Daniel Bissell IV (1754 - 1824)

Born 30 Dec 1754 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Lydia Munsell — married 27 Dec 1768 in East Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut

Husband of Theoda (Hurlbert) Bissell — married 30 Dec 1789 in Randolph, Orange, Vermont, United States

Descendants

Died 21 Aug 1824 at age 69 in Richmond, Ontario, New York, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Joel Hagenburg [send private message]

Biography

Sergeant Daniel Bissell IV served with 2nd Connecticut Regiment (1781), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Daniel Bissell IV is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: P-115233
Rank: Sergeant, Spy Patriot

Daniel Bissell (spy)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Daniel Bissell (December 30, 1754 – August 21, 1824) was a soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was the son of Daniel and Elizabeth Bissell[1] and was born in East Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut in 1754. On April 1, 1776, signed on for the duration as a corporal in the 5th Connecticut Regiment. He became a sergeant on September 1, 1777, and ended the war with the 2nd Connecticut Regiment.

Under the direct orders of General George Washington, Bissell posed as a deserter in the city of New York from August 14, 1781, to September 29, 1782. He realized that to get the information Washington needed, he would have to join the British Army: for 13 months, he served in the British Infantry Corps led by Benedict Arnold. Bissell memorized everything he was able to find out and then made his way back to friendly lines where he was placed under arrest until Washington verified his story. Sergeant Bissell was able to furnish valuable information including detailed maps he drew of the enemy's positions. He was to become the last recipient of the Badge of Military Merit in June 1783, one of only three awarded by Washington himself. The award was lost in a house fire in 1813.

During the Quasi War with France, Bissell served in the US Army. He was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the 16th Infantry Regiment on March 3, 1799 and was discharged on June 15, 1800.

Bissell died in 1824 in Richmond, New York, where he is buried in Allens Hill Cemetery. His tombstone is inscribed, "In memory of Daniel Bissell, Who died August 21st, 1824, Aged 70 Years, He had the confidence of Washington and served under him."[2]

Sergeant Bissell is not the same person as Brigadier General Daniel Bissell who served in the War of 1812.^[1]

Sons of the American Revolution

The Badge of Military Merit

Purple Heart of the American Revolution

The third and possibly the last award of the Badge of Military Merit was presented one month after the first two to 28 year old Sergeant Daniel Bissell of Windsor, Connecticut. Sergeant Bissell was a member of Captain David Humphreys' Company of the Second Connecticut Regiment of the Continental Line.

His citation reads:

"Sergeant Bissell of the 2nd Connecticut Regt. having performed some important service within the immediate knowledge of the Commander-In-Chief in which the fidelity, perseverance, and good sense of the said Sergeant Bissell were conspicuously manifested, it is therefore ordered that he be honored with the Badge of Merit. He will call at headquarters on Tuesday next for the insignia and certificate to which he is hereby entitled."

A seven-page document found on microfilm in the George Washington papers in the Library of Congress provides the missing story. The first four pages of the manuscript are in the handwriting of Captain David Humphreys of Derby Connecticut, Washington's Aide-de-Camp from June 23rd, 1780 to the end of the war.

The manuscript begins:

Substance of information given by Sergeant Bissell of the 2nd. Connecticut Regiment who was sent into NY for the purpose of obtaining intelligence in the month of August 1781 and made his escape from Staten Island on the 27th of Sept. 1782. "He reports that on his arrival into the city, there being a hot press to man the King's ships and finding no other means to avoid it or to escape but by entering into the land service, he enlisted in Arnold's Corps and never has had the opportunity of getting off until Tuesday last, that he frequently made efforts to effect it.

"In the mean time he has exerted his utmost care and ability in obtaining information of the strength and state of the enemy's force..."On Staten Island -

22nd Reg't British 340

57th Reg't 320

2 Comp.British 100

Arnold's Corps 125

885

Bissell's dictated narrative continues to describe in minute detail the strength and fortifications on Long Island. Then, in Bissell's own hand writing there is a detailed description of two British forts which begins: "The main fort on Staten Island is from east to west about one hundred and forty feet through and about one hundred feet from the North side to the South..." He describes in great detail where each of the cannon are placed and where the best place would be to attack the fort. It closes with a sketch of a fort with the 24-pound cannons clearly marked.

