Archive for July, 2015

“The music of the Army…” by John U. Rees ©1993, 2002

Posted on: July 1st, 2015 by hauleymusic No Comments

“The music of the Army…” by John U. Rees ©1993, 2002 – An Abbreviated Study of the Ages of Musicians in the Continental Army

Part F.

Colonel John Lamb’s
2nd Continental Artillery Regiment

55 musicians were examined with information being found for 13 (24 percent).
15 musicians total:
Average age of grand total – 17 years

Average age for fifers – 16 years not including fife major

17 years including fife major

Average age for drummers – 17 years

Elias Brown, fifer 1777, fife major 1782 – 62 years old in 1820 (19 years in 1777) (fife major, 24 years in 1782) first enlisted in 1777 in 5th Connecticut Regt.

William DeMott, fife – 51 years old in 1820 (11 years in 1780)

Joseph Gallaspy (Gillespie), fife – born in 1760 (21 years in 1781) killed in battle near Lewiston, New York in 1813.

Arthur Gillass (Gillis), drum – 64 years old in 1818 (23 years in 1777)

Peter Gross, fife – 57 years old in 1818 (20 years in 1781)

Joseph Lummis, drum, Lambs Artillery Regiment – 59 years old in 1818 (18 years in 1777)
He “enlisted… in the Company commanded by Captain Dayton (who then Commanded an Independent Company of Artillery) to serve as a Drummer for three years in the Month of May 1777 he Joined the Army at Middlebrook, and… was detatched to the Pennsylvania line and served at the right wing of that division [Commanded by General Wayne], Captain Dayton resigned [and then Captain Bond Carnes Commanded a short time] and Captain Randal Commanded the Company, this Deponent was in the battle of Brandywine, Germantown and Pialy [i.e., Paoli, under the Command of Captain Randal], took winter quarters at Valley forge and in the Spring of 1778 was detatched to the New Jersey troops under the Command of General Maxfield [and was with him at the battle of Monmouth] served in the Jersey line the Campaign of 1778 and took Winter quarters at Elizabeth town, and in the Spring 1779 the Company was sent to Eastown with the pieces taken at Saratoga where they remained until General Sullivan returned from after the Indians, then the Company returned to Morristown to Winter quarters [and there joined the Second Regiment of Artillery… Commanded by Colonel Stephens], in the Spring of 1780 the Company [with a detatchment of Artillery from the Second Regiment] was sent to Springfield, where this deponent Continued until his time of Service Expired, at which time the Company was Commanded [by] Captain [Isaiah] Wool [of New York]…”
Deposition by Joseph Bloomfield in 1820: “In 1776 two Companies of Artillery were raised in New Jersey for one Year & afterwards the Officers Commissioned for the War. the Company in West Jersey, was Commanded by Hugg-Westcoat & Dayton – and arranged as one of the Companys of Lambs Artillery & in 1778 Attached to the Jersey Brigade with two field Pieces…”

Benjamin Loring, drum – 53 years old in 1818 (16 years in 1781)

Isaac Moore, fife – 52 years old in 1818 (14 years in 1780)

James Purdy, fife and drum – 60 years old in 1820 (fife, 18 years in 1778) (drum, 19 years in 1779)

James Pembrook, drum (brother of David Pembrook, see below) missing October 6, 1777; made his escape from the enemy December 20, 1778

David Pembrook, fife – 68 years old in 1833 (14 years in 1779)
“It was on the 1st February 1779 he enlisted for during the War, as a fifer, and served nearly two years as a Fifer… and then went into the Ranks as a private… He was in one battle of Johnstown, where Colonel Willett commanded – When he entered the service at West Point in 1779 his father David Pembrook, and his brother James Pembrook, belonged to the same company in which he enlisted… during the late war [of 1812] he served… in the 5th United States Regiment… He was wounded at Detroit and disabled so as to be unable to labor, and is now wholly disabled…”

Benjamin Peck, drum – 53 years old in 1823 (10 years in 1780)

Joseph Ranford, fife, Walker’s Co. – 57 years old in 1820 (14 years in 1777) the pension denotes as having belonged to Crane’s Artillery, Wells’ Co.

Christopher Shultz (Shellts), fife – 55 years old in 1820 (16 years in 1781)
(His pension notes that he enlisted in 1777 but the rolls show that he enlisted in January of 1781)

Robert Saunders (Sanders), fife – just enlisted in October 1778, noted as “practicing at the [artillery] park”