I just copied this for myself and thought someone else might like to see it. Benjamin's sister Elizabeth b 15 Sept 1764 is my gggg-grandmother married to Lewin Talbott. They were all in DC from the beginning when the lines went from Prince Georges County to DC in 1803. I am currently researching this Burch family. Benajmin and Elizabeth parents were Benjamin Burch and Elizabeth Taylor. Benjamin Burch was a Captain in the 2nd Regiment of D.C. Artillery during the War of 1812. Washington Artillery Here is one of the most interesting companies we meet, and one of the oldest. It was several times reorganized, but there runs through its checkered career a thread of continuity that is discernible even at this distance. We meet it first in 1796, a uniformed artillery company serving its old brass field guns. Its captain was James Hoban, the architect, who certainly needs no introduction to readers of Washington history. A glance at the names of some of the other members: Jeremiah Gallagher, John Kearney, Alex McCormick, James Sweeney, John Brown, and Patrick Heally, suggests the Gaelic nature of its personnel. Irish Volunteer units were a commonplace 50 years later; this is the earliest example. Did the Artillery restrict its rolls to compa-triots of Hoban? Did its Irish membership signify more than a natural desire of immigrants to seek each other's company? These and other questions must go unanswered until more data is forthcoming. We last hear of Hoban as an artilleryman in July 1801. The officers appointed a year later to command the company of artillery are a new lot. McCormick, who ran a dry goods store, and John Kearney, a grocer, no longer appear in the notices. For a time John Davidson, mentioned above, was captain, but it was Edgar Patterson who continued in command for most of the while until about 1808. Then Benjamin Burch took over and captained the Artillery through the War of 1812. It is interesting to note that into the occasional notices of these later years the Irish names have crept back; a Robert Casey was First Sergeant in 1808 and Alex McCormick, now Lieutenant, called a business meeting in July 1815. Perhaps they never actually left the rolls. Jan Paker http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/p/a/r/Janice-M-Parker/