Tolland, Tolland Co., CT, 1758 Military Roll
The Early History of Tolland
Loren P. Waldo
Hartford, 1861

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In August, 1757, there was an alarm that a powerful force of French & Indians was on the way to attack fort William Henry. Volunteers were called for, and Connecticut instantly poured forth several thousand. On the roll of Capt. Samuel STOUGHTON's company are found the names of the following men of Tolland. The fort was compelled to surrender before any of the volunteers could arrive. Those from Tolland went no further than Kinderhook, in the state of New York; and returned home, receiving pay for only fifteen day's service.

Ens. Samuel CHAPMAN Serg. Solomon WILLS Daniel BAKER Elihu JOHNSON John ABBOTT, Jr Abner WEST Thatcher LATHROP Jacob FELLOWS Nathan HARVEY David HATCH John EATON Ichabod HINCKLEY George NYE Timothy DELANO William BENTON Solomon LOOMIS Samuel HUNTINGTON Jabez BRADLEY Samuel BARNARD Samuel BENTON, Jr. Samuel ABORN Jonathan LADD, Jr Simon CHAPMAN Francis WEST Rufus WEST Joseph DAVIS John STEARNS, Jr. Amos WARD 28 in all.

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For the campaign of 1758, Connecticut agreed to furnish five thousand men; and a company was formed in Tolland and it's vicinity, of which Samuel CHAPMAN, of Tolland, was captain. The following is a roll of his company. [Those marked with * were from Tolland, most of the remainder were from the towns of Somers, Mansfield, Willington, Bolton, Coventry and East Windsor.]

Capt. Sam. CHAPMAN* 1st Lieut. Titus OLCOTT 2d Lieut. George COOLEY Ensign Solomon WILLS* Serg. Samuel BENTON Serg. Jonathan BIRGE* Serg. Abner WEBB Serg. James STEEL*, clerk Corp. Samuel HALL Corp. Jonathan BILL Corp. Asa WOOD Corp. Nath'n BOARDMAN Drum'er Henry BOWEN Drum'er Charles KING Fifer Joseph CONANT PRIVATES William BENTON* Moses WEST* John LATHROP* Joseph EATON* Daniel BREWSTER Joseph HEATH Benjamin BURDON Joseph WHITCOMB John BARNARD* Jonathan BOROUGHS* Abner WEST* Hope LATHROP* Timothy LADD Jacob NEWELL John ISHAM Lathrop SHURTLIFF* John GRAY Joseph DAVIS* Hezekiah WATERS Isaac HILLS Joshua HUTCHINS Jonathan DART Joseph SPENCER Beriah BRONSON Hezekiah KING Samuel HUTCHINSON Joseph TUCKER Jonathan BUCKLAND Samuel BLACKMORE Jonathan WRIGHT Lemuel JONES David TALCOTT Moses THRALL Brinton PAYNE William HOSKINS Daniel PRATT Abraham WHIPPLE John ATCHISON Oliver CHAPIN Hezekiah SPENCER John FULLER Joseph BUELL Alexander GOWDY Thomas BUCK Samuel BARTLETT Luke PARSONS Thomas WATERS James KIBBEE James PEASE Nathaniel BRACE Jacob WARD Abner PEASE John FORD Jonathan PHELPS William RUSSELL Nathan HARVEY* Jonathan BLISS Shubael DIMICK* Benjamin SHEPHERD Lemuel HATCH* Jabez BRADLEY* Joseph LUCE* Abijah MARKHAM Thomas BURNS Hezekiah WELLS Jacob HILLS Simeon WEBSTER Solomon LOOMIS* Joseph TILDEN Samuel CARVER John GORDON Samuel DARLING Joshua BILL Joseph PIKE Nathan TIFFANY Josiah ALLEN Josiah FIELDS Nathaniel WARREN* Joseph CROCKER Officers & music'ns - 15 Privates - - - - - - - - - 80 TOTAL - - - - - - - - - 95

