Friday, October 30, 2009

How might, John, the father of Jeremiah, Patrick and Henry Bulman, have come to know about regions around Schenectady, New York?

The man on the right was severely vilified when I went to school. It is remotely possible that an ancestor of ours served under him, or more correctly was inspired, by his words and example, to fight on at a famous battle in the War of Independence. Many say that this battle, or collection of battles, changed the direction of the war. This is Benedict Arnold, a brilliant officer, whose name, like that of Quisling, became synonymous with betrayal. Yet, his reputation seems to have been somewhat rehabilitated more recently as witnessed to by the "Boot Memorial" at the Saratoga National Historical Park.

Yet, at the Battle of Saratoga, he was merely a disobedient hero.

This is just a bit of colour. However, it be worth doing at least some Google research about both the battles and Benedict. What is important for now, not that history is unimportant--you know I quote Santayana, is the fact that a John Bullman is supposed to have fought in Captain Abijah Child's company under Colonel John Greaton. At least, the National Parks Service says so. Well, the site at Saratoganygenweb.

BULLMAN, John MA Watertown

Private, Capt. Abijah Child's co., Col. John Greaton's regt. ; from 1 Apr 1777, to 20 Jun 1779 p reported deserted. More info.

If you click for info you get:

Bullman, John
Additional military information: Private, Capt. Samuel Barnard's co., (late) Col. Thomas Gardner's regt., which marched on the alarm of 19 Apr 1775 ; service, 4 days ; also, list of men mustered in Suffolk Co. by Nathaniel Marber, Muster Master, dated Boston, 27 Apr 1777 ; Capt. Child's co., Col. Greaton's regt. ' enlisted for town of Watertown ; also, reported deserted. Ref. MA01

MAO1 - Massachusetts Commonwealth; Massachusetts Solders and Sailors in the War of the Revolution (17 vols) ; Wright and Potter Printing Co., (Boston, 1896) ; Additional information can be found at the New York State Library, CMA callnum: 973.3444 qA2
(A note for researchers, this call number is for the 17 volumes of the series at the New York State Library. You can view them online via the Internet Archives. I have already made a link for my needs. There is another seris called the New England Historical and Genealogical Register with hundreds of books relating various sources--this link is for 1911. Keep in mind this is only a single volume in a very large series.)

On page 91 of Watertown's Military History, which was published in 1907 "under the direction of a Committee representing the Sons of the American Revolution, and Isaac B. Patten Post 81, Grand Army of the Republic, you can read the following:

BULLMAN, JOHN. Name on list of 3 yrs. men, 1777 ; residence and credited to Watertown ; list of men mustered in Suffolk Co., by Nathaniel Barber, muster master, dated Boston, Apr. 27, 1777 ; Capt. Child's co., Col. Greaton's regt. ; also, Private, Capt. Abijah Child's co., Col. Greaton's (2d) regt. ; Continental Army pay accounts for service from Apr. 1, 1777, to June 20, 1779 ; reported deserted.

Deserted. Not a good look. But, perhaps, not strictly, a fact.

However, before looking for information elsewhere, a reader might wish to read pages 73-75 which states something of the soldiers of the revolution in terms of the assessor's evaluation for property-holders and poll tax payers of 1 December, 1774, just before the battle at Lexington. This provides us with additional information. For instance, John Bullman seems to have resided on the west side of Watertown This seems to be the less affluent side of town.

Indeed, John Bullman was assessed as having no value in terms of either Pounds or Shillings. He is one of twenty such assessments out of one hundred on the west-side. By comparison, the east-side only had thirteen such out of eighty-five assessments. Or, 20% to, something like, 15%.

