Marlborough 1775 Minuteman Roster

During the eight years of this war a total of 375 Marlborough men were in service, amounting to 25% of the population of the Town. This is remarkable as the scenes of action shifted more and more to the south as the war progressed. These men, of course, were not in service all at the same time, but, when the war ended at least 75% of the male population were veterans. Fortunately, however, the casualties were small.

Marlborough 1775 Minuteman Rosters
From the book History of Middlesex County - Vol III, page 822-823 by Duane Hamilton Hurd: On 19 April 1775, news reached Marlborough that the British Army had left Boston and were marching to sieze rebel arms at Concord. Within a few hours, four companies of Marlborough men, consisting of 190 men, were marching to battle.

In 1774, three companies of “Minutemen” were organized in Marlborough under Captain Cyprian Howe, William Brigham and Daniel Barnes, representing (roughly) the east, west and central parts of the To9wn respectively, and each, seemingly, based on a separate tavern. At the first intelligence of bloodshed at Lexington and Concord as of the morning of April 19, 1775, these companies assembled and marched for the scene of action, probably to Watertown MA to prevent any of the English army moving out on the Post Road.

According to the army payrolls some of these men were away but a few days and some for as long as forty days, in their original companies. They then were reorganized and many served throughout the siege of Boston which was lifted March 16, 1776, and which ended British occupation in Massachusetts.

Roll of Captain Howe's Company
They marched to Cambridge on 19 April 1775, absent from home 16 days.
 * 1) Cyprian Howe (1726-1790), Captain
 * 2) Amasa Cranston, Lieutenant
 * 3) Uriah Eager, Ensign
 * 4) Solomon Bowers, Sargeant
 * 5) Robert Hunter, Sargeant
 * 6) William Hager
 * 7) Matthias Moseman
 * 8) Josiah Wilkins
 * 9) John Baker
 * 10) Abner Goodale
 * 11) Jabez Bush
 * 12) Asa Barnes
 * 13) Hiram Stow
 * 14) Forunatus Wheeler
 * 15) Aaron Eager
 * 16) Joel Brigham
 * 17) William Speakman
 * 18) Frances James
 * 19) Peter Howe (17xx)
 * 20) Ephraim Maynard
 * 21) Silas Barnes
 * 22) David Hunter
 * 23) Joseph Miller
 * 24) Simon Maynard
 * 25) Luke Hager
 * 26) Amos Walt
 * 27) Adonijah Newton
 * 28) Jacob Priest
 * 29) James Bruce
 * 30) Joel Barnard
 * 31) Timothy Bruce
 * 32) Nathaniel Bruce
 * 33) Thomas Goodale
 * 34) James Priest
 * 35) Ebenezer Eames
 * 36) William Brown
 * 37) Alpheus Morse
 * 38) Jabez Rice
 * 39) Jonathan Temple
 * 40) Jeduthan Alexander
 * 41) Joseph Baker
 * 42) Nebediah Howe
 * 43) Abner Dunton
 * 44) Thaddeus Shattuck
 * 45) Frederick Walcott
 * 46) Timothy Darling
 * 47) Abraham Whitney

Roll of Captain Brigham's Company
They marched to Cambridge on 19 April 1775, saw service of 10-30 days.


 * 1) William Brigham (1735-1793), Captain
 * 2) Silas Gates, 1st Lieutenant
 * 3) Ithamar Brigham, 2nd Lieutenant
 * 4) Henry Brigham, Sergeant
 * 5) Noah Beaman, Sergeant
 * 6) Joseph Brigham (17xx), Sergeant
 * 7) Ichabod Jones, Corporal
 * 8) Thomas Rice (17ss), Corporal
 * 9) Ephraim Ward, Corporal
 * 10) Josiah Priest, Corporal
 * 11) Lewis Brigham (1756-1803), Corporal
 * 12) Gershom Rice, Jr,
 * 13) Samuel Eames
 * 14) Ephraim Wilder
 * 15) Oliver Hale
 * 16) Simeon Howe
 * 17) Ezekiel Gilsby
 * 18) William Loring
 * 19) Redist Stewart
 * 20) Jabez Bent
 * 21) Jonathan Barnes, Jr
 * 22) Samuel Howe (17xx)
 * 23) Silas Carly
 * 24) Samuel Ward, Jr
 * 25) Isaac Morse
 * 26) James Ball
 * 27) Frederick Goodsew
 * 28) John Bagley
 * 29) Timothy Baker
 * 30) Ephraim Howe
 * 31) Abraham Beaman
 * 32) Robert Horn
 * 33) Luke Howe
 * 34) Lovewell Brigham
 * 35) Reuben Howe
 * 36) Reuben Wyman
 * 37) Jonah Newton
 * 38) Thomas Joslie
 * 39) Phinehas Howe
 * 40) Alexander Church
 * 41) Ithamar Goodnow
 * 42) George Brigham
 * 43) Moses Williams, Jr
 * 44) Willard Rice
 * 45) Samuel Howe (17xx)
 * 46) Gershom Brigham
 * 47) Jabez Rice
 * 48) Abraham Brigham
 * 49) Abijah Perry

Roll of Captain Barne's Company
They marched to Cambridge on 19 April 1775, saw service 10-40 days.

1775 Additional Service
Military Rolls of men who enrolled for eight months extended service- 8 month's men.

Military Activity at Marlborough
The Continental Army at Boston was under command of General Artemus Ward of Shrewsbury, MA (and the some of Marlborough parents), until July 3, 1775 when he was succeeded, by order of the Continental Congress, by George Washington. On July 2nd, Washington stopped at the Williams Tavern in Marlborough, being escorted by an honor guard of prominent citizens of this and adjoining towns, and he then proceeded through Marlborough along the Post Road, accompanied by a military delegation from the Boston battle front to Cambridge where he took over Gen. Ward’s command.

Marlborough’s position on the Post road brought continued evidence of the war to the Town. In the fall of 1775, cannon captured at Fort Ticonderoga were hauled through here under the direction of General Henry Knox, ox teams being requisitioned from the farmers all along the way to move this heavy equipment which was soon mounted in the fortifications around Boston, to counterbalance the cannon of the British Navy in Boston Harbor.

After British General Burgoyne’s army surrendered at Saratoga, NY, his captured troops, both Hessian and English were marched to Boston and interned in the fall of 1777. A large part of this captured contingent encamped in Marlborough, nearing the end of their three-week march. Two of Burgoyne’s men died in Marlborough and were interred in unmarked graves just off the post Road in the eastern part of the Town. Captain William Morse had left Marlborough with a company of 52 Marlborough men on October 5, 1777 to join the army at Saratoga, and arrived there October 17th the day Burgoyne surrendered.