John Breed (1757 - 1846)

Born 15 Oct 1757 in Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Felt) Breed — married 19 Jun 1782 in Packersfield, New Hampshire, United States

Descendants

Died 29 Apr 1846 at age 88 in Sandy Creek, Oswego, New York, United States

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Biography

John Breed served with Massachusetts Line during the American Revolution.

John Breed is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: P120407
Rank: Private

John Breed is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A013961.

John Breed was born on October 15th, 1757 in Eastham, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Breed and Anne Knowles. ^[1]

On June 19th, 1782 he married Sarah Felt, daughter of Aaron Felt. ^[2]

John Breed served in Revolutionary War militias of New Hampshire & Massachusetts. Fought at Battle of Breed's (Bunker) Hill. Stationed at Ft. Ticonderoga (under Gen. Gates) and Ft. Edward. Present at Battle of Saratoga. Guarded Continental Army food supplies near West Point at the time of Benedict Arnold's treachery. Total service time 22 months, during which time he armed & provisioned himself at his own expense. John applied for a Revolutionary War service pension per the Congressional act of 1831, which was eventually granted by War Dept. in 1932 at $74.33 per annum for the duration of his life. ^[3]

This is a transcription of the Court record of Oswego County, New York, containing John Breed's personal handwritten affadavit:

State of New York, Oswego County
On this 24th day of September 1832, personally appeared in open Court befor the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas (being about __ of Record) now sitting John Breed a resident of the Town of Sandy Creek in the County of Oswego and State of New York aged Seventy four years on the 15th day of October 1831 who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed on June 7th 1832.

"I John Breed of the Town County and State afforesaid: Do hereby certify that I was born on the 15th day of October in the Year 1757 [according] to the [__] in my Bible in the Town of Easttown [now Eastham] I believe in the County of Barnstable in the State of Massachusetts. When I was about 3 years old my Father removed to Sudbury in the same State. I resided there until I was Eleven Years old, at which time my Father removed to the Town of Packersfield, (now called Nelson) in the County of Cheshire in the State of New Hampshire. I resided there untill I was Seventeen Years old when the Revolutionary War commenced in the Year 1775. On the 19th or 20th day of April in the Year 1775, I think in the afternoon I entered the Service as a Volunteer in the New Hampshire line of Militia under the command of Lieut. Abijah Brown, Ensign Thomas, Ord. Seargeant, Nathaniel Breed. Marched from Nelson through Lexington, to Cambridge, under the command of the aboved named officers. Immediately after arriving at Cambridge I enlisted under Capt. Ezra Town, or Towns, of New Ipswich State afforsaid (other officers of this Company) Josiah Brown Lieut. ____ Hartness Ensign ____ Williams Ord. Fry. Said Company was attached to Col Breed's Regiment of [__] William New Hampshire Line Gen. Sullivans Brigade. Marched from Cambridge to New Ipswich procured arms and equipments, remained here a short time Recruiting and disciplining. Some time in the Month of May, we marched back to Cambridge. From thence marched to Medford. On Tuesday before the Battle on Bunker Hill, Col. Breeds Regiment, to which I belonged marched from Medford to Charleston, and were stationed on Charleston Neck, to guard the position. On the 17th of June 1775, early in the morning were alarmed by the roar of Brittish Cannon, I think about 1 o'clock in the afternoon of the same day we marched on to Bunker Hill, exposed to the enemy's fire our ranks marched six paces apart. We gained our position on the Hill without any loss of consequence. A severe action soon commenced, and here for the first time I saw men weltering in their blood. Our Regiment had but thirteen rounds of cartridges each, we here fought with a determined spirit until our ammunition was exhausted. One musket ball struck my hat and knocked it from my head, another struck my cartridge box at the end, and went through the same betwixt the covering and wood. We were overpowered by superior force, and towards night retreated, I retreated with the wounded under Lieut. Brown's command, to Medford. The remainder of our Regiment retreated to Prospect Hill the same evening. On the morning of the next day our Regiment and Col. Starks Reg. marched on to Winter Hill and commenced fortifying it with energy. Our Regiment continued here until this campaign closed which was in January 1776. Doct. Green was the Surgeon of our Regiment and my Father Nathaniel Breed was Surgeon's mate. My time of service in this campaign was nine months I had no written discharge I believe it was not customary in discharging Militia to have them in writing.

In the month of June following 1776 I enlisted again for Five Months under Capt. Warner of Cambridge State of Massachusetts. Our first Lieut. name was Tufts 2nd Lieut. name was Burton, Ord. Sgt. name was Brown Said Co. was attached to Col. Whelock Regiment and Gen Brickets or Brackets Brigade in the Massachusetts line. I entered the service under the above officers I believe on the first of July in said Year 1776, at Cambridge Common, and marched from there, through Lexington, Concord, Groton, New Ipswich, Keen, Charleston, over the Green Mountain through Rutland in the state of Vermont thence on to Ticonderoga. Remained at Ticonderoga and its vicinity, until my time of service expired which was on the first day of December in said year. Gen. Gates, I think commanded at Ticonderoga at this time. I saw Gen Arnold at Ticonderoga after his defeat on Lake Champlain in a Privateering tour. The Drummer of our Company went with Arnold on this tour, some others of our Company went out privateering tours.

