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. 

A Night Visitor

First lasting snow arrived on Veterans Day November 11, 2019, and

next day we wondered what was making those footprints in the snow

So, our night-vision Wildlife camera was put out...

seems we have our own Pepé Le Pew.

Back and sides almost solid white, a sub-species

not native to Central New York State.

This old fellow sports no small backside white strip.   

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. 

Why We Support President Donald Trumpand Vice President Mike Pence

Speaking at the 149th NRA Annual Meetings, April 2019, Nashville, Tenn.

"I Promise To Defend The Second Amendment Rights Of Every American, And I Always Will."  -- President Donald J. Trump

Official White House Photo

"President Trump and I are with the NRA today, tomorrow and always, because the National Rifle Association stands for freedom."  -- Vice President Michael R. Pence

Official White House Photo

GO GET 'EM!

A Respectful Remembrance

We should each visit a fallen Military Veteran this
Memorial Day... TODAY.
Remember those deceased veterans who at several times in their military life signed up to give all or made that gallant supreme sacrifice for God, County, Family, Friends, Associates, and their many unknown past, present, and future fellow Americans.

Thank you for your MILITARY SERVICE!   

Dad, Stephen Paul, Jr., U.S. Army (WWII)

Granddad, Stephen Paul, Sr., U.S. Army Coast Artillery

Great-Great Granddad William Moegling, late of the 97th Infantry Regiment New York State Volunteers, American Civil War - Battle of Second Bull Run, Battle of Antietam, et al.

Great-Great Granddad Albert G. Odell, late of the 91st Infantry Regiment of New York State Volunteers, American Civil War - Petersburg Campaign, Appomattox Campaign, et al. (note: National Cemetery staff adds American Flags a few days before Memorial Day and typically removes flags on or about Flag Day in mid-June at Bath National Cemetery, Bath, Steuben County, NY). 

5th Great Granddad Fredrick Smith, Connecticut Continental Soldier, and Navy aboard the vessel  NEW BROOM, a brig commanded by Captain I. Bishop, the Revolutionary War

6th Great Granddad Captain James Smith, Connecticut Continental Company Commander, the Revolutionary War.

7th Great Granddad Captain Gideon Brainerd, Commanding 3rd Company, 7th Regiment of Connecticut Militia, 1745.

...and so many more ancestors back through history including, but not limited to, our 7th Great Grandfather Thomas Sheldon, Mortally Wounded-In-Action, French and Indian War, Battle of Carillion - (aka: 1758 Battle of  Ticonderoga); and, one of our favored distant ancestors the famous southeast Connecticut original settler, Connecticut Legislator, and 10th Great Grandfather Captain George Denison, Cavalry Commander, Oliver Cromwell's Army, British Civil War (1644/45).

[Reference: Click here to read of the incompetent British leadership under Major General James Abercromby at the Battle of Carillion] 

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR
GALLANT MILITARY SERVICE


Note:  The "I thought the country was divided" cartoon at the top of this post was found by simple Google search and copied here unaltered for non-profit educational purposes only.   

Those Green, Green GrassesNow All White Again

My New Ford F150, XLT, Sport Model

April 5, 2019, 3 PM

OBTW, Those white specs are not dust, just some more frozen rain.  By 3:30 PM, our lands are all covered white once more. 

A couple of late afternoons past, about sixteen White Tail Deer showed-up on our front lawn for their evening feed... deer sure seem to like our grasses.  This is an old story in these parts, but this year we seem to have more of these semi-welcome dinner guests. 

 Northwest View

Northeast View