Introduction
This is my fourth year writing a blogpost around July 4th for an ancestor who served in the Revolutionary War.
This year, I am selecting Eden Johnson, one of my 4th great-grandfathers, on my mother's paternal side.
He fought in Canada, New York and New Hampshire in conjunction with Vermont militia, New York militia and Continental troops.
Early Life
Very little is known about Eden Johnson's early life! Several Ancestry trees state that his parents were Captain John Douglas Johnson and Phyllis Pellet. And yet I do not see Eden listed as their son in either the Family History of the Cleveland family or the DAR/SAR applications. John and Phyllis married in 1756 in Canterbury, Windham County, Connecticut.
Likewise, we do not know any of the siblings of Eden Johnson. Although military records do suggest that he may have had a brother John.
Eden Johnson was born between 1750 and 1759. Some sources say that he was born in Connecticut, some in Vermont and some in New York. Since Vermont was not one of the original colonies, a birth in the Vermont of today would actually be a birth in the New Hampshire or New York of the time. Some sources indicate that Eden was born in Whitehall, New York, about 9 miles from today's Vermont border.
Revolutionary War Service
At this time, no one has submitted a DAR or SAR application for Eden Johnson.Canada campaign with the Vermont militia
According to the History of Prescott County by Cyrus Thomas, Eden lived in New Hampshire as a youth and espoused the cause of his country in the Revolutionary struggle. He was one of those that followed Richard Montgomery to Quebec.
The invasion of Quebec was the first major initiative by the Continental Army. Its purpose was to gain military control of the British Province of Quebec, thereby limiting Britain's ability to furnish manpower and weapons from that area to fight against the colonists. In addition, the colonists were hoping to convince French-speaking Canadians to join the revolution on the side of the colonists. Montgomery defeated the British forces at Fort St. Johns and Montreal, but died in the battle to take Quebec City on December 31, 1775.
There is a muster roll and list of names, which appear to be closely related, based on their adjacency in the Ancestry records, which I am assuming reflects the order in the records held by the National Archives.
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| Ancestry; U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 |
In addition, this sheet states that there is 1 muster roll from January 1776 and 1 list from February 1776. The next document in the records is the muster roll displayed below, and the document after that is the list of men at Montreal on February 26, 1776.
The muster roll, apparently from January 1776, is for Captain Gideon Brownson's Company in Colonel Seth Warner's Regiment. This list includes Edin Jonston, John Jonston, as well as Samuel Stuart. All 3 enlisted January 16. John Johnson is noted as "inlisted into the Regt of Colo Porter, April 19". (Samuel Stuart and Eden Johnson married sisters. See Marriage and Family section in this post.)
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| Ancestry; U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 |
The above document must relate to the Canada campaign. Beauport, referenced in the entry for Robert Averal, is immediately adjacent to Quebec City. And Colonel Porter saw action during the invasion of Canada.
The next document is a list of Captain Gideon Brownson's Company in Montreal on February 26, 1776. This list includes 'Edin Jonson' and 'John Jonson'. (It also includes Samuel Stuart.) This appears to be a list associated with the muster roll displayed above.
Both of the above records (muster roll and list) are associated with the Vermont militia in compiled records.
New York militia
Eden Johnson also appears to have served in the New York militia. According to "New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, Volumes I and II", "Edon" Johnson served as an enlisted man in 1776 in the Sixteenth Regiment in Albany, New York. A William Johnson is also listed! They were serving under Colonels John Blair and Lewis Van Woert. (There are other Johnsons listed in other Albany County militias, but Johnson is such a common name that it is difficult to know how to interpret the presence of a name. A John and Joshua Johnson served in the 14th Regiment of Albany County. A William, John and George Johnson served in the 3rd Regiment of Albany County.)
Continental Troops
Subsequent records are for Eden's Revolutionary War service in the Continental Troops. He had 4 periods of service from 23 October 1776 - 15 July 1778. He was serving as a corporal in Seth Warner's regiment, in Captain Jeremiah Burroughs' Company.
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| Ancestry; U.S., Compiled Revolutionary War Military Service Records |
Evidently, he was appointed corporal on January 16, 1777. (Or this may have been the date of his initial enlistment.) He enlisted for the duration of the war. During this first period, he was on command at Skenesboro, located on Lake Champlain. Today, Skenesboro is known as Whitehall and is located in New York.
This information is based on an original muster roll dated 14 June 1777. The muster roll includes 32 privates, 3 sergeants, 3 corporals and a drummer. Also listed on the roster is a John Johnson, private, who enlisted 25 January 1777 for the duration of the war. Below are extracts from this muster roll.
