The History of Whitcomb's Rangers http://www.mafseminars.com/wr1.htm Benjamin Whitcomb enlisted as a Lieutenant in a regiment of Colonel Bedel' s New Hampshire Rangers on January 22, 1776. Whitcomb's company served as a rear guard for the American Army in the Northern Department as the army moved south from Canada after the failed History of Whitcomb's Rangers at above website ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Subject: Benjamin Whitcomb of Lancaster, MA Source: Birth, Marriage, Death Register, Church Records and Epitaphs of Lancaster Massachusetts, 1643 to 1850 by Henry S. Nourse, A.M., Lancaster, 1890 p.65 Benjamin Whetcomb ye Son of Benjamin and Dorathe Whetcomb was born ye 2nd day of July, 1737 p.63 [Tamar Whitcomb was the sister of Major Benjamin Whitcomb -Whitcomb's Rangers] Tamar Whetcomb ye Daughter of Benjamin & Dorathy Whetcomb was born March ye 38, 1735 p.66 [Another sister of Major Whitcomb of Whitcomb's Rangers Dorathy ye Daughter of Benjamin and Dorathy Whetcomb was born May ye 13, 1739. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Major Benjamin Whitcomb born at Lancaster, Mass., in 1737 became "the" Whitcomb of Witcomb's Rangers in the Rev. War. (see website below) Whitcomb - My 4th great grandfather, Major Benjamin Whitcomb, was born in Lancaster, MA in 1737. "He served in the French and Indian war in 1755, under General Johnson, and again in 1757, in Capt. Wilder's Co., Mass., and again in Capt. Reed's Co., Mass. in the expedition against Montreal. In July 1776 he was living in Newbury, Vt., and was in command of a scout on the Sorel, and had mortally wounded Gen. Gordon as he was riding between Chambly and St. Johns, and took his watch and sword. Several attempts were made to capture him, but without success. Oct. 14 1776, he was captain of an Independent Core of Rangers until they were taken from under his command to join the Continental army by order of Congress. He was promoted Major, Nov. 10, 1777, and commanded a body known as Major Benjamin Whitcomb's Independent Core of Rangers from Nov. 10, 1777 to Feb. 1, 1781, the date of his last muster roll. He came to Lisbon about 1782, and settled on Lot 1 in the gore, and on the west side of the river, and opposite of Samuel Young's lot. Here he built the first two-story house in Lisbon. He finally sold out to Moses Emery, and located in Savageville, so-called, where the late Edward Knight lived. He was a miller, and ran the first grist mill in Lisbon Village."..."He was pentioned June 23, 1818, $240 per year." [Rix manuscript]. He married Lydia Howe, of Westmoreland, NH. http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/2821/Links.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Benjamin Whitcomb in Col Oliver Wilder's Regiment Source: History of Lancaster, Mass by Rev. Abijah Marvin, 1879, Lancaster, MA p. 257 Col. Oliver Wilder, Esq., a veteran aged sixty three, led the following men on a march westward. The note on the Roll reads: "marched as far as Springfield, on the alarm at Fort William Henry, 1757. Among those listed was Benjamin Whitcomb of Lancaster (full Roll on request) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Source: 24. Howe Family Records, 9 January 1999, by William D. Howe, El Paso, Texas. Lydia Howe (Joshua4, Margaret3Willard, Benjamin2, Simon1); born 1739 at Westmoreland, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire;29,24 married Benjamin Whitcomb, Maj., 14 December 1769. [ Note: below...birth date is correct, place of birth is incorrect for Benjamin Whitcomb] Benjamin Whitcomb, Maj was born on 2 July 1737 at Leominster, Massachusetts. [should be Lancaster, MA] He died circa 1827 at Lisbon, New Hampshire. The six known children of Lydia5 Howe and Benjamin Whitcomb, Maj. were as follows: + 375. i. Benjamin6 Whitcomb, married Sally Young; born 8 August 1770. 376. ii. Lydia Whitcomb; married Ezra Cogswell;24 born 1 January 1772.24 377. iii. Joshua Whitcomb; married (--?--) Bailey;24 born 7 December 1775.24 378. iv. Azubah Whitcomb; married (--?--) Rankin.24 379. v. Anna Bedel Whitcomb; born circa 1781.24 380. vi. Ruth Whitcomb; married Ralph Merry.24 http://hallock.home.mindspring.com/Benjamin/benja005.htm#id6034 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHITCOMB'S RANGERS Source: U. S. Army Military History [Wright, Continental Army, p. 200] Authorized 15 October 1776 in the Continental Army as Whitcomb's Rangers, an element of the Northern Department Organized in November 1776 at Fort Ticonderoga, New York, to consist of two companies from northwestern New Hampshire Disbanded 1 January 1781 at Coos, New Hampshire ENGAGEMENTS [Wright, Continental Army, p. 200] Saratoga Source: U. S. Army Military History for N.H. in the Revolution: http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/lineage/revwar.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Materials gathered/transcribed by Janice Farnsworth