The Portland daily press., 1896-12-19

| Militia Co., and those in Wigglesworth' 8
Regiment, who marched to reinforce the
Northern army in August. No wonder
| that James Sullivan wrose Samuel Free.
| man at Watertown that any moro de-
mands for mon could not be obeyea.
Such was the patriotism of our forefa-
theirs. In the early part of the year the
| people were seriously considering the
establishing of an independent govern
| ment. 1t was the talk in every town,
and i'll open town meeting they deIber.
| ately resolved that if the Continental
Congress should decide to declare their
| independence from the mother country.
they would pledge their lives and estates
| to the cause. Fiske says the declaration
of independence was deliberate express
sion Of the sober thought of the Ameri-
can people.
Cumberland County and our State has
Revolutionary history Of it's own.
| "Where's the coward that would not
| dare to fight for such land?"
This is the simple story of the fortify-
ing of our harbor BY our forefathers,
during the year that they decided to set
up governments of their own. The
constancy of those men, assisted and en-
Outraged by tho brave, liberty loving
| women of those times will always COM
mand the respectnnd admiration of their
descendants, and it is right that their
| udluS6 6UO01u NO AAOWn " CvC3y SSAsS>.-
| ton.
| From the original muster and pay
rolls of Capt. William Cr0oker's COM
| pany the names Of his men have been
copied that we may know who they were
that huilt and manned our forts IN the
year 1776. The other company rolls nave
all been published.
in old Falmouth in 1776 He was proba-
bly, the son of Rev. Joseph Croker, the
sixth minister at Taunton, Mass. HIS
mother YVES Rebe0ca A lien, daughter OF
Ebenezer Allen. Ho was a descendant
of William Croker, of Scituate, in 1886,
and his great-grandfather, Josiah Crock
or, WAS one Of those brave men who
fought the swamp flght III that bitter
cold day in 1876, in Capt. James Cor
hams company, for which service his
grandson, Rev. Josiah Crocker. was one
| OF the original grantees of Gorham, Me.
| Capt Croker was married by Ruv.
| Thomas Browne, to IIeonice Howard,
April 10, 1777. He was licensed retailer
at Scarborough in ITO and 177l, and an
His sureties were Col. Samuel March.
Joseph Prout, Richard Goldman and Maj.
David Bradish.
William Croker was appointed captain
of this company Jan. l, 1873, and served
until Nov. %, here in Falmouth Nook,
and Feb. /, TIT, was chosen adjtuant Of
the First Cumberland County Militia
Regiment by the legislature. His father
was the third generation named Josiah,
and the five sons Of the family were
officers in the Revolutionary army.
Josiah, Benjamin. Joseph, William and
Ebenezer. Benjamin was an officer here
in Col. Joseph Princess Regiment in
1870, and died at Maohias, Me-, Nov. s,
1897.
First Lieut.. John Skillings was from
Scarborough. He was the son of Ed
ward and Sarah (Miller) Skillings and
was born Jan. 4. 1741, married june 8,
1894, Hannah Hasty, daughter of William
and Hannah (Fogg) Hasty, born May ID,
1747. She married for her second hus-
band Col. Benjamin Larrabee, captain
of the Revolution.
Lieut. Skillings had five children,
three of whom died young. Agnes, born
siah Beal, and Edward, born Nov. g.,
177l, married Nov. 20, 1892, Susanna
Triokey.
in addition to his service in Capt
Orocker's company, Lieut.. SkillinRs was
captain of the second company IN Col.
Ebenezar Francois Eleventh Massachu-
sets Regiment, and was killed by a
Jersey Blue" at SkeensEorough, now
Whitehall, N. Y, April Q, 1777,- aged SO
years, before the regiment had partici-
pated in any battles. Capt. Samuel
Thomes of 6troudwater, succeeded
him in command of the company.
Second Lieut.. Amos Andrews was
from Scarborough, and his wife's name
was Anne He had children. He was
selectman in 177s-9 and and 1928, and
was sergeant in Capt. David strout's
company at Cape Elizabeth and Soar
borough from July II to Dec. 81, 1775.
He was commissioned second lieutenant
Of Capt. Crooker's company Beb. 10,
1910, aud served eight months and %
days that year.
Compapy stationed in Falmouth in the
County OF Cum berland, in the service of
the State of the Massachusetts Bay, ac-
cordina to this Sea Coast Establishment
for the year 1776, made up for the last
day of May to the last day OF August,
1875.
Captain-William Croker.
LIST Lieut.-John Skillin.
2nd Lieut.. "A mos Andrew.
LIST Sergt. -Daniel Small
2nd Sergt.-William McKenney.
Srd. Lieut.-Hutson Bailey
LIST Corp.-Niicah Sampson.
End Corp.-Joseph McKenney.
8rd Corp.-Daniel Moses.
Drummer-John Knight.
Bifer-Samuel Ayers
Pr1vates. Andrew Brown, harrison
Brazier, James Bracket, Jr., John
Bailey, Jr., Samuel Braokett, John Bri-
ant deserted Sept. 10, Zachariah Baker,
Joseph Berry, William Bailey, Jr., Sam
uel Cash, Richard Crocker, Jr., William
Cammet, Paul Cammet, Isaac Child,
Job Cash, Ephraim Crockett, Isaac Dyer,
James Doughty, William Davis, Gihbins
Edecomb, William Elder, James Edg-
comb, John henderson, William Grace,
Daniel Green, Geo. James HAZE, Samu-
ell HemlninGway, Samuel Hodgkins,
Sa muel Hicks, Ehenezer Hilton, Benja
min Holt deserted Sept. u, William
johnson, Robert Jackson, Amos Knight,
Jonathan Knight, Job Luns, Simeon
Libbee, Moses Libbee, Jethro Libbee,
Luke Libhee, Josiah Moses, John Nc
K enney, John Mcfarland, Simon Mar
ston, DANIEL Marston, James Proctor,
Samuel Proctor, Jr., Joseph Pride, Jr.,
William Plummer, Joshua Robinson,
John Robinson, Reuben Riggs, BenJa-
min Randall, Isaac Strout, Jonathan
Stone, REUBEN Seavey, John Shute,
Hezskiah Sawyer, joseph Swcetser, Will
liam Sweetser, Nathaniel Shaw, JOSIAH
Shaw, Jacob Sawyer, Jr., John Swan,
Henry Small, John Sawyer, Joseph
Thomas, William Walker, William Toby.