Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-08-13


service of Lieut.. Thayer in the Revolu-
ton is difficult. He served as an officer
of the Massachusetts, militia, which was
called out as it was required, and in con-
sidering its service, we must take &C.
count of the difference in conditions be-
tween that day and these times of quick
communication and transportation and
thorough organization.
Most of the information available on
this point is contained in papers on file
in the pension office at Washington, sent
there many years after the war, in an
endeavor to secure pension for Lieut..
Thayer's widow, who outlived him some
time. (The pension, by the way, was not
granted before her death.) These papers
are somewhat fragmentary, and complete
information can not be gained from
them.
Isaac Thayer was commissioned 10y
the major part of the council of Massa-
chusetts Bay second lieutenant of "the
third company commanded by Eliphalet
Saving in the fifth reg't of Militia in the
county of Suffolk, whereof Ebenezer
Thayer Jun. Esquire, is Colonel" The
commission is dated Sept. 16, ITS, and
he took the oath on the 10th of October
of the same year.
1t was in the spring and summer fol-
lowing this that his service in Tiverton
was performed, during which he wrote
the letter which was read at the cere.
monies as given above. The document
ordering this service is as follows:
BRAINTREE, May 10th, ITO.
Lieut.. Isaac Thayer:
Sir. You will take the Command OF
the D Detachment from the Regiment under
my Command Detached for the purpose
of Guarding the State of Rhode Island
until the first Day of July Next, and
march them to Tiverton in the sd. State
Immediately, then apply to Lieut. Col.
Pierce for further Orders. You will re-
ceive these Orders from your
Humb. Serv't
EBENER. THAYER junr. Col.
That the Ground robin" is not entire.
" an invention of the past decade ap-
pears from the following document,
which is interesting both for the matter
which it contains and for the quaintness
and formalness of its style:
TIvERToN June Goth 1910
To the Honorable Council and House OF
Representatives convened in the State
House in Boston from
Commissioned officers being detached
from the militia to do duty in Tiverton
until July next.
"We beg leave to acquaint your Honor
that We sincerely regret our misfortune
in not being counted worthy to receive
| from your honors so great reward in
addition to the continental pay as the
privates we had the honor to command,
nor doth our misfortune end here. We
have not received any considerat on for
Transporting our baggage to or from the
place of our destination, a circumstance
which we look upon as somewhat singu-
lar. We therefore pray that your honors
would take our unhappy fate into your
wise consideration and grant that relief
which in your great wisdom may seem
meet and your petitioners as in duty
bound shall ever pray"
This petition is headed by Lieut. Col.
Pierce of Dorchester, and is signed by a
number of other officers, including Lieut.,
Thayer OF Bralntree.
The record of service of Lieut.. Thayer
which appears among the papers in the
pension office at Washington is as fol-
lows, but it is evidently incomplete:
Col Palmer's Reg't, Capt Sawin Isaac
Thayer Lieut..
Name on return of Capt. Sawin from
June ID, 1776 assembled at Braintree)
4 days
On q pay roll of Capt Job Cushings Go
Col Samuel Pierce's Regt as Lieut. l mo.
20 days, from May Is, 1779-
On a pay roll of Capt Nathaniel
Belcher's Co under Maj Gen'l Hancock
at Castle William as Lieut. from Sept 3,
ITO, mo. 26 days.