Elijah Stanton (d.1849) -- A Revolutionary Soldier

 

Photo by DJ Paul dated 1 Jun 2024 (not copyrighted)

The rural graves of Connecticut Revolutionary War private soldier Elijah Stanton (1754-1849), his beloved wife Lucy (Goodell) Stanton (d.1836), and their son John Warren Stanton (d.1838) were tended in May/June 2024, the yard work included manually pulling surrounding weeds assisted by a weed/grass string trimmer.  Afterwards, Elijah's moss/mold stained headstone was treated with Wet & Forget brand moss, mold, mildew, & algae stain remover outdoor surface cleaner. Wet & Forget is one product suggested by the U.S. Veterans Cemetery Administration for headstone cleaning. The bleach-free, non-acidic, and phosphate-free product is claimed over time, to kill all sorts of mold, mildew, and moss without scrubbing. We will make a return trip to these graves located in Eatonville Cemetery (aka Eaton's Bush Cemetery), to check the headstone stain removal process.

Also, a strong shout-out is extended to the Herkimer Town Council (of Herkimer County, New York), the Town of Herkimer Highway Superintendent Ken Ward and his highway department employees for keeping the cemetery well mowed – this noted with highest pleasure.  Many thanks!

NOTE: Click HERE to view additional information at Find A Grave.

| Ms. Molly Smith's Denison and Stanton Roots |

Mrs. Mary "Molly" [Smith] Stanton (1761-1850)
Image from the public domain work by Henry Allen Smith,  "A genealogical history of the descendants of the Rev Nehemiah Smith of New London County CT."  Exhibit #61, p.112.

Captain Ebenezer Stanton (1757-1811) married the age twenty Stonington Connecticut beauty Ms. Mary “Molly” Smith (1761-1850) in November 1781 ceremonies. Ebenezer Stanton's three years active-duty military service during the Revolutionary War as an officer and Regimental Paymaster with Colonel Sherburne's Second Regiment of The Connecticut Line was then behind him.  His lovely new bride Molly is the eldest daughter of fifteen children born to the gallant Revolutionary War Veteran and New London County Militia Commander Colonel Oliver Smith and Mrs. Mary Noyes [Denison] Smith.

Molly survived her husband Ebenezer by nearly four decades. Family distress certainly resulted following Captain Ebenezer Stanton's untimely death on May 31, 1811, aged 53 years. Further, Molly's aged 20 son Ebenezer Jr. died in July 1811, and her older brother Edward Smith and father Colonel Smith perished in June and August 1811 respectively.  This personally traumatic 1811 year was later sadly accentuated by the premature deaths of Molly's young adult sons Edward and Elisha, both aged in their early-to-mid twenties. Molly never remarried.  She and her surviving adult children were also likely disheartened by the fact that no children were evidently born to them.  Molly and husband Captain Ebenezer Stanton had no grandchildren to carry on their branch of the Stanton Family as all family children had perished childless before the Fall of 1840.  Molly died on January 24, 1850, aged 88 years and 5 months.  She was interred at the family plot to the right side of her beloved husband Ebenezer at Cedar Grove Cemetery, New London, New London County, Connecticut, USA. 

The following image depicts Mrs. Mary "Molly" [Smith] Stanton's maternal lineage (via her mom Ms. Mary Noyes Denison) linking to her famous 3rd Great Grandfather Captain George Denison (d.1694).  

Additionally, Mrs. Mary "Molly" [Smith] Stanton holds paternal lineages to her Southeastern Connecticut Founding Fathers and 3rd Great Grandfathers Thomas Stanton Sr. (d.1677) and Captain George Denison (d.1694) in accordance with the following image.  A lineage chart depicting the lineage from Molly's husband Captain Ebenezer Stanton to Thomas Stanton Sr. is also provided as appended to the following image. 

For more information on Captain Ebenezer Stanton click HERE -- and, additional facts on Captain George Denison may be viewed by clicking HERE. 

Summary: Details of Molly [Smith] Stanton's linkage to the early Colonial Connecticut Denison and Stanton families were personally undiscovered until very recently.  Strong researchers likely have known of cousin Molly's ancestry, but this researcher did not find a concise genealogical paper that clearly cites Molly's lineage.  It is certain that all family genealogists with a claimed blood-related ancestry link(s) to Thomas Stanton Sr. (d.1677) and/or Captain George Denison (d.1694) may refer to this fine lady Mrs. Mary "Molly" [Smith] Stanton -- our Cousin Molly.       

