Edmund Lucas (1759 - 1837)

Born 31 Oct 1759 in Branford, New Haven, CT

Ancestors

Husband of Lydia (Downer) Lucas — married 19 Aug 1791 in Thetford, Orange, VT

Descendants

Died 21 Feb 1837 at age 77 in Thetford, Orange, VT

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Origins

Edmund was born in Branford, New Haven, Connecticut, 31 Oct 1759.^[1] He was baptised 25 Jan 1761 in Branford, Connecticut.^[2]

Military

At the outbreak of the Revolution in 1776 he was 17, and by 1777 was enlisting for the first of several stints as part of the militia. The militia did not serve full time, but was called up for brief periods of time, from 2 to 6 months, to meet an immediate British threat. Much of what we know about Edmund comes from the very detailed story he provided in 1834, when applying for a veteran’s pension. May 1777 was a critical time in the Revolution, when Burgoyne was threatening to cut off New England by moving down Lake Champlain, hoping to meet up with the British army moving up from New York. Edmund answered the call for a draft made for militia in Greenfield, Massachusetts where he was then living.

“That in the year 1777 in the month of May as he believes a draft was made from the militia of Greenfield and the vicinity in the Sate of Massachusetts, where this applicant then lived for the purpose of going to assist our army at Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain, and that one Reuben Wells of said Greenfield was drafted for the term of two months on this service and this applicant at the request of said Wells enlisted as his substitute and joined Capt Child’s company of militia of said Greenfield and Col Wells (of Shelburn Mass) regiment the names of the other company and regimental officers he does not recollect as he was not personally acquainted with them . He recollects the drummers name was Allen Nichols and lived in said Greenfield. That he marched in said company through Bennington in Vermont and Skeensborough in New York where he went on board of a boat and sailed down the Lake (Champlain) to Ticonderoga where he joined our army and shortly after went over the Lake to Mt. Independence and was there stationed until the Fort was evacuated by our ….. (which he thinks was sometime in ….) retreated to Bennington in Vermont; where he was dismissed about the last of July or first of August 1777 as near as he can recollect. He knows it was a short time before Bennington Battle after serving out his full term of two months – He well recollects of having seen Genl. St. Clair and Col Warner at Mt. Independence, but he cannot be more particular as to officers and Regiments at this time.”

His service is born out by a payroll record that provides details of his service. ^[3]

The Americans had been warned that both Ft. Ticonderoga and Mt. Independence would be within cannon range, if the British occupied those heights, and that’s what General Burgoyne did. The British move would have gone undetected if some Indians had not lit a fire on the summit, letting the rebels know what was going on. American General St. Clair held a council and the opinion was unanimous: it would be impossible to defend Ft. Ticonderoga so troops, stores, everything needed to be evacuated without delay to Mt. Independence. At nine o’clock at night, July 5, the rank and file received the order to strike their tents, stow them on boats bound for Skenesborough.

Routes to and from Ft. Ticonderoga

A New Hampshire soldier named Cogan spoke for the disillusioned troops when he said, “Such a retreat was never heard of since the creation of the world.” It was unthinkable to most men that they should give up without a fight. The rebel army moved out in the dark of night with only a sliver of a moon. The chaos and disorder of such a rapid move was successful, until a French officer set fire to his own quarters on Mt. Independence and announced the evacuation to the British. Edmund Lucas speaks simply of “retreating to Bennington” which doesn’t describe the bewildered, unorganized militia traveling in the dark on nothing more than a rough, narrow cart track, expecting the British to catch them from behind. By the last of July or first of August Edmund had finished his two month enlistment and returned home - which means he would not have served during the Battle of Bennington on August 16.