In the year 1762, the King of England made a requisition upon the colonies for troops to join in the expedition against the island of Cuba; and a company was raised in the eastern part of the State, of which Col. Israel PUTNAM was, by one of the then formalities of the service, nominall captain, but really under the command of its first lieutenant, Solomon WILLS, of Tolland. This company went to the island of Cuba, and was present at the siege and capture of Havana, but was not in any serious engagement. When a boy, I was informed by a man whose name is on the roll, that after the principal fort had been undermined and blown up, so that a column of British regulars carried it by assault, this company had the sad duty to perform of clearing the fort and burying the dead. The distruction of life was very great; the dead were represented as lying in winrows. The pool of blood were so deep in some places in the fort that, as my informant said, he was compelled to step over his shoes in human gore while removing the dead. Although this company was not under fire during the whole of this campaign, the mortality of its members was unparalleled. Of the ninety-eight person of which the company was composed and who actually reached the Island, only twenty-two ever returned to thier native land. Of the twenty-seven enlisted from Tolland and its vicinity, only four escaped the arrow of the fell destroyer. The names of tow of these four persons were Solomon WILLS and Edward HATCH. John BARNARD< John BURROWS, Constant CRANDALL, William EATON, Aaron EATON, Leonard GROVER, Judah HATCH, Noah STIMSON, Ezra WALDO and Oliver YEOMANS, of Tolland, are know to have died on the Island of Cuba. There were no deaths in the company before the month of August. As returned on the roll, the deaths were in August fifteen, in September, eighteen; in October, eighteen; in November, eighteen; and in December, seven. Total, seventy-six. The survivors were paid off December 11, 1762. The average term of service was about thirty-five weeks. The following is the pay-roll of this company. Those marked † died during the campaign.

Israel PUTNAM, Capt *Solo. WILLS, 1st Lieut Alex CHALKER, 2nd Lieut. † Isaac DANA, Ensign † Moses EARL, Sergeant Samuel HYDE, Sergeant Samuel COTTON or COLTON, Serg. † Nath'l WHEELER, Sergeant * † Const' CRANDAL, Sergeant † Jos. TRUESDALE, Corp'l Silas HARRIS, Corp'l † Thomas BREWER, Corp'l † Joshua REED, Corp'l PRIVATES † John ABBY † Nathan ALLEN † Squire ALLEN † Henry BRADLEY Samuel BLISS † Jonathan BLISS † Rinaldo BURDON * † John BARNARD * † John BURROWS † Stephen BRACE † Daniel BRACE James BELBON † Daniel BREWER † William CASE † John CROSWELL † Edmund CADWELL † John CURTIS † Joseph CROSWELL † John CROSS † Ebenezer DANA † Reuben DOWING John DOLLABY † Elijah DURPHY † Cornelius DOWNING † Joel DANIELS * † William EATON † Joseph EDGERTON * † Aaron KATON Timothy EVANS † William ELLIS † Abraham FORBES † David FULLER † Michael GROVER * † Leonard GROVER † Stephen GOFF † Ezekiel GURNSEY * † Judah HATCH *Edward HATCH † Joseph HAYWARD † Asahel HOLLISTER † Robert HOLLISTER † Jacob HOLLISTER John HERO † Nathan HOLT † Ebenezer HOLMES † Jonathan JOHNSON † William KIMBALL Thomas KNAPPING † Benj' LANGWORTHY † Benjamin LOVEMAN † John NEGUS † Richard ORMS † Abraham PORTER † Nathaniel REDINGTON † John READ Ackley RILEY † John RIPPONER † Thomas ROSE † Matthew RAYMOND † Daniel ROBERTS * † Noah STIMSON † Amos SHURTLIFF † Simon STRICKLAND † Samuel STILES † Israel SAUNDERS † Amos STAPLES † Isaac STAPLES Nathaniel STONE † Jonathan SAMPSON † JEdediah SAGER † Samuel SMITH John STARK Benjamin SHAW Charles SHORVEL † Samuel WILLIAMS † Joseph WHITECOMB John WAY † Ebenezer WHEELER * † Ezra WALDO * † Oliver YEOMANS † Christopher LUCAS † Caleb SHEPARD † Ebenezer SHAW Taken by the Sheriff. Joseph BISBEE Samuel STANLEY MARKED AS DESERTED Samuel BLACKMAN Gideon BURNHAM John BROWN Joel BROOKS Noadiah BRONSON John PART Ephraim FOOT Lot LOVELAND Joseph PROUT Asahel HILLISTER, John ADAMS

REVOLUTIONARY WAR

A company of men was formed from Tolland and several neighboring towns, which, under the command of Capt. Solomon WILLS, served in Col. SPENCER's regiment at Roxbury, near Boston, from May 1, to December 1, 1775, a period of eight months. The following is a copy of the roll of this company, kept by Comfort CARPENTER, its orderly sergeant, and filed by him in the Pension Office as evidence of his service in the war of the revolution, with his application for a pension, under the act of June 7, 1832. Those who have been ascertained with certainty to have gone from Tolland are marked *, but it is known there were more. The number on the roll are - officers & musicians, eighteen; privates, eighty. Total, ninety-eight. The names indicate that the men were from Tolland, Somers, Stafford, Willington, and Coventry. Arrangement for enlisting were made in Tolland and men engaged on the day the news of the battle of Lexington reached the place.