Our business while stationed at this post was fortifying, guarding, scouting & some light out skirmishing, but no action of consequence transpired at this post in this Company. After my time of service expired as afforesaid in the forepart of the month of Dec. 1776 our company marched to Skenesborough (now Whitehall) where we drew a few days provisions were discharged by verbal gen orders and I returned home to Nelson.

In the month of June 1780 I enlisted again for six months under Capt. Spaulding of Jeffery in the new Hampshire line. Col. Nichols, Reg. Lieut. __ Dodge, Ensign __ Hartness Joseph Blanchard [[__?]. Our Company mustered at Swanzey or Winchester (I do not recollect which) under the above officers, and first marched to Springfield in the State of Massachusetts thence through Great Barrington to Claverack in the State of New York. Staid at Claverack about a fortnight. From thence marched to Fishkill. Staid there a short time. From thence marched to West Point. Gen Arnold was in command at West Point when we arrived at West Point, after remaining here a short time our Regiment was ordered over the [Hudson] River to a place calld Robinsons Farms, a little below West Point. After remaining at Robinsons Farms a short time I was detached on what was calld the Fat Cattle Guard. Then stationed at Crumb Pond and its vicinity I was sent to relieve and take the place of a Soldier by the name of Robert Usher, who was one of said guard. I repaired to Crumb Pond and joined said guard consisting of about 16 men. We had about 600 head of beef cattle to guard and move from place to place as occasion required for the purpose of grazing, after remaining in this service I think about 4 weeks. About the time that Arnold performed his traitorous act, information was brought us by one of our horsemen that 150 British light horsemen were approaching to capture our cattle. Immediately commenced a vigorous retreat and pursued it with such energy that we saved ourselves and all our cattle form the grasp of our enemies. We were soon relieved from this guard and ordered back to our Regiment at West Point. While I was out on this guard tour and while our Regiment lay at West Point Gen Arnold's treachery was discovered and his plot dispensed. I remained at West Point but a short time before I was ordered to Fishkill to join the said Fat Cattle Guard again I continued in this service on duty until my term of enlistment expired or until was then discharged by gen. orders and returned home to Nelson afforesaid.

In the month of September 1777, I volunteered my services for the purpose of repelling the invasion of Gen Burgoine crossed the Green Mountain over into Manchester Vermont from thence to Saratoga in the State of New York thence to Fort Edward. Was principally employed in Scouting parties annoying British boats, and harrassing the outskirts of the enemy. When General Burgoyne was taken I was on a scouting party on the opposite side of the River. In this tour of volunteer service on this sudden emergency we were not regularly organized under any particular [illegible], but engaged in any service or expedition where we were needed as Militia volunteers. The time of this volunteer service was 2 months and it was a laborious tour after the surrender of Burgoyne's Army. I was furnished with a few days provisions and returned home to New Hampshire.

In each and all of the above tours of service amounting in all to 22 months I armed and equipt myself at my own private expense. I believe I never received a written discharge but that in every case of the foregoing terms of service, I was discharged verbally by gen orders. I do not know of any surviving witness now living to testify to my service yet it is possible there may be some yet in the Land of the living who served with me. If so the[y] live in the State of New Hampshire 250 or 300 miles distant from my present residence. I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my Name is not on the Pension roll of the agency of any State in the Union to my knowledge. After the Revolutionary War I settled in Nelson afforesaid and resided there until the Year 1828 when I removed to Sandy Creek, Oswego County State of New York at which place I now reside. I am now in the 75th year of my age."
[signed John Breed]
[Subscribed and Sworn the day & year aforesaid by court clerk]

Sources

1. ↑ *Breed Family Association #10 (1931), p. 380, 381, no. 4.
2. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (10 February 2018), Sarah Felts, 22 Jun 1760; citing LYNN,ESSEX,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 877,736, 877,737, 877,736, 877,738.
3. ↑ Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, ca. 1800 - ca. 1912, Record Group 15, National Identifier 300022, Publication Number M804. Fold3.com Paid subscription site.

See Also:

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed November 15, 2018), "Record of John Breed", Ancestor # A013961.
• "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSFF-L9VZ-N?cc=2546162&wc=WD6Q-R9P%3A1597372304 : 29 August 2019), Massachusetts, Soldiers and Sailors, Bese, David-Byxbe > image 459 of 986; citing various published state rosters, United States.