SOME PARTICIPANTS IN THE RAIDS ON FORT WILLIAM AND MARY

By Thomas F. Kehr

(Revised ed. © October 2007, Thomas F. Kehr; All rights reserved to the author. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the author. This article updates, revises, corrects and supersedes the original and revised versions © Thomas F. Kehr, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2006)

What were the raids on Fort William and Mary? (complete essay)

I. Sources of Names of Participants

The following is a list of participants in the attacks on Fort William and Mary and incidents relating thereto. The list contains both patriot/rebel and loyalist participants. Foremost among the sources utilized in the compilation of this list are the depositions (sworn affidavits) of participants in the events at Fort William and Mary, taken by order of the Royal Governor shortly after the attacks. These extraordinary depositions were not generally known to exist until a full two hundred years after the event. Accounts of the attacks on Fort William and Mary written prior to the time of the discovery of these documents in the 1970's (and accounts of the raids that are based upon sources that do not include the depositions) can be misleading and do not capture the full story of the raids.

The depositions of William and Mary participants were first made readily available in Paul Wilderson's article, The Raids on Fort William and Mary: Some New Evidence, Historical New Hampshire (the magazine of the New Hampshire Historical Society, hereinafter HNH) Vol. XXX, No. 3, (Fall, 1975), pages 185 through 202. The originals are held by the Public Records Office of the British National Archives in London as document CO5, 939 (Records of the Colonial Office, Board of Trade and Secretaries of State of America and the West Indies Series, Original Correspondence 1606 - 1822, New Hampshire Subseries - Original Correspondence of Secretary of State, 1774 - 1775). In 1977, Wilderson added further to the available body of knowledge on the raids on Fort William and Mary by identifying Governor John Wentworth's description of the events in John Wentworth's Narrative of the Raids on Fort William and Mary, HNH, Vol. XXXII, No. 4 (Winter, 1977), pp. 228 - 236.

In addition to the depositions and Wentworth's narrative, post-war writings of General John Sullivan and the recollections of 101 year-old millworker Eleazer Bennett identify participants from Durham who engaged in Sullivan's raid. See Theodore Crackel and Martin Andresen, Fort William and Mary: A Case Study in Crowd Behavior, HNH, Vol. XXIX, No. 4 (Winter, 1974), footnote 66, page 225 (noting Durham participants). Crackel and Andresen's list of Durham men stems primarily from:

(1) The list of individuals contained in John Sullivan's letter to Ebenezer Thompson published in the New Hampshire Spy dated March 17, 1789 [reprinted in Charles L. Parsons' The Capture of Fort William and Mary, December 14 and 15, 1774, a reprint of a paper delivered at the 77th Annual Meeting of the New Hampshire Historical Society, printed by the William and Mary Committee of the New Hampshire American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, March 1974, p. 21; See also Parsons' discussion of participants at pp. 22 – 25];

(2) Verifiable conclusions drawn from Sullivan's 1785 account of his raid found in Isaac W. Hammond, ed. New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, John B. Clarke, Public Printer, Manchester, NH (1890) [Provincial and State Papers, Miscellaneous provincial and state papers, 1725 – 1800], Vol. XVIII, pp. 748 – 750 (referencing the involvement of Sullivan's three clerks); and

(3) An obituary of Eleazer Bennett appearing in the Congregational Journal of February 18, 1852. Another Bennett account appears in Thomas Coffin Amory's The Military Services and Public Life of Major General John Sullivan of the American Revolution Army, Wiggin and Lunt, Boston, MA (1868), p. 295.

Only a fraction of the participants in the raids can be identified from readily available sources. It is likely that heretofore-unknown sources of information exist which note particular individuals' involvement in the raids. The following list is by no means an exhaustive compilation of the names of the hundreds (probably more than 1,000) individuals who were involved in the actions of December, 1774.

Of the names on the following list, a number are clearly loyalist sympathizers. 2 are "impressed men" whose sympathies are unclear. At least 10 are probably, but not certainly, duplicate names. Some individuals listed stood more or less "in reserve" as members of armed cavalry and infantry units. In any event, the list below contains the names of about 100 individuals who served in the patriot cause during New Hampshire's very early rebellion.

II. Use of the Participants List and Citations Therein

The following list provides:

(A) The name of the individual, usually as spelled in the source material cited;

(B) The individual's town of origin, if noted in the source material or if determined with reasonable accuracy from other sources. Due to border adjustments or generalization of locale, references to Durham may in some cases include areas now in other nearby towns, such as Newmarket or Madbury

(C) Notes on the person's role in the attack and, in some cases, additional verifiable information of interest concerning the individual; and

(D) The source in which reference to the actions of the individual may be found. The names of some of the individuals can be found in sources in addition to those noted.

Items of particular uncertainty are noted with a question mark "(?)"

Twelve depositions are known to have been taken by order of the Royal Governor concerning the events at the fort. They are the depositions of:

William Torrey, the individual who spoke to Paul Revere on December 13, 1774, HNH, Vol. XXX, No. 3 (Fall, 1975), pages 186 - 187, referred to in the below list as "Torrey Dep."

John Parker, the Rockingham County, NH, Sheriff, HNH, pages 187 - 188, referred to below as "Parker Dep."

Captain John Cochran, officer in command of the fort, concerning the incident of December 14, 1774, HNH, pages 188 - 192, referred to below as "Cochran Dep. I."

Captain John Cochran, concerning the incident of December 15, 1774, HNH, pages 192 - 194, referred to below as "Cochran Dep. II."

