An American Soldier
Daniel Read is a very common name. Not only did our Daniel Read share a name with his father, he also shared it with many other Daniel Reads at the time. This is also complicated by spelling, where we have seen the surname name spelled Read, Reed, or even Reede. So as we have have been researching his military service, we had to weed through the Reads. Earlier this week, while searching Ancestry.com, Eleanor found a document that opened many new research doors- Daniel’s pension paperwork.
Daniel submitted pension paperwork dated March 13, 1834. The paperwork included 76 year old Daniel’s own testimony of his military service. It reads:
“In Dec. 1776 when the British troops took Newport, R.I. an alarm was spread through the adjacent country and the militia was mustered. I then belonged to a militia company under the command of Capt. Jacob Ide of Attleborough, Mass in Col. John Daggett’s Regiment. Captain Ide immediately marched his company, of which company I was one, to Providence, and from thence to Warren R.I. where we remained for several days. I cannot now recollect the exact number, but I think it may have been 8 or 10, more or less, when orders were received to detach one quarter of the militia for three months service on the shores of Rhode Island, and the other three quarters were permitted to return home. I was one of those who were permitted to return home. I was one of those detached for three months service; I was put under Capt. Clap, Lieuts. Enoch Robinson and Ben. Maxy as Commissioned Officers and Col. John Daggett, Lieut Col Hathway and Maj. Mitchell as field officers. We were marched to Tiverton in R.I. and employed during the said term of three months in guarding the shore opposite Rhode Island. I did military duty as a private soldier and clerk to Col. Daggett until the expiration of said three months which was in the month of March 1777.
In the next month (April) the militia were again called to guard the shores of Rhode Island, and I entered the public service again under Capt. Stephen Richardson and marched under him to Tiverton, and after doing military duty there a number of days (the exact number I cannot now ascertain) I was with others sent to Providence and put under Capt. Israel Trow of Col. Whitney’s Regiment. After doing duty at Providence both on guard and fatigue a few weeks, I was one of a detachment from Col. Whitney’s Regiment which was sent to Point Judith, where I did duty as a private soldier until the fourth of July in the year viz 1777, having been in the public service two months and 21 days from the time of my entering it under Capt. Richardson in April aforesaid. In the fall of the same year, 1777, I was again in the public service and did duty as a private soldier one month near Rhode Island in the expedition under Gen. Spencer (called the Secret expedition.) My officers at this time were Capt. S. Richardson Lieut E. Robinson and Lieut. B. Maxey. We were billeted near Fall River either in Freetown Mass or Tiverton R.I. For a considerable part of the month we were, almost every night under arms and marched down to the shores opposite to the Island from 4 to 8 miles from out quarters with the expectation of crossing over to it, but we did not. This must have been in Oct. 1777 for I perfectly remember of hearing of the surrender of Gen. Burgoyne while engaged in this expedition.
Again in the summer of 1778 I was one month in the American army under Gen. Sullivan in his intended expedition against the British troops and shiping at Newport R.I. in conjunction with the French fleet which were then said to be there. I was part of the time at Tiverton or Freetown and a part of the time on Rhode Island and all the time I did duty as a private soldier. I believe (but I cannot be positive) that my time of service expired on or about the 25th of August, but as we were then on the Island and no blow had been struck against the enemy we expected to be detained longer, but the French fleet went out and left us, and a British fleet was said to be coming in, a retreat from the Island, therefore, became inevitable; the militia whose times were out were therefore permitted to go home. I have not been able to find any person now living who can testify to the fact of my being in the army at the time of Gen. Sullivan; expedition at Rhode Island, nor can I at this time recollect one of the officers under whom I served expect Gen. Sullivan; But I well remember being at the camp near Fall River- observing the extensive boat building going on there - the constant arrival of troops, both regulars and militia - crossing over to the Island at Howland’s Ferry - lying on my arms on Butts’s hill at the beginning of that tremendous storm which did so much damage to the French ships after they went to sea - and leaving the Island when my time was out by the way of the Bristol ferry; all this I well remember.
Thus it appears from the above facts, which I have ended vowed to state correctly that I was in the public service and did duty as a soldier in the Revolutionary War Seven months and twenty one days exclusive of the time I served under Capt. Ide at Providence and Warren, which if added will make about eight months.
I the subscriber Daniel Read was born in the town of Attleborough in the county of Bristol Mass on the 16th day of Nov. A.D. 1757 as appears of record in the town clerk’s office in said Attleborough, and the said town of Attleborough was my place of residence until the year 1779; but for the last fifty two years I have lived in New Haven in Connecticut.
-Daniel Read”
Daniel’s brother Joel
