Samuel Cornel Bradley a soldier in the American Revolution

Samuel Bradley was the 5th generation of Bradley’s to live in America. The first in his line to come to America was Stephen Bradley who arrived with his mother Elizabeth and siblings about 1642. Stephen married Hannah Smith. We have documented the identity of Hannah earlier in the Blog. Hannah is the granddaughter of Thomas Borne a contemporary of Miles Standish and Edward Winslow of the Pilgrim’s Story fame. Record of Samuel’s birth is found in Vol. 2 page 101 of the Guilford town records “Samuel Cornwell Bradley son of Stephen Bradley Jun. by Ruth his wife March ye 16th 1756”. Samuel was the son of Stephen Bradley Jun. and his wife Ruth Meigs. We have included the genealogist Alvan Talcott’s record of the family. He was the grandson of Stephen Bradley Sen. and his wife Jemima Cornwall. His middle name is in all likelihood derived from his grandmother’s maiden name. Jemima was the great granddaughter of William Cornwall of Middleton, Conn. In the records of Middletown the name is spelled in a number of different ways, Cornwall, Cornwell and Cornell. Spelled Cornwell in his baptismal record Samuel himself used the spelling of “ Cornel “. In Sunderland we find his name listed on the deeds as “Samuel Cornel Bradley”. A deed from his father reads, “I Stephen Bradley of Sunderland in the County of Bennington and State of Vermont in consideration of love and good will I owe to my son Samuel Cornel Bradley.” As a young man Samuel moved with his family from Guilford to Sunderland, Vermont. Samuel’s brother Eber in his family papers and autobiography provides some description of this time in the life of the Bradleys. By his account in about 1774 the family responded to advertisements placed in Connecticut newspapers for 45,000 acres of land for sale in Vermont. According to the ad the fishing was fine, excellent wheat land in the higher areas, first-class bottom lands, navigation and markets available. The trip to Vermont was an arduous one. There were no roads available to accommodate a wagon. When the Bradley’s got to their new home they found Sunderland was a frontier settlement, not large enough to be called a principal center of even a settled community. Frontier town or not Sunderland was destined to play a major role in the Revolutionary War. The names of Ethan Allen, Seth Warner, Gideon Brownson the rest of the Allen, Warner, Brownson and Bradley families, all Sunderland boys, are scattered through out the Revolutionary War stories from the Lake Champlain region. They made up the units referred to at the Green Mountain Boys and the Rangers of Fort Ticonderoga and the Battle of Bennington fame. The young Samuel Bradley was very much a part of this Revolutionary War history. Most of what has been written of his war history comes from the accounts provided by his brother Eber which have been preserved by his ancestry and published in a volume titled, Eber Bradley and some of his relatives, by Myron Bradley. The militiamen on the frontier did not join up for a specific period of time. It seems that the units were raised in response to specific needs. The length of service was dictated by how long it took to finish a particular campaign. Some times they were gone for two or three weeks at times for five or six months. Samuel’s first major campaign was with the forces commanded by an officer in the regular Continental Army General Richard Montgomery, which was aimed at capturing Montreal. From the history of his unit, “In June 1775, Samuel enlisted as a private in Capt. Gideon Brownson’s Company, Lt. Col. Seth Warner’s regiment raised as one of the four Regiments ordered by the Continental Congress………..He marched to Fort Ticonderoga from there he traveled to St. Johns, Province of Quebec, Canada. He participated in the siege of St. Johns ……..and then proceeded to and took part in the possession of Montreal. “ The “Rangers numbered about 174 men. They were attached to the main body of Continental solders led by General Richard Montgomery. They were used as scouts and as a counter to the Indian allies deployed by the British. The fighting between these units and the Indian allies was particularly vicious. After Montreal the Vermont units returned home. Montgomery chose to press the attack on to Quebec where his army met defeat and he was killed. Of his brother’s service Eber wrote, “Samuel went away in warm weather did not return till winter.” His service record indicated that he was gone for five months. In 1776 he enlisted for 27 days again with Gideon Brownson his future uncle. In July of 1777 Samuel enlisted in Col. Samuel Herrick’s Vermont regiment of Green Mountain Rangers. He served under Capt. John Warner. He served from July to December. In August of 1777 the unit played a major role in the Battle of Bennington. From the unit history, “On August 15th, the company marched on mass to Bennington where they slept on their arms that night. They participated in both actions the following day, the initial three-pronged attack against Burgoyne’s widely spread lines, and the following clash with the force of Hessians marching to reinforce the British after the initial defeat. The Battle of Bennington was the first major set back for Britain’s General Burgoyne, and a harbinger of things to come.” “After the Battle of Bennington, the company was stationed at Pawlet. From there, the members of the company continued ranging and performed guard duties over a cache of supplies. During the time they were headquartered in Pawlet, they participated in the attack to retake Fort Ticonderoga, and the capture of Lake George landing, the battle of Mounts Hope and Defiance on Sept. 19th, and the water borne attack on Diamond Island in Lake George on Sept 24th.” Samuel mustered out on December 3rd. Samuel enlisted again in 1778. On February 20, 1780 Samuel married Abigail Brownson in Sunderland. Abigail was the daughter of Amos Brownson, Gideon Brownson’s brother, and Dorcus Strong. Of the event Eber’s biographers wrote, “half a century later, Eber had not forgotten that transportation on the memorable day was by horse drawn sleigh.” Starting in 1781 Samuel, serving as a Lieutenant of the Sunderland Militia Company, he was called out on a number of short excursions. Later in life his wife was to testify “That she knows he was in service after their marriage and thinks he was several times but it is long since and she cannot remember how long and how many times.” The history of the Sunderland Milita notes ,”By 1784, Samuel Bradley was Captain of the Sunderland, Bennington County, Vermont Militia Company.” Samuel ended his service as Capt. in the Militia in Essex. Samuel himself gave some description of his militia service in his testimony before the Military Pension Board. “July 1832 Samuel Bradley resident of Essex in the County of Chittenden…..aged 76.” That I entered the service of the United States in the month of June 1775 in the company administered by Capt. Gideon Brownson and in the regiment administered by Seth Warner.” “July 1777 I enlisted as Sargent in the company administered by John Warner.” In response to the question of where he was born and if a record of his birth existed he replied, “I was born in East Guilford State of Connecticut in the year 1756.” “I suppose there is a record of my age in East Guilford.” “Question: Where were you living when…..into service, and where have you lived since the revolution?” Answer: I lived in Sunderland when I was called into the service and since the Revolutionary War I have lived in Essex, Vermont and do now.” In response to a question of whether or not he had served as a paid substitute for another he responded, “I was a volunteer in every instance.” Of the key Battle of Bennington he made the following humble statement, “I was at the Battle of Bennington, Vermont…. We had two battles in one day.” He was asked to name some of the officers under whom he served he named, General Montgomery, Col. Seth Warner, Col. Gideon Brownson, Maj. Safford, Col. Samuel Herrick.” Samuel and his wife Abigail moved to Essex, Vermont in 1787. In Essex he served as the first Capt. of the Militia. He was elected as town clerk a position he held for five years. The Congregational Society chose him to serve as Deacon a position he held until his death June 30, 1834.