Soldiers of the American Revolution

Soldiers of the American Revolution

Outraged by the colonial policies and laws of England (such as mercantilist tariffs and taxes, and restrictions that the king and Parliament had imposed on the African slave trade and the colonial seizure of American Indian land), thirteen of England's North American colonies rose up in rebellion in 1775-1776 and declared themselves to be an independent union of states. The ensuing war lasted until 1783, and hundreds of thousands of American men were involved in the fighting -- some as Loyalists or "Tories," but most as soldiers fighting to secure the independence of their colonies. Several Revolutionary War soldiers are among our own ancestors, including:

Lieut. Col. Abraham Cable (1729-1805), served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Bedford (now Somerset) County Militia in Pennsylvania.

Lieut. Col. Ebenezer Gay (1725-1787)

Philip Hollinger (c.1760-1821)

John Linn (1754-1834), served as a private in the Massachusetts militia, in Colonel Ebenezer Learned's regiment, taken prisoner with the garrison at Fort Washington on 16 Nov. 1776, held under gravely inhumane conditions at New Bridewell Prison in New York City, released 1 Feb. 1777 in very poor health after swearing not to fight against George III until exchanged (but due to his health he was never exchanged, remaining at home the rest of the war).

Lieut. John Price, served in the Gloucester County Militia for New Jersey.

Daniel Riggs (c.1762-1793)

Christian Royer (1749-1814)

Daniel Spencer (1761-c.1855)

Israel Underwood (1746-1817)

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