Isaac Seveay, soldier of the fort, concerning the incident of December 14, 1774, HNH, page 195, referred to below as "Seveay Dep I."

Isaac Seveay, concering the incident of December 15, 1774, HNH, pages 196 - 197, referred to below as "Seveay Dep. II."

Benjamin Rowell, soldier of the fort, concerning the incident of December 14, 1774, HNH, page 197, referred to below as "B. Rowell Dep. I."

Benjamin Rowell, concerning the incident of December 15, 1774, HNH, page 198, referred to below as "B. Rowell Dep. II."

Samuel Rowell, soldier of the fort, concerning the incident of December 14, 1774, HNH, pages 198 - 199, referred to below as "S. Rowell Dep."

Ephraim Hall, soldier of the fort, concerning the incident of December 14, 1774, HNH, pages 199 - 200, referred to below as "Hall Dep. I."

Ephraim Hall, concerning the incident of December 15, 1774, HNH, pages 200 - 202, referred to below as "Hall Dep. II."

John Griffiths, soldier of the fort, concerning the incidents of both December 14 and 15, 1774, HNH, page 202, referred to below as "Griffiths Dep."

Years after the event, John Sullivan recalled rallying 30 or 40 men from Durham. Larger groups from other towns later joined them. John Sullivan's account of his involvement is found, in part, in Sullivan's letter to the New Hampshire Spy, March 17, 1789, reprinted in Parsons' The Capture of Fort William and Mary, December 14 and 15, 1774, a reprint of a paper delivered at the 77th Annual Meeting of the New Hampshire Historical Society, printed by the William and Mary Committee of the New Hampshire American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, March 1974, p. 21 [see also pp. 22 – 25]. His list in that account forms a primary basis for Sullivan's listing found in Crackel and Andresen's Fort William and Mary: A Case Study in Crowd Behavior, HNH, Vol. XXIX, No. 4 (Winter, 1974), footnote 66, page 225. It is identified below as "Sullivan List."

Eleazer Bennett, a 101 year-old mill worker whose recollections appear to confuse the events of December 14 with those of December 15, identified a number of Durham men as participants in the December 15 assault. Bennett's account was published in the Congregational Journal of February 18, 1852. Crackel and Andresen primarily used this source to create Bennett's list of men appearing in Fort William and Mary: A Case Study in Crowd Behavior, HNH, Vol. XXIX, No. 4 (Winter, 1974), footnote 66, page 225. Bennett's list as found in Crackel and Andresen is identified below as "Bennett List." A list by Bennett also appears in Thomas Coffin Amory's The Military Services and Public Life of Major General John Sullivan of the American Revolution Army, Wiggin and Lunt, Boston, MA (1868), p. 295, which is referred to below as "Amory's Life of Sullivan." Versions of Bennett's list appear to differ. See Parsons' The Capture of Fort William and Mary, December 14 and 15, 1774, a reprint of a paper delivered at the 77th Annual Meeting of the New Hampshire Historical Society, printed by the William and Mary Committee of the New Hampshire American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, March 1974 (hereinafter "Parson's The Capture") p. 25. It should be noted that Ballard Smith appears to utilize another version of Bennett's recollections in his article The Gunpowder for Bunker Hill, Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. LXXIII, No. CCCCXXXIV, (July 1886), p. 236. Smith's overall account is, in general, highly inaccurate.

Wilderson's John Wentworth's Narrative of the Raids on Fort William and Mary, HNH, Vol. XXXII, No. 4 (Winter, 1977), pp. 228 – 236, which sheds additional light on the events at Fort William and Mary and identifies several added participants, is referred to below as "Wentworth Narrative."

In about 1824, elderly Gideon Lamson of Exeter recalled the nature of his involvement in the raids. Lamson's recollection was recounted in Charles H. Bell's History of the Town of Exeter, NH, J. E. Farwell & Co., Boston, MA (1888), pp. 240 – 244 (cited Below as "Bell's History of Exeter"). Lamson's account of his involvement was completely – and unnecessarily - discounted by Parons in The Capture, p. 25, likely because Parsons did not have the benefit of the depositions of the soldiers at the fort or Wentworth's narrative. Those accounts place Lamson's recollections in perfectly understandable context. Lamson was one of the various armed units (presumably Folsom's) that more or less stood in reserve when Sullivan's men took the cannon on December 15, probably in anticipation of the momentary arrival of British regulars. Lamson's recollections, heretofore disregarded, in fact identify a number of participants who served "in reserve."

