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 CAPT. JOHNSON MOULTON'S COMPANY. 
 
 THE FIRST TO LEAVE THE DISTRICT OF MAINE IN 
 THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 BY NATHAN GOOLD. 
 
 iJeacZ before the Maine Historical Society, Jan. 26, 1899. 
 
 The clash of arms at Lexington, 
 
 Awoke the martial fires 
 That slumbered in the sturdy hearts 
 
 Of our New England sires. 
 
 Maine, having been a part of Massachusetts during 
 the period of the Revolutionary War, has had her his- 
 tory, in those trying times, overshadowed by that of 
 the mother commonwealth. In justice to our fore- 
 fathers our state's history should be preserved inde- 
 pendently for their descendants, that they may know 
 the services of their ancestors in the struggle for our 
 independence. 
 
 Those who early took decisive action are of especial 
 interest in the history of those critical hours, and will 
 always be the pride of the towns where they lived. 
 They were the heroes of the hour and deserve to have 
 their names revered by the generations that will come 
 after them. 
 
 The old town of York, without doubt, has the honor 
 of having sent the first company of soldiers out of our 
 state to the relief of their suffering countrymen. The 
 Hon. David Sewall, of that town, stated in 1794, which 
 was repeated by Williamson, in his history of Maine, 
 
1 
 
 ^3 
 
 
 that the news of the battle of Lexington was received 
 at York at nine o'clock in the evening of April 20, 
 1775, and that although no minute men had been 
 formed in that town, a company of over sixty men 
 were enlisted, fixed out with guns, ammunition and 
 haversacks, with provisions for some days, and actually 
 marched the next day, the twenty-first, and had 
 crossed over the Piscataqua River into New Hampshire 
 before night. They were soon sent back because their 
 services were not then needed. 
 
 The night of the 20th of April was a stirring one in 
 the coast towns of York and Cumberland counties. In 
 the early evening the post rider entered old Kittery 
 alarming the people as he passed along. It was the 
 story that the Americans had been shot down at Lex- 
 ington the day before. 
 
 You know the rest. In the books you have read, 
 How the British Regulars fired and fled — 
 How the farmers gave them ball for ball, 
 From behind each fence and farmyard wall. 
 Chasing the redcoats down the lane. 
 Then crossing the fields to emerge again 
 Under the trees at the turn of the road. 
 And only pausing to fire and load. 
 
 It was not fear that aroused the people of Maine 
 as the news was carried from town to town, but it was 
 their intense indignation that England would not rec- 
 ognize their just rights, that she had struck the 
 first blow and had spilled the blood of their country- 
 men to enforce her unfair laws. The watchfires of 
 liberty were lighted on many a hearthstone that night, 
 
in old Maine, as the rider was heard, above the clat- 
 tering of his horse's hoofs, shouting " To arms ! To 
 arms ! Avenge the lives of your brothers who have 
 fallen at Lexington !" The ride of that courier from 
 Kittery Point to Falmouth Neck, where he arrived 
 before the dawn of day of the next morning, was as 
 historic to Maine as that of Paul Revere, made famous 
 by our Longfellow, was to Massachusetts. It fired our 
 ancestors to action and those watchfires burned 
 brightly until the glorious peace of 1783. 
 
 Many towns, besides York, sent forward companies 
 of earnest patriots, ready for any service, but not liv- 
 ing near the border of the state did not get into New 
 Hampshire before they were turned back. They are 
 all entitled to full praise for their spirit and patriotism, 
 but Capt. Moulton's company must be given the honor 
 of being the first to go beyond the boundaries of our 
 state. 
 
 Old York was a patriotic town. As early as Decem- 
 ber 28, 1772, the inhabitants, assembled in town meet- 
 ing, protested against any infringements on their rights 
 by England, and, in January, 1774, they entered an- 
 other protest. On the twenty-fourth of October, of 
 that year, those patriots contributed to the poor of 
 Boston 106 bushels of potatoes, 57 sheep, 4 quintals 
 of fish, 23 cords of wood, and £1 4s. in money. On 
 June 5, 1776, at a town meeting, they voted that 
 should the Continental Congress declare the colonies 
 free and independent, they would pledge their lives 
 and fortunes to the maintenance of that declaration. 
 Such was the spirit of the people who went themselves, 
 
and sent their sons, at the first call heard from 
 Lexington. 
 
