Military Commission

[Bear]

Hello,

I just picked up this military commission for Ensign Seth Phillips signed just 4 days after the Declaration of Independence. I still need to do some research on Seth.

To Mr. Seth Phillips Greetings. You being appointed Ensign of a Company of Militia in the First Battalion now being raised in the countys of Plymouth & Bristol where of Simeon Cary Esq. is Colonel & of which Company Freedom Chamberlain is Captain for reinforcing the Continental Army of New York ? You are therefore carefully and directly to discharge the Duty of an Ensign in leading ordering, and exercising said Company is Arms, both Inferior Officers and Soldiers; and to keep them in good Order and Discipline: And they are hereby commanded to obey you as their Ensign, and you are yourself, to observe and following such orders and instructions as you shall from time to time received from you superior officers.

Signed by all fifteen members of the Council of the Massachusetts Bay

The committee signs from top to bottom

B. Greenleaf

W Spooner

Caleb Cushing

J. Winthrop

T. Cushing

S. Holten

Jabez Fitch

B. White

Wm. Phillips

Henry Ganner [?]Gardiner

John Taylor

D. Hopkins

Jos. Cushing

Dan Davis

D. Sewall

Here is my other Mass Comm for a comparision

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9845

thanks,

barry

Edited April 25, 2009 by Bear

[Bear]

The document was signed in Watertown and not Boston. The British had just evacuated Boston in March and maybe the government hadn't made it back to the capital. I think a small pox epidemic had also infested Boston around this time.

[Guest Rick Research]

Nmmmmm. One of those WRETCHED "name all the boys the same" families.

He was PROBABLY the Seth Philipps born in Duxbury September 26, 1749, died in Fitchburg August 8 1828, married Elizabeth Hamlin (born October 28, 1764 Bridgewater, died Fitchburg November 20, 1813) in Pembroke February 27, 1777.

Can't be sure of that at the moment (library closed on weekend) to go check in Mass Soldiers & Sailors in the Revolution. May be shut on Monday as well (One Party Rule has been SOOOOOOO well-managed, beneficial, and efficient. Not) but will check on him next week.

LOVE the Captain's name! Those are my Chamberlains, but hadn't heard of him before since mine drifted into CT.

I've got Hamlins, but since mine were in Connecticut, dunno about a link to Mrs. Philipps.

[Bear]

Thanks Rick

I'll check genealogy.com for more rev. info. and see what comes up.

thanks,

barry

[Bear]

I checked all my sources and nothing.

Here is another website that list Mass. Rev. soldiers.

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ma/state/revwar/p1.html

Edited April 25, 2009 by Bear

[Guest Rick Research]

I'll check my town's original volumes, which are covered in a thick scary salad-like green mold which makes handling them rather... interesting.

Not that any side effects have manifested themselves on me.

Yet.

The Captain was actually Freedom Chamberlain, JUNIOR (1730-1821 both in Pembroke). HIS family gets all screwy with too many Nathaniels, Williams, and Henrys for me to sort out easily, but basically "my" Chamberlains

aside from producing ME (of course) also sired Texas's teenaged Confederate poetess Mary aka Molly Evelyn Moore (have had cousins at reunions up here) Davis, whose later "Women in American Literature" sort of entries assert was born in 1852 rather than the correct 1844. (Apparently it never occurs to femlit profs to question what a "NINE year old" was doing penning romantic war poesy in 1861. She was, of course, 17. New Orleans patroness of Lafcardio Hearn, and she died 1909), Robert Lanier "Tennessee" Williams (1911-1983 whose Very Much Yankee So There great-great grandma's stone I could pot with a rifle out my window) and my closest Chamberlain cuz and Hometown Girl Esther Forbes (1891-1967) of "Johnny Tremaine" etc.

None of these people had any idea what literary stars they'd produce someday. :rolleyes:

[Bear]

I did find a Seth Phillips that served throughout the war as a Private in the 7th Mass. under LtCol. John Brooks.

Don't worry, the thick scary salad-like green mold is just penicillin. :cheers:

[Guest Rick Research]

Too many Seth Philippseseseses.

YOURS falls through a data black hole-- first I've encountered with Mass Soldiers & Sailors-- I'm AMAZED that they "lost" an officer!

He must have been the Seth Philipps of Pembroke who was a Sergeant in Captain Eleazer Hamblen's Company, General John Thomas's Regiment, who served May 1, 1775 for 3 months, 1 week, 1 day and has no further entry.

He's the only one who COULD have been promoted Ensign-- unless YOUR Seth was a completely lost ADDITIONAL one.

Not having birth data on those records really gums things up.

--descendant of the SIXTH Nathaniel Dunham. :speechless: