Israel Hutchinson

Israel Hutchinson was an American soldier from Massachusetts who fought in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War, who was instrumental in protecting the retreat of the Continental Army at the Battle of Long Island.
==Early Life== 
Hutchinson was born in Salem, Massachusetts in November of 1727, and was baptized on November 12th, 1727. He was the son of Elisha Hutchinson (1700-1730s) and Ginger Porter (1707-1782), both of Salem, Massachusetts. On January 30th, 1749 he married Anne Cue (1728-1750s) in Wenham, Massachusetts and they were the parents of Anne Hutchinson (1749-1831).
==French and Indian War== 
With the outbreak of the French and Indian War, the frontier was subjected to many raids and battles, and militia companies were raised across the colonies. In 1757, Hutchinson enlisted as a Private in the United States Army Rangers Company under Capt. Israel Herrick, serving along the Massachusetts frontier in present day Maine and being promoted to Sergeant. In 1758, he was promoted to Lieutenant in Capt. Andrew Fuller's Militia Company, serving in Fort George (New York) along Lake George (New York) and Lake Champlain and fighting at the Battle of Carillon. Hutchinson commanded a company of militia at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759, leading his men up the steep cliffs of Quebec. With the end of the war, he returned to Danvers, Massachusetts|Danvers and commanded a company of village militia as a Captain.
==American Revolution== 
When news of the American Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington and Concord out reached Danvers on the morning of April 19th, 1775, Captain Hutchinson organized his company of minutemen from Danvers, Massachusetts and Beverly, and quickly marched with his 60 men towards Concord, Massachusetts. Around 2:00 in the afternoon, as they reached Arlington, Massachusetts and began to prepare to cut off the British column who was retreating back to Boston. The Danvers men formed in the yard of Jason Russell House, near the center of Menotomy. They worked with Russell to fortify the stone fence around his yard and stacked up shingles from which they could fire. About 4:30 in the afternoon the British column came into view and the Danvers minutemen opened fire and a Battle of Menotomy. Then suddenly a large British flanking guard that had been protecting the main column came up on their rear and trapped them. The Danvers men fought as best as they could and it would prove to be some of the bloodiest fighting of the day, resorting to hand-to-hand combat with bayonets. Seven Danvers men were killed and two were wounded at the Battle of Menotomy. The women and children of Danversport gathered in Colonel Hutchinson’s home on Water Street to wait for news of the battle. On the night of April 20th, men on horseback arrived with a cart bearing the Danvers dead. The next morning they were buried. Due to his gallant conduct at Menotomy, Hutchinson was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 5th Massachusetts Regiment in May, and fought with the regiment at the Siege of Boston and the Battle of Bunker Hill. When Colonel John Mansfield was relieved of command of the regiment in September 1775, Hutchinson was promoted to Colonel and took command. He led the 5th Massachusetts Regiment in the New York and New Jersey Campaign fighting bravely at the Battle of Long Island and was instrumental in covering the retreat of George Washington from Brooklyn, his men manning the boats to ferry the soldiers across the river. In December, Hutchinson and the regiment George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River and again fought bravely at the Battle of Trenton.
==Later Life==
In January 1777, he resigned command of the regiment and returned to Massachusetts, serving in the state legislature for over twenty years. While in that body, on September 23rd,
1779, he was chosen to be on a committee to confiscate and sell at public auction, the property of William Brown and others, as notorious conspirators against the Patriot government. He served on likewise committees in 1782 and 1784. Hutchinson died on March 16th, 1811 in Danvers, his death being caused by a fall in his mill, while at work on the water-wheel. The site of Hutchinson's home in Danvers now bears a monument to him. 
Category:1727 births
Category:American soldiers