Our Two Cousins Named Ebenezer Stanton-Part One

Rebellion Era 3rd Cousins
One Name, Two Revolutionary Warriors 

One Connecticut Line Officer, One New York Militia Enlisted Soldier

This post is Part One of a two-part piece covering Ebenezer Stanton (1746, Preston, New London Co, CT - 1819 Coeymans, Albany Co, NY).

Part Two of this analysis is published 9 December 2019 as related to Ebenezer Stanton (1757, Stonington, New London Co, CT - 1811, New London, New London Co, CT).
To View Part Two. Click HERE 

Nicknames appear in public official records making research on distant ancestors more difficult: "Jack" or "Jno" for John or Jonathan, "Sally" for Sarah, "Frank" for Francis, "Ettie" for Henrietta, "Polly" or "Molly" for Mary, "Betsy for Elizabeth, etc., etc., etc. Experienced family genealogists know that the nicknames "Eben" and "Eber" are common historical record abbreviations for the given name Ebenezer. This post reports on two middle Eighteenth Century distant cousin contemporaries named Ebenezer Stanton. These two cousins are 5^th generation descendants (Great-Great-Grandsons) of the early New England Stanton Family progenitor and original Stonington, Connecticut founder Mr. Thomas Stanton Sr. (d.1677). The two men named Ebenezer Stanton are misunderstood and confused both in some older SAR and DAR records, and in several current family trees at Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, et al.

Note: A significant cause for this cross-merging problem is the subject Ebenezer Stanton cousins are both Revolutionary War Veterans who each married young ladies named Mary. And family tree data on the two wives Mary are likewise interchanged yielding still more published misinformation. A root cause behind current cross-contamination errors is the unfortunate presentation of misleading and wrongly applied Ancestry.com hints. These typically helpful hints can sometimes confuse users when identical hints are presented to the profiles of multiple individuals with the same or similar names. These all-too-helpful Ancestry hints present lesser experienced family genealogists with a direct means toward an unintentional proliferation of ancestral misinformation.

My original very limited distribution email dated 1 Nov 2019 on two Rebellion-Era Ebenezer Stanton men contained a couple of cross-contamination errors – by referring to Ebenezer Stanton (1746-1819, who died at Coeymans, Albany County, NY, USA), addressed wrongly as Captain Ebenezer Stanton, he was never a captain in any context.  This Ebenezer Stanton (1746-1819) is hereafter referred to as #1 Ebenezer in this paper.

Case 1 – The elder #1 Ebenezer –

#1 Ebenezer Stanton (1746-1819), the son of Joseph (d.1798) and Abigail [Freeman] Stanton (d.1806), is a 5^th generation descendant of Stonington, CT Founder Thomas Stanton Sr. (d.1677) [his all-male Stanton lineage: 4-Joseph Stanton (d.1798); 3-John Stanton Jr. (d.1755); 2-Captain John Stanton Sr. (d.1713); 1-Thomas Stanton Sr (d.1677)]. #1 Ebenezer's Revolutionary War (RW) military service is as an enlisted militia soldier in Captain Henry Van Bergen's Company, Colonel Anthony Van Bergen's Eleventh Regiment, Albany County Militia of Foot, as documented in 1777 in official rolls. #1 Ebenezer's three brothers Joseph, Nathan, and James are also documented as members of the same 11^th Albany County Militia Regiment. All Albany County Militia Regiments were called up for various periods of military service in the days and weeks prior to The Battle of Saratoga in September and October 1777, serving with the New York State Brigade of about 3000 men commanded Brigadier General Abraham Ten Broeck. Few, if any, records apparently exist that name the enlisted soldiers who actually saw action at Saratoga. See: “Albany County's Part In The Battle Of Saratoga” – by B.H. Mills.

Reference: [ https://www.jstor.org/stable/42889531 ].

