A Revolutionary War Soldier and a War of 1812 Deserter

Today, June 18, 2012 is the Bicentennial remembrance of the start of the War of 1812. In honor of this somewhat ignored event, I offer the first of two posts about family members in that war.

Henrietta Munson (1843 -1882) was the wife of Moses I. Woodington. Her great-grandfather (and my 5th great grandfather), Samuel (1739- 1827) was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, serving in the Connecticut militia. According to data from Fold 3, he was a private in the 10th Regiment of Militia in a Company commanded by Isaac Benham.*

Samuel married Susannah Tyler in 1765 and they had seven children. The sixth of their seven children, Freeman (1786 – 1878), joined the Army during the War of 1812. (Freeman was Henrietta’s grandfather and my 4th great grandfather.) According to the U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, (1798 – 1914), Freeman was a Private in the 14th Infantry Regiment in a Company commanded by Captain McDonald. The Army register also notes that he enlisted on January 24, 1814 at the age of 25. He was born in Connecticut, was about 5’11”, and had blue eyes, fair hair, and fair complexion. He signed up for five years, but he only made it five months before he deserted in Albany, NY. He deserted on May 20, 1814.

From the Register of Enlistments (found on Ancestry.com):

Freeman appears again in official records in 1830, living in Trumbull County, Ohio, where he lived the rest of his life. He was there in the U.S. Census’ from 1830 through 1870. It is believed he died at the age of 92 in 1878.

*Fold 3: Connecticut>Ward’s Regiment (1777)>Folder 256>page 4.