Charles is being elusive folks.................

For anyone who is following along you'll already know that I have proof that one of my 6th great grandfathers fought at Bunker Hill.  I also think that HIS father fought, but that's another story. 

I have bits and pieces but putting them together isn't proving to be easy.

Charles' account has him enlisting for 8 months, then re-enlisting in Dec 1775 for one year. He was then asked to extend his enlistment for a few months and was discharged from Peekskill, NY in March 1777.

Another source has him at the Lexington Alarm in April 1775, then in Cambridge also in 1775 . It then has him serving in NY from Dec 5, 1776 to March 15, 1777. It also places him in Rhode Island in 1778.

Couldn't find out much more about him specifically so I had to move on to his regiment, the 1st NH. There is quite a lot written about the 1st NH, including them being at Fort Ticonderoga and The Battle of Trenton. You know, the battle where Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas Eve and surprised a bunch of Hessians? 

So now I have to go and learn about these battles and the commanding officers of the 1st NH, John Stark and William Scott. There is much written about these two, but getting a definite timeline of their movements is turning into quite a task.

So nothing on Charles yet people. I have a lot of reading to do!

Ok, I fibbed. I do have a couple of tidbits. Here is a page from Charles' pension file, where he explains his service....

Yes, that's his signature...........

We also learn from this document that he was a cobbler.......pretty cool!!

Sometimes you hit pay dirt.......................

Sat down at the computer this morning determined to pay bills and take care of some other paperwork that keeps piling up and, of course, I get an email which leads me on a merry chase..................

So here I sit, about an hour later, still haven't paid the bills, but I'm SO glad that I decided to 'chase' the email I received cause I hit paydirt!

Bottom line, I found out some more information about my 4th great grandfather, John F. Bryant, and his Civil War experience.

It's not so much that I found out new information, but that I'm fairly sure I now have a copy of his signature.

I was led to the original Muster In Rolls for the State of Maine and after some searching and lots of squinting [the print is so small!] I was able to find that he joined the Bethel Rifle Guards.

Sorry, it's so small. If I make it bigger than I have to crop some of the words. Just take my word for it that it says 'Bethel Rifle Guards'

Here's the cool part though..............

Over in the right hand column is his signature!! 

and then on the back side of this document is the proof of his taking the oath..............

another cool/not so cool piece of info I found was more confirmation of his death as listed in the Muster Out Rolls.

So sorry that some of these pictures are so small. I'm hoping once I publish this you'll be able to click on them and make them bigger, but not sure. Still learning here folks!!

Hoping to do a post on one of my Rev War ancestors, Charles White, in honor of Independence Day, but no guarantees. Those bills are now screaming at me!!