III. PARTICIPANTS LIST

Name	Town of Residence	Role in the Attack	Source Reference
Adams, John (Rev.)	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Sullivan List
Adams, Winborn	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15; Note: Adams, a lieutenant colonel in the Revolution, was killed in action at the first Battle of Saratoga (Freeman's Farm)	Bennett List
Amozeen ______	Likely New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14 . Note: This is likely one of the "Amozeens" (also spelled "Amazeen") named below.	B. Rowell Dep. I
Amozeen, Christopher	New Castle	Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II
Amozeen, Ephriam	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II; Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. II; S. Rowell Dep.
Amozeen, John	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14 and 15	Seveay Dep. I, II; B. Rowell Dep. II; S. Rowell Dep.
Amozeen, Joseph	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14;Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II; Seveay Dep. I, II
Atkinson, Theodore (Esq.)	Native of New Castle	Loyalist Chief Justice of NH	Torrey Dep.
Ayres, Joseph (Shoemaker)	Portsmouth	Takes powder Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I
Barkley (Barclay), Andrew, Lt.	Likely Scotland	Captain of frigate HMS Scarborough that responded to Portsmouth from Boston after the raids	William B. Clark, ed. Naval Documents of the American Revolution, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, Vol. I, p. 37 (Letter of Wentworth to Adm. Graves)
Batson, John	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II: Seveay Dep. I
Batson, Nathaniel	New Castle	Attempted abduction of Cochran, Dec. 14; Enters fort Dec. 14 and 15	Cochran Dep. I; Seveay Dep. I, II; B. Rowell Dep. II; Hall Dep. I
Batson, Nathaniel, Jr.	Likely New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14	Seveay Dep. I
Batson, Stephen	New Castle	Attempted abduction of Cochran, Dec. 14; Breaks open powderhouse with crowbar, Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. I, II; Seveay Dep. I, II; B. Rowell Dep. I, II; S. Rowell Dep.; Hall Dep. I,II; Griffiths Dep.
Bell, Abendego ("Abendigo")	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14 and 15; Threatens to knock Soldier Hall's "brains out" on Dec. 14	Seveay Dep. I, II; B. Rowell Dep. I; Hall Dep. I; S. Rowell Dep I
Bell, Benjamin	New Castle	Disarms Soldier Benjamin Rowell, Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II; B. Rowell Dep. I; Hall Dep. I
Bell, Matthew (Capt., Mariner)	New Castle	Attempted abduction of Cochran, Dec. 14; Enters fort Dec. 14. Note: Bell was the son of the former captain of the fort, Thomas Bell.	Cochran Dep. I; Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep I; Hall Dep. I (probably)
Bell, Mesech	Likely New Castle	Enters fort December 14	Griffiths Dep.
Bell, Mesech ("the third"; Cooper)	New Castle	Volunteered to defend fort (voluntarily pressed into service) , Dec. 14; Note: Conceivably planted by the rebels.	Cochran Dep. I
Bell, Mesech, Jr.	Likely New Castle	Pummels Soldier Seveay, Dec. 14	Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. I; S. Rowell Dep.; Hall Dep. I
Bell, Thomas	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Note: Bell was the son of the former captain of the fort of the same name.	Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. I; S. Rowell Dep.
Belligham, John, Sr.	Portsmouth	Takes powder Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I
Bennett, Eleazer	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Bennett List
Blunt, John	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Note: Son of the former town minister; A sea captain.	B. Rowell Dep. I; S. Rowell Dep.
Brown, Joseph (?)	Rye	Possible involvement in one or more of the raids. Involvement undocumented, but other evidence may suggest participation of unknown nature. Rye men are known to have participated and Brown, Joseph Parsons and Mark Randall were chosen by Rye in 1770 as "committeemen to stand by the Sons of Liberty."	Langdon Parsons, History of the Town of Rye, NH, Rumford Printing Co., Concord, NH (1905), p. 255, 257 –258.
Bryant, Jeremiah (Mr.)	Newmarket	Part of three man committee of Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II; Seveay Dep. II; B. Rowell Dep. II; Hall Dep. II
Chadbourn, Benjamin (Blacksmith)	Portsmouth	Takes powder Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I
Champney, Richard (Shopkeeper)	Portsmouth	Waits at gate as Langdon and White enter, Dec. 14; Enters and guards Cochran Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I; Seveay Dep. I
Chase, John	New Castle	Takes cannon, Dec. 15; Note: Son of the New Castle town minister	Hall Dep. II
Chase, Stephen	New Castle	Takes powder Dec. 14; Enters fort on December 15. Note: This is very likely the son of the New Castle town minister of this name, rather than the minister himself.	Cochran Dep. I; Seavey Dep. II; B. Rowell Dep. I; S. Rowell Dep.; Hall Dep. II
Chesley, Alpheus	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Bennett List
Chesley, Jonathan	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Bennett List
Clapp, Supply (Capt.)	Portsmouth	Enters fort December 14; Note: Later NH's Commissary General.	Griffiths Dep.
Clark, Andrew (Mariner)	Portsmouth	Takes powder Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I
Clark, Samuel	New Castle	Attempted abduction of Cochran, Dec. 14; Enters fort Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I; Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. I; Hall Dep. I
Cochran, James	Londonderry, NH	Loyalist father of the captain of the fort who confronted invaders on December 15.	Role described in Wentworth Narrative, p. 236; Name of Cochran's father is found in Lorenzo Sabine, Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution, Little, Brown & Co., Boston (1864), Vol. 1 at 320. See also "Adventure of Captain James Cochran," Portsmouth Journal, November 8, 1845, p.2, col. 2.
Cochran, John (Capt.)	Assigned to the fort at New Castle	Loyalist captain of the fort; Note: Assigned to fort since 1771. Originally from Londonderry, NH	Throughout depositions and narratives.
