighboring colonies for their steady and resolute conduct in opposing the landing of the teas sent by the East India Company, and that we will at all times and by all legal and constitutional measures assist to the utmost of our power in opposing such impositions. That the thank of this town be presented to the town of Boston for their timely notice sent to this town of their proceedings in town meeting relative to the East India Company sending their teas; asking the favor that upon like occasion they will again do the same, wishing that a union of sentiment may take place in this and every colony in North America, and that the proceedings of this meeting be recorded and a copy sent to the Committee of Correspondence in the town of Boston." July 1, 1776, the town instructed their representative that, "should the Honorable Congress for the safety of the colonies declare themselves independent of Great Britain, We, the inhabitants of Berwick, will solemnly engage with our lives and fortunes to support them in the measure." Berwick asked for a form of government that might "be most easy and plain to be understood by people of all denominations whereby a line may be drawn that the Rulers and the Ruled may know their duty and that Tyranny on the one hand and Monarchy on the other hand may be avoided as much as possible." Such were the sentiments of those who staked their lives and properties in a struggle for liberty. Some of those who enlisted had seen actual service in Indian Warfare and at the siege of Louisburg. At the beginning of the war all militia in town was mustered and an inventory taken of the arms and ammunition. Several times during the Revolution horsemen were sent to Andover, Massachusetts, for lead. Under the date of April 2l, 1776, appears an order "to Freathy Spencer for twelve shillings, it being for his time a Running Bullets for this town;" a later order to John Abbott was for one day's work "running Bawls." Money was lavishly contributed by all patriots, both young and old, for soldiers' food, clothing and blankets. The enlisting took place at private houses. Jacob Shorey's house was used for this purpose in 1777. The town order book, from which the names of the soldiers are taken, is very ancient and uninviting in appearance; much of the writing is becoming illegible; many of its pages are soiled and worn. In 1777 there were frequent calls for men for three years or during the war. This town's quota was thirty-five. Twenty-six names of those actually enrolled in the service are given here, and it would appear that the other nine were never supplied, on account, perhaps, of the large number already enlisted for shorter terms. Those who could not join for the whole time would enter the service for eight months. Capt. Thomas Hodsdon's company served at Peekskill for this period, their time expiring January 1, 1778. There was a call for men to serve eight months, from April, 1778, to January 11 17791 "to guard the passes of the Hudson." At the same time was a demand for soldiers to serve nine months in the regular army at Providence. In 1779 there was an appeal for volunteers to serve nine months at Springfield or six months at Providence until January 1, 1780. The later service is divided into two terms, one for six months "to the westward" (West Point and Peekskill), and one for three months "to the eastward" (Camden and Falmouth), until January 1, 1781. Captain Philip Hubbard's company fought at Bunker Hill. Other Berwick men were in the expedition through northern Maine to Quebec. Some were at Valley Forge, at Springfield, Providence, West Point, Peekskill; others at Camden and Falmouth to protect the shipping. Many were in the hardest battles of the war. The home of Captain Thomas Hodsdon was the house now occupied as the Berwick town farm; Captain Samuel Grant lived near Conway Junction, in what is now South Berwick; Captain William Rogers lived near Doughty's Falls, in North Berwick. The name of Sullivan is better known than that of Berwick itself, and needs no comment here. W. D. S. Berwick, Maine Note: Conway Jct. was So. Berwick, Me Revolutionary Soldiers of Berwick. Abbot Amos, minute man in 1775. Benjamin, minute man in 1775; army, 1778; in Captain Pray's company, 1780. Daniel, minute man in 1775; served nine months in 1778. James, served three years, 1777-1780); Falmouth, 1780. John, minute man, in 1775. Jonathan, minute man in 1775; prisoner, 1778. Simeon, Falmouth, 1780. Lieutenant Thomas, 3rd, in the army under Captain Hodsdon. on in 1777. Walter, minute man in 1775. Andrews, Benjamin, served eight months under Captain Hodsdon in 1777. Elisha, Jr., minute man in 1775. Joshua, soldier under Captain Hodsdon in 1777. Joshua, Jr., Casco or Falmouth, 1780. Austin (Astin), Benjamin, army 1776. Baxter, Thomas, minute man in 1775; Bracket, John, minute man in 1775. Joseph, minute man in 1775, Falmouth, 1780. Bragdon, John, served three years, 1770-1780. Brewer, Thomas, served three years, 1770-1780. Brock, Francis, minute man in 1775. Butler, Benjamin, son of Charles, at Peekskill under Captain Hodsdon for eight months in 1777. Charles, (see Benjamin and John Cop) at Peekskill, under Captain Hodsdon for eight months in 1777. James, minute man in 1775. John Cop, son of Charles, under Captain Hodsdon at Peekskill for eight months in 1777. John, minute man in 1775. Samuel, army, 1776. Thomas, prisoner, 1777. Chadbourne, Humphrey, Jr.. in Captain Pray's company, 1780. Levi, served three years, 1777-1780. Scammon, minute man in 1775; army, 1776. Simeon, minute man in 1775. William, minute man in 1775. Chadwick, Jacob, minute man in 1775. Clark, Josiah, army, 1776. Samuel, Falmouth 1780 Cooper, Alexander, minute man in 1775; army, 1776; served three years, 1777-1780. Costello, John, in Captain Pray's company, 1780. Davis, John, minute man in 1775; served three years 1777-1780 William, served three years, 1777-1780. Dearing, John, Falmouth, 1780. Downs, Benjamin, army, 1777; served three years, 1777-1780. Ichabod, served months in 1778. James, minute man in I775; served nine months in 1778. Jedadiah, minute man in 1775. Lieutenant Joshua, minute man in 1775; in Captain Hamilton's company, 1780. Earl, see Hearl. Emery, Job, minute man in 1775. William, minute man in 1775. Estes, Joseph, under Captain Hodsdon in 1775. Fall, Stephen, minute man in 1775. Trustrum, minute man in 1775.