#1 Ebenezer's parents Joseph Stanton (d.1798) and Abigail [Freeman] Stanton (d.1806), and their eight children removed from Connecticut Colony to New York Colony in the mid-1750s when #1 Ebenezer was about age ten years. The SAR applications of Hiram D. Wing (Nat. # 3634) and his brother Edwin W. Wing (Nat. #27021) as approved in 1894 and 1918 respectively, incorrectly cite #1 Ebenezer's Revolutionary War military service as Lieutenant and Paymaster with the active-duty Connecticut Line (this military service citation is NOT #1 Ebenezer.). Rather, this military service is the fully-documented record of the Continental Soldier and Connecticut Line Officer Ebenezer Stanton (1857-.1811) as later presented in Part Two of this paper. This factual military service credit error by the Wing brothers in their approved public domain SAR applications are the likely root source of significant military misinformation on #1 Ebenezer; however, at least one approved DAR lineage record of Mrs. Maria A. Kretsinger (Nat. ID #37274), dated 1901, the last two lines of her approved app simply cites the wrong Ebenezer Stanton.  Internal DAR database records are more correct, in a classic double negative "not incorrect" -- yet remain highly nebulous.   

Annotated SAR public domain app of Edwin Wing is presented as follows:

Maria Kretsinger's annotated public-domain DAR Record is presented as follows:

Current Errors and Corrective Comments in Revolutionary War Veteran Ebenezer Stanton Record (Ancestor # A108691) errors cited as currently presented in DAR Internal GRS Database: 

#1 Ebenezer's wife Mary [Palmer] Stanton (1751/52-1818, Coeymans, Albany County, NY), is with high certainty NOT a daughter of Daniel Palmer (d.1772) and Mrs. Mary [Hewitt] Palmer (d.1787) as wrongly presented in several Ancestry family trees. Several readings of the difficult-to-read Daniel Palmer (d.Aug1772) probate court asset distribution dated March 1773 is completed, this asset distribution document is NOT Daniel's last will as some claim. His will, if any, was deemed lost by the probate court judge. All of Daniel Palmer's known children are mentioned in the asset distribution, his named eldest daughter Mary Stanton (b.1737) is Mary [Palmer] Stanton, the wife of Samuel Stanton (b.1726). The Mary Stanton cited in said asset distribution papers is “Mary 3” (aka Mary [Palmer] Stanton) mentioned in Lynn Alperin's 27 Apr 2016 analysis to Brian Bonner. Note: Daniel's distribution of assets does NOT mention a second daughter named Mary. The probate court asset distribution record, where all Daniel's known children are mentioned, is strong evidence to rule out Daniel Palmer (d.1772) as the father of #1 Ebenezer's wife Mary [Palmer]Stanton (1751/52-1818) of Albany County, NY, USA. The husband of Daniel Palmer's eldest daughter Mary, aka Mrs. Mary [Palmer] Stanton (1737-1815[?], is with strong confidence Samuel Stanton (1726-1803).

#1 Ebenezer's wife Mrs. Mary [Palmer] Stanton (1751/52-1818) parents are probably the weakly-sourced married couple Mr. Thomas Palmer (1725-1752) and Mrs. Mary Wilbor (aka Wilbur, 1723-1775). Errors noted in some Ancestry family trees mention Nathaniel Palmer (d.1790) or Ichabod Palmer (d.1749) as the father of #1 Ebenezer's wife Mrs. Mary Palmer-Stanton (1751/52-1818) – citations that are untrue. Ichabod Palmer's daughter Mary Palmer died unmarried aged 18 in 1754 Stonington, Connecticut; and, Nathaniel Palmer's daughter Mary Palmer, died in 1839 Stonington, Connecticut, she the wife of Jesse Brown Sr. (d.1822). Neither of these two Mary Palmer women, the daughters of Nathaniel Palmer and Ichabod Palmer is the wife Mary [Palmer] Stanton (1751/52-1818) of #1 Ebenezer.

Mary Palmer's father Thomas Palmer (d.1752) has died when she is aged about one year.  Thomas' will or distribution of assets is settled in probate records dated 1769; whereas, the unmarried Mary Palmer and her elder sister Elizabeth Palmer-Wells are mentioned (Mary is the future wife of #1 Ebenezer).  

#1 Ebenezer (d.1819) and his lovely wife Mrs. Mary [Palmer] Stanton (d.1818) lived their entire married life in New York Colony and State where they are interred side-by-side at Stanton Family Burying Ground, Tracey Road, Coeymans Hollow, Albany County, NY, USA, in lands the family then owned.  No record is found suggesting #1 Ebenezer and/or his wife Mary [Palmer] Stanton ever traveled to Connecticut during their married life.

