Ebenezer Williams (1749 - 1847)

Ancestors Descendants

Biography

Ebenezer Williams was born in Lebanon, Connecticut, 14 oct 1749. He was a son of Jonathan Williams and Mary Whitney.

Capt. Ebenezer Williams was a descendant of those of that name who immigrated to this country from Wales in 1607. He married Sarah Stedman, and they had five children, viz.: Jonathan, Susan, Merrill, Ebenezer, and Oloff H. Captain Williams distinguished himself in the Indian border wars. On one occasion he was selected as one of the 11 prisoners to be killed in retaliation of the death of a like number of Indians killed in regular warfare. The Captain gave the Masonic sign to Brant, the Indian chief, who saved his life and gave him the talismanic belt of wampum to protect him from other tribes. Ebenezer was born in Manlius, Onondaga County. At the age of 32 years he purchased the present homestead. In 1817 he married Jane Osterhout, by whom he had two sons and two daughters, namely: Sarah A., Peter O., Jane A., and Ebenezer. The latter married Fabius Lawton, of Watertown, by whom he had four children, viz.: Eben F., who died at the age of six years; Stedman E., George O., and Hattie C., who survive.

CHILD'S GAZETTEER OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, 1890 _________________

History of Ancient Wethersfield, Vol. 2, p. 665

... was born at Lebanon, 14 October 1749; died at Central Bridge, 1 July 1827; farmer and carpenter; served in Revolutionary War, from April 1775 to close of war; residences in Berkshire Co., Mass., and in Onon. and Schoharie Cos., NY. ________

From Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati Profiles

EBENEZER WILLIAMS OM He was born at Lebanon, Conn. 21 August 1748 [i] ; died at Central Bridge, Schoharie Co., New York, 1 July 1847, aged 99 yrs. [ii] Ebenezer was the son of Jonathan and Mary (Whitney) Williams. He married in Richmond, Massachusetts, April 28, 1787, Sarah "Sally" Stedman. [iii] She was born at Wethersfield, Conn. 15 August 1764; died at Central Bridge December 6, 1850, aged 86 yrs. Sarah was the daughter of Justus and Amy (Merrill) Stedman. [iv]

The following sketch for his service in the Revolutionary War appears in Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War (17:424-5).