 The names of those gallant men of old York have 
 been preserved for us, and although, at this time, they 
 served but four days before they were sent back, they 
 are entitled to our everlasting gratitude for their spirit 
 and resolution. Most of these men enlisted soon after 
 their return in Col. James Scamman's 30th Regiment 
 of Foot, and served at Cambridge in Gen. Washing- 
 ton's army at the siege of Boston. 
 
 The original pay-roll of Capt. Johnson Moulton's 
 company, after nearly one hundred and twenty-four 
 years, is in a good state of preservation, and from 
 which the following was taken. 
 
 Pay Roll of a Company Raised by the Town of York and under the 
 Command of Capt. Johnson Moultou Esq., April 21, 1775, as Minute 
 Men in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. 
 
 Johnson Moulton, Capt, 
 
 Samuel Darby, 
 
 1st Lieut. 
 
 James Donnell, 
 
 2nd " 
 
 John Trevett, 
 
 Serg't. 
 
 Joshua Trafton, 
 
 K 
 
 Josiah Parsons, 
 
 " 
 
 ""Edward Low, 
 
 " 
 
 Joseph Parsons, 
 
 Drummer. 
 
 Benjamin Leigh, 
 
 Fifer. 
 
 RANK 
 
 ANB FILE. 
 
 Amos Main 
 
 Thomas Haynes 
 
 William Grow, Ji\ 
 
 Richard Dean 
 
 Josiah Moore 
 
 Henry Sayward 
 
 Ebenezer Moulton 
 
 Jotham Harris 
 
 Eliakim Hilton 
 
 Benjamin Cole 
 
 Thomas Tolpy 
 
 Jotham Donnell 
 
 Storer Sewall 
 
 John Young Junr. 
 
 Elisha Horn 
 
 Arthur Bridges 
 
 David Preble 
 
 Daniel Grant 
 
 Joseph Stanley 
 
 John Nowell Junr. 
 
 Theodore Sayward 
 
 Elisha Boyce 
 
Abraham Sawyer Robert Bredeen 
 
 Amaziah Goodwin Benja. Rogers 
 
 Daniel Raynes Ebenezer Mclntyer Junr. 
 
 Joshua Grant Joseph Garey 
 
 Joshua McLucas Samuel Welch 
 
 Jonathan Farnham William Linscott 
 
 Roger Plaisted Arthur Bragdon 
 
 Shubual Nasson Jonathan Welch 
 
 Joseph Harris John Kingsbury, Junr. 
 
 Joseph Simpson David Davis 
 
 James Dempsy Samuel Garey 
 
 Norton Philips Thomas Welch 
 
 David Grant Reuben Freeman 
 
 Daniel Lunt Abram Moore 
 
 Joshua Bridges Jotham Harris 
 
 Spencer Perkins Cesar (Negro) 
 
 Johnson Moulton, Capt. 
 
 Total 63 men. 
 
 The date of enlistment of the entire company is 
 given as April 21, 1775, all were from the town of 
 York, and each man was allowed four days' service. 
 
 The original pay-roll is in the Massachusetts Arch- 
 ives, in Vol. XIII, page 10. 
 
 Capt. Johnson Moulton was prominent in York and 
 by trade was a joiner. He had been a captain in the 
 French and Indian war, and had a brother Thomas and 
 a sister Deborah, and they were children of Ebenezer 
 Moulton, of York, who had land granted him by that 
 town and had died before July 5, 1768. Capt. Moul- 
 ton's first wife died August 4, 1782, her name and 
 age, to me, unknown. He entered his intention of 
 marriage to Mary Bragdon, October 11, 1783, whom 
 he married, and she outlived him, dying December 23, 
 1794. His death occurred June 13, 1793. He left 
 children, Johnson, jr., Elizabeth Woodbridge, and 
 Mary. His homestead he bought of James Sayward 
 in 1763. 
 
Johnson Moulton made a will October 11, 1791, and 
 said " being weak in body and not knowing how few 
 days remains to me in this world" etc, and speaks of 
 his " beloved wife Mary." The will was probated 
 June 27, 1793, and the inventory of his estate was 
 dated July 15, 1793, and amounted to £580-0-1, 
 with a list of notes amounting to over £120. John 
 Frost, of Kittery, was his executor, and for his and his 
 horse's services he charged but six shillings per day. 
 Among the articles that appear in the inventorj'^ were 
 "gun and bayonet 12 shillings, 1 pair pistols 6 shill- 
 ings, 1 pair spurs 3 shillings, 1 pair old ditto 1 shilling, 
 hanger (sword) 3 pounds, and an espontoon (a kind of 
 halberd or pike used in the British army) 4 shillings." 
 