Washington himself endorses the report:

"Sergeant Bissell's account of the enemies force and works at New York, etc."

Bissell had arrived in New York City, posing as a deserter, on August 13, 1781. On the following day, Washington received word that Cornwallis had been cut off at Yorktown, and he moved most of his troops to the South. Bissell discovered that General Clinton had ordered that deserters were not to be protected. Press gangs were rounding up reluctant recruits for the British Navy. To avoid this Bissell joined Benedict Arnold's Loyalist army but became ill and lost his chance for escape. He later became a quartermaster sergeant, moving supplies to various British units. While on a foraging mission the following September he was finally able to make good his escape.

Sergeant Daniel Bissell was formally presented with his Badge of Military Merit on June 8, 1783, at the Headquarters in Newburgh, New York. In his application for a pension he explained that he had lost his badge in a house fire in 1813 in Ontario County, New York.^[2]

Daughters of the American Revolution

BISSELL, DANIEL

• Ancestor #: A010517
• Service: CONNECTICUT
• Rank(s): SERGEANT, SPY

• Birth: 12-30-1754 WINDSOR HARTFORD CO CONNECTICUT
• Death: 8-5-1824 RICHMOND ONTARIO CO NEW YORK

Pension Number: S*W23604

Service Description: 1) ALSO CPL CAPTS.PRIOR,STRONG,COLS.BRADLEY

Comments (Overview )

• 1) SPY FOR GEN. WASHINGTON

• 2) THERE WERE 2 DANIEL BISSELLS WHO SERVED UNDER COLS. BRADLEY & SWIFT CT

Residence 1) City: WINDSOR - County: HARTFORD CO - State: CONNECTICUT

Spouse RHODA/THEODA HULBERT ^[3]

Authority: Connecticut Vital Records, Windsor, Births - Marriages - Deaths, 1637 - 1850. Barbour Collection, Connecticut State Library, 1929. Page 28, b. "Daniel, s. Daniel, Jr.. & Elizabeth, b. Dec. 30, 1754."

Authority: Photocopy of the Town Records of Windsor, CT, begun by Timothy Loomis about 1720. Earlier records of vital events in Windsor were made by Matthew Grand and kept in two places .... his reports to the clerk of the colony and his personal notebook, which has become known as the MG record or the Old Church Record. - See Birth Record.

Authority - The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut, by Henry R. Stiles, A.M., M.D., Pub. 1892. Page 83: Fam. 41. DANIEL (5), (Dan'l 4, Dan'l. 3, John 2., John 1), m. 11 Feb. 1746/47, "then m. by his Hon., ye Deputy Gov., DANIEL BISSELL, JU, to ELIZABETH NEWBURY, both of W.; 4. DAN'L, b. 30 Dec. 1754, bp. 5 Jan, 1755. Fam. 70.

Authority: Genealogy of the Descendants of John Bissell of Windsor, Connecticut, NY by 1640 by Edward Payson Jones, 1866-1953, of Winsted, Connecticut, March 1, 1939. Page 78-79: * Lieut. Daniel IV - The Spy, b. 12-30-1754 (Wi).

Authority: The Descendants of Captain John Bissell, Part 1: The First Five Generations, As Compiled by: Pelham St. George Bissell, 3rd. Pub. September 17, 1966, New York City, NY. Page 46.

