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 This muster roll bears the names of 49 members of Captain Luke Drury’s Company. At least 29 of these men were Grafton, Massachusetts-area Minutemen who had very recently responded to the Lexington-Concord Alarm April 19-21, 1775, including Fortune Burnee, of African American and Native American heritage, joined by his half-brother, Joseph Anthony, who enlisted on April 29th and died in service. Revolutionary War documents listing Minutemen and black troops are scarce and desirable, but in addition, this is one of the first printed forms of the American Army, and Samuel Heard who was killed at Bunker Hill the next month, and William Moore, also killed in service that summer, are also listed. An extremely rare touchstone to the earliest days of the Revolutionary War.
[Revolutionary War]. Partially Printed Document listing 49 soldiers of Capt. Luke Drury’s Company, [ca. May 1775], [probably Cambridge, Massachusetts] [Siege of Boston]. Accomplished by Nathan Morse. 1 sheet, with 13 ruled columns, 4 of which – “Men’s Names.,” “Towns whence they came.,” “Rank.,” and “Time of Inlistment.,” – are accomplished in manuscript; lower margin extended to accommodate the names of the last 4 men. 13 ¾ x 14 ¼”.
Inventory# 20993.09 $25,000
Names as they appear on the document are shown in italic font:
Luke Drury Capt … April 19th 2
Asaph Sharmon 1t L,t … April 19th [Asaph Sherman] 2
Jonas Brown 2d L,t … April 19th 2
Nathan Morse … Serjeant / April 26th 4
Shelomith Stow … Serjeant / April 19th 2
Ebenezer Phillips … Serjeant / April 19th 2
Jonah Goulding … Serjeant / April 19th 2
William Walker … Corporal / April 19th 2
Joseph Leland … Corporal / April 19th 2
Abner Brigham [of] Crydon [Croydon, NH] / Corporal / May 20th 1
William Moore … Corporal / April 19th [killed August 17, 1775 on expedition to Canada] 2
Elijah Rice … Drum.r [Drummer] / April 19th 2
Zadock Putnam … Fifer / April 19th 2
Edward Buttrick … April 2[?] 3
Isaac Brigham 2
Forten Burnea [Fortin/Fortune/Fortunatus Burnee; African-American (see below)] 3
Peter Butler 2
Esick Dexter [Esek Dexter] 3
Zebulon Daniels 1
William Evens [William Evans] 3
Gad Smith [of] Gilford, in York [Guilford, ME] 1
Solomon Stow 1
Benjamin Grover 1
Aaron Heath [of] Tyringham [or Alstead, NH; enlisted April 26, 1775; taken prisoner 3 times] 1
Jonathan Hemenway [Jonathan Hemingway; of Framingham] 1
Thadeus Kemp [of] Bilreca [Thaddeus Kemp; of Billerica; enlisted April 29, 1775] 1
Ebenezer Leland [also of Croydon, NH] 2
Elezar Leland [Eleazer Leland; also of Croydon, NH; enlisted May 20, 1775] 1
Thomas Leland [Sr.] [of Sutton] 5
Thomas Leland 2,d 1
James Marting [of] Walpole, NH [enlisted April 26, 1775] 1
Ebenezer Melendy 2
Ebenezer Wadsworth [also of Alstead, NH; guardian of above William Evans] 1
Samuel Heards [Samuel Heard; killed June 17, 1775 at Bunker Hill] 1
William Marting [of Chelmsford; enlisted May 1, 1775] 1
Thomas Pratt 2
Joseph Plumly [Joseph Plumley; also of Alstead, NH] 1
Matthias Rice 2
Henry Redner [also of Sandisfield; enlisted May 7, 1775] 1
George Smith 3
Eliphalet Smith [born in Suffield, CT; of Sandisfield] 3
Samuel Starns [Samuel Stearns] 2
Moses Sherman 2
Jonah Stow [of] Alstead, NH [enlisted April 26, 1775] 1
John Banks [also of Alstead, NH] 1
Joseph Anthony [enlisted April 29, 1775; African-American (see below)] 1
Solomon Brooks 2
Elisha Aldrich [enlisted April 26, 1775] 3
Jaazaniah How [Jezaniah Howe; also of Alstead, NH; enlisted April 29, 1775] 1
1 Not found listed on a surviving Lexington Alarm muster roll. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors. 20 of the 49 men, counted by us as Militiamen rather than Minutemen.
2 Captain Luke Drury’s Grafton Company, marched 36 miles in response to the Lexington Alarm, April 19, 1775. Ibid, probably citing original muster roll later sold at Sotheby’s Guthman Sale, December 1, 2005, lot 51. Also reprinted in History of Grafton. 20 of the 49 men.
Note that Asaph Sherman’s April 19th service is not shown there, but is mentioned in Inventory# 20993.09. In addition, Inventory# 20993.04 shows that he was an officer in Drury’s Militia Company, May 31, 1773. Thus the total force of Drury’s company that day seems to have been 47, not 46.
3 Marched 36 miles on April 21, 1775 to join Capt. Aaron Kimball’s April 19th Grafton Company. Ibid. Also in History of Grafton. 7 of the 49 men.
4 Captain Aaron Kimball’s Grafton Company, marched 36 miles in response to the Lexington Alarm, April 19, 1775. Ibid. Also in History of Grafton. 1 of the 49 men.
5 Captain John Putnam’s Sutton Company, marched approx. 42 miles in response to the Lexington Alarm, April 19, 1775. Ibid. 1 of the 49 men.
Historical Background: See Inventory# 20781.02
Supplement: …the extant Drury April 19, 1775 muster roll, mentioned in footnote #2, seems to list his 19 [20] “Minute Men” first, with the remaining 27 out of 46 [47] men listed in a separate section. Remarkably, all 20 of those true “Minute Men” were still with Drury when this muster roll was created, and are listed in this document.
Condition: a little soiling with a few stains, somewhat wrinkled, professionally mended 1 ½” tear into names column and 2” fold separation, overall very good.
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