  

It's far better to leave contradicting or possible uncertain genealogical information as unknown blanks in public family trees, much better to write nothing than to unintentionally misinform another family genealogist through the public propagation of misinformation. At a minimum, warnings or cautionary advisories should be tagged as works-in-progress in published public family trees where more research is needed. Please think about posting something like this warning image to preliminary information added to public family trees:

WARNING: Also, be exceedingly careful in accepting Ancestry.com “hints” on #1 Ebenezer, as most hints presented relate to the second Ebenezer Stanton (aka-the real Capt. Ebenezer Stanton 1757-1811). Ancestry.com is now a strong contributor to errors in subscriber family trees via their fuzzy-logic-search criteria in presenting ancestor profile hints.  Capt. Ebenezer Stanton's (1757-1811) case will be detailed in Part Two of this presentation not-later-than mid-December 2019.  

Note: The image at the top of this post is a collage of two Revolutionary War Era men, found by simple Internet search, and depicted here unaltered for non-profit use under the educational fair-use principle. 

More Information On The Connecticut Line Revolutionary War Hero Captain Amos Stanton

New Image Of The Revolutionary War Connecticut Line Hero Captain Amos Stanton's Gravesite. Photo by DJ Paul dated 20 Sep 2019 (not copyrighted) depicts his badly damaged monument.

As a volunteer Revolutionary War Connecticut Line Soldier, Captain Amos Stanton answered a September 6, 1781 alarm issued by local militia commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel William Ledyard, the military commander at Fort Griswold, Groton, Connecticut. Captain Stanton was released from line officer active duty during General Washington's 1780 military reorganization and was then home spending time at his Groton “Highlands” family lands (now renamed the Town of Ledyard). A vastly superior force of 800 British Regular Soldiers, loyalists, et al. attacked the fort this fateful September day in an armed action now named The Battle of Groton Heights. Variously reported among the 165 Fort Griswold Patriot defenders, eighty-eight Patriots are Killed-In-Action (KIA) in less than an hour, thirty-five Patriots are wounded-in-action (some with ghastly wounds died later), twenty-eight Patriots were carried-off as Prisoners-Of-War (some POWs may also be listed among the wounded), thirteen men escaped the fort carnage and presumed unhurt, and William Latham - an aged 12-years boy was captured and outright released by British officers. Our heroic distant cousin Captain Amos Stanton and many other Patriots were Killed-In-Action some minutes after British Forces breached the fort walls in continued severe fighting and following the formal fort surrender by commander Lieutenant Colonel Ledyard.  From his written first-hand after-action-report, POW and Battle of Groton Heights survivor Sergeant Rufus Avery states in footnote 1 (at the bottom of page 32 in reference 1) “...Captain Stanton, a man of almost gigantic stature and herculean strength, on seeing the slaughter continued after the surrender, is said to have seized a heavy musket by the muzzle, and exclaiming, 'My God, must we die so!' sprang upon the platform on the west side of the fort, and nearly cleared it of the enemy before he was brought down by a musket shot." A rarely published fact is the British battle force engaged were not all from England or the UK as some writers may suggest. The 3^rd Battalion of New Jersey Volunteers (mainly colonial-born British loyalists) was engaged as an artillery unit, their several cannon deployed to the eastern side of Fort Griswold at Avery's Hill (see reference 3).  

Captain Amos Stanton's significant early Southeastern Connecticut ancestry is cited as follows [hereafter reported as “Amos”]:

Amos is a 2^nd Great Grandson of original Stonington, Connecticut founder Thomas Stanton Sr. (d.1677) and Ms. Ann Lord-Stanton. His Stanton lineage is cited: 04 - Captain John Stanton Sr. (d.1762) and Ms. Prudence Chesebrough; 03 - Joseph Stanton (d.1751) and Ms. Margaret Chesebrough; 02 – Captain John Stanton Sr. (d. 1713) and Ms. Anna “Hannah” Thompson; 01 - Thomas Stanton Sr. (d.1677) and Ms. Ann Lord.

