MILITARY MONDAY Lieut. Darius Peck, 1st Connecticut Regiment, American Revolutionary War

     “On April 19, 1775, American resistance to British authority turned to armed rebellion when Massachusetts militiamen confronted British Regulars who were advancing on the towns of Lexington and Concord, resulting in casualties on both sides.”

          Connecticut in the American Revolution, An Exhibition from the Library and Museum Collections of the Society of the Cincinnati, page 10

5^th Great Grandfather Darius Peck was among the Connecticut men who responded to the “Lexington Alarm” made famous by Paul Revere’s midnight ride.

The British soldiers wanted to destroy military supplies the American Patriots had secretly stockpiled. The Americans got wind of this and moved their war chest. You’ll recall from your school days that tensions would soon ignite. A shot was fired—nobody knows by whom. The fighting began that moment April 19, 1775 at Lexington, Massachusetts.

History recorded Pvt. Darius Peck from the Town of Norwich on the Lexington Alarm List. When the War began, he had been married to Hannah Warner almost 3 years. He was a father to one child with another due to be born October 1775.

The next military record I found was dated Jan. 1, 1777 when Darius became an Officer with the rank of Ensign in Capt. John Shumway’s Company with the 1st Connecticut Regiment. The 1^st Regiment organized at Norwich 1777 and was a unit of the Continental Army. They would take part in the New York Campaign and the Battle of Monmouth. (Click on the hyperlinks for more information.)

In December 1777, George Washington took his army to Valley Forge to winter. Mid-December and mid-February 1778 proved to be especially harsh. The troops needed to build shelter for their lodging while there was a food shortage leaving many men starved.

After small log huts were built, the troops were offered the choice to go home. Darius furloughed in December 1777 and again during January - February 1778. It’s my hope Grandfather slept in his own bed that winter and had plenty to eat.

By Feb. 7, 1778, Darius was promoted to 2^nd Lieutenant and transferred to Capt. Eliphalet Holmes’ Company. In the spring Grandfather took an Oath of allegiance at Valley Forge May 23, 1778.

Darius Peck resigned from the Regiment April 15, 1779.

A List of the Officers of the 1^st Connecticut Battalion of foot who have served since the 1^st of Jan’y 1777 until the present day August 30^th

(Darius Peck appears 3^rd line from the bottom)

Roll of the Names and Remarks of Capt. Eliph’t Holmes’s Company

First Connecticut Battallion dated Sept. 8, 1778

Darius Peck 2^nd name on list

  

I assume the company roll above was written by Grandfather. His signature is located on the bottom right.

Pay Rool of Capt. John Shumways Comp’y 1^st Connecticut Battalion for May 1779

Darius resigns from the Regiment (3^rd line)

  

Sources:

   The Record of Connecticut Men in the Military and Naval Service During the War of the Revolution 1775-1783 edited by Henry P. Johnson, A.M. Under Authority of the Adjutant General of Connecticut, Hartford, 1889; pages 19, 146

   FIRE CAKE AND WATER The Connecticut Infantry at the Valley Forge Encampment by Joseph Lee Boyle, page 147

   Ancestry.com. U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007. Original data: Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M246, 138 rolls); War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records, Record Group 93; National Archives, Washington. D.C.

If you would like to read last week’s post about Darius and Hannah, click here.