Authority: "Daniel Bissell: Patriot Spy," published by The Windsor Historical Society of Windsor, CT. "Seldom do we find a memorial erected to a man who at one time stood disgraced and despised by his fellow townsmen. Such a monument in memory of Sergeant Daniel Bissell, courageous patriot spy of the American Revolution, stands on Palisado Avenue. The site chosen was the farm of his ancestor, John Bissell, founder of the family in America and owner of the famous Bissell Ferry. 'Birthplace of Daniel Bissell, Patriot Spy, of the American Revolution, 1764-1824, Conn. Soc. V. ' If Daniel Bissell could retrace the steps of his childhood, he would be amazed to find the honor that Windsor history has accorded him. Daniel Bissell was born in 1754, the oldest son of Daniel Bissell, Jr., and Elizabeth Loomis. He and his brothers lived a happy outdoor life in Windsor, typical of the pioneer family. They learned woodlore for their safety. They were taught to fish in the Great River and hunt in the surrounding woodlands to provide sustenance for the family. While this was essential to a full larder, they also spent many happy days swimming in the Rivulet and picnicking on the shore. As boys will, Daniel learned to imitate the speech of a Negro companion. This ability was to play a vital part in his future. He attended the local school, but as the oldest son he would inherit the family farm and so his formal education ended in Windsor. However, he was a great lover of books and Oliver Elisworth and Roger Wolcott were generous in lending so avid a reader books from their extensive libraries. When the news of the Boston massacre spread through the colonies, Daniel, now 20 years old, wished to join the volunteers from Windsor, but was persuaded by his father to wait for further developments. After the Battle of Bunker Hill, Daniel did enlist under the command of Colonel Huntington. A short time later he returned to Windsor and resumed life on the farm. After the Declaration of Independence which united the colonists in a strong desire for liberty, Daniel re-enlisted and was soon promoted to Sergeant. There is a tradition that he was first married before the war and that his wife died, leaving a son. This has never been verified, but it is definitely known that he married Rhoda Hurlburt at Windsor on Dec. 30, 1789. Rupert Hughes, the noted author, wrote a delightful tale about Daniel's war-time romance. According to the story, while at a dance for soldiers, Daniel met a very charming girl named Rhoda Hurlburt, who later became his wife. She wore a purple silk gown trimmed with lace. During the festivities a clumsy Dragoon caught his spur in her skirt and ripped off a long strip of it. Daniel secured the piece of silk and placed it inside his blouse. Later he fashioned it into a heart and wore it as his lady's favor! In 1781 Daniel Bissell was summoned by George Washington. It seemed the sergeant's sterling qualities had not been overlooked and there was an important mission to be undertaken. A dependable and capable man was needed to secure information relating to the forces and plans of the British army then occupying New York City. Washington appealed to Daniel Bissell as he had to Nathan Hale earlier in the war under similar circumstances. Daniel was instructed to wear his army uniform in order to appear as a deserter from the American army, and a price of 50 pounds was set for his discovery and return. To accept this assignment which would bring shame to him and his family was a very difficult decision for Daniel to make. It meant isolation from everyone. But his love of county and desire for service made him sacrifice his personal feelings. Daniel was successful in evading the American sentries and penetrating the British lines. On his way to New York he gained admittance to General Benedict Arnold's headquarters by disguising himself as a lame, bent, old Negro, who pretended British soldiers had ransacked his farm. While in Arnold's headquarters he overheard the plans for the attack on New London being discussed. Knowing that any written information found upon his person would be his death warrant, he committed all that he had heard to memory. The next day a sympathetic Dutch farmer carried Daniel in his wagon loaded with produce to the recruiting office of Arnold's Corps., where he was passed off as a drunken deserter. This brought him immunity for three days and then Daniel was taken ill with fever and sent to a British hospital. Later he was put in a barn with other soldiers where he was dreadfully ill. Of his experiences her Daniel Bissell wrote, "Here my suffering was truly great; without fire the greatest part of the time, only wood allowed for the purpose of cooking our pork and pease; without attendance, but an additional blanket to two men; without shifting my clothes for three months; covered with head and body lice; unable to walk." During his illness he became delirious and betrayed the fact that he was a patriot spy to his attending physician. When Bissell's youthful strength returned, he became anxious to complete his mission. Acting on the suggestion of the doctor who had become very fond of him and who had decided to help him, he confided in another soldier who also wished to escape. Pretending to search for a stray pig, the pair managed to leave the camp. After crossing two rivers they were traced down by bloodhounds. The dogs lost the scent when the fugitives hid in a swamp. Days of evading discovery passed but finally the American lines were reached. Daniel went immediately to Washington's headquarters to make his report. The General told him that he could not be rewarded by promotion as he had intended. Congress had ordered that no more commissions be given, and the army had no money for medals or other decorations. As Rupert Hughes related in his story, Daniel had worn Rhoda's purple silk heart pinned to his blouse all during the war and when General Washington learned of this, he murmured to himself; "A purple heart! A purple heart!" On August 7, 1782, George Washington issued a badge of merit with the following order: "Whenever any singularly meritorious action is preformed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings over the left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding ... Men who have merited this last distinction to be suffered to pass all guards and sentinels which officers are permitted to do. The road to glory in a patriot army and a free country is thus open to all." This badge was the only one issued during the Revolution and only three men are on record as having won it, all of them sergeants of the Connecticut Continentals. This award was highly prized by Daniel and he kept it carefully pressed between the leaves of the family Bible. In the year 1810 upon returning from Sunday service, the Daniel Bissells found that their hoe had been struck by lightning and burned to the ground. The Order of the Purple Heart was destroyed with all of their other possessions. Briefly this is the story of Daniel Bissell, a patriot, a pioneer, a true example of early Americanism. Windsor's Bicentennial Fife and Drum Corps will be named in Daniel Bissell's honor and the color purple will appear in their uniforms. Story written by: Mildred Dunn and Edwinna Hillemeier. Art work by: Robert T. Silliman. Sources of Information: Books: New History of Old Windsor, by Daniel Howard. The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, CT., by Henry Stiles. The Road to Glory, by Arthur Thompson Newspaper Clippings Hartford Daly Times, Oct. 18, 1919. Unknown paper, Oct. 28, 1919. Windsor Herald, Nov. 27, 1936. Hartford Courant Magazine, Sept. 27, 1942. The Windsor Town Crier, Oct., 1917.