Edmund next responded to events that took place in Rhode Island. Newport, located on “Rhode Island” in Narragansett Bay, became the “Cradle of the American Navy.” The British 24 gun frigate Rose wreaked havoc in the bay, seizing stores and goods along the coast, and established a successful blockade against all shipping. For the express purpose of stopping this ship, Rhode Island created the first state navy consisting of the Washington with 6 guns and the 12-gun Katy. The Katy took part in the first purely naval engagement of the war in June 1775 when the British sloop Diana was driven aground in the Bay. When a Continental navy was created these two ships became part of that fleet, with the Katy renamed the Providence. That vessel is significant as it became the first command for John Paul Jones. Unfortunately, this didn’t save Newport, as their worst fears were realized in December 1776 when the British occupied the city. The local fleet was now blockaded in Providence, and didn’t go to sea again during the war. General Washington attempted to save Newport in the spring of 1778, with a coordinated attack by Lafayette coming from NY with 2,000 men, and the French fleet under d’Estaing with 2,800 marines attacking from the southwest. In Massachusetts General John Sullivan was charged with drafting 8,000 men. ^[4]

Edmund returned to duty to aid in the defense of Rhode Island in the fall of 1778. In his own words:

“In 1778 about the first of July as near as he can recollect a call was made for the militia of Westfield in Massachusetts, where this applicant then lived (his father having moved from Greenfield to Westfield late in the fall of 1777) to go and assist our army in rhode Island; and the requirement was for six months service, and the town of Westfield, West Springfield and Granville in Massachusetts were required to furnish men for one company, but the… could not obtain all the in… about five or six weeks after the company … marched, which was on or about the first of July of the year 1778. This applicant enlisted or engaged to join said company and as soon after said enlistment as he could make preparations, which was a week or more he left said Westfield, and passing through the town of Worcester in Massachusetts and Providence in Rhode Island, joined the company at Tivertown in Rhode Island about 35 miles below Providence where sd. Company was stationed for the purpose of guarding the towns and seabord from the incursions of the enemy then in possession of Rhode Island. He arrived at Tivertown two or three days after the battle on the Island. The company was commanded by Capt. Nathan Rowley and belonged to Col Jacobs Regt. He thinks there was but one regiment stationed at Tivertown and does not recollect of seeing any continental soldiers at that place. He thinks they were mostly stationed at Providence after the retreat from the Island under Gen’l Sullivan who was the commander in chief of that detachment as he understood. He also understood that a Col. Wade was stationed at Greenwich. This applicant remained at Tivertown with his company until the army went into Winter quarters at which time his company was ordered to Freetown in Rhode Island where he and his company were dismissed on the 2d day of January 1779. He is confident it was at least four months and one half from the time of his enlistment to the time of his dismission.”

The government payroll records credit him with 3 ½ months of service, including the time period beginning Sept 1778^[5]

The British stayed on until October 1779, when they themselves decided to leave.

Edmund served again later in 1779, this time with his brothers Asahel and Amaziah. A company of men was raised in South Hampton, Massachusetts, which he joined “for the term of three months.” He “is quite certain he enlisted just after wheat harvest.” Amaziah states the family was living there at the time. In Edmund’s application he states:

“In the year 1779 there was a company of militia (as he understood) raised in South Hampton and the vicinity in Massachusetts for the pupose as it was said of joining our army at the west or South and this applicant entered or enlisted into a company commanded by Capt. Clapp of North Hampton, Col Chapin’s (as he believes) regiment. Timothy Lyman of Gotham was the Lieut. Of our company and one Sanderson of Whiting the ensign. He enlisted for the term of three months and went directly to Albany in the State of New York and remained there two months and was then dismissed about one month before the expiration of his engagement. The rest of the company was dismissed at the same time but for what reason he has never known. He does not recollect that there were many men at Albany at the time – he thinks he did not see any continental soldiers, nor any militia troops except those to which he belonged. He is confident that he served at least two months at this time, though he cannot be particular as to the time of enlisting or leaving the service; he thinks however it was the better part of the summer or part of the fall of that year. He is quite certain he enlisted just after wheat harvest.”

