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Note: A STORY OF THE REVOLUTION Read before the James Madison Chapter D. A. R. Mar. 16, '06
(by Sylvester Burchard) At the time the clouds of war were gathering over the American Colonies, there lived in the town of Granby, Mass., a man who supported a large family by his labors at the anvil and forge. When the oppression of the mother country became insupportable, the colonists became enrolled into what was called Minute Men or Militia, ready to strike when the decisive hour came. The word came that the British had occupied Boston, and the country stood in need of every available man.
The family of this blacksmith required each day for their support, all the money that he could earn by his labors in the shop and they were in great distress looking at the prospect before them, while the strong arm that gave them their sustenance was absent in defence (sic) of his country. So they talked the matter over by the flickering light of the back logs in the fireplace. The oldest son, a boy scarcely fifteen, tall, muscular and athletic of his age said "Father, I will go down and see the captain in the morning, and if he will accept me I will go and do the fighting, and you stay and take care of mother and the children; I cannot shoe horses, nor mend tools, but I can shoot," Accordingly the boy went down and told the Captain his story, who knowing the circumstances, excused the father and permitted the boy to go with the troops to Boston.
One day while Washington was reviewing the troops, he noticed at the end of the line, a tall, handsome, ruddy faced boy. He asked his orderly who he was, and he said he did not know. Washington said "Go and tell him to come here." He left the ranks and went with the officer out onto the Common, where Washington sat on his horse. The General asked him his age, which he gave; then asked him why he was in the Army, and he told him the condition of the family and the circum- stances. The General then told him to go to his headquarters and he would talk with him after the review. When Washington came in, he told him that he wanted just such a boy as he was to bring out and hold his horse, carry his letters and despatches (sic), and do various odd jobs. When Washington started back to New York, he told the boy to go home and stay until he was old enough to enlist, and then if he wished to join the army, to do so. He then went home and very soon enlisted in Captain Barton's Company, Fourth Massachusetts Regiment under Colonel Porter. He remained with the Army during the war with a good record, and all through his long life he manifested the same loyal patriotic spirit. There is a legend that he was connected with the capture and execution of Major Andre, but this is not proven by printed history.
After the close of the war, he married Lucina Barton, daughter of his former Captain, and to them were born seven sons and four daughters. After the birth of ten of these children, he moved his family to New York State, and settled on the old Baron Steuben estate in the town of Steuben, Oneida Co., N. Y. While there he worked at the blacksmith trade, and the boys carried on the large farm, principally in the cattle interest. He afterward moved to the village of Remsen where in company with one of his sons, he carried on an extensive furnace, plow factory and blacksmith shop.
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He was a patron of what is now called Colgate University, and called it the school of the prophets. He attended its early commencements and was at one time a member of the Board of Education. His children settled in and around Hamilton, and he spent the last years of his life in their midst.
He was a Baptist and an ardent lover of the church and its cause, and his was the first funeral attended in the church that has so recently been remodeled and made new. The remains of this boy soldier, loyal citizen and Christian gentleman were laid to rest in the Madison St. cemetery, and on his tombstone is inscribed the name, Jabez Burchard.
NOTES:
1. This is a verbatim transcript of the original article from the scrapbook of Allie Morse Burchard, wife of Sylvester Burchard; it was published in The Hamilton Republican, most likely within a week or two of the presentation on Mar 16, 1906. 2. par 2 lines 5&6 : "oldest boy": Jabez Burchard was born 16 May 1765; his brother Jonathan was born 14 Nov 1763; Norwich (CT) Vital Records; the name was spelled "Birchard" at that time; Jabez would have just turned 10 at the time of the Boston siege; his gravestone bears this out, "Died Jan 2nd 1844, Aged 78". 3. par 2 line 8 : "mother": Jabez' father, John Birchard was a widower at this time; his wife, Ann or Anna (Barker) Birchard died at Somers, CT, 1 Dec 1771; Somers CT VR, CT State Lib Barbour Index; John Birchard m. Abigail Curtis at Charlton, MA, 28 Jan 1779; Charlton VR. 4. paragraph 3: probably true in general, but no documentation. 5. paragraph 4: factual, except that there were 13 births; 2 boys, Ceneca (sic) Barton and John died in infancy and are buried at Granby, MA. 6. I doubt that Sylvester Burchard wrote the first two paragraphs; I have many of his letters and they are straight forward and factual in nature; perhaps his brother-in-law, Newton Lloyd Andrews, Prof. Of Classics at Colgate, helped out and added some "ruffles and flourishes"; these two paragraphs were certainly written for the refined audience of D. A. R. women; We probably would refer to them as the "Blue Hair Crowd". 7. Sylvester Burchard was born 17 Sept 1834 and would have been 9 yrs old when his grandfather, Jabez, died; so he certainly knew his grandfather and probably heard the above story from him.
Barton B. Williams 21 Maple Ave. Hamilton, NY 13346 27 July 2002 Bartonbwilliams@aol.com
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