Low Down Articles
Echoes from the Past
Article 72 of 111
This article first appeared in the "Echoes from the Past" column of the The Low Down to Hull and Back News.
Reprinted with permission. Search complete list of Low Down Articles.
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Service in the Revolutionary War
It may be of interest to learn something about the youth of Philemon Wright who was later in life to become the founder of Hull, Que.
Both Philemon and his older brother, Thomas, were slated to serve as soldiers in the Revolutionary War, although not in the same regiments. We shall only be concerned here with the service of Philemon, services which helped mould the characters of both brothers. Both survived their army days, and both came to the Hull area with their families, although sadly Thomas was to end his days little more than a year after his arrival. A memorial stone to Thomas is in the Protestant Burying Ground at Old Chelsea.
It should be understood that military service in those exciting days in which a new country was given birth, was for relatively short periods and for specific purposes. One didn't enlist for the duration, that came later. After all, the greater number of servicemen were farmers and husbandmen who reverted to their callings upon discharge.
Here the services provided by Philemon Wright will be given first, to be followed by an overview of where the youth's terms in the army fitted into the whole picture.
LIST OF RECRUITS FOR THE NEW ESTABLISHMENT IN COL. BALDWIN'S REGIMENT. APPROVED BY BRIG. GEN. HEATH. IN CAMP AT CAMBRIDGE ON DEC. 30, 1775. CAPT. WOOD'S COMPANY.
Philemon would then have just turned 15. At the time of his enlistment both "Lexington" and "Concord" would have been over some months previously. Col. Baldwin was the Loammi F. Baldwin who in his college days was the developer of the well‑known Baldwin Apple. Cambridge was 16 miles from Woburn Mass., the home town of Baldwin and the brothers Wright.
PRIVATE CAPT. JOHN WOOD'S COMPANY. COL. LOAMMI BALDWIN'S (26TH) REGIMENT. PAY ABSTRACT FOR MARCH. 1776
SAME COY. & REGT.. PAY ABSTRACT FOR MAY 1776
SAME COY & REGT.. PAY ABSTRACT FOR JUNE 1776 DATED NEW YORK
SAME COY AND REGT.. PAY ABSTRACT FOR TRAVEL ALLOWANCE FOR YEAR 1776. REPORTED DISCHARGE 230 MILES FROM HOME
This discharge must have been after the Battle of Long Island and the later retreat through the Jerseys. "The War of the Revolution" by Christopher Ward, (p.290). "And this army, such as it was, had only about ten more days of life. The enlistments of so many were to expire on Dec. 31." The American cause was indeed not in good shape as Philemon made the 230 miles to his home in Woburn. It may be noted that there was no pay extract for April. Perhaps this omission may be explained by the probable return home of Philemon from Cambridge to allow him time out for seeding.
CORPORAL AND SERGEANT. CAPT. JESSE WYMAN'S COY.. COL. JOSIAH WHITNEY'S REGT. ARRIVED AT
DESTINATION MAY 10. 1777: DISCHARGED JULY 10, 1777 AT POINT JUDITH: REPORTED AS SERVING AS
CORPORAL FROM MAY 10 TO MAY 26 1777 19 DAYS INCLUDING 3 DAYS (55 MILES) TRAVEL TO PLACE OF
DESTINATION, AND AS SERGEANT FROM MAY 26 TO
JULY 10 1777. 1 MONTH AND 20 DAYS, INCLUDING 5 DAYS OF TRAVEL FROM PLACE OF DESTINATION HOME:
COY. RAISE FOR 2 MONTHS
"The War of the Revolution" (p. 588) "Washington had directed Sullivan to apply in the most urgent
manner' to the states of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut to raise a body of 5,000 men inclusive of what you have already, also to collect boats, engage pilots, and in get ready for a descent upon Newport, in conjunction with the French fleet and troops. " With his discharge on July 10 Philemon thus missed the Siege of Newport in August of '77. Point Judith, where Philemon took his discharge, is adjacent to Newport.
"The War of the Revolution" (p. 524) "Gates now called Lincoln to bring his men over to the main army. Between the 22nd and the 29th they arrived, and this was not the only addition to the army. Aroused by the story of Jennie McCrea ‑ which had been published throughout the country ‑ encouraged by the news of Bouroyne's plight, and eager to serve under Gates as they had not been to serve under Schuyler, the militia of New England and New York were flocking to Bemis Heights. They came singly, in groups, in companies, armed men looking nothing like soldiers, but each with his musket or fowling piece and as much powder and lead as he owned. They were ready and fit to take their places in the ranks. They could shoot behind a tree better than the best of their enemies. By October 4 Gates had more than 7000 men ‑ about 2,700 Continentals, the rest militia ‑ and they were still coming. By the 7th, he had 11,000. His slender store of ammunition had been replenished by Schuyler from Albany. His men were well fed; they rejoiced in their gathering strength; and they were ready, eager, to try conclusions with the redcoats and bluecoats again."
The second Battle at Freeman's Farm called the Battle of Bemis Heights, or of Stillwater,.on the Hudson River, north of Albany, N.Y. took place. on October 7, 1777. It is likely that Philemon saw action here, he would have just reached 17 years of age. His entire service would have been when he was under the age of eighteen."
The short time enlistments, similar to those of Philemon, were constantly to plague General Washington in his conduct of the Revolutionary War.