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| Ancestry; U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 |
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| Ancestry; U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 |
At this time, he was stationed at Saratoga. The battles of Saratoga were on September 19 and October 7, 1777. The Americans won a decisive victory, which encouraged France to support the colonists.
This is based on a muster roll dated 10 November 1777. "Edan" Johnson is still a corporal, but only one other corporal is listed, and he, Joel Prindle, was taken prisoner July 7th. John Johnson is listed in the muster roll, but he deserted 9 August 1777. Of the 36 privates listed, 3 were sick, 3 were furloughed, 5 were take prisoner, 3 were killed and 8 deserted! So only 14 were present and active. See the defection record below for John Johnson.
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| Ancestry; U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 |
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| Ancestry; U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 |
Although the muster roll was created at Bennington (today in Vermont), Eden was on command in Albany. Albany was a critical center during the war due its location on the Hudson River.
This is based on a muster roll dated 20 April 1778. "Edon" Johnson is still a corporal and the second corporal, Joel "Pringle", was returned from captivity December 17, after about 5 months as a prisoner. John Johnson is no longer listed in the muster roll! A private named Solomon Hine? was also listed as on command to Albany.
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| Ancestry; U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 |
Although the muster roll was created at Fort Stark, Eden is noted as being on scout.
This is based on a muster roll dated 15 July 1778. "Edon" Johnson is still a corporal and 2 other corporals are listed. Joel "Pringle" deserted May 29. Elisha Notes, not mentioned previously, is on command to Bennington. Both Joel and Elisha were appointed corporals 26 October 1776, so Eden was the last appointed of the 3 corporals... Also on scout is Timothy Pringle, a sergeant.
Marriage and Family
This information is unfortunately sketchy!
According to the History of the counties of Argenteuil, Quebec, and Prescott, Ontario by Cyrus Thomas, Eden Johnson lived in New Hampshire. After the Revolutionary War, he married a Miss "Abott", the daughter of a captain in the British service. He lived for a while in New Hampshire before moving to Canada. He left four children, including sons William, Chauncey and Eden Abbot and one unnamed daughter.
According to History of Addison County Vermont by H. P. Smith, Eden Johnson and Samuel Stewart, who married sisters, moved from Skenesboro (now Whitehall), New York, to the wilderness land of Pocock (now Bristol, Vermont) in early June 1786. They came with their wives, the 2 Johnson children and Samuel's son Chauncey. Eden Johnson only lived in Bristol for a few years and then moved to Plattsburgh, New York, and from there to Canada.
The history of Vermont is curious, though! In 1777, the territory known as New Hampshire Grants declared itself independent. First, it called itself the Republic of New Connecticut and six months later, it called itself the Republic of Vermont. It could not be admitted to the Union of the 13 states because New York claimed the land. After Vermont and New York finished their negotiations, Vermont was admitted as the 14th state in 1791.
I think there is very compelling evidence that Eden's wife was named Eunice and Eunice's sister was Elizabeth, who married Samuel Stewart. Eunice's parents were likely John Abbott and Sarah Baker, although it appears that John was a patriot and did NOT serve for the British. Both Eunice and her sister Elizabeth named their first-born sons Chauncey. John and Sarah Abbott had a son Chauncey who died at 17 years of age from a falling tree. So his sisters were honoring their brother's memory!
According to the 1790 census, Eden Johnson lived in Bristol, Addison County, Vermont. There were 3 males and 4 females in the house. The males were Eden Johnson, son Chauncey and son William. The daughters are mysteries.
The best tentative children list for Eden Johnson and Eunice Abbott is:
Chauncey, born about 1782.
unknown girl, born about 1784.
unknown girl, born about 1786.
William, born about 1787-1789.
unknown girl, born about 1790.
Eden Abbott, born about 1796.
By 1791, Eden and his family had moved to Plattsburgh, New York, situated on Lake Champlain. In May 1791, Eden bought 100 acres in Plattsburgh from Nathaniel Platt for 130 pounds. Also, according to New York genealogical records, Eden Johnson was residing in Plattsburgh in 1794.
Life in Canada
On September 23, 1794, Eden Johnson made a declaration as an alien at St. John's in Quebec. He stated that he was a farmer and that he resided in Plattsburgh for the preceding six months. He came to Canada via Lake Champlain and was "in quest of a Black man belonging to Nathaniel Platt Esquire."
It is not clear to me whether Eden returned to New York after this. We know that his son, Eden Abbott Johnson, was born in 1796 and was supposedly the first white child born in Hawkesbury, which is in the Prescott County, Ontario, of today.
We also know that Eden Johnson owned the land where The White Inn, a historical building, was later built. He bought this land from Nathaniel Treadwell. The land is east of L'Orignal, on the Ottawa River.
