Bartholomew Stevens at Valley Forge

Bartholomew STEVENS is my ancestor.  He was born in 1747 in the county of Rockingham, New Hampshire.  He was married in 1767 in the county of Merrimac, New Hampshire, to Mary DALTON.  The Revolutionary War started in 1775 and Bartholomew's pension record states that he enlisted as a private soldier in 1777.  He was in Capt. Isaac Frye's company and Col. Joseph Cilley's regiment.  He further states that he wintered at Valley Forge that awful year with the troops and fought in the Battle of Monmouth.  Bartholomew served for 3 years and was honorably discharged in 1780 at Danbury, Connecticut.


Here are a few words from Bartholomew's wife Mary - also found in the pension record.  Mary said 'she can never forget her privations and sufferings during the long absence of her husband in the Revolutionary War.'  Specifically 'I had four children at the home when my husband enlisted.  Betsey age 7, Mehitable age 5, Susannah age 3, and Caleb age 9 months.  He enlisted in the winter of 1777 when the snow was on the ground...I was against his going.  He came home once during the three years on a furlough for 60 days.  We were poor.  I had no money from him while he was in the war.  I had to work weaving to support my children.  I once wove all day and all night and then all day again.  I worked dreadful hard.'


Wow - it touches me to hear of the personal suffering of my grandmother during the War.  


Bartholomew and Mary had 10 children altogether: 


Betsey STEVENS Apr 1770 (did she marry?) 
Mehitable STEVENS Feb 1772 (did she marry?) 
Susannah STEVENS Jan 1774 (married John WEBBER) 
Caleb Dalton STEVENS Jun 1776 (married Sally THOMAS) 
Samuel STEVENS Nov 1779 (the child born to Mary during the war with her husband gone - what became of him? did he marry?) 
Dalton STEVENS about 1782 (married Mary/Polly ATKINSON) 
Mary STEVENS about 1785(did she marry?) 
Jeremiah Cogswell STEVENS Sep 1888 (my direct ancestor - married Mary/Polly EVERETT) 
John STEVENS about 1791 (what became of him? did he marry?)
Seriah STEVENS about 1793 (married Elizabeth STONE)


I'm so grateful for my ancestors - for fighting for what they believed was right, and for all their sufferings when times were tough.