Of those who served in the Revolutionary war from his town, there are found recorded forty-three names, nineteen of whom made application for government aid between 1820 and 1830, as follows:
John Brittin--At the age of sixty-four, when he was living in Memphis, made affidavit in 1820 that he enlisted in Capt. Jonathan Pierson's company, June 1, 1777, for three years. He said his property was worth $73.75, while his debts were $101. He owned fifty acres on lot 37, fifteen of which were under improvement, with an old log house which had been built fifteen years. A suit of ejectment was standing against him, and he considered his title valueless. He was a mason by trade, had no wife living, and two young daughters. In 1840 he lived in what is now the town of Van Buren, and died July 21, 1842.
Reuben Clark--Enlisted in the Massachusetts troops, and served one year. His assets were worth $182.63, and his liabilities were $166.96. He was sixty-one years old in 1820, and lived with his wife and grandson, Julian Clark.
John Clark--Was in Colonel Lamb's artillery regiment, had property worth $17 and debts of $386.47. He was sixty-four years old in 1820, his wife Ruth was fifty, and they had three children. In 1840 he was living with Joel Chapman.
Curtis Chappell--Enlisted in 1777 in the Connecticut line, and served through the war. He was sixty-five years old in 1820, and was worth $64.91, with debts of nearly an equal amount. His wife and two children were living.
James Dunham--Was sixty-two years old in 1820, was a farmer and carpenter, and worth $21.34. He served nine months in a New Jersey regiment, and lived with his wife, a daughter, and two sons.
Sherebiah Evans--Was a pensioner under the act of 1818, and died August 8, 1820, as testified by his wife. His property was worth $92.76, and he operated the first mill at Marcellus. He had three sons and a daughter.
John Ingalsbe--Served in Massachusetts regiment and was a minute man at Lexington. His property was worth $620.93 and his debts were $589.95. He was sixty-seven years old in 1820, and infirm. He had one daughter.
Reuben Kidder--Was sixty years old in 1820, hobbled into court on a crutch, and said he was worth $70.10 and owed $15. He was a cooper by trade and enlisted in a New Hampshire regiment. He had four children.
William Lakin--Enlisted in a New Hampshire regiment, in April, 1777, served three years, and enlisted for the war in another regiment. He was discharged November 9, 1782, as an invalid. He was sixty-four years old in August, 1821, and was unable to work by reason of wounds. His property was worth only $84.39, and he had agreed with John Lakin to buy twenty acres of land at $12 per acre. He lived with his wife and daughter, and died February 23, 1835.
Atchison Mellin--Served three years from July, 1775, in the Pennsylvania troops. He was seventy-two years old in 1820, and had $17 in property, including a set of turning tools. He lived with his children.
Ebenezer Moseley--Served in the Massachusetts troops, was sixty-four years old in 1820, and his property was worth $120.03, including a note from Peter Warner and "seven old hens" valued at forty-four cents. He was a shoemaker by trade, and with his wife was dependent on their son for support.
Robert Pain--Enlisted in 1780 in the Fourth Massachusetts, and was seventy-three years old in 1820.
Nicholas Pickard--Enlisted in April, 1776, in Colonel Van Schaick's regiment, New York troops, and served six months. In the fall of 1777 he enlisted in a New Jersey regiment for three years. In 1778 he was sent to Jersey to make shoes for the army. He was sixty-seven years old in 1820, and had twenty-five acres of land in Camillus worth $200, but thought he was going to lose it. He was living with his wife.
Stephen Robinson--Was in Col. Philip Van Cortlandt's Second New York Regiment. He was fifty-seven years old in 1820, his property as valued at $33.98, and he had a wife and four children.
Freelove Roberts--Was sixty-three years old in 1820, and served about six years in the Connecticut line. His property was worth $93.20, but he owed $90. He was living with his wife.
John Scott--Enlisted in 1777 in the Connecticut line and served three years. He was fifty-nine years old in 1820, and his property as worth $36.92. He had a stepson and a stepdaughter, and lived with his wife.
Elijah Ward--Was sixty-one years old in 1820, served in Col. Thomas Nixon's regiment, and his only property consisted of pots, teakettles, andirons and tongs, and was worth $16.35. He had one daughter.
Calvin Waterman--Came into court May 31, 1827, and said he enlisted in a Connecticut regiment in the fall of 1775 for one year; was taken prisoner by the British at the battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776, and was exchanged at New London, Conn., in the spring of 1777. His property was valued at $360.81, and included twenty acres of Camillus land, worth not exceeding $15 an acre. He was a shoemaker by trade, and was alive in 1840 at the age of eighty-five.
Denison Whedon--Was sixty-five years old in 1825, served eight months in the Massachusetts line in 1775, and re-enlisted in 1776 for a period of eleven months. He was a farmer and his property was worth $123.21. He had a wife and one son, Samuel.
Of the remainder of the forty-three Camillus veterans of the Revolution, brief records are found as follows:
The monument in the village of Baldwinsville contains the names of Nathan Betts, Benjamin Depuy, Henry Becker and Miles Bennet, Revolutionary soldiers, the latter of whom gave his age as seventy-four years in 1840.
John Cunningham--Was the only one of the thirty-four soldiers who drew military lots in the present town of Van Buren, who settled upon his claim. His lot was No. 38. He served in the artillery branch and was in the expedition against the Onondagas in 1779. He settled in Van Buren in 1808, and died about 1820.
John Dill--Entered what was termed the five months' service as a volunteer orderly sergeant in Capt. John Graham's company, Colonel Paulding's regiment, under Gen. Alexander McDougall, and in October, 1777, was stationed at Fort Montgomery in that part of the work called Fort Clinton. The two were separated by a small creek, and when captured by the British the battle continued until late at night, enabled those in Fort Clinton to escape. Dill and others swam the creek and passed under the wall of Fort Montgomery. After Burgoyne's surrender Dill returned to the army as an artificer. He was discharged in 1780, and died at Camillus September 21, 1846, when eighty-eight years old. He was a pensioner in 1840, and lived with Samuel Dill.
Other Revolutionary veterans of this town, of whom little is known, and whose names stand upon the Baldwinsville monument, were George Fraver, Thomas Farrington (see History of Lysander), Samuel Gilbert, John Herrick, Squire Munro (who kept the first tavern on the site of Elbridge), Thomas Marvin, Silas Schofield, and Austin Smith.
John McHarrie--The pioneer of Van Buren, whose settlement is described in the history of that town, was a Revolutionary veteran, and died November 26, 1807, aged fifty-five years.
Gill Mallory--Is down in the record of 1840 as a Revolutionary veteran eighty-five years old, and living with Joel Mallory in Elbridge.
Stephen Pratt--A Revolutionary soldier, was living in Elbridge in 1840 with Mary Tily, at seventy-nine years old.
Douw Smith--One of the oldest veterans of the Revolution, lived in Van Buren in 1840 with Augustus Smith, at the age of 105 years. He settled on lot 20 and died in 1841.
John Tappan--A Van Buren pioneer, served in a New Jersey regiment, was born in New Jersey in 1756, settled in Van Buren in 1796, and died November 22, 1818. He was the ancestor of a large and prominent family in the town of Lysander.
Joseph White--Settled in Camillus in 1804, where he bought a farm just north of the bridge over Nine-Mile Creek at Amboy. He was one of the early surveyors, and died in 1830, aged eighty-one years.
Enoch Wood--Recorded in 1840 as a Revolutionary soldier, then living with his family in Camillus.
George Wagoner--Was a veteran of the Revolution, and his name appears in the honor roll on the Baldwinsville monument.
Submitted 11 July 1998