On November 4, 1809, Eden was drowned when he broke through the ice on the Ottawa River while chasing a deer.
The death date of Eden's wife Eunice is not clear, but it seems likely that she outlived him.
Maps
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| Google Maps, probable battle sites in "Canada", for Eden Johnson. |
These sites include St. John (Saint-Jean-sur_Richelieu), Montreal and Quebec City. Military records show his presence in Montreal.
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| Google maps, battle sites in the colonies, for Eden Johnson. |
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| Google maps, residences of Eden Johnson |
Residences, from south to north, which is the direction he travelled, were Whitehall New York, Bristol Vermont, Plattsburgh New York and L'Orignal/Hawkesbury in Ontario Canada.
Sources
Abbott, Leuel Abijah. "Descendants of George Abbott, of Rowley, Mass...."; Boston: T. R. Marvin & son, 1906, pp. 205-213.
https://archive.org/details/descendantsofgeo01abbo/page/204/mode/2up
American Revolutionary War 1775 to 1783; "The Invasion of Quebec"; RevolutionaryWar.us; 2017.
https://revolutionarywar.us/campaigns/1775-1776-invasion-quebec/
Ancestry.com. New York, Genealogical Records, 1675-1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
Original data: Selected Extracts from Landholders of Northeastern New York 1739-1802; Author: Bowman, Fred Q.; Publication Place: Baltimore; Publisher: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.; Publication Year: 1987.
Original data: New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, Vol. I - Extracts; Publication Place: Albany, New York; Publisher: J. B. Lyon Co.; Publication Year: 1904; Page Number: 131
Ancestry.com. New York Military in the Revolution [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2000.
Original data :Electronic reproduction of New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, Vol. II, originally published in 1897.
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/24625:4674?ssrc=pt&tid=87329494&pid=38546238621
Ancestry.com. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2016.
"The genealogy of the Cleveland and Cleaveland families: An attempt to trace, in both the male and the female lines, the posterity of Moses Cleveland..."; Cleveland, Edmund Janes; Hartford Conn., Printed for the subscribers by the Case, Lockwood & Brainard company, 1899. Volume 1, page 182.
https://archive.org/details/genealogyofcleve01clev/page/182/mode/2up?q=Pellet
Ancestry.com. U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, US: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.
- https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/4282/images/miusa1775a_113638-00449?pId=651214 (Edin Jonston, John Jonston, Jan 1776?)
- https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/4282/images/miusa1775a_113638-00451?pId=651214 (Edin Jonson and John Jonson, 26 February 1776)
- https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/4282/images/miusa1775a_113682-00124?pId=945143 (Eden Johnson and John Johnson, 14 Jun 1777)
- https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/4282/images/miusa1775a_113682-00127?pId=945183 (Eden Johnson and John Johnson, 10 November 1777)
- https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/4282/images/miusa1775a_113682-00130?pId=945228 (Eden Johnson, 20 April 1778)
- https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/4282/images/miusa1775a_113682-00133?pId=945265 (Eden Johnson, 15 July 1778)
Ancestry.com. Vermont Men in the Revolutionary War [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2003.
Original data: Goodrich, John E., ed.. The State of Vermont. Rolls of the Soldiers in the Revolutionary War 1775 to 1783. Rutland, VT, USA: Tuttle, 1904, p. 636.
Ancestry.com. 1790 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
- Vermont, Addison County, Bristol. (Eden Johnson)
Canadiana Heritage. Lower Canada, declaration of aliens: H-1154. From Library and Archives Canada.
https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_h1154/168
Family.search. United States, New York Land Records, 1630-1975.
- Clinton County, Deeds 1788-1804, vol. A-B, images 103-104, 178-179 of 578.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9W2-58K5?i=102&cc=2078654&cat=240558
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9W2-58DD?i=177&wc=M7HT-438%3A358134801%2C358552101&cc=2078654
Find a Grave,database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187213086/chauncey-johnson): accessed 15 August 2023), memorial page for Chauncey Johnson, Find A Grave Memorial ID 187213086, citing Cassburn Cemetery, Cassburn, Prescott and Russell United Counties, Ontario, Canada; Maintained by Leone Hanson Sigurdson.
Google maps.
Smith, H. P. "History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers"; Syracuse, New York: D. Mason & Co, 1886, pp. 401-2.
https://archive.org/details/historyofaddison1886smit/page/400/mode/2up?q=%22Eden+Johnson%22
Thomas, Cyrus. "History of the counties of Argenteuil, Que. and Prescott, Ont., from the earliest settlement to the present"; Montreal, Quebec: John Lovell & Son, 1896, pp. 507-510.
https://archive.org/details/historyprescott00thomuoft
