John D. Dennis (1760 - 1850)

Born 30 Oct 1760 in Gloucester, New Jersey

Husband of Sarah Ann (Hull) Dennis — married 1 Jan 1823 in Clermont County, Ohio

Descendants

Died 8 Jun 1850 at age 89 in Clermont County, Ohio

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Biography

Private John Dennis served with Gloucester County Militia, New Jersey Militia during the American Revolution.

John Dennis is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A031834.

John Dennis was born in Gloucester County, New Jersey the 30th of October in 1760. In a sworn affidavit enclosed in his Revolutionary War pension file, he describes 4 separate tours of duty and additional service to his country. He enlisted and served as a Private in the New Jersey Militia from about the beginning of the Revolution. He served, on a weekly basis, as a guard out of Fort Mifflin under Lt. Lippincott. He continued this service as needed, and when not otherwise engaged in service, for about two years. He served from about September or October of 1776, in Captain William Price's company, in Wescott, Leads, or Somer's Regiment, and was discharged the last of February in 1777; from September or October, three weeks under Captains Robert Snell, Samuel Snell, and James Somers (Colonel James Somers) He was involved in an engagement at Great Egg Harbor and afterward guarded the prisoners who were taken at this time to Philadelphia (These officers commanded the 3rd Battalion).

From sometime in the following February, for fifteen days, John served under Captains Thomas Stites and Proctor and was engaged with the enemy. His father, who's name is not given in his pension file, served with him at this time in the same company from June 2, 1778 for two months in Captain Stites' Company under Major Wescott. John was then serving from September or October, four weeks in Captain Joseph Conover's [Covenhoven?] Company when he volunteered to board a New Jersey Privateer (believed to be The Alligator) at Great Egg Harbor commanded by Captain David Scull and Lieutenant Andrew Steelman. This mission was to recover goods from a cutter which John believed to have been run aground by Captain Adam Hyler who sailed The Revenge. They worked for several weeks in horrible weather before being engaged by British Captain John Bacon and his band of Tories aboard the Hero's Revenge come to collect the bounty. John Dennis saw Captain Scull wounded and Lieutenant Steelman killed. In his affidavit John tells of most of the guards and himself getting clear and running for what he believed to be nine miles in the surf before coming in land. This became known as Massacre at Long Beach.

John Dennis claimed to have later served with Privateers aboard the Rattlesnake and the Hornet,a noted U.S. Navy flagship during the War of 1812. He also mentioned he'd been at some time slightly wounded in an engagement with a British 10 gun sloop of war. His will mentions his "late pension of 1812" implying John may have continued in service to his country in the merchant marine or possibly enlisted when the U.S. Navy was established.

John claimed he'd continued to reside in Gloucester County, New Jersey until about 1805 or 1806 at which time he removed from New Jersey to the Town of Williamsburg in Clermont County, Ohio. John remained in Williamsburg, Ohio until about 1822 when he briefly moved to New Richmond, Ohio. He soon after bought a farm in Monroe, Clermont County around the time he married to Sarah (Hull?) Higbee. He would have been over 60 years old when this marriage occurred and it was surely not his first. He appears to have a house full in the 1820 census at Williamsburg. Affidavits in his Revolutionary War pension file made reference to him raising a large family but sadly no names are given. His son, John D. Dennis, two older daughters, and 2 younger daughters have been identified from latter inquiries of his service record and his will. John was listed as 88 years old in the census of 1850. He passed away in June of that year and was buried on his farm in Monroe. His will dated 24th May 1850 naming his widow Sarah, his son John D. Dennis as executor, mentioning daughters; Nancy Reynolds, Sarah Barkley, and his "other children" as Amy Mount, late Dennis, and Mary Ann Kain, late Dennis.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYY8-S5VJ?cc=1803955&wc=3L7F-9L3%3A1586985003%2C1586989508%2C1586986735 : 16 July 2015), Ohio > Clermont > Williamsburg > image 13 of 16; citing NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YT5-S8X3?cc=1803958&wc=35Y4-H8X%3A1588481803%2C1588481808%2C1588471408 : 14 August 2015), Ohio > Clermont > Monroe > image 9 of 20; citing NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBZ-F7M?cc=1786457&wc=31S2-RS1%3A1588669308%2C1588669358%2C1588666577 : 24 August 2015), Ohio > Clermont > Monroe Township > image 7 of 23; citing NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6FXS-ZB3?cc=1401638&wc=95RH-PYQ%3A1031310001%2C1033271301%2C1031522601 : 9 April 2016), Ohio > Clermont > Monroe > image 17 of 46; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• Marriage of John and Sarah Higbee "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-BV68-Z?cc=1614804&wc=Q6SP-7LP%3A121346901%2C121409201 : 15 July 2014), Clermont > Marriage records 1821-1834 vol 2 > image 55 of 318; county courthouses, Ohio.
• Death of Amy A. (Dennis) Mount, Clermont County, OH 19 April 1882"Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-63L3-MW7?cc=2128172&wc=7DZ2-GRP%3A1296031901%2C1296031902 : 30 September 2014), Clermont > Death records, 1867-1885, vol 1-3 > image 223 of 373; county courthouses, Ohio.
• Marriage of daughter, Sarah Ann Dennis "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-BJ9Q-H?cc=1614804&wc=Q6SP-7RP%3A121346901%2C121496301 : 15 July 2014), Clermont > Marriage records 1845-1848 vol 4 > image 70 of 78; county courthouses, Ohio.
• Death of Annie B. Fowler "Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KFWD-8SH : 13 March 2018), Sarah Ann Dennis in entry for Annie B Fowler, 31 Dec 1943; citing Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing; FHL microfilm 1,972,907.
• Death of Lourisa Bell McDonald, "Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KFWC-S9J : 13 March 2018), Sarah Dennis in entry for Lourisa Bell Mcdonald, 21 Sep 1941; citing Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing; FHL microfilm 1,972,898.
• Revolutionary War Pensioner application # W8196 (first link is FREE)https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54413787
  • https://www.fold3.com/image/18055241
• American War of Independence~ At Sea https://www.awiatsea.com/incidents/1782-10-25%20The%20Long%20Beach%20Island%20Massacre.html
• The Whaleboat wars of the Revolution
  • The New Jersey whaleboat men who braved the might of the Royal Navy to carry the war to the enemy. Web pages written and created by Glenn Valis. last revision 12/20/01. http://www.doublegv.com/ggv/battles/whaleboat.html