Jeremiah Dunn (1745 - 1779)

Born 13 Oct 1745 in New Jersey

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Decamp) Dunn — married 28 Feb 1769 in New Jersey

Descendants

Died 24 Oct 1779 at age 34 in Piscataway, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Carol DiFlauro [send private message]

Biography

Jeremiah Dunn was Captain of the Express Riders during the Revolutionary War. A bible record in his widow's pension file lists his birth as October 13th in 1745. His wife, Sarah DeCamp, was listed as born March 10th 1745. The file includes an affidavit stating they "joined hearts and hands in holy matrimony February 28th 1769". Their record lists the birth of the following children;

Esther Dunn was born October 27th AD 1771

Sarah Dunn was born April 5th AD 1773

DeCamp Dunn was born November 7th AD 1774

Ann and Elizabeth Dunn were born October 4th 1776.

Military Service

Jeremiah Dunn received a commission as First Lieutenant in the first enlistment of the regular army in 1776 under Colonel Johnson and Captain Bailey. He was promoted to Captain after the Battle of Long Island. At the end of his first tour of 5 months, he was discharged. Numerous affidavits, including one by his cousin Joel Dunn, included in the widow's pension file, claim he was thereafter personally appointed by General Washington as Captain of the Express Riders, a position he held until his health failed in early September of 1779. Several of the men who were recruited and served under Captain Dunn claim in sworn affidavit he acted as General Washington's life guard. Examination of Washington's papers show the Express Riders, Captain Dunn and his men specifically, were used by Washington to strategically locate troops to best insure their, and thereby his, safety.

Death

Jeremiah Dunn was "taken sick" at Morristown in the latter part of 1779. He came home and after a period of weeks, died intestate October 24th in 1779. Sarah Dunn was administer of his estate and Hugh Dunn was the fellow-bondsman.

Transcribed Probate of Estate of Jeremiah Dunn^[1]

1779, Nov. 23. Dunn, Jeremiah, of Piscataway, Middlesex Co., yeoman. Int. Adm'x—Sarah Dunn, widow of Jeremiah. Fellow bondsman—Hugh Dunn; both of said Co.

1779, Nov. 24. Inventory, £411.16.9, made by Richard Webster and Isaac Titsworth; but the last part was appraised by him and Jacob Titsworth, son of said Isaac. Dib. 22, p. 41.

Sarah Dunn, many years later, filed for widows pension providing her marriage record and a bible birth record for Jeremiah, herself, and their children. Sarah sought to prove the length of her husband's service as Captain of the Express Riders until her death and thereafter her surviving children did the same. A letter from Brigadier General William Maxwell to Colonel George Washington dated 28 March 1779, found within the National Archives, proves that indeed Captain Dunn was still in command at this date.^[2] DeCamp Dunn filed an affidavit dated 9 February 1844. He declared his mother had passed March 24th in 1838^[3] and on behalf of her surviving children, made claim to her unpaid widows pension. His surviving siblings were listed as heirs of Jeremiah and Sarah DeCamp. It appears all but daughter Sarah survived their mother.

Widow Esther Hayden, of Samptown [Middlesex] New Jersey

Widow Elizabeth Bedell, of Samptown [Middlesex] New Jersey

Widow Ann Ross, of Springfield, [Sangamon] Illinois

DeCamp Dunn, of Seneca County, New York

A letter in the pension file dated 14 June 1852 from Henry D. Johnson, Clerk of Common Pleas of Somerset County, New Jersey again lists the surviving heirs of Sarah Dunn, widow of Jeremiah, as: Esther Hayden, Betsy Moore, Nancy King, and DeCamp Dunn. In 1853, daughter Esther Hayden filed an additional affidavit detailing an impressive amount of what an eight year old girl could remember of her father's service.

NOTE: One of the sworn affidavit in the pension file of Jeremiah Dunn is by Rachel (Dunn) Smalley, wife of Isaac Smalley, who she refers to as having served under her Uncle Jeremiah Dunn in the Express Riders.

Dunn-4633 was created by Carol DiFlauro through the import of Carol Pelham Family Tree.ged on Sep 4, 2014.

Sources

1. ↑ https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE106698
2. ↑ http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-19-02-0622
3. ↑ https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WB-79MZ?cc=2069831&wc=MXMQ-RM9%3A355664001

Documents relating to the colonial history of the state of New Jersey, vol. 34 on ExLibris Rosetta. Pg 154

• https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE106698

U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900 on Ancestry.com

“From George Washington to Brigadier General Alexander McDougall, 24 September 1777,” Founders Online, National Archives, accessed April 11, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-11-02-0322. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 11, 19 August 1777 – 25 October 1777, ed. Philander D. Chase and Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2001, pp. 313–315.]

“To George Washington from Brigadier General William Maxwell, 28 March 1779,” Founders Online, National Archives, last modified June 13, 2018, http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-19-02-0622. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 19, 15 January–7 April 1779, ed. Philander D. Chase and William M. Ferraro. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2009, pp. 637–639.]

Widows Pension

• "United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89WB-79MZ?cc=2069831&wc=MXMQ-RM9%3A355664001 : 22 September 2016), 16-vol O Widow pensions > image 122 of 380; citing NARA microfilm publication T718 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1962).

Research Notes

The Sabbath Recorder v. 55, 35 p. 549, 28 Aug 1899 mentions Jeremiah "may" have been a son of Micajah Dunn because they were buried next to each other in the same plot at New Market. It seems very unlikely Micajah would not have mention this son in his will dated 2 month's before Jeremiah died. Micajah's children are fairly well documented.

Micajah's brother Samuel Dunn, Jr. died intestate in 1796 (Somerset), leaving a widow Esther (Dunham). No births of their children were recorded in Piscataway because they were in Somerset by 1844 (noted in his father's will).

This Jeremiah Dunn enlisted from Somerset and named his first born daughter Esther. Reuben Dunn (likely also Samuel's son) administered Samuel's estate in 1796. Could this be the same Reuben to whom Jeremiah sent $80, noted in his letter to Sarah DeCamp, dated 23 July 1776 and addressed to her in Somerset County? (on back of letter in file) Jeremiah also mentioned Hugh Dunn in this letter. Is this the Capt. Hugh Dunn who removed to the Symmes Purchase about 1788?

Isaac Smalley submitted the £8.12 inventory of Samuel Dunn in 1796. Rachel Smalley submitted an affidavit in Sarah DeCamp's widow's pension file stating Jeremiah was her uncle.