Cochran, Sarah	Living at the fort at New Castle	Wife of Captain of the fort; Loyalist combatant ; Note: Resided with her husband and children at the fort. Originally from Portsmouth area.	Cochran Dep. I; Wentworth Narrative p. 231.
Colefax, Robert	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14 and 15	B. Rowell Dep. I, II
Cottwald, John	"from the country"	Takes cannon, Dec. 15	B. Rowell Dep. II
Cutts, Samuel (Esq.)	Portsmouth	Patriot Committee member contacted by Revere on December 13	Torrey Dep.
Dame, George	Portsmouth	Takes powder Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I
Davis, Aaron	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Sullivan List
Davis, Micah	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Bennett List
Demeritt, John	Durham/Madbury	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15; Note: Reputedly brought powder to NH troops in MA	Bennett List
Dennet, John	Portsmouth	Enters and guards Cochran, Dec. 14. Note: There were two John Dennets in Portsmouth. It is uncertain whether this is the same John Dennet as below.	Cochran Dep. I; Seveay Dep. I
Dennet, John	Portsmouth	Called upon by the Governor to raise the provincial militia in response to the attack of December 14. Note: There were two John Dennets in Portsmouth. It is uncertain whether this is the same John Dennet as above.	Nathaniel Bouton, compiler, New Hampshire Provincial Papers, Orren C. Moore, State Printer, Nashua, NH (1873), Vol. VII, p. 421
Dennet, Nathaniel	Portsmouth	Takes powder Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. I, II; Seavey Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. II
Dixen, William	Portsmouth	Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II
Drown, Samuel (?)	Portsmouth	Uncertain. Drown (the half brother of Thomas Pickering) may have been involved in the December 14 raid and purportedly had some involvement in the care of the powder during or after Dec. 14.	Charles W. Brewster, Rambles About Portsmouth (1^st Series), facsimile reproduction of the 1873 edition by New Hampshire Publishing Company, Somersworth, NH, in collaboration with Theatre by the Sea, Portsmouth, NH (1971), ("Ramble XLV"), pp. 220. Note: Brewster's account of the attack, obtained from Drown's family, is not generally reliable. See also Parsons' The Capture, p. 25.
Durgin, [Eliphalet] (Lt.)	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Sullivan List. Note: First name provided in Crackel and Andresen, HNH, Vol. XXIX, No. 4 (Winter, 1974), footnote 66, page 225.
Eaton, Jonathan	(?)	Enters on December 14; Note: Possibly the same individual identified as Jonathan Yeaton below	S. Rowell Dep.
Fenton, John (Esq.)	Plymouth, NH; Portsmouth and formerly Charlestown, MA	Justice of Peace; Took soldiers' oaths/depositions regarding raids; Magistrate who attempts to restore order; Note: Loyalist provincial assemblyman; former captain of the regular British Army; Colonel of a Grafton County regiment of provincial militia.	Torrey Dep.
Folsom, Nathaniel	(?)	Enters fort Dec. 14; Note: It is unclear if this is the (General) Nathaniel Folsom of Exeter who appeared with a large body of infantry and cavalry on December 15 or instead an additional reference to his son (from Portsmouth; see below), who was also named Nathaniel. It is almost certainly one of the two.	Seveay Dep. I
Folsom, Nathaniel	Exeter	Arrives in Portsmouth with infantry and cavalry on Dec. 15, acting as a guard and reserve for Sullivan's raid. Note: Continental Congressman and Revolutionary War general.	Wentworth Narrative, p. 234
Folsome, Nathaniel (Shopkeeper)	Portsmouth	Waits at gate as Langdon and White enter, Dec. 14. Note: The son of Nathaniel Folsom of Exeter	Cochran Dep. I
Footman, Thomas	Dover	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Sullivan List
Foy, John	Rye (?)	Enters fort Dec. 14; Note: A John Foy lived at Frost's Point in Rye, just across Little Harbor from New Castle, in 1805. See Langdon Parsons' History of the Town of Rye, NH, Rumford Printing Co., Concord, NH (1905), map following p. 292. See also id, p. 352. It is uncertain whether this is the Foy who was a participant, since Rowell's deposition does not identify Foy's town of origin.	B. Rowell Dep. I
French, Peter	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	French is noted in Crackel and Andresen's article, HNH, Vol. XXIX, No. 4, p. 225, as listed by Sullivan. He is apparently identified by virtue of the fact that in Isaac W. Hammond, ed. New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, John B. Clarke, Public Printer, Manchester, NH (1890) [Provincial and State Papers, Miscellaneous provincial and state papers, 1725 – 1800], Vol. XVIII, pp. 748 – 750, Sullivan notes the presence of his three clerks. Those clerks were Peter French, Alexander Scammell and James Underwood. See Parsons' The Capture, p. 25. Parsons suggests that French may also have been listed in one version of Bennett's account.
Frost, George	New Castle	Enters on December 14. Note: This may be either the George Frost who married the daughter of the fort's former commander, Thomas Bell, or the uncle of this George Frost (also from New Castle and named George), who later served in the Continental Congress.	S. Rowell Dep. See also L. Parsons' The Capture, p. 25
Furnald, John (Coppersmith)	Portsmouth	Takes powder Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I
Furnell, William	Portsmouth	Takes powder Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I
Gains, George	Portsmouth	Enters fort Dec. 14. May also have been present on the 15^th	Seveay Dep. I; Hall Dep. I; Griffiths Dep.; Bell's History of Exeter, p. 240.
Gilman, Israel (Esq.)	Newmarket	Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II
Giddinge, John (Dr.)	Exeter	Captain of armed company called to Portsmouth on December 15/16 as Sullivan removed the cannon. In reserve, probably not involved in physical removal of cannon.	Bell's History of Exeter, pp. 240 – 241
Gilman, Nicholas	Exeter	Captain of armed company called to Portsmouth on December 15/16 while Sullivan removed the cannon. In reserve, probably not involved in physical removal of cannon. Note: Like John Langdon, Gilman was later a signer of the United States Constitution.	Bell's History of Exeter, p. 240. Identified by Lamson in 1824 as "Col." See id.
Gilmore, James (Capt.)	Durham	Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II; Seveay Dep. II
