Another Family Story from the Revolutionary War

I was so excited to discover another ancestral family full of patriots. John Maxon Bliven’s wife, Olive Permelia Meeker is the great granddaughter of a well known patriot, Timothy Meeker. Her grandfather William Meeker fought alongside his father. In fact, the story of Timothy Meeker was reported by Robert Ripley in his “Believe It or Not” newspaper column years ago. Timothy fought alongside nine of his sons in the battle of Springfield.

Timothy and his sons were reported by their contemporaries to be very tall, all of them over six feet. You can read more about them at http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/d/i/e/Mike-Dienst/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0708.html. Or you can enjoy the summary below, written by my guest poster, Hannah.

Timothy Meeker, Senior lived in Elizabethtown New Jersey during the American Revolution. Timothy was about 70 years old when he fought in the war with nine of his sons, two sons-in-law, and one grandson. It is known that “Timothy Meeker was a leader at times of sizeable  companies of defenders, that he was a member of the Essex concentrated forces against that section which is known later as the Battle of Springfield.”

The American Army was in camp near Morristown, New Jersey.  Washington had his headquarters in that village. Britain had their attention fixed on Morristown but were stopped. On the way back the British set fire to many buildings, including the old Meeker Inn built in 1756. Britain drew off Washington and his men from Morristown. The remaining Americans fell back on new positions in the Short Hills where they were able to make the enemy change their plans and retreat again.

The enemy was near and strong while the Americans were weak because of the absence of Washington with part of the regular troops from Morristown. If the British came into Springfield, the safety of their homes and families would be at stake. The Americans were able to stop the advance of the enemy who made his retreat to Staten Island. Timothy Meeker’s Family lived only about three miles from Short Hills and  four miles from Springfield crossroads. It wouldn't have taken them long to be on hand and they were there.

Another story about Timothy Meeker was found first in a 1936 New Jersey newspaper, and then at http://allwhoserved.com/71001/73801.html. It follows.

“One or two days after the battle of Springfield while Timothy Meeker was at work putting up his fence (for be it remembered all the lots in the neighborhood had been filled with cattle and sheep and hogs driven out of the way of the British) on the road heading to Campbell’s Paper Mill at that time the old forge, there were five or six gentlemen came along the way on horseback and inquired of him if he was in favor of the American cause.
“He answered, ‘Yes!’ and he despised any man who was not!
“They asked him if there was a man by the name of Timothy Meeker living near there. He told them that his name was Timothy Meeker. They said that they had been told that Meeker was in the Battle of Springfield with nine sons and two son-in-laws! He said it was true and that Timothy Meeker Sr. was his father. They asked him if the people were not displeased that Washington did not come with his troops as his army lay but a little way above Springfield.
“He answered, ‘No, Washington was right! Washington can take his troops where he pleases and was right to let the militia fight ‘em, for we can lick ‘em, whenever the redcoats durst to show themselves.”
“At this time, the dinner horn blew, and Meeker invited the gentlemen to go and take dinner with him, which they accepted. They rode up to the house, stripped bridles off the horses and left them over the fence to graze while they took dinner. Meeker’s wife found fault with hi because he did not send one of the children to let her know, so that she could have killed some fowls and roasted them for dinner. But he said, ‘If they were friends of the good cause and friends of Washington, the would be satisfied.’
“At this time, one of the gentlemen remarked that he did not doubt that Washington would be pleased to sit down to such a dinner, for no doubt he fared worse many a time.
“Dinner being over, the horses bridled and the gentlemen in the saddle, they held a few minutes consultation. Then one of them turned to Meeker and said, ‘Friend Meeker, you have treated us with so much hospitality and told your mind so freely that I thought it would be ungrateful in me to withhold from you who I am and what is my station. I am General Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the American Army.’
“At these words, Meeker was struck dumb, as it were, for some time. Then he said, ‘General, I don’t know, but I have been spilling wheat, but you must lay it to my ignorance that I have been talking with so much vanity.’
“The General said, ‘I know you spoke the sentiment of your heart.”’

Some Patriotic Genealogy in Honor of the 4th

It seems the Blivens line is full of soldiers. In the past, I have explored our direct ancestor, John Maxson Bliven’s history and that of his three sons, all Union soldiers in the Civil War.

Well, John Maxon’s grandfather(William Bliven) was a captain in the Revolutionary War, and his great-grandfather(Edward Bliven III) was a major. Here is what I have found, thanks to http://home.comcast.net/~blivens/webpages/bliven.htm.

Edward Bliven III (1722-1783) was “possessed of a military spirit”. He served first in the French and Indian War as a Field Officer for Kings County, Rhode Island, and “saw service in expeditions against the French”.  He also served in the Revolutionary War, first as a Major, then as "Captain of the Alarm Men" of Westerly, Rhode Island, and finally as a Captain in the regular forces in Colonel Noyes's regiment in 1776 and in August 1778.

“He was a member of the Colonial Assembly who were Seventh Day Baptists. He was a licensed inn keeper, several town council meetings each year were held at his house.”

One author explains, “The family luck was not very good.” Edward III’s brother, Major John Bliven “was captured by the British at the battle of Oriskany, New York, which was preliminary to the great American victory at Saratoga. John died of wounds received at that time.”

Edward had soldier sons as well: Edward IV, William, and Arnold.  “Edward [IV] was captured early and was held on one of two British prison ships, The JERSEY, lying in New York harbor. Like many others, he died of mistreatment on the ship. ”

William Bliven (1745-1834)  is the son through which we descend. Known as Major William, he served as an ensign, captain, colonel, and major in the Revolution. Thank goodness he had better luck, or we might not be here!

Henry's brother, William, was honored in with the publication of the following biographical sketch in about 1892, during his lifetime. We learn a lot about the nine brothers and their parents from it. Here is the full text.

WILLIAM H. CASSIDY, who carries on an insurance business and also runs a livery in Gilman, is a native of Ireland, where he was born March 17, 1837, in County Donegal. He is a son of John and Jane (Chestnut) Cassidy, both of whom were natives of the same county. They had a family of nine sons, of whom eight lived to be grown, and all of whom came to the Unite d States. The father followed the occupation of farming. Of the children, Samuel, a graduate of Dublin College, was the first to leave his home and cross the broad Atlantic. He came about 1846, and is now engaged i n merchandising on Staten Island. Some two years later his brother John followed his example, coming to the United States, and was yardmaster at Olney, Ill., where he was killed by the cars in the year 1859. Richard and Thomas emigrated about 1852, the former residing at Crescent City, Iroquois County, while the latter was in the mercantile business with hi s eldest brother and died in New York City. Our subject next left his native land, and his brother Moses in 1862 did likewise, and is an extensive farmer in Winnebago County, Ill. At the close of the war, James and Henry, the remaining sons, came with their parents to the New World. James engaged in the mercantile business in New York until the time of his death, while Henry lived quite a number of years in Gilman, following the insurance business, and has but lately removed to Chicago. The parents later removed to Winnebago County, where they both died at the age of eighty-five. They were members of the Episcopal Church and among the worthy citizens that Ireland has furnished to America.

The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm and his education was received in the common schools of Ireland. He made the voyage across the Atlantic in 1856, and in pursuit of fortune he first sold Irish linens and notions from house to house for a year. He then followed farming until 1860, when be entered his brother's store at Detroit, Mich.

In the fall of the same year, when Mr. Cassidy went to Belvidere, Ill., he there married Sarah M. Dawson, their marriage being celebrated on the 1st of December, 1860. She was born in Summit County, Ohio, and rested t o womanhood in Illinois. Her parents came from England. After their marriage, our subject and his wife settled in Winnebago County, on a farm, w here they lived until 1866, at which time he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in what is now Danforth Township. This he greatly improved and drained. In 1875 he removed to Gilman and has since been in the insurance business. He purchased the livery barn, which he still runs, in 1887. To Mr. and Mrs. Cassidy were born four children: Jennie T., w ho carries on a stationery and book store, is the Assistant Postmaster a t Gilman; Elmer married Rosa Keller, and is engaged in the livery business with his father; Alice C., a teacher of recognized ability; and Minnie May, who died at the age of six and a half years.

Politically, Mr. Cassidy was a member of the Republican party until 188 4, since which time he has been a Prohibitionist. He and his wife are m embers of the Free-will Baptist Church, to which they give their hearty c o-operation. Socially, he is a Mason and Modern Woodman. By industry and saving he has made a comfortable competence, laving commenced life without a dollar. During his seventeen years of residence here he and his estimable wife have made many friends and to them their home is most hospitably open. It is with pleasure that we present this brief sketch of o ne of Gilman's most worthy citizens, who though native of another land h as always been most loyal to his adopted country.

You can find this online here. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilicgs/bio/page19.htm

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I thought it would be appropriate for St. Patrick's day to post a little information on our Irish roots. Our line is through Henry Thomas Cassidy. Henry was the ninth son of John and Jane Chestnut Cassidy and was in the last group of the family to come to America. He came with his parents and his brother James at the close of the Civil War. The family came from Glencolumbkille, County Donegal in Ireland, seen above. It is beautiful and wild, and was at the time a very poor area with little arable land. Henry's father, John was a tenant farmer there.

More views of Glencolumbkille