And secondly--

Amos is also a 2^nd Great Grandson of the famous Mystic, Connecticut original settler Captain George Denison (d.1694) and his first love Ms. Bridget Thompson. His Denison lineage is cited: 04 - Captain John Stanton Sr. (d.1762) and Ms. Prudence Chesebrough; 03 - Joseph Stanton (d.1751) and Ms. Margaret Chesebrough; 02 – Ms. Hannah Denison (d.1715) and Mr. Nathaniel Chesebrough; 01 – Captain George Denison (d.1694) and Ms. Bridget Thompson.

References:

1. “The Battle of Groton Heights.” by William Wallace Harris (1870), revisions by Charles Allyn (1882). New London, CT. For Internet archive version of the battle see -- https://archive.org/details/grotonhieghtscoll00harrrich


2.  Brass plaque casualty list at the main entrance of Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, Groton, CT.

3. Wikipedia on New Jersey Volunteers - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Volunteers

4. Find A Grave Internet web-site - https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1322042/stanton-cemetery

Brass Plaque "Veteran - 1776" means Revolutionary War Veteran; whereas, some have incorrectly written 1776 as Amos Stanton's year of death.  The "1776" obviously refers to the official year the Revolution began.  Photo by DJ Paul dated 20 Sep 2019 (now free use).

Gallantry Remembered By Stanton Family Revolutionary Soldiers

LT Enoch Stanton and SGT Daniel Stanton Monument
Enoch and Daniel Stanton are interred at Stanton-Hull Cemetery, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut (Cemetery ID = 2199057 at FindAGrave.com) 

Many thanks to distant cousin Rick Stanton for reminding us about this important Revolutionary War Battle. Remembering the sacrifice this late August day as the 238th Anniversary approaches of The Battle of Groton Heights, fought September 6, 1781. Distant Stanton Family cousins and patriot soldiers were killed and wounded defending Fort Griswold during this bloody Revolutionary War battle between American and British troops.

Among the known eighty-five men Killed-In-Action defending Fort Griswold and Groton is Captain Amos Stanton (of Groton, New London County, CT) and the brothers Lieutenant Enoch Stanton and Sergeant Daniel Stanton (both of Stonington, New London County, CT). Also, Sergeant Daniel Stanton Jr. and Edward Stanton were wounded and carried off as POWs, they likewise hailed from Stonington, New London County, CT.  Furthermore, an unknown number of soldiers were Mortally-Wounded-In-Action and died in the days and weeks that followed.   

The opposing British Force in New London and Groton Connecticut was commanded that day by the Norwich Connecticut native, and despicable American traitor Benedict Arnold.

Please take a look at this interesting six-minute video presentation by Connecticut Tourism: Click HERE

A more complete and better-written description of the battle is available by Wikipedia.  Click HERE

Sept 10, 2019 update:  Captain Amos Stanton was interred in what appears to be a family burial yard called "Stanton Cemetery" at Ledyard Center, New London County, CT -- aka "Stanton-Williams Cemetery," et al.  Amos Stanton's son John (d.1832), a granddaughter Prudence (d.1843), and other relatives are also interred in Stanton Cemetery.  According to Ledyard Township Police Chief John J. Rich, Stanton Cemetery is found as follows "...there’s an opening/drainage easement at the end of the cul-de-sac on Captain Amos Stanton Drive.  Walk into the woods about 25 yards downhill, and as soon as the terrain flattens, the cemetery is on your right."  Stanton Cemetery has been established at Find A Grave, where a free-use image dated 2014 by a contributor "WMitch6" is uploaded.  This image is copied here showing a badly damaged monument:

A presumed DAR Plaque is inscribed:

 "Capt. Amos Stanton

 Veteran - 1776"

Note:  The source of the monument image displayed at the top of this post is presently unknown, and is inserted here for non-profit, educational use only in accordance with educational free-use copyright doctrine. No alterations are authorized to subject image. 