*Solomon WILLS, Capt Jona. PARKER, 1st Lieut. Samuel FELT, 2d Lieut. Noah CHAPIN, Ensign *Com. CARPENTER, Serg. Abel PARKER, Serg. Jacob ORCUTT, Serg. Noah COOLEY, Serg. *Heman BAKER, Jr., Serg Jonah BROWN, Serg. *Elij'h CHAPMAN, Corp. Asa FENTON, Corp Matthew BUEL, Corp. *Luke WASHBURN, Corp. *Samuel STEEL, Corp. *Jas. STEEL, Jr., Drum'r *Joel STIMSON, Fifer Elias NEWTON, Fifer PRIVATES Amasa ALLEN *John ABBOTT Moses AMADON Jude BROWN Jacob BROWN Alexander BROWN Amasa BUCK Elijah BRADLEY *Jonathan BURROUGH Josiah BRADLEY *Josiah BENTON *Jonathan BENTON *Azariah BENTON Asa BALDWIN Jacob BROWN, 2d Nathan CARPENTER Eliphalet CUSHMAN *Richmond CRANDAL *John CARLTON *David CARLTON *Richard CARLTON *Ebenezer COOK John CHARTER Charles DAY *Edward DIMOCK William ELMER Adonijah FENTON John FURMAN *Isaac FELLOWS Christopher FRANTZ Simeon GRISWOLD *Samuel BENTON *Ebenezer GRANT *John HUNTINGTON *David HINCKLEY Ezra HOLMES *Abner HATCH *Dan HATCH Levi HAMLIN Nathan JENNINGS Samuel JOHNSON Caleb JOHNSON Daniel JOHNSON Daniel KIBBEE James KIBBEE Bildad KIBBEE John LEWIS Edward LAWRENCE Andrew MINER Caleb ORCUTT John ORCUTT Peter PINNEY Abner PEASE *Rufus PRICE Moses PELTON Joshua PARKS *Tyrus PRESTON *Ammi PAULK Nathan ROOT Joseph ROOT Jeremiah RIDER Daniel RICE Stephen RICE John SCRIPTER *Perez STEEL John SHURTLIFF Elisha STEBBINS Isaiah SPARKS Simeon STIMSON Jeremiah SPARKS *Nehemiah SABIN Joseph SEXTON Elijah SEXTON *Henry STEVENS Stephen TAYLOR Justus THOMPSON Samuel WRIGHT *Jabez WEST *Elijah WASHBURN Noah WHIPPLE

REVOLUTIONARY WAR

On the first day of April, 1777, the town voted to furnish the families of men who would enlist into the continental service, with provisions and other necessaries, and appointed Capt. James CHAMBERLIN, Lieut. Stephen DAY, and Ensign Eleazar STEEL, a committee for that purpose. The town also voted to present to each soldier that should so enlist, a bounty of ten pounds in money, (thirty-three dollar and thirty-three cents;) one-half of the money to be paid at the end of one year from April 1, 1777, and the other half at the end of the second year: "Provided the Honorable Assembly shall not raise money for the purpose; but if the Assembly shall add to the soldiers [bounty or pay,] as aforesaid, then it is to be understood to be in part pay of said sum of ten pounds to be given as aforesaid." It appears by the other proceedings that these enlistements were to be for three years or during the war.

From the record of the Committee of Payables, under date of July 16, 1787, I find the vote of April, 1777, was responded to, and the bounty of ten pounds therein named, was pid to the following persons, viz:

William JOHNSON Solomon EATON Ebenezer BROWN Isaac SQUIER John P. BURROWS Abel CRANDALL Ammi PAULK William SOWLE Simon STIMSON Joseph SPARKS Jonathan LUCE Clement MINER Brisley HARRIS William HUNTINGTON Joseph COGSWELL Elijah HASKELL Richard CARLTON Jacob HASKELL Elijah BENTON George HUBBARD Elias NEWTON Andrew MINER Tyrus PRESTON Nehemiah SABIN Andrew PETERSON Elihu JOHNSON Ebenezer STEBBINS

The above named men belonged to Capt. Ichabod HINCKLEY's company, and formed a part of the second Connecticut Regiment. There is a roll of Capt. HINCKLEY's company still extant, from which the following names are copied. Those marked * were from Tolland.