Grant (Capt.)	(?)	Enters fort Dec. 14; Note: Since both "Captain Grant" and "John Grant" are noted in the same deposition, either Seveay inadvertently referred to Grant twice or "John Grant" and "Capt. Grant" are two different people. It is conceivable that the captain is Peter, although Hall Dep. I refers to John as "captain."	Seveay Dep. I
Grant, John (Capt.)	Portsmouth	Enters fort Dec. 14; Disarms Soldier Hall	Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. I; S. Rowell Dep.; Hall Dep. I
Grant, Peter, Jr.	(?)	Enters fort Dec. 14	B. Rowell Dep. I
Griffin, John	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Bennett account in Amory's Life of Sullivan, p. 295
Griffiths, John	Assigned to the fort at New Castle	Loyalist soldier "on duty" on Dec. 14 and "in the fort" on Dec. 15: Note: Length of service at fort not stated	Griffiths Dep.
Hackett, James	Exeter	Captain of armed infantry company of 50 or 60 men called to Portsmouth on December 15/16 as a guard while Sullivan removed the cannon. In reserve, probably not involved in physical removal of cannon. "Note: Hackett, a shipbuilder, built John Paul Jones' "Ranger," the frigate "Raleigh" and the ship of the line "America" "	Bell's History of Exeter, pp. 240 – 241; Referred to by Lamson as "Col." in 1824. See id.
Hall, Ephraim	Assigned to the fort at New Castle	Loyalist soldier on duty on Dec. 14 and 15; Note: At fort since July 1774	Hall Dep. I, II
Hart, Edward	Portsmouth	Enters fort December 14	Griffiths Dep.
Jackson (Capt.)	Possibly Portsmouth	Enters fort Dec. 14; Note: May be the same person as Daniel Jackson. Daniel Jackson was a sea captain.	Seveay Dep. I
Jackson, Daniel	Portsmouth	Enters and guards Cochran, Dec. 14; Note: May be the same person as "Capt. Jackson." Daniel Jackson was a sea captain.	Cochran Dep. I
Jones _____________	Portsmouth	Forces Soldier Seveay down, Dec. 14	Seveay Dep. I
Kenny, Benjamin	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14 and 15; Note: Likely the same person as Benjamin Kinny.	B. Rowell Dep. I, II; S. Rowell Dep; Hall Dep. I; Seveay Dep. II
Kenny, Richard	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14	B. Rowell Dep. I; Hall Dep. I
Kenny, Richard, Jr.	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14 and 15	B. Rowell Dep. I, II
Kinneer, ("Kennier," "Kenneer") John	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14 and 15	Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. I, II; S. Rowell Dep.; Hall Dep. I, II
Kinny, Benjamin	Probably New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Note: Likely the same person as Benjamin Kenny.	Seveay Dep. I
Ladd, Eliphet (?)	Exeter	Uncertain. Captain of infantry company detailed to Portsmouth on "to take cannon, etc." Note: Ladd does not appear in Lamson's account but is referred to in a note in Bell's History of Exeter (with Hackett and Giddinge) quoting an account presented by Exeter to the State. Bell suggests that the bill (date not identified) refers to the attack on Fort William and Mary, but (depending upon its date) it is possible that it refers to the May 30/31 1775 raid on Jerry's Point.	Bell's History of Exeter, p. 241
Lambert, Benjamin	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II; S. Rowell Dep.
Lamson, Gideon	Exeter	Member of cavalry unit (likely Folsom's) detailed to Portsmouth on December 15/16 as Sullivan removed the cannon. In reserve, but not at the fort.	Bell's History of Exeter, p. 240 –241
Langdon, John (Merchant)	Portsmouth	Leader of Dec. 14 raid; enters with White for parley with Cochran; Enters and guards Cochran, Dec. 14. Langdon reported to Portsmouth on the progress of Sullivan's raid of the 15^th and may have gone out to the fort at some point on that date or the morning of the 16^th. Note: Later a NH Governor, US Senator, signer of the US Constitution, the Continental Congress' agent for maritime affairs in NH and the 1^st president pro tempore of the US Senate.	Cochran Dep. I; Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. I; S. Rowell Dep.; Hall Dep. I; Griffiths Dep.; Bell's History of Exeter, p. 240. Note: The version of Bennett's account found in Ballard Smith's generally questionable article in Harper's Monthly indicates that Langdon and Pickering went to New Castle with Sullivan on the 15th.
Langmead, Henry	New Castle	Attempted abduction of Cochran, Dec. 14; Enters fort Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I; Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. I; Hall Dep. I
Libbey, George	Portsmouth	Enters fort Dec. 14	Seveay Dep. I
Locke, Elizah	Rye	Private citizen visiting fort on business, pressed into service by Cochran, Dec. 14. Note: The name is as spelled in the transcription of the deposition. Locke's name was probably "Elijah." He may have been planted by the rebels. See Donald Hayes, "Pressed into Service at Fort William and Mary: Was Eliza Locke of Rye a Patriot, a Tory or Hapless Bystander?" The New Hampshire Minuteman (newsletter of the N. H. Society of the Sons of the American Revolution), Vol. 15, No.2 (May 2003), p. 1.	Cochran Dep. I
Long, Pierce ("Pierse")(Capt., Mariner)	Portsmouth	Waits at gate as Langdon and White enter, Dec. 14; Enters and guards Cochran, Dec. 14. Note: Later a Continental Congressman	Cochran Dep. I; Seveay Dep. I (probably); Griffiths Dep.
MacKay, Benjamin (Sadler)	Portsmouth	Waits at gate as Langdon and White enter, Dec. 14; Enters and guards Cochran, Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I; Seavey Dep. I
McClary, Andrew (Capt.)	"from the country" [Epsom]	Part of three man committee of Dec. 15. Note: Killed by a cannon ball at Bunker Hill. McClary was the ranking New Hamsphireman killed in that battle.	Cochran Dep. II; Seveay Dep. II; B. Rowell Dep. II; Hall Dep. II
McDonogh, Thomas	Native of the British Isles	Loyalist private secretary to Governor Wentworth	Torrey Dep.
Mathes, Benjamin	Durham	Supplied gundalow for Sullivan's Durham men to proceed to Portsmouth on Dec. 15 but, being too old, did not accompany them.	Bennett account in Amory's Life of Sullivan, p. 295
Mead, Stephen	Portsmouth	Takes powder Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I
Mitchell, David (Capt.)	New Castle	Enters fort, Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II; Seveay Dep. I, II; B. Rowell Dep. I, II; Hall Dep. II; Griffiths Dep.
