The things you find when you root around a little! I found Captain Shay listed in Col. Putnam's regt. and not only that, he was the Daniel Shay for whom the Shay's Rebellion was named in the 1780's. A famous (or infamous depending on your point of view) man who led thousands of Massachusetts farmers in revolt against conditions at that time. Interesting that the firebrand revolutionary, Samuel Adams, wanted to hang those convicted in the revolt, while Thomas Jefferson thought a little rebellion every twenty years was probably a good thing! In any event, I'll be adding Captain Shay and Pvt. Isaac Pooler to my web site. You'll see it in early January 2007. Thanks for the additional information. Frank On Mon, 18 Dec 2006 21:07:54 -0600 Kent Elam <kae75@mchsi.com> writes: > Frank, > > The additional documentation I have was supplied > by his wife when she applied for a widow's > pension in 1838 so it is hearsay. The text of her declaration is as > follows: > > State of Connecticut > Windham County > > On this 14th day of September 1838 > personally appeared before the Honorable Court of > Probate for the District of Killingly in the > county and state aforesaid Lydia Pooler of > Killingly in said county of Windham aged 78 years > who being first duly sworn according to law doth > on her oath make the following declaration in > order to obtain the benefits of the provision > made by and act of Congress passed July 7, 1838 > entitled an act granting half pay and pension to certain widows. > That she is the widow of Isaac > Pooler, who was a soldier in the American army > during the Revolutionary War three years and 9 > months. Was at the taking of Burgoyne in 1777 and > on duty at General Gates tent when he > surrendered and saw him and General Gates shake > hands. He was a three year man in the > Massachusetts troops but under what officer or > where he served she does not know only she has > heard him mention General Arnold and his turning > traitor while he was in the army all which is > according to her belief and knowledge. > She further declares that she was > married to the said Isaac Pooler [on] March 8 in > the year seventeen hundred and eighty one and > that her husband the aforesaid Isaac Pooler died > on the 24th day of April 1831. That she was not > married to him prior to his leaving the service > but the marriage took place previous to the first > day of January seventeen hundred and ninety four. > At the time above stated that her husband the > said Isaac was a pensioner under the act of March > 18, 1818 and that in his application now at the > war office contains a more full account of his > service and his evidence to which she begs leave to refer. > > Isaac did not mention this in his own declaration > in 1818 when he applied for a pension due to > poverty. His original declaration is as follows: > > April 17, 1818 > > I, Isaac Pooler, of Foster in the District of > Rhode Island, on solemn oath do [] and say that > in the month of January, 1777, I enlisted as a > private soldier in Captain Daniel Chaises > company and Colonel Rufus Putnams regiment in > the Continental army of the United States and in > the Massachusetts Line for three years in which > service I continued during the above mentioned > time when I received a written discharge which > discharge is now lost I further declare that I > am now in reduced circumstances and stand in need > of the assistance of my country for support. > > Isaac Pooler > > Frank, I am attaching a WORD document that I > composed about Isaac a couple of years ago. Let > me know if you have any problems with it. > > I look forward to hearing from you with any further comments. > > Regards, Kent > > > At 10:24 AM 12/18/2006, you wrote: > >Kent, > >My primary source for Massachusetts soldiers comes from the 17 > volume set > >of "Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War." > Isaac > >Pooler's information is listed below: > > > >Name: Pooler, Isaac, South Hadley. > >Source Info: Volume 12 page 553 > >Information: Pooler, Isaac, South Hadley.Private, Capt. Josiah > Smith's > >co., Col. Josiah Whitney's regt.; enlisted May 25, 1776, 4 days > preceding > >march; service to [p.553] Aug. 1, 1776, 2 mos. 6 days; company > raised for > >defence of town and harbor of Boston; also, list of men raised to > serve > >in the Continental Army from Capt. Smith's co., 4th Hampshire Co. > regt., > >as returned by Lieut. Col. R. Woodbridge, dated May 28, 1777; > engaged for > >town of South Hadley; joined Capt. Shay's co., Col. Putnam's regt.; > also, > >return of men raised to serve in the Continental Army from Capt. > Moses > >Montague's co., Col. Porter's regt., dated June 30, 1778; > residence, > >South Hadley; engaged for town of South Hadley; term, 3 years or > during > >war; also, Private, Capt. McFarland's corps of invalids; > Continental Army > >pay accounts for service from Jan. 1, 1780, to Jan. 29, 1780; > reported > >transferred from Col. Putnam's regt.; also reported discharged. > > > >There is nothing there to indicate his involvement with the Battles > of > >Saratoga, in Sept. and Oct. 1777. > >On the face of it, it appears he was transferred from Col. Porter's > 4th > >Hampshire Co. Militia regt. to Col. Putnam's 5th Massachusetts > >Continental Line regt. 28 May 1777 and was still in the regiment 30 > Jun > >1778. Col. Putnam's regt. was at Saratoga, although I can't find a > Capt. > >Shay. There could be a number of variations to the Captain's > name. > > > >What documentation do you have (pension, etc.) that specifies he > was at > >Saratoga? > >Frank > > > > > >Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2006 13:14:40 -0600 > >From: Kent Elam <kae75@mchsi.com> > >Subject: Re: [AMERICAN-REVOLUTION] Battle of Saratoga > >To: american-revolution@rootsweb.com > >Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.2.20061217130752.021201c0@mchsi.com> > >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed > > > >Frank, > > > >Please excuse my entering into an ongoing discussion. > > > >I checked out your table at the below mentioned web address and I > did > >not fine my patriot ancestor listed. My ancestor, Isaac Pooler, > >served with the 5th Massachusetts under Col. Rufus Putnam. In his > >pension application he states that he served at the tent of > General > >Gates and witnessed the surrender of General Burgoyne. > > > >I would enjoy hearing from you and any comments you have on this > >topic. I would be happy to share any documents I have concerning > Isaac. > > > >Regards, Kent >