Cemetery Upkeep Unacceptable

Stevens Cemetery Front Gate Signage

Six southern Schoharie County and northern Delaware County cemeteries (New York State) were visited on Traditional Memorial Day, May 30, 2018.  I'm happy to report that our many ancestor's monuments located here remain in good shape.  And all but one cemetery seem to be well-maintained by highly concerned caretakers.  The single exception is Harpersfield Rural Cemetery (aka: Stevens Cemetery).  Stevens Cemetery is found in a neglected state; whereas, it is apparent the grounds have not been mowed in 2018.  Further, several mounds of autumn leaves are piled along the southern high rock wall fence, likely left there since late fall 2017.  The good news here is that the several known U.S. Miltary Veterans interred at Stevens Cemetery all had an earned freshly placed new American Flag affixed to their graves.  But the high grasses of this cemetery lawn fundamentally and disgustingly nearly cover these earned American Flags. This condition represents a high dishonor to those many Revolutionary War, Civil War, and various World War Veterans interred here. 

Cemetery view from inside front gate, dated 30 May 2018.

Stevens Cemetery maintenance is supported by a significant endowment for perpetual care of cemetery grounds.  The cited cemetery care endowment is presumed administered by some appointed competent authority, an authority who has failed in presumed cemetery oversight responsibility.

Marginal cemetery maintenance at Stevens is an ongoing problem noted over the past several years, but this year has reached a totally unacceptable level of neglect.  The cemetery perpetual care administrators are respectfully and forcefully asked to take swift action to engage a more patriotic and care-minded paid cemetery maintenance crew. The current Stevens Cemetery maintenance situation is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!  Simply put, for goodness sake -- a detailed cemetery lawn maintenance activity must be done about one week (+/- a couple days) PRIOR to Memorial Day!

Presented below are a few gravesite photos dated 30 May 2018.  Note:  The weed-eating noted was done by the post author using a limited battery-operated device on the morning of Traditional Memorial Day 2018.  

Revolutionary Soldier Captain James Smith, his wife Mary Hubbard, their son Nehemiah and wife Hannah Guernsey and family.

Graves of Colonel Joel Mack and wife Susannah.
.

Revolutionary War Soldier James Smith Jr. and wife Elizabeth Shailer.  James is the son of aforementioned Captain James and Mary Hubbard Smith. 

Respectfully submitted,

DJ Paul, CWO4 (ret.)

United States Navy

German Flatts, NY, USA

  

**** The Biggest Disingenuous Statement ****

OPEN LETTER TO BRET BAIER OF FOX NEWS,  FAKE NEWS OPINION:
The "new" ununited people of the United States.

Watching you (et al) on FOX NEWS, I'm wondering what's up with the frequent drum beat concerning our presently divided country – the nebulous, near constant hand-wringing? Historically, we "Americans" – whether as British colonial subjects, or as USA citizen-residents before the American Civil War, and certainly our post American Civil War brothers and sisters who guided us to present days are a divided people. We are now and always have been a right-center-left politically divided people, and some folks have been and are ready to fight.

Those 1770-era rebels (George Washington, Paul Revere, Daniel Morgan and the bands of insurgents they influenced and commanded) likely represented less than a 30% minority of then North American British colonial general population; whereas, more than 20% of these British colonists – the loyalists and Tories – remained supportive of King George, desiring continued allegiance to their roots and the British Crown. And the loyalist and Tories were treated so well by resident rebels during and following the American Revolution by life, liberty, and personal property seizures.  I guess drawn-quartered-and-hung or tar-and-feathers on loyalist humans is not cruel. Indeed, perhaps a majority of people living on present USA lands had no strong opinion on rebellion or British loyalty. These folks simply wanted to be left alone – to proceed with happiness, liberty, and a better life – concerned more in making an acceptable living and protecting their family and property.

In the immediate post Revolutionary War period, thousands of new rebels called “Shaysites” participated in an armed revolt called Shays' Rebellion, with intentions to overthrow unacceptable government, unfair taxation, and general bad conduct of a fledgling United States federal government. General Washington and other prominent New Englanders were called up to assist in putting down Daniel Shays' Rebellion.  Look it up.

Do this: Execute a Google search on “Whiskey Rebellion” – a significant 1791 armed taxation revolt eventually put down under the leadership of President George Washington.

Why was the first-term presidency of Thomas Jefferson decided in the U.S. House of Representatives? Seems there was a tiny bit of political division between Americans in that year 1800.

And in 1804, the Alexander Hamilton-Aaron Burr political factions were vastly united, were they not? An ongoing “civil conversation” decided by a single pistol shot in an illegal duel – where is this incorrect? A sitting Vice President of the United States Burr accused of murder – nothing to see, not a bit of political division discovered here.