 Capt. Moulton, after his return from the Lexington 
 alarm, enlisted May 2, 1775, as lieutenant-colonel in 
 Col. James Scammon's regiment, although, he had 
 been recommended by the militia officers of his county 
 for the colonelcy. His commission was dated May 29, 
 1775, and he served with that regiment at Cam- 
 bridge that year. He served in the same capacity in 
 Col. William Prescott's (he of Bunker Hill fame) 7th 
 Continental regiment during the year 1776, serving 
 through the siege of Boston, and then joined Gen. John 
 Nixon's brigade in Gen. Nathaniel Greene's division, 
 and took part in the Long Island campaign. After the 
 war he was Sheriff of York county and served several 
 years. In 1784 he was paid for keeping four British 
 prisoners. 
 
 Capt. Moulton is now forgotten in the town where 
 he lived and died. His name was barely mentioned 
 
in th e vital records of York, and but for the deeds of 
 his land, and the probate records, we might have 
 known little of him. 
 
 First Lieut. Samuel Darby, the name became Derby, 
 after his service in this company, raised one for Col. 
 Scamman's regiment, enlisting May 2, 1776, serving 
 through that year. He commanded a company in 
 Col. William Prescott's regiment in 1776, and joined 
 Col. John Bailey's 2d Massachusetts regiment Janu- 
 ary 1, 1777. He was commissioned major in Lieut. 
 Col. John Brooks' 7th Massachusetts regiment Novem- 
 ber 1, 1778, and afterwards served in Col. Michael 
 Jackson's 8th Massachusetts regiment. He command- 
 ed a York County company at Yalley Forge through 
 the memorable winter of 1777-78, and saw much hard 
 service. He died intestate, and Reuben Derby was 
 appointed the administrator of his estate July 7, 1807, 
 which was probably soon after his death. His wife's 
 name was Mary. 
 
 Second Lieut. James Donnell entered Col. Scamman's 
 regiment, with Capt. Darby, as his first lieutenant, 
 and January 1, 1776, joined Col. Edmund Phinney's 
 18th Continental regiment, with the same rank, in 
 Capt. Tobias Fernald's company, and was promoted 
 to captain November 13, 1776. He enlisted January 
 1, 1777, as captain in Col Samuel Brewer's 12th Mas- 
 sachusetts regiment and resigned from the service 
 July 5, 1779, after over four year's service. 
 
 James Donnell served at the siege of Boston, and 
 marched to Fort Ticonderoga in August, 1776. His 
 company was on the fleet at Lake George in June, 
 
1777, and was in the retreat from Ticonderoga July 7, 
 1777, finally arriving at Saratoga August 1. They 
 took part in the battle of Stillwater, then at Saratoga, 
 October 7, and witnessed Burgoyne's surrender ten 
 days later. 
 
 Capt. Donnell's company joined Washington's army 
 near Philadelphia and spent the winter at Valley Forge, 
 where James Dempsey, who was a soldier in this com- 
 pany, broke his arm felling a tree. On June 28, 1777, 
 they fought at Monmouth and crossed the Hudson 
 River at King's Ferry, July 14. In August the regi- 
 ment marched to Danbury, Connecticut, to guard the 
 stores there, where they remamed several weeks. In 
 the latter part of November, under Gen. Putnam, they 
 marched back to the Hudson River, at West Point, but 
 the regiment was at Peekskill when Capt. Donnell re- 
 signed. His service covers the whole period of the 
 activity of the northern army in the war, and his reg- 
 iment was always to the front in every emergency. 
 
 The old town of York has much interesting history, 
 but none shines out more brilliantly than the deeds of 
 her gallant sons during the war of the Revolution. 
 Their names should be blazoned on the history of our 
 state, that their heroic sacrifices may never be 
 forgotten. 
 
 They felt the justice of their cause ; 
 
 And when the tempest broke, 
 Though tyrants made the wrongful laws, 
 
 God made their hearts of oak. 
 No weight of years their feet could stay, 
 
 Nor tender age restrain. 
 When foreign musketry blazed forth 
 
 O'er Concord's hallowed plain. 
 
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