Revolutionary War Ancestors – A Small World by Susie Graham

Research of my Revolutionary Ancestors brought to light the close relationships of three of my four Revolutionary War Ancestors. They came from different areas and settled near Plattsburgh, New York after the war. Chance brought them together continued with the grandson of two of my Revolutionary War Ancestors marrying a daughter of another of my Revolutionary War Ancestors.

The son of my Revolutionary War Ancestor 5GGF William Dunham, married the daughter of my Revolutionary War Ancestor 5GGF Henry Ostrander. 4GGF Dan Dunham and 4GGM Mary Ostrander had one child together in 1807, 3rd GGF Leander Dunham. This is where it gets weird. My 3GGF Leander Dunham married my 3GGM Deborah Platt Turner, the daughter of my Rev War Ancestor, 4GGF Lemuel Turner. Small World! See my family pedigree chart below.

Leander Dunham came to Washington State in 1890 with his daughter’s family; Dr HH Rust, my 2GGM Estella Dunham Sheldon Rust, and my GGM Etta Shelton. Etta Sheldon married Arthur E Johnston (Washington State Pioneer) who was the descendent of my Revolutionary War Ancestor, 4GGF Arthur Johnston.

Revolutionary War Ancestry Arthur Johnston – 4th GGF.of Susie Graham

Private Arthur Johnston served in Hardenburgh’s 4th regiment in Ulster, New York and was in Jansen’s Regiment of the New York Militia out of Wallkill, Ulster, NY. In the records on Fold3 for Arthur Johnston, it is noted his cards are filed under Arthur Jonston. Nara Catalog Id 602384 Revolutionary War Rolls, compiled 1894-1913, documenting the period 1775-1783.

Arthur was born around 1750 in Scotland, Ireland or British America. The 1790 USC shows him residing in Wallkill, Ulster NY. His wife is Jennette, possibly Haythorn or Hawthorn, his son, my 3GGF, William Johnston was born in 1778 in Orange County NY, daughter, Elizabeth Johnston married Jason Linderman in 1793 in Shawangunk near Wallkill NY. I have not been able to find the Johnston family in the 1800 USC. They show up in Cayuga County NY in the 1810 USC. Arthur died around 1816 in Genoa, Cayuga, NY as noted on property records that name his heirs: Dower Jennette Johnston and 5 children, Elizabeth Linderman, William, James H, Agnes Edwards, and Jennet Rogers.

I am a descendant of Arthur’s son William. His family moved to Harmony, Chautauqua, NY. William’s son James H moved to Minnesota from where my GGF Arthur E Johnston moved to Gig Harbor, Washington in the Spring of1889 (see Washington Pioneer Records).

Lemuel Turner – 4th GGF of Susie Graham

Mustered Easton MA at age 27 for Plymouth Colony under Muster Master James Hatch. He served under Capt. Burr and Capt. Bradford in Col. Bailey’s 4th Company and regiment with Continental Army pay accounts from 1 Jan 1778 to 31 Dec 1779. He served under Seth Drew, Captain and Commandant; 2d Mass – Continental Army pay accounts from 1 Jan 1780 to 11 Oct 1780. He was in the Battles of White Plains at the taking of Gen. Burgoyne, in the Battle where the Hessians were taken, and at the capture of Lord Cornwallis’ army. He was wounded in the thigh by a musket ball at Stillwater, NY. He had a furlough to go home and was home sick when the war ended. The army designated him as a deserter on 11 Oct 1780, so, he did not file papers for ending his service as he was already home. His widow, Adah Daniels, was later denied a pension.

Lemuel Turner was born 29 Aug 1749 in Bridgewater, Plymouth MA to John Turner and Elizabeth Phillips. He had three marriages; to Mary Fuller (died 1781), Sarah Drake Randal (died 1798) and Adah Gaylord m. 1 Feb 1799. His children by Adah were Enos, Deborah Platt Dunham, Amelia Ann Larabre, and Lucy E Crawford. He died on 6 Mar 1817 in Plattsburgh, Clinton, NY. I am a descendant of Deborah Platt Dunham who married Leander Dunham the grandson of my Revolutionary War Ancestors Henry Ostrander and William Dunham.

Revolutionary War Ancestor -Sgt. William Dunham – 5th GGF of Susie Graham

William Dunham served for Vermont under Captain Hazen’s Company in Wood’s Regiment Vermont Militia He marched to Brookfield in the alarm on June 9, 1781. From Hartford VT April 3,1781 he marched with Lt. Bramble to Dresden in the alarm at Newbury. As a Sergeant, he marched with Captain Bramble’s Company Vermont Militia to Bethell Fort in August 1781.

William Dunham was born 15 March 1749 to Josiah and Mariam Fuller in Attleboro, Bristol, Massachusetts. His wife was Rebecca. Children were Charles, William, Dan, Philena Thurston, Rebekah Chamberlain, Bethiah Badcock, Guy and Josiah. He resided in Hartford, VT during the Revolutionary War and died after 1827 as mentioned in Hartford, VT property records of his son, Guy Dunham of Plattsburgh NY.

