Gideon Burdick was born 6 November 1762 in Hopkinton, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States to Thomas Burdick (1725-1803) and Abigail Allen (1739-1815) and died 5 April 1846 Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, United States of unspecified causes. He married Catharina Schmidt (1770-1806) 24 February 1791 in Reformed Dutch Church at Fort Plain, Minden, Montgomery County, New York, United States. He married Jane RIpley (1762-1848) 1814 .
Biography
Gideon Burdick, son of Thomas Burdick (1725 - 1803) and Abigail Allen (1739 - 1815), Gideon was born at Hopkinton, Washington County, Rhode Island on 6 November 1762.
American Revolution
According to family legend, while serving in the American Revolutionary War, it is thought that Gideon Burdick was the drummer boy who accompanied George Washington on his historic trip across the Delaware River on Christmas Night in 1776. Gideon married twice.
Gideon Burdick enlisted at Catskill in 1780 as private in Colonel Dubois' of the NY Levies, and served three weeks. From 25 July 1780, he served three months as a private in Captain Jacob Wright's 6th Company of Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt's 2nd Regiment, NY Line, and was discharged 25 October 1780. He served another stint in Captain Daniel Delevan's Company of Colonel William Malcolm's Regiment, NY Levies, and in 1782 he served a tour in Colonel Marinus Willet's Regiment of NY Levies.
"The muffled sound of Gideon's drum encouraged the soldiers through the snow and sleet to the ice bound Delaware River. Washington and his men won the struggle with the icy currents of the Delaware, defeated the enemy and turned the tide of the American Revolution. The drummer boy's drum was no longer muffled, but beat out a signal of victory," Ogden Standard Examiner, 30 June 1975.
Gideon often related the crossing of the Delaware with George Washington to his grandchildren. At one time during the War he was under the orders of General Benedict Arnold, a descendant of the friend of his own ancestor. His pension application notes he performed guard duty over Major Andre, the British spy. Besides guard and scout duty, he went on a scouting excursion over the Blue Mountains in pursuit of Indians who had killed some white settlers. His enlistment expired and he was discharged from service about 1 January 1782.
After the war he married Catherine and moved the family to Montgomery County, followed by Chenango and then Batavia County in New York; Athens County, Ohio; and then to Chautauqua County, New York, where he was living in 1833. Gideon and Catherine had five children before her death in 1806. Gideon married Jane Brown Ripley in 1814, with whom he had five additional children. Another story about Gideon is that one day he went into the field to work and hung his coat upon a fence post. By night he found a bird had built its nest in the sleeve. Rather than disturb the nest he left the coat there until the young were hatched and able to leave.
Conversion to Mormonism
Gideon Burdick and his family lived in the Chautauqua, New York area. From references in the Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine: "At the outlet of Lake Chautauqua, near Buffalo...the gospel message was brought,,, Gideon Burdick and family were baptized in June 1833. In November they joined the body of the Church in Kirtland, Ohio.
When they moved to Chautauqua County, New York they encounted the fledgling The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Gideon's daughter, Rebecca, had married Hiram Winters, who was operating a saw mill at the outlet of Lake Chautaugua, near Buffalo. Rebecca ran a boarding house for the sawmill hands. Among them were her brother, Alden Burdick, William Pratt, Zebedee Coltrin (1804-1887). Gidoen Burdick and his family, including all these boarders, joined the LDS church in June 1833. That November they moved with the main body of the church to Kirtland, Ohio.
It seems that the religious fervor shown by Alden, his father, and earlier ancestors was a family affair, for his older brother Thomas was called as a clerk and later as a bishop. His brother Elias died in Pleasant Grove, Utah and thus also may be assumed to have been a member.
Marriage and Family
His first wife in 1792 was Catherine (Robertson / Schmidt?); and his second wife in 1814 was widow Jane (Ripley) Brown.
1st Marriage : Catherine
After the close of the war he lived for a time at Catskill upon the Hudson River in New York. In 1792 he married his first wife, Catherine Robertson / Schmidt? (c1775 - 1806). A family story says that his wife almost died when delivering their first child. Gideon prayed that God would spare her life, swearing that if she lived he would always side aside that day for fasting. She was spared, and every year on 7 February he would go into the woods and spend the day alone, keeping faith with the Lord.
- Abigail Burdick (1793-1872)
- Thomas Burdick (1796-1877) - Mormon bishop in Kirtland, Ohio (1841), left church afterwards and in 1853 led a company of 100 wagons thru Salt Lake and on to Southern California, settling in Los Angeles.
- Rebecca Burdick (1799-1852) - Famous for The Lone Grave of a Pioneer Woman - a State Landmark in Nebraska.
- Elias Burdick (1802-1876) - never married, but followed saints to Utah.
- Alden Burdick (1803-1845) - Veteran of Zion's Camp (1834) and 1st Quorum of Seventy of the LDS Church.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Abigail Burdick (1793-1872) | |||
| Thomas Burdick (1796-1877) | 17 September 1796 Canajoharie, Montgomery County, New York, United States | 6 November 1877 San Gabriel, Los Angeles County, California, United States | Anna Higley (1806-1887) |
| Rebecca Burdick (1799-1852) | 16 January 1799 Canajoharie, Montgomery County, New York, United States | 15 August 1852 Scottsbluff, Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States | Hiram Winters (1805-1889) |
| Elias Burdick (1802-1876) | |||
| Alden Burdick (1803-1845) | 12 September 1803 Jamestown, Chautauqua County, New York, United States | 20 August 1845 La Harpe, Hancock County, Illinois, United States | Jerusha Parks (1809-1883) |
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Lucinda Burdick (1815-1895) | |||
| Lois Marie Burdick (1818-1891) | |||
| Mary Burdick (1819-1891) | |||
| Osmer Burdick (1820-1827) | |||
| Jonathan Burdick (1826-1828) | |||
Siblings
Ancestry
Alden Burdick was born September 12, 1803 in Jamestown, Chataugua, New York, and that he was the son of Gideon Burdick and his wife Catherine Robertson. Gideon Burdick was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. There has always been a great tradition of patriotism in this family. The Burdick family has been in America since about 1650. There is also a history of Burdick ancestors searching for religious truth in earlier generations. Alden's ancestors were founding members of the Seventh-day Baptist Church (or Sabbatarians) in Newport Rhode Island and Westerly, Rhode Island, approximately between 1665 and 1671.
Research Notes
Crossing the Delaware: Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware was in 1776, at which time Gideon was 14. His pension records indicate that he enlisted in 1780 - but this means that he could not have crossed the Delaware with Washington in 1776. Further research is indicated.
The Bicentennial Quarter: The drummer boy featured on the Bicentennial Quarter is alleged to be Gideon Burdick. This legend was thoroughly investigated by BYU's 100 Hour Board and found to be false.
Furthermore, the attack across the Delaware was a sneak attack requiring military silence. No drummer needed.
References
- Alden Burdick Grandpa Bill's GA Pages