The General Andrew Jackson presidency was certainly a period that marshaled USA political calm and unity. Ha! Native Americans might disagree.

Those years a decade or two before the American Civil War period presented citizens with strongly united leadership – vast unity – right! Then the election of President Lincoln and those many good and happy years in a “united USA” following 1860.  Move on, nothing to see here either.

Correct me:  We the USA people were uniformly united in the several years before and during the two world wars, Korea, Vietnam – and even the seemingly endless conflicts underway today. Please start telling the truth as it really is, and generally has been throughout colonial and U.S. American history. Perhaps the most remarkable USA general population characteristic is rather constant and strong division among our peoples. For crying out loud, confront untrue positions by such whining commentator opinion, the pseudo experts on FOX NEWS (and the unwatchable dishonest major media) who claim present USA political division is somehow an unknown anomaly. Bret, perhaps you would be so kind to pass these truths to some of your more vocal, untruthful, irresponsible, and demonstrably misleading colleagues (that teller of liberal tales Shepard Smith to name just one).

Best regards,

Dave Paul

German Flatts, Herkimer County, NY  

A Soldier and Sailor of the Revolutionary War

Frederick Smith grave site, with Revolutionary War Veteran marker and American Flag holder.  

In Haddam, Connecticut, when our 5^th Great Grandpa Frederick Smith was born on March First 1760, his father Captain James Smith was aged 21, and his mother the former Miss Mary Hubbard was aged 19. Mary Hubbard Smith and husband Captain James Smith are one pair of our 6^th Great Grandparents. As a teenage soldier, their eldest son Frederick Smith served as an enlisted private soldier during the Revolutionary War, part of the fighting Connecticut Militia, with likely service as a soldier in the Revolutionary War Militia Company his dad commanded. Then in 1778, young Frederick served a five-month stint as an able-bodied seaman and privateer aboard the American Brig New Broom, an armed-for-war brig outfitted with 16-guns, then commanded by Captain Israel Bishop sailing from New London, Connecticut. Unfortunately, on October 22, 1778 this good ship and crew of New Broom were captured off Nantucket Shoals by the gallant sailors of two British warships HMS Ariel and HMS Savage. The captured New Broom was redirected by escort to New York City Harbor. Frederick was held as a POW for one month at New York City. Then he and other enlisted sailors were presumably paroled by British authority (naval officers were typically held by the British as POW on one of those dreadful prison ships). Frederick's Revolutionary War military service was then likely over, as a honor-bound condition of his POW parole.

Basic sail configuration of a late 18th century brig

In the summer of 1780, Frederick married the local beauty Miss Sarah Brainerd in ceremony at their mutual hometown Haddam, Connecticut. At some point prior to 1790, his parents Captain James and Mary Hubbard Smith removed their entire family from Haddam, Connecticut to Harpersfield, Delaware County, New York, where they had earlier purchased a couple large lots from the original Colonel John Harper Land Patent. One of these Harpersfield lots was sub-divided by Captain James and Mary Smith to thus give equal farming acreage to each of his four adult sons. One contemporary account states that Captain Smith removed his entire family from Haddam to Delaware County, NY because he did not want his sons to become sailors, a area vocation not then unusual for male residents of Haddam, Connecticut -- then a busy inland port less than twenty miles from Long Island Sound on the navigable Connecticut River.  

The Frederick and Sarah Brainerd Smith marriage produced four children, the eldest a daughter Hannah – she being our 4^th Great Grandmother. Following Sarah's untimely death in February 1828, Frederick re-married Ms. Isabella Norton in a local New York State ceremony. He out-lived his second wife Isabella, she passing in 1841. Frederick did not marry a third time, he died a widower on July 17, 1852, in the Hamlet of Jefferson, Schoharie County, NY, USA, passing at the impressive age of 92. Frederick was interred at North Harpersfield Cemetery, North Harpersfield, Delaware County, New York, where his beloved two wives are also interred by his side.

Frederick Smith Family Plot, North Harpersfield Cemetery, Town of Harpersfield, Delaware County, New York, USA.  Second wife Isabella lower left, first wife Sarah is lower center, and Frederick center right (with Memorial American Flag). 