Mowat(t) , Henry (Lt.)	Scotland	Captain of armed ship HMS Canceaux that responded to Portsmouth from Boston after raids; Note: In October 1775, Mowat burned Falmouth (Portland) Maine to the ground; In the 1779 Penobscot Expedition, he was instrumental in dealing America its most crushing naval defeat of the Revolutionary War at Castine (Bagaduce) ME.	See generally Andrew Wahll, ed. The Voyage of the Canceaux, 1764 - 1776 (abridged logs), Heritage Books, Bowie, MD (2003); John E. Cayford, The Penobscot Expedition, C & H Publishing Co., Orrington, ME (1976).
Neal, William	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14	Seveay Dep. I
Norton, Nathaniel	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Sullivan List
Palmer, John	Portsmouth	Hauls down the King's colors from the fort on December 14, 1774; Takes powder Dec. 14; Takes cannon Dec. 15; Note: Son of Thomas Palmer.	Cochran Dep. I, II; Seavey Dep. I, II; B. Rowell Dep. I, II; S. Rowell Dep.; Hall Dep I, II; Wentworth Narrative, p. 231.
Palmer, Thomas (Capt.)	Portsmouth	Orders Soldier Seveay to his knees and "snaps pistol" at the soldier, Dec. 14; Note: Father of John Palmer.	Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. I; Hall Dep. I (probably); Wentworth Narrative, p. 231)
Parker (Capt.)	Probably Portsmouth	Enters fort Dec. 14; Note: Likely Capt. Robert Parker, below.	Seveay Dep. I
Parker, John (Esq.)	Portsmouth	Sheriff of Rockingham County, NH	Parker Dep.
Parker, Robert (Mariner)	Portsmouth	Waits at gate as Langdon and White enter, Dec. 14; Enters and guards Cochran, Dec. 14; Likely "Capt. Parker," above.	Cochran Dep. I
Parsons, Joseph (Capt.) (?)	Rye	Possible involvement in one or more of the raids. Involvement undocumented but other evidence may suggest participation of unknown nature. Rye men are known to have participated and Parsons, Joseph Brown and Mark Randall were chosen by Rye in 1770 as "committeemen to stand by the Sons of Liberty."	Langdon Parsons, History of the Town of Rye, NH, Rumford Printing Co., Concord, NH (1905), p. 255, 257 –258.
Penhallow, Samuel, (Esq.)	Portsmouth	Justice of Peace; Took oaths/depositions of civilians regarding raids; Magistrate who attempts to restore order	Torrey Dep.
Pickering, Thomas (Mariner)	Portsmouth	Jumps onto Cochran from wall, Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15; Note: Later captain of the privateer Hampden, on board which he was killed in action.	Cochran Dep. I, II; Seveay Dep. I, II; B. Rowell Dep. II; Hall Dep. I, II; Note: The version of Bennett's account found in Ballard Smith's generally questionable article in Harper's Monthly indicates that Langdon and Pickering went to New Castle with Sullivan on the 15th.
Pierce, William	Probably New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14	B. Rowell Dep. I
Pillon, Thomas	Portsmouth	Takes powder Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I
Prescott, Henry (Mr.)	New Castle	Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II; Griffiths Dep.
Randal(l), Benjamin	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15. Note: It is uncertain whether this is a reference to Benjamin Sr. or Jr.	Cochran Dep. II; Seveay Dep. I
Randall, Benjamin, Jr.	New Castle	Enters on December 14; Note: Randall went on to found the Free Will Baptist faith.	Hall Dep. I
Randall, Mark (?)	Rye	Possible involvement in one or more of the raids. Involvement undocumented but other evidence may suggest participation of unknown nature. Rye men are known to have participated and Randall, Joseph Parsons and Joseph Brown were chosen by Rye in 1770 as "committeemen to stand by the Sons of Liberty."	Langdon Parsons, History of the Town of Rye, NH, Rumford Printing Co., Concord, NH (1905), p. 255, 257 –258.
Reid, ("Reed") John	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14 and 15	Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. II
Revere, Paul	Boston	Messenger. Note: Later engaged in his famous "midnight ride" to Lexington, Massachusetts.	Torrey Dep.
Rowell ____________	(?)	Attacked fort December 14. Note: This rebel was described by a defender of the fort named Rowell as "One Rowell, a soldier"	S. Rowell Dep.
Rowell, Benjamin	Assigned to the fort at New Castle	Loyalist soldier on duty December 14 and 15; Note: At fort since March 1774	B. Rowell Dep. I, II
Rowell, Samuel	Assigned to the fort at New Castle	Loyalist soldier on duty Dec. 14; No affidavit of being on duty on Dec. 15; Note: Length of service at fort unstated	S. Rowell Dep.
Scammell, Alexander	Durham	Takes cannon, Dec. 15; Note: According to Theodore Chase, The Attack on Fort William and Mary, Historical New Hampshire, Vol. XVIII, No. 1 (April, 1963) at 31, Scammel hauled down the British flag during the Dec. 15 raid. Later the Continental Army's Adjutant General. Died of battle wounds in British captivity at the time of the Battle of Yorktown.	Cochran Dep. II; See also Crackel and Andresen's, HNH, Vol. XXIX, No. 4, p. 225. Crackel and Andresen attempted to identify participants before Cochran's deposition was readily accessible. Accordingly, Scammell was apparently identified by virtue of the fact that in Isaac W. Hammond, ed. New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, John B. Clarke, Public Printer, Manchester, NH (1890) [Provincial and State Papers, Miscellaneous provincial and state papers, 1725 – 1800], Vol. XVIII, pp. 748 – 750, Sullivan noted the presence of his three clerks. Those clerks were Peter French, Alexander Scammell and James Underwood. See Parsons' The Capture, p. 25. The Cochran deposition removes all doubt as to Scammell's presence, although his removal of the flag appears to be based on tradition only.
Seveay, Isaac	Assigned to the fort at New Castle	Loyalist soldier on duty December 14 and 15; Refuses to kneel; Injured Dec 14; Note: At fort since June 1774; Probably from Rye and resided in Pittsfield, NH after the war.	Seveay Dep. I, II
Sheaffe, Sampson	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14 and 15	Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. I, II
