Nathaniel Adams (1739 - 1781)

Born 8 Jun 1739 in Groton, New London, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Comstock) Adams — married 4 Jan 1770 in Groton, New London, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 6 Sep 1781 at age 42 in Groton, New London, Connecticut, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Linda Bailey [send private message]

Biography

Private Nathaniel Adams served with Col William Ledyard's Co at Fort Griswold, Connecticut Militia during the American Revolution.

Nathaniel Adams was Killed in Action during the American Revolution.

Nathaniel Adams is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A000691.

Nathaniel Adams is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 101513
Rank: Private

Nathaniel was born in 1739. He was the son of Nathaniel Adams and Hannah Wheeler. He served in Col. WIlliam Ledyard's Company at Fort Griswold and was killed in battle at Groton Heights, Sept 6, 1781.

Nathaniel married Elizabeth Comstock

Nathaniel served as a Private with the Connecticut Militia during the Revolutionary War. He was killed at the Battle of Groton Heights defending Fort Griswold. ^{[1] [2]}

Sources

1. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed Aug 14 2020), "Record of Nathaniel Adams", Ancestor # A000691.
2. ↑ "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS3Q-C36R-9?cc=2546162&wc=WD6Q-RM3%3A1588792203 : 24 January 2018), Connecticut > image 594 of 977; citing various published state rosters, United States.

• Burgess, Charles. Historic Groton, Comprising Historic and Descriptive Sketches (Moosup, Conn., 1909) Page 50.
  • "The oldest victim of the butchery, James Comstock, seventy five years of age, was a visitor at the home of his son-in-law Nathaniel Adams, Jr., at the foot of Candlewood Hill. The two went forth together, died together, and in the bitter chaos which followed were buried in a common grave upon the farther side of the Thames. The laurels belonging to the younger of the two have been for generations mistakenly laid upon the grave of Nathaniel Adams, Senior, who took no part in the battle, and who was buried years afterwards among the Gungywamp hills."

SAR Application

Nathaniel Adams and wife Hannah Wheeler md 1731

Son: Nathaniel Adams (1739-1781) md 1770 Elizabeth Comstock

Granddaughter: Amy Adams born 1781; md Benajah Davis

Gr Granddaughter: Hannah Davis born 1800 md John Suyant (1800-1837)

Gr Gr Granddaughter: Elmyra Melissa Smyant (1836-1913) md Benedict Clark (1826-1883

Gr Gr Gr Granddaughter: Mattie Elizabeth Clark (1857-1928) md William Bertin (1868-)

Gr Gr Gr Gr Grandson: William DeForest Bertin (1896-)

Nathaniel Adams (1739-1781) was in Wadsworth's Brigade in the retreat from New York and was at white Plains. He was killed at Groton Heights, Sept 6, 1781.

Nathaniel Adams married January 4, 1770 to Elizabeth Comstock

Their children were:

1 Abigail born March 1 1771

2 Sarah born Jan 17, 1773

3 Elizabeth born July 18, 1775

4 Prentice born February 26, 1771

5 Amy born 1781

Amy Adams was six months old at the time of her father's death

"Allyn's History of Groton Heights" page 137, says Elizabeth Adams, Widow of Nathaniel Adams, a cloathier, was left with five children under age of 11 years.

William DeForest Bertin also has an application as a Descendant of Elizabeth Compstock's parents: James Comstock (1712-1781) and Hannah Allen.

SAR application

...

• Connecticut Town Birth Records pre-1870 (Barbour Collection) ancestry.com

• Connecticut Death and Burial Index 1650-1934 ancestry.com

• Connecticut Town Marriage Records pre 1870 (Barbour Collection)

Battle of Groton Heights From Wikipedia

The Battle of Groton Heights (also known as the Battle of Fort Griswold, and occasionally called the Fort Griswold massacre) was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on September 6, 1781 between a small Connecticut militia force led by Lieutenant Colonel William Ledyard and the more numerous British forces led by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold and Lieutenant Colonel Edmund Eyre.

Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton ordered Arnold to raid the port of New London, Connecticut in an unsuccessful attempt to divert General George Washington from marching against Lord Cornwallis's army in Virginia. The raid was a success, but the Connecticut militia stubbornly resisted British attempts to capture Fort Griswold across the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut. New London was burned along with several ships, but many more ships escaped upriver.

Several leaders of the attacking British force were killed or seriously wounded, but the British eventually breached the fort and the Americans surrendered—whereupon the British entered the fort and massacred the defenders. However, the high level of British casualties in the overall expedition against Groton and New London led to criticism of Arnold by some of his superiors. The battle was the last major military encounter of the war in the northern United States, preceding and being overshadowed by the decisive Franco-American Siege of Yorktown about six weeks later. At the battle of Yorktown, the Marquis de Lafayette reportedly yelled, "Remember Fort Griswold!" as American and French forces stormed the redoubts.