The reconstructed War of 1812 U.S. Brig Niagara,

perhaps 25% larger than a typical Revolutionary War brig

See: Click Here

A Few Days Following Independence Day...

Following the Constitutional Convention of 1787, a lady bystander asked Doctor Benjamin Franklin what form of government we have. Doctor Franklin replied “A republic, madam, if you can keep it.” And the question today… Just how many contemporary U.S. Citizens are concerned about the present state of our republic?

It is indisputable that many U.S. Citizens and current U.S. legal voters do not comprehend the fundamental fact that our federal government is not a democracy. Our United States federal government is a republic––and it always has been. The Founding Father’s republic has evolved into an “unequal representative democracy”––a liberal-republic that presents citizens with many stunning examples of a strongly skewed representative-democracy. Voter fraud in American elections has certainly always existed at some level. But a real problem exists when federal-government-funded fraud by such left-of-center “community action groups” like ACORN generally support only Democrat candidates and actively backed the Obama presidential candidacy last year using federal tax dollars. Name one Republican elected official that the “non-political” ACORN supported. ACORN’s action is clearly government-funded cheating masquerading as simple community outreach. A few corrupt votes can tilt an election…and the entire direction of our county. Look no further than the last Minnesota U.S. Senate race for confirmation. The state of this new republic, without substantive checks-and-balances, is precisely what Dr. Franklin and his Constitutional Convention contemporaries feared most about the equality in representative-democracy. Too much power––almost dictatorial in KINGLY nature––centralized in federal government. The influence held by a single vote varies significantly and unequally across America by geographic location. Progressive politicians and political scientist may argue the semantics of statements written here. By carefully parsing public comment with half-truth, these liberal-progressives confound and blur federal government activity using misleading jargon and fancy political techno-speak. Clearly, their purpose will overwhelm common citizens––Middle Americans––and cause many concerned loyal citizens to simply tune-out. This has happened in many Middle American homes.

Fair-minded liberal Democrats must surely acknowledge that the Chicago Political Machine is both ethically challenged and flatly corrupt in many cases. And the current president is a product of this Chicago Political Machine, a man who “earned his stripes” in the trenches of a Chicago political quagmire. Yet somehow the stench of Chicago politics has not followed the new president to the White House. The new vice president earned his bones in the U.S. Senate, representing the small population of Delaware (45th of 50 in population). Few could rationally argue that Mr. Biden would be Vice President without the prior support of a plurality of Delaware’s relatively tiny population. Mr. Biden’s documented ethical indiscretions were first discovered in the 1960’s, during his first year at Syracuse Law School. There he was cited for plagiarism, summarily flunked-out of a required law school course, and subjected to a dismissal review by Syracuse faculty. As U.S. Senator, Mr. Biden has also been cited in several instances for using materials from other’s speeches without attribution––both acts of technical plagiarism and blatant dishonesty. Liberal Biden defenders––please tell us with a straight face––that our current VP has no trouble with honesty and truth. The present Speaker-of-the-House of Representatives is in reality only one of 435 elected US Representatives, sent to Washington by the people of San Francisco, California’s 8th Congressional District. It can be rationally argued that San Francisco’s congressional district is likely the single most left-wing-liberal congressional seat in the United States. It can’t be creditably stated that the current Speaker’s aggregate political stance in any way represents Middle American political thought. Further, the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate hails from the lightly populated state of Nevada, a state with considerably less than one percent of total U.S. Population. Senators are supposed to represent their state, and in this Senator Reid may do an adequate job. But Senator Reid too––with his frequent leftist flip-flops and public political gaffs (like his inept April 2007 "This war is lost." comment) ––in very few ways represent current Middle American political opinion.

For goodness sake, take some time and read or re-read America's founding documents--The United States Declaration Of Independence and The United States Constitution. A clear and present leadership crisis exists in contemporary American federal government, a dangerous collage of non-representative liberal-leftist-activist. While Benjamin Franklin and his colleagues left unwritten a constitutionally mandated one-man-one-vote equality concept, their exquisite production does specify explicit constitutional principles embodied by a truly representative republican form of government. The Framers collective objective was that equal representation is both vital and necessary in a successful republic. Federal liberal activism has slowly and steadily become the Washington norm…and our current crop of federal politicians are surely poised and ready to consume the principles of Dr. Franklin’s republic.