Readers might wish to read a little about the Lexington Alarm and see John Bullman listed in the muster roll on pages 77-79 of Watertown's Military History. An additional source of the muster roll can be found on page 40 of the History and Genealogy of the Descendants of Joseph Taynter, who sailed from England April, A.D. 1638, and settled in Watertown, Mass (1859). There is an interesting anecdote about one of the men in the footnote. By the way, through the Bates side of our family, we could call the Tainters, johnny-come-latelys. The Bates arrive in 1635. Of course, others were roaming the north American continent long before that.

Seriously, there is another source. On page 792 of the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War which was compiled "from the archives" and "prepared and published by the Secretary of the Commonwealth in accordance with Chapter 100, Resolves of 1891" and published in 1896, we find:

BULLMAN, John, Watertown. Private, Capt. Samuel Barnard's co., (late) Col. Thomas Gardner's regt., which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775 ; service, 4 days ; also, list of men mustered in Suffolk Co. by Nathaniel Barber, Muster Master, dated Boston, April 27, 1777 ; Capt. Child's co., Col. Greaton's regt. ; residence, Watertown ; enlisted for town of Watertwon ; also, Private, Capt. Abijah Child's co., Col. John Greaton's (2d) regt. ; Continental Army pay accounts for service from April 1, 1777, to June 20, 1779 ; reported deserted.
Now, it is important to note that the information about Col. Greaton's regiment being the Second, may not be strictly accurate at this point. The Massachusetts Line seems to have been reorganised and renamed more than once. Yet, it is likely that John Bullman was at the Battles of Saratoga (Freeman's Farm and Bemis Hill) in 1777.

It is also very likely that he was not a deserter. I have seen the microfilms of these files and there are extremely difficult to follow. Additionally, there is the following entry on page 798:

BULMAN, John. Private, Capt. Samuel Flower's co., Col. John Greaton's (3d) regt. ; enlisted Aug. 27 (also given Aug. 15), 1779 ; discharged May 27, 1780 ; enlistment, 9 months ; also, muster roll for Sept., 1779, dated Camp Bedford ; also, muster roll for Oct., 1779, dated Camp near Peekskill ; also, muster roll for Nov. and Dec., 1779, dated Continental Village.
Notice that there is about a one month gap between John Bullman's pay-record and John Bulman's enlistment in Colonel John Greaton's regiment.

While the surrendering of Burgoyne's sword to Gage took place there, the "Battle of Saratoga" occurred about ten miles south and east of Saratoga. But, it was relatively close to Schenectady. Additionally, all the camps mentioned for the Bulman (one "L") were in southern New York. So, whether, this is our John Bulman, father of Jeremiah, Patrick and Henry, his "story" does demonstrate how someone from Massachusetts might end up knowing quite a bit about New York.

It also demonstrates that care to be taken with the records. If John Bullman of Watertown (and there were a few other John Bullmans) and John Bulman were the same person, it may be an administrative anachronism to still considered him to have deserted.

More for the next post.

2 comments:

  1. Lucina Bulman married Stephen Boss. She was born
    about 1821 and died 12 Sep 1871; both buried at
    Deansboro Cemetery, Oneida Co., NY. Can anyone
    prove who her parents were?

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  2. We know that she was not the daughter of Patrick and Sarah. This leaves Jeremiah, Patrick's brother, and his wife Abigail. I have no firm evidence of this. However, other family members descended from Jeremiah might. For instance, when Abigail accompanied her son Henry and his wife Wealthea, her sons, Jeremiah and William Franklin and their sister Louisa, remained in Marshall/Kirkland. I believe that Lucinda was a daughter as well. The Boss family and the Bulman families lived near to each other. It would be great if anyone can confirm this. As to how John (or, Christopher) Bulman the father of Jeremiah, Patrick (Peter) and Henry Bulman settled in Schenectady, I have some theories that have been outlined in other posts. I am not sure what actually became of Jeremiah who was a lock keeper on the canal. William Franklin followed other family members to Wisconsin after the Civil War and his descendants are still living there. I will be putting more of what I know about them up in the coming weeks now that I am back to maintaining this blog.

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