Authority - Russ Bissell, <removed disallowed email> , e-mail of 09 April 2000: History of SGT. DANIEL BISSELL The First Purple Heart. Sergeant Daniel Bissell, first cousin of Brigadier General Daniel Bissell, was lst Lieut., 16th Infantry USA in 1799, engaged against the Indians. Hardships and exposure shattered his health. He died in Richmond, NY, in August 1824 at age 70. He was the son of Daniel Bissell (3rd) and Eliza Newberry. His ancestry is sketched below: John Bissell, 1592-1677 Capt. John Bissell, m. Isabel Mason Daniel 1st, m. Margaret Deivey Daniel 2nd, m. Jerusha Filch Daniel 3rd, m. Eliza Newberry Daniel 4th Sergeant Daniel Bissell, 2nd Connecticut, served at White Plains, Trenton, and Monmouth, where he was wounded. He was selected in l781 to secure information for Washington of the enemy's plans in New York City and Long Island. His account, sworn to Jan. 7, 1818, at Richmond, Ontario County, NY, attested by Sec'y John C. Calhoun, is still preserved by the family. This copy and affidavits were due to the burning of the original when his house in Richmond was destroyed by fire. He was published as a deserter from the American Army. Only a last-minute letter from Washington saved him from hanging when he returned to the American lines. He received in 1783 the "Honorary Badge of Merit," known to have been conferred on only two others, "to wear on his facings over the left breast the figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding, and a certificate, of which the following is a copy: "I, George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the American Army, to all persons to whom these presents shall come, send greeting: Whereas, it hath ever been an established maxim in the American Service that the road to Glory was open to all, that Honorary Rewards and Distinctions were the greatest stimuli to Virtuous Actions; and whereas Sergeant Daniel Bissell of the 2nd Connecticut Regiment has performed some important service within the immediate knowledge of the Commander-in-Chief, in which his fidelity, perseverance, and good sense were not only conspicuously manifested, but his general line of conduct throughout a long course of service having been not only unspotted, but highly deserving of commendation, Now therefore, Know YE, that the aforesaid Sergeant Bissell hath fully and truly deserved, and has been properly invested with, the Honorary Badge of Military Merit, and is entitled to pass and repass all guards and military posts as freely and as amply as any commissioned officer whatever, and is further recommended to that notice which a brave and faithful soldier deserves from his countrymen. Given under my hand and seal in the Highlands of New York this Ninth Day of May 1783. George Washington (Jonathan Trumbull, Secretary) (Mem. Hist. Hartford Co II p. 515. Stiles History of Windsor, pp. 408-416)