Payroll records list Edmund on the payroll from Oct 14 – Nov 25, 1779^[6]

Edmund had a break, until 1781, when a body of militia in the town of Westfield were called to go into the interior of New York, this enlistment for 3 months. He marched through Albany to Schoharie. He was there for two weeks, then onto Fort Herkimer where he was stationed “guarding the Fort, and the inhabitants who were much exposed to attacks from the enemy.” Edmund was part of a scouting party in pursuit of British, Indians, and Tories who made an attack on Johnstown on the Mohawk River, burning some buildings and taking prisoners. His party “marched about 3 days nearly northwest, caught up with the enemy, killed one British captain by the name of Butler and two privates and took several prisoners (16 as he thinks) mostly Tories and rescued one boy who had been taken prisoner.” This Captain Butler was Walter, son of the John Butler who headed Butler’s Rangers. This was a very newsworthy event at that time. They also got lost for 3 days - Edmund, with about 150 men, wandered around in the woods without food, suffering “extremely with hunger and fatigue.” He was still there when Lord Cornwallis surrendered, finally returning home in November.^[7]

Family

Data locating Edmund between 1781 and 1791 are missing in research so far. By 1791 Edmund had settled in Thetford, Orange, Vermont, as he married Lydia Downer, daughter of Joseph and Aseenath Downer, in that location 19 Aug 1791.^[8]. He took the Freeman’s oath in September of 1795. He bought land in Thetford 14 Mar 1793 and had many land transactions in following years. ^[9] His last purchase noted in Thetford was on 6 Mar 1819^[10] Vermont still required voters to take a “Freeman’s Oath,” a holdover from the colonial era. Edmund took that oath in 1795, 1797 and again in 1813, and had a pew in the local Congregational church.^[11]

He apparently spent the rest of his life in Thetford, with children born and baptized their from 1792 through 1813. Brands were not used on cattle, but ears were cut in different patterns, and recorded. Edmund’s recorded mark in 1820 was a “square crop on the left ear, and a slit in the right ear.” He was recorded on the 1820 and 1830 census in Thetford, and applied for his Revolutionary service pension in 1834. His signature at that time was affixed to the pension application.

Edmund Lucas signature

Death

Edmund died in Thetford, Orange, Vermont 21 Feb 1837. His wife Lydia died later that year, on 21 Sep 1837. Both are buried in the old Thetford cemetery, which is very near Thetford Center.^[12]

Source

1. ↑ Branford V.R. vol 3 p176. Also found in the Barbour Collection.
2. ↑ Church Records, CoT VT, LDS film #1447, pt 19 from Branford 1st Church Records vol. 1, p64, Edmund, son of Richard and Sarah.
3. ↑ On payroll from May 10 to July 8 1777, Captain Timothy Child’s Company, Col David Well’s Regt. In US Revolutionary War and Bounty-land Warrant Application Files, #S13807
4. ↑ www.providenceri.com/narragansettbay/revolutionary_war.html, Oct 1, 1998 and www.nuwc.navy.mil/hq/history/0002.html 10 oct 98
5. ↑ On payroll September 1778 for 3 months and 16 days of service, Captain Nathan Rowles Company, Col John Jacob’s Regt. In US Revolutionary War and Bounty-land Warrant Application Files, #S13807
6. ↑ Payroll of Capt. Joseph Clapps co. Col S. Chapin’s Regt. In US Revolutionary War and Bounty-land Warrant Application Files, #S13807
7. ↑ paraphrased from Edmund’s warrant application, Feb 1834, warrant #S13807 of US Revolutionary War and Bounty-land Warrant Application Files. Payroll records report his presence from Aug 21 – Nov 9, 1781, Capt Samuel Thrall’s Co. in Col Willeton’s Regt.
8. ↑ 1st Congregational Church Records of Thetford, VT, p189
9. ↑ Thetford Land Records, 5:349, 50 acres from Cushman Downer. See also 7:128, 7:129, 7:236, 8:582, 9:358, 9:374, 8:117, 8:130, 8:435, 9:552
10. ↑ Thetford, Orange, VT land records, 10:288
11. ↑ Thetford Town Records
12. ↑ Register of persons buried in the Cemeteries of the town of Thetford Vermont, 1768-1976. Compiled by Robert L Bacon 1977

See also:

Ketchum, Richard M., “Saratoga, Turning Point of America’s Revolutionary War”, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1997. A very readable account including the events surrounding Ft. Ticonderoga.