Ebenezer Williams, Richmond. Corporal, Capt. David Rosseter's co. of Minute-men, Col. John Patterson's regt., which marched in response to the alarm of April 19, 1775; service from April 23, 1775, to May 8, 1775, 2 weeks 1 day; reported enlisted into the army; also, Capt. David Noble's co., Col. John Patterson's (26th) regt.; muster roll dated Aug. 1, 1775; enlisted April 29, 1775; service, 3 mos. 9 days; also, company return dated Oct. 6, 1775; also, order for money in lieu of bounty coat dated Charlestown Camp, Fort No. 3, Oct. 26, 1775; also, general order dated Headquarters, Ticonderoga, Sept. 12, 1776, taken from Col. Ephraim Wheelocks Orderly Book; said Williams, Sergeant, Col. Patterson's regt., promoted to Ensign; also, Lieutenant, Col. Joseph Vose's regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from Jan. 1, 1777, to Dec. 31, 1780; also, Lieutenant, Capt. Jeremiah Miller's co., Col. Vose's regt.; muster roll for Dec., 1777, sworn to at Camp near Valley Forge; appointed Jan. 1, 1777; also, same regt.; return of officers for clothing; receipt for said clothing, dated Boston, May 25, 1778, and signed by Col. Vose; also, Capt. Miller's co., Col. Vose's regt.; pay rolls for Nov. and Dec., 1778, and Jan., 1779, sworn to at Providence; also, same co. and regt.; pay roll for Feb., 1779; also, same co. and regt.; pay roll for March and April, 1779, sworn to at Providence; reported on command at North Kingston; also, Sergeant, Capt. Nathaniel Cushing's co., Col. Vose's (14th) regt.; muster roll for March and April, 1779, dated Providence; term, during war; reported on command at South Kingston; also, Lieutenant, 1st Mass. regt., Brig. Gen. Glover's brigade; return of officers, dated Boston, Dec. 14, 1780; also, Lieutenant Commandant, Capt. Noah Allen's (1st) co., Col. Vose's (1st) regt.; muster rolls for Jan., Feb., and March, 1781, dated Garrison at West Point; reported acting as Adjutant in Feb. and March, 1781; also, same regt.; returns of effectives, dated Garrison West Point, April 6, April 13, and April 20, 1781, made by said Williams, Lieutenant and Adjutant; also, Lieutenant, same co. and regt.; muster roll for April, 1781, dated Garrison West Point; reported on command; also, certificate appended to a muster roll of Capt. Luke Hitchcock's co., Col. Vose's regt., for April, 1781, signed by said Williams, Lieutenant Commandant, certifying as to the correctness of the muster of said company before Brig. Gen. John Paterson; also, Lieutenant, 1st Mass. regt.; return of effectives, dated May 25, 1781; reported on command at Verplanck's Point 11 days; also, Capt. Allen's co., Col. Vose's regt.; muster roll for May, 1781, dated West Point; also, returns of effectives between June 1, and June 29, 1781, dated West Point and Camp Peekskill; reported on command at Verplanck's Point; also, muster roll for June, 1781; also, returns of effectives between July 7, and July 27, 1781, dated Camp Phillipsburgh and Camp near Dobbs's Ferry; reported on command at Verplanck's Point; also, muster roll for July, 1781, dated Camp near Dobbs's Ferry; also, returns of effectives, dated Camp near Dobbs's Ferry, Aug. 3, and Aug. 10, 1781; reported on command at Verplanck's Point; also, return of effectives, endorsed "17th August 81;" reported on command at Verplanck's Point; also, returns of effectives between Aug. 25, 1781, and Sept. 28, 1781, dated Camp Peekskill and Camp Continental Village; reported on command with Col. Scammell; also, muster rolls for Aug. and Sept., 1781, dated Camp Peekskill; also, returns of effectives, dated Camp Continental Village, Oct. 5, Oct. 12, and Oct. 19, 1781; reported on command with Col. Scammell; also, return of effectives, dated Camp Continental Village, Oct. 26, 1781; reported on command with Col. Hamlinton; also, return of effectives, dated Nov. 23, 1781; reported on command with light infantry; also, Lieutenant Commandant, same co. and regt.; muster roll for Oct. and Nov., 1781, dated York Hutts; also, Lieutenant, same regt.; return of effectives, dated Hutts 1st Brigade, Dec. 2, 1781; also, return of effectives, dated Hutts 1st Brigade, Dec. 7, 1781; reported on command with light infantry; also, returns of effectives, dated Hutts 1st Brigade, Dec. 28, 1781, and March 1, 1782; reported on duty at Fort Montgomery; also, Lieutenant Commandant, same co. and regt.; muster rolls for Jan. and Feb., 1782, dated Quarters York Huts; also, Lieutenant, same co. and regt.; muster roll for March, 1782, dated Quarters York Huts; also, returns of effectives, dated Camp West Point, June 14, June 21, and Aug. 2, 1782; reported on duty at the Lines; also, returns of effectives between Sept. 13, 1782, and Dec. 6, 1782, dated Camp Verplanck's Point, Camp West Point, Camp Snake Hill, and Camp near New Windsor; reported on command with light infantry from Aug., 1782; also, Lieutenant, same regt.; list of officers belonging to 1st Mass. brigade (year not given, probably 1782 or 1783), showing dates of commissions; commissioned Oct. 25, 1777; also, Captain, same regt.; list of officers promoted in the Continental Army and for whom warrants were made out.

Ebenezer served until 3 November 1783. After the war he settled in Richmond, Massachusetts, where in September 1784, he was one of the administrators on the estate of Capt. Jeremiah Miller Jr., an Original Member of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati. About 1792 he removed to Lenox, Massachusetts, where he is mentioned many times in the town records; lost his capital in 1799 in a mercantile failure; sold his land and dwelling house in Lenox on June 30, 1803 - he being termed 'gentleman' and his wife, Sally, consenting. [v] Removed to Schoharie County about 1810, where he does not appear in the Surrogate's Court records. He was granted a Bounty Land Warrant 22 August 1789. He applied for a pension 2 April 1818, and he re-applied 8 October 1844. Pension S*W22661. ^[1]

Ebenezer was an Original Member of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati from 1783 until 1847. He was buried at the Old Stone Fort Cemetery, Schoharie, N.Y. [vi]

Among their children were:

i. Jonathan Whitney, b. ca. 1788. He marr. in 1812 to Elizabeth Fenner.

ii. Ebenezer Stedman. He marr. before 1821 to Jane ----. [vii]

iii. Olaff H., b. ca. 1799. He marr. ca. 1825 to Mary Ann Sawyer

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[i] Lebanon, Conn. VRs, 1:335.

[ii] Virgil D. White, Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files, (Waynesboro, TN., National Historical Publishing Co., 1992) 3:3851

[iii] Vital Records of Richmond, Mass. to the year 1850. (Boston, Mass., NEHGS, 1913), p. 80.

[iv] Wethersfield, Conn. VRs, 2:114

[v] Berkshire County Deeds, 41:133

[vi] Minnie Cohen, Gravestone Inscriptions of Schoharie Co., N.Y., (1932) 1:57

[vii] Onondaga Co., NY, Deeds, 2:547

Sources

1. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 23 March 2024), "Record of Ebenezer Williams", Ancestor # A125991.Meehan-411

• Principe, Bill. Williams–Kellogg Bible Record, 1722–1895, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 2015) Vol. 169, WN 676, Page 320.