*Capt. I. HINCKLEY *Lieut. E. CHAPMAN *Lieut. Rufus PRICE *Dr. Jeremiah WEST Serj. Eben'r STEBBINS *Serj. Ammi PAULK Corp. Nehemiah SABIN *Jonathan LUCE *Elihu JOHNSON *Tyrus PRESTON *Andrew PETERSON *Elias NEWTON *Martin DAVIS *William HUNTINGTON *William JOHNSON *Solomon EATON Ebenezer BROWN Isaac SQUIER *Abel CRANDAL *John P. BURROUGHS *William SOWLE *Shubael DIMICK *Edy HATCH *Simon STIMSON * Jonathan DELANO *Clement MINER *Jacob HASKELL John CRANDALL *George HUBBARD *Elijah BENTON Joseph SPARKS Amos HARRIS *Richard CARLTON David PIERCE Roswell MINER

The following persons received the bounty of thirty shillings in silver, voted July 5, 1780, [by the town of Tolland]. They were in the second Connecticut Regiment, and served in Capt. Ichabod HINCKLEY's company, except Samuel STEEL and Luther DELANO, who died before the term of service expired.

Samuel STEEL Lot BURGESS Aaron DELANO Sylvanus GAGE Eleazar HATCH William JOHNSON Ezra RAWDON Andrew STEEL Zadock BENTON Samuel CHASE Hezekiah HUNTINGTON Samuel REED Manoah CROWELL Clement MINER Luther DELANO Solomon LOOMIS

In 1781, the town hired five men to fill it's quota. These men were hired and received a bounty of twelve pounds each.

William BARNARD John HASKELL Noah JOHNSON Walter HOLMES Abner SQUIRE

In early 1782, the town hired five men to fill it's quota. These men were engaged to serve one year at Horseneck, and each received twelve pounds bounty.

William BRANARD John HASKELL Charles DeWOLF Abner JOHNSON Edy HATCH

Also in 1782, the town hired twenty-one men to fill it's quota. .

Abel STIMSON Solomon EATON Ichabod WEST Ichabod CASE James COVIL Samuel PARKS Allen CARPENTER Joshua SIMONS John HASKELL Moses COY Samuel DIMOCK Oliver SCOTT Eliphalet KILBOURN William COLTRAIN Eleazer HATCH Jonathan CREASY John DIMICK Caleb THOMAS Sylvanus GAGE Reuben ROBINSON Joel BARNARD William ELDREDGE

The following document, copied from the original in the town clerk's office, is valuable for locating the persons therein named:

"Received of Colonel Samuel CHAPMAN, thirty-nine able-bodied men, viz: Eliab ALLEN, Thomas BUCK, Jr., Lot BURGESS, Zadock BENTON, William BARNARD, Samuel BILLINGS, Jedediah CADY, Abner CADY, Samuel CHASE, Samuel DAVIS, Job DAVIS, Eliab EDSON, Israel FURMAN, Timothy GREEN, Ede HATCH, Walter HOLMES, Timothy HERINGTON, Philemon HOLT, Hezekiah HUNTINGTON, William JOHNSON, Joseph LAMB, Jasper MARSH, Henry McNEIL, Clement MINER, Benjamin Jones ORCUTT, Solomon PARSONS, Jeremiah PHILIPS, Samuel PHILIPS, Edy PRATT, Charles PEASE, Samuel REED, Sanford RICHARDSON, Ezra RAWDON, Joshua SIMONS, Samuel TAYLOR, Brodwell WATKINS, John WEST, Asa WOOD, to answer as part of the quota to be furnished by his Regiment to serve in the continental army. John P. WYLLIS, Capt., Continental Army
Hartford, July 6, 1780"

There is a memorandum on the back of this paper as follows:

TOLLAND Edy HATCH Samuel REED William BARNARD Joshua SIMONS William JOHNSON Luther DELANO Samuel CHASE Ezra RAWDON Hezekiah HUNTINGTON Abner JOHNSON Lot BURGESS Walter HOLMES Clemet MINER Samuel PARK Zadoe BENTON Moses DELANO (16) SOMERS Samuel DAVIS Edy PRATT Job DAVIS Thomas BUCK, Jr. Solomon PARSONS Jeremiah PHILLIPS Israel INMAN Asa WOOD Charles PEASE Ben Jones ORCUTT Sanford RICHARDSON John ARCHER Samuel BILLINGS (13) STAFFORD Charles WOOD William WASHBURN Asa ALLEN