Direct Descendants of John Bissell, Sr., Capt., q.v.

1 John BISSELL, Sr., Capt., q.v. b: Abt. 1591 in England d: October 03, 1677 in Windsor, CT . +qv MARY b: Abt. 1606 in England m: Bef. 1630 in England d: May 21, 1641 in Windsor, CT 2 John BISSELL, Jr., Cornet-Lieut. b: Bef. 1630 in England d: Bef. October 15, 1688 in Yorke (NY) .... +Izrael MASON aka: Isabel MASON b: Abt. 1639 in Windsor, Hartford Co., CT m: June 17, 1658 in Saybrook, CT d: Aft. 1690 in Windsor, CT .. 3 Daniel BISSELL, Sr., Cornet b: September 29, 1663 in Windsor, CT d: December 09, 1738 in Windsor, CT ...... +Margaret DEWEY b: January 10, 1673/74 in of Westfield, MA m: October 27, 1692 in Windsor, CT d: November 27, 1712 in Windsor, CT .... 4 Daniel BISSELL, II, Cornet b: October 31, 1694 in Windsor, CT d: November 11, 1770 in Windsor, CT ........ +Jerusha FITCH b: Abt. 1699 in Canterbury, CT m: March 18, 1717/18 d: February 19, 1780 in Windsor, CT ....... 5 Daniel BISSELL, lll b: February 02, 1724/25 in Windsor, CT d: December 28, 1814 in Randolph, VT ........... +Elizabeth LOOMIS b: November 29, 1726 in Windsor, CT m: April 09, 1752 in Windsor, CT d: Bef. 1824 in Randolph, VT ......... 6 Daniel BISSELL, IV, Sgt., Patriot Spy b: December 30, 1754 in Windsor, CT d: 1824^[4]

Sources

• 1. "Remarkable Sergeants". NCOHistory.com. 2003. Retrieved 2003-03-30.

• 2. "National Infantry Museum". U.S. Army Infantry. 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-09.

• Find A Grave Memorial# 9548118 Created by Kristen Conrad 03 Oct 2004.

• http://www.ourpreciousgift.com/revolutionary-war/

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badge_of_Military_Merit

• http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/medalsandawards.html

• BIRTH: "Connecticut, Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F74V-R9Q : accessed 15 Dec 2013), Daniel Bissell, 30 Dec 1754.

• Ancestry

• "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS3Q-C3XP-M?cc=2546162&wc=WD6Q-RM3%3A1588792203 : 24 January 2018), Connecticut > image 344 of 977; citing various published state rosters, United States.

• "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS3Q-C3JX-7?cc=2546162&wc=WD6Q-RM3%3A1588792203 : 24 January 2018), Connecticut > image 646 of 977; citing various published state rosters, United States.

Footnotes

1. ↑ Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Bissell_(spy)
2. ↑ THE CONNECTICUT SOCIETY OF THE SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION http://www.connecticutsar.org/articles/badge_of_military_merit.htm
3. ↑ DAR Genealogical Research System, http://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A010517
4. ↑ Betty Brady" <removed disallowed email> Subject: Re: [BISSELL] Re: Sgt. Daniel Bissell Jr.-Revolutionary War Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 07:38:08 -0700 http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/BISSELL/2001-10/1003847888

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Nae X for creating Bissell-298 on 15 Dec 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Nae and others.