Simpson, John (Capt., Mariner)	New Castle	Attempted abduction of Cochran, Dec 14; Cochran's first interviewee; At gate when Langdon and White enter, later enters himself; Note: Cochran's deposition refers to "Captain John Simpson." Seveay, S. Rowell and Hall refer only to "Captain Simpson." Rowell Dep. I notes both a "Captain Simpson" and a "John Simpson." These may be two individuals or an inadvertent duplication. See "John Simpson" and "John Simpson, Jr." below.	Cochran Dep. I; Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. I; S. Rowell Dep.; Hall Dep. I.
Simpson, John	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Note: Rowell Dep. I notes both a "Captain Simpson" and a "John Simpson." These may be two individuals or an inadvertent duplication. S. Rowell Dep, Seveay Dep. I and Hall Dep. I mention only a "Captain Simpson." See Capt. John Simpson above and John Simpson, Jr. below.	B. Rowell Dep. I
Simpson, John, Jr.	New Castle	Takes cannon, Dec. 15; Note: On December 14 Rowell notes both a "Capt." Simpson and a "John Simpson." He may be referring to both John, Jr. and his older relative. See John Simpson entries above. On December 15, Rowell specifies "John Simpson, Jr."	B. Rowell Dep. II.
Small, Benjamin	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Bennett List
Small, Isaac	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Bennett List
Spenser (Spencer) , John	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Bennett List
Stevenson, Thomas	Durham	Part of three man committee of Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II; Seveay Dep. II; Hall Dep. II
Stoodley, James	Portsmouth	Owner of tavern where Revere met Cutts; With Capt. Dennet, purportedly called out the militia to defend the fort on December 15 at the request of the Governor - but got no volunteers.	Return of Dennet and Stoodley to Theodore Atkinson, December 15, 1774, New Hampshire Provincial Papers, compiled by Nathaniel Bouton, D.D., Orren C. Moore, State Printer, Nashua, NH (1873), Vol VII at 421.
Sullivan, John (Maj.)	Durham	Leader of raid of December 15. Note: Continental Congressman. Later a Continental major general, governor ("president") of NH and a federal judge.	Cochran Dep. II; Seveay Dep. II; B. Rowell Dep. II; Hall Dep. II; Griffiths Dep.
Sullivan, Edward (Ebenezer)	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15. Note: Ebenezer Sullivan was the brother of John Sullivan.	Bennett List; Crackel and Andresen, apparently referring to the Bennett list in the Congregational Journal list name as "Edward" with the parenthetical "[Ebenezer]". See HNH, Vol. XXIX, No. 4 (Winter, 1974), footnote 66, page 225. Name noted as "Eben" in Bennett account in Amory's Life of Sullivan, p. 295.
Talton, John (Jno.)	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II; Seveay Dep. II; B. Rowell Dep. I; Hall Dep. I, II; Griffiths Dep.
Tash, Thomas (Maj.)	Newmarket	Commander of first group to enter on Dec. 15, aids in taking cannon	Cochran Dep. II; Seveay Dep. II; B. Rowell Dep. II
Thompson, Ebenezer	Durham	Started out with Sullivan on the raid of Dec. 15 but, with others, went home before assaulting the fort	Bennett account in Amory's Life of Sullivan, p. 295; Thompson's notice in the March 13, 1789 New Hampshire Spy and Sullivan's March 17 response, reprinted in Parsons' The Capture, p. 21.
Torrey, William (Esq.)	Portsmouth	Loyalist acquaintance of Revere whom Revere tells the content of his message of Dec. 13.	Torrey Dep.
Trunday ("Trundy"), Thomas	New Castle	Attempted abduction of Cochran, Dec. 14; Enters fort Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. I, II; Seveay Dep. I, II; B. Rowell Dep. I; Hall Dep. I
Trunday, ("Trundy") William	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Cochran Dep. II; Seveay Dep. II; B. Rowell Dep. I; Hall Dep. II
Turner (Capt.)	Probably Portsmouth	Enters fort Dec. 14. Note: Probably the same person as "George Turner" below.	Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. I; S. Rowell Dep.
Turner, George (Capt., Mariner)	Portsmouth	Waits at gate as Langdon and White enter, Dec. 14; Enters and guards Cochran, Dec. 14; Note: Probably the same person as Captain Turner, above.	Cochran Dep. I; Griffiths Dep.
Underwood, James	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Underwood is noted in Crackel and Andresen, HNH, Vol. XXIX, No. 4, p. 225, as being listed by Sullivan, likely identified by virtue of the fact that in Isaac W. Hammond, ed. New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, John B. Clarke, Public Printer, Manchester, NH (1890) [Provincial and State Papers, Miscellaneous provincial and state papers, 1725 – 1800], Vol. XVIII, pp. 748 – 750, Sullivan notes the presence of his three clerks. Those clerks were Peter French, Alexander Scammell and James Underwood. See Parsons' The Capture, p. 25.
Vennard (Capt.) [probably William]	Likely New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Note: Although first name is not provided in Rowell's deposition, this is probably William Vennard.	B. Rowell Dep. I
Wallace, Samuel	Rye (?)	Enters fort Dec. 14. Note: A Lt. Samuel Wallis of Rye was in Capt. Joseph Parson's company during the Revolution. See Langdon Parsons, History of the Town of Rye, NH Rumford Printing Co., Concord, NH (1905), pp. 563 – 564.	B. Rowell Dep. I
White, Robert (Capt., Mariner)	New Castle	Attempted abduction of Cochran, Dec. 14; Cochran's second interviewee, who states goal of visitors is to seize Cochran; Enters, with Langdon and thereafter, on Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I; Seveay Dep. I; B. Rowell Dep. I; S. Rowell Dep.; Hall Dep. I. Note: Hall, Seveay, B. Rowell and S. Rowell refer only to "Captain White."
Wigglesworth (Doctor) [Samuel]	Durham	Takes cannon, Dec. 15. Note: Although first name is not provided in Cochran's deposition, this is undoubtedly Dr. Samuel Wigglesworth, originally of Ipswich, MA, then of Durham, Dover and Lee, NH	Cochran Dep. II
Williams, John	(?)	Enters on December 14	S. Rowell Dep.
Woodman, Jonathan	Durham	Sullivan raid of Dec. 15	Sullivan List
Woolcot, William (Capt., Mariner)	Portsmouth	A patriot spokesman on Dec. 14; Enters fort Dec. 14	Cochran Dep. I; Seveay Dep. I; Note: Seveay refers only to "Captain Woolcot"
Yeaton, Andrew	New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Takes cannon, Dec. 15	Seveay Dep. I; Hall Dep. I, II
Yeaton, Benjamin	New Castle	Takes cannon, Dec. 15	B. Rowell Dep. II
Yeaton, Jonathan	Probably New Castle	Enters fort Dec. 14; Note: Possibly the same person as Jonathan Eaton, above.	B. Rowell Dep. I