I am a descendant of William’s son Dan. Dan married my Revolutionary War Ancestor Henry Ostrander’s daughter, they had one son, Leander Dunham, b.1807 Plattsburg NY. Leander married my Revolutionary War Ancestor Lemuel Turner’s daughter, Deborah Platt Turner. In 1890, Leander moved with his daughter Estella Dunham Sheldon Rust’s family to the new State of Washington where they settle in Artondale then moved to Gig Harbor where Dr HH Rust practiced medicine. Etta Sheldon married Arthur E Johnston (Washington State Pioneer) and descendant of my Revolutionary War Ancestor Arthur Johnston.

The Story Behind a Story: Ebenezer Story of Revolutionary Connecticut

by Janice Moerschel

Some ancestors are known only as names in a tree. My 4-times great grandfather Ebenezer Story left traces of a fuller life in shipyards, taverns, waterways, woodlots, saltworks, old Connecticut soil, and finally the Sugar House Prison. He was born in Norwich on 26 June 1749. His roots trace back to William Story, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1637. Ebenezer worked as a carpenter, farmer, fisherman, woodsman, and salt maker. These skills placed him in Revolutionary-era Connecticut’s shipbuilding economy along the Thames River. His life comes into focus through the Continental frigate Confederacy, the Norwich shipyard, and his wartime service aboard that vessel. Pieced together from records and rediscovery, his story reveals a young husband, father, craftsman, and patriot. He was drawn into the costly struggle for American independence.

On 15 Nov 1771, Ebenezer married Mehitable Webb in Brooklyn, Connecticut. They settled near Brewster’s Bar on the Great River in Norwich. Their home became more than a residence. In 1777, Ebenezer petitioned to operate a tavern, mere steps from the shipyard where the Confederacy was being built. The Story family served that bustling economy by providing meals, milk, carting, timber, and other goods. These supported workers constructed what was later praised as one of the continent’s finest ships.

The Confederacy, Wikimedia

Ebenezer’s connection to the Confederacy (first named the Continental) became both a point of pride and a tragic turning point. He helped build the ship. Then he joined its crew in 1779 as carpenter. Though it played no major role in the war, the frigate sailed the West Indies, Chesapeake Bay, and waters off Delaware – where the British captured it. The ship and crew were taken to New York Harbor. Ebenezer was confined in Brooklyn’s notorious Sugar House Prison, where overcrowding, hunger, sickness, and suffering killed many prisoners. A Sons of the American Revolution Membership Application records that he starved to death there between September 1781 and November 1782.

His probate record, dated 5 Nov 1782, offers a vivid glimpse of the world he left behind. Mehitable was widowed with three young sons. She was appointed executrix, and the document was witnessed by her uncle Samuel Huntington, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The inventory shows Ebenezer’s wide activity and resources. It lists clothing, silver, tools, livestock, canoes, a scow, fishing gear, saltworks and cider-mill shares, land, and gold and silver money.

Centuries later, archaeology brought remnants of Ebenezer’s life back into view. The rediscovery of the Story site in Preston, Connecticut, helped illuminate how families lived and worked along the state’s tidal waterways during the Revolutionary period. Through records and artifacts, Ebenezer emerges not simply as a name. He appears as an ancestor, craftsman, tavern keeper, sailor, prisoner, husband, and father. His life was woven into America’s fight for independence.

Revolutionary War Soldier Ancestor – Henry Maes Ostrander – 5th GGF

As a resident of Fishkill, New York, Henry enlisted in the fall of 1775, served 5 months as a private in Captain Rosekrans’ company, Colonel Holmes; New York Regiment and was discharged in January 1776 at Albany; he reenlisted in the spring of 1776 and served 10 months as a private in Captain James Rosekrans’ company, Colonel Lewis Dubois’s New York Regiment, then re-enlisted under these same officers. He was in the battle of Fort Montgomery where he was taken prisoner and was exchanged 10 months later, rejoined his regiment, was in the battle of Newtown, and was discharged from services in January 1781 at Morristown, New Jersey. He received a pension with number W16667 which he applied for at Plattsburgh, NY.

Henry Ostrander DAR ID is A084747

Henry Ostrander was born on 10 Oct 1754 in Fishkill, Dutchess, NY to parents Maes Cornelius Ostrander and Jannetje Swartwout. He married Martha (Patty) Nicholson in October of 1779 in Fishkill NY. Their children were Elizabeth Liddell, Huldah “Adah” Griffin, James, Richard, Henry Swartout, Sarah Sanger, Mary Dunham, Jane Larkin and Israel Nicholas. He died on 26 Jan 1830 in Plattsburgh, Clinton, NY. In pension records son Israel said Patty Ostrander told the story that daughter Adah b. 7 Sep 1785 was the first born white child in Plattsburg, NY which was a wilderness when they moved there.

Susie Graham is the descendant of Mary Ostrander Dunham, daughter of Rev War Ancestor (RWA) Henry Ostrander and Dan Dunham, son of RWA William Dunham. I also am the descendant of their grandson Leander Dunham and his wife Deborah Platt Turner, the daughter of RWA Lemuel Turner.