Contents in the Post

• More on Jotham Pickering
• Jotham Pickering’s Resting Place
• Mystery of John Pickering Solved
• Solomon Morgan: Another Patriot Found

More on Jotham Pickering

This is a follow-up to the recent post, “Remembering Patriots: Seven Ancestors Who Fought in the American Revolution.” I found more information regarding Jotham Pickering, my father’s great-great-great-grandfather, who served in the military during the American Revolution.

A book titled, “US, Massachusetts, Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War, 1775-1801,” and published in the 19th century summarizes the details of the muster rolls and provides a context of where they went and what they did when they got there.

The entry for Jotham describes the 17-year-old as 6 foot tall, dark complexed, with dark hair and dark eyes. As for his service in the summer of 1778, he and his fellow soldiers marched from Mendon, Massachusetts, to Fishkill, New York for three days. They spent only a few months at Fishkill and then marched back home.

Fishkill, New York, is a village in Dutchess County, New York, approximately 60 miles north of New York City.

According to Wikipedia:

“Fishkill [New York] played a pivotal role in the American Revolutionary War when a huge military encampment known as the Fishkill Supply Depot was established one mile (1.6 km) south of the village of Fishkill to guard the mountain pass to the south. Signal fires lay in readiness on tops of the surrounding mountains. The Fishkill encampment became the main supply depot for the northern department of the Continental Army. Mount Beacon, located in the town, earned its name for the signal fires at the summit which were used for Continental Army communications during the war.”

My research on Jotham Pickering’s military service was conducted with the help of Fold3.com (Library Edition), a military records database. By searching specifically for records related to the American Revolution and filtering the results, I was able to pinpoint his regimental unit. The muster roll (payment record) Confirmed that he served in the Massachusetts 6th Regiment for most of 1780.

See Massachusetts Regiments in the Continental Army

Jotham Pickering’s Resting Place

I found this picture at Ancestry.com. This is the burial plot of Jotham Pickering and other family members. This is on Kennedy Hill near Gibson Township, Pennsylvania, about 40 minutes north of Scranton.

Mystery John Pickering Solved

I have identified John Pickering as the eldest son of Edward Pickering, Jr., Alice’s brother and Jotham’s first cousin. He and Jotham served together in the summers of 1778-1780. Their names appear on a Massachusetts Militia muster roll of men enlisted for 9 months of service, dated September 1778.

One of the primary source documents provided physical descriptions of both men.

Solomon Morgan: Another Patriot Found

Another of my mother’s ancestors served in the American Revolution. Solomon Morgan served In the South Carolina militia from 15 November 1780 to 15 July 1781 under Lieutenant Baxter and General Marion, making horseman swords and gunsmithing.

Solomon was the father of Zilphia Morgan, wife of Nathaniel Prothro. He was my mother’s fourth great-grandfather.