IV. Possible Additional Participants

Apart from the above, a historical marker on Goodwin Road in Eliot, Maine, identifies the former home of Captain Samuel Leighton. According to local tradition, Leighton was captain of the 30^th Regiment of the United Colonies and was presumably among those who attacked Fort William and Mary. Local tradition also holds that he transported some of the arms and powder to Frank's Fort in Eliot (then part of the Town of Kittery). If this tradition is correct, it would mean that some of the powder seized at the fort in New Hampshire was immediately delivered to Massachusetts. Maine was, in 1774, part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

On the loyalist side, one or more of the Cochran children may have been present during the raids, probably simply as worried observers. Since both of their parents were subdued and held by the attackers, the children who were present would probably have been kept under rebel watch. The Cochran children included Sarah (Sally) Cochran, who was 9 years old at the time of the raids. At least one other younger girl (possibly Nancy Cochran or Polly Cochran), may have been present. Captain Cochran may also have an older son (John Corlet Cochran) and two younger boys (William Peregrine Cochran and Adam Cochran). Canadian and American primary source materials located to date connect these persons to Cochran, but in the case of all except Sally, do not indicate the precise date of birth or the precise relationship to the captain. Sally Cochran and John Corlet Cochran were adults with Cochran in Canada in 1782. Nancy, William Peregrine, Polly and Adam, also with Cochran, were still children at that time. Cochran's youngest daughter presumably grew up to marry Charles Hardy of Portsmouth.

If you are aware of any source identifying an individual or group of individuals as participants in the December 14 and 15, 1774 attacks on Fort William and Mary, if you have comments, corrections or additional information relative to the above list, or if you have information regarding any of the individuals noted, please contact the author Thomas F. Kehr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author received his J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law (Camden) and his B.A. in History from the University of New Hampshire. Mr. Kehr is a former president and historian of the NH Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Through his efforts in 2000, the National Society, SAR officially recognized participation in the raids on Fort William and Mary as American Revolutionary War service. Mr. Kehr is actively engaged in research and writing on New Hampshire during the Revolution. He is known for his first person portrayals of Governor John Langdon.

All rights reserved to the author, Thomas F. Kehr

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