My Revolutionary War Ancestor

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To celebrate America 250 (our 250th anniversary of independence), Washington State Genealogical Society will be posting articles on Revolutionary War ancestors of our members.  If you have a Revolutionary War ancestor, please send the Word document to Charles Hansen, our blog master.  Our secretary, Jill Scott, has already sent in a very interesting article on her distant grandfather who was a Green Mountain Man, a very famous militia.

Please share your story with SKCGS as well.  Here is one of my ancestors--Charles Dyer Captain of Rhode Island militia.

Gravestone of Charles Dyer, Shaftsbury, Bennington, Vermont


Charles was a descendant of several generations of public and military service in the Rhode Island Colony.  He served throughout the war and then settled in Vermont with other family shortly after the war.  He lived a long life, dying at age 92.  He had never applied for a pension, stating that he was well off and other people needed the money more than he. In 1845, at the very end of his life began the application but died before he finished the process.

However, his pension file has a very long description of his family and his war service that is invaluable.  It was written by Benjamin Dyer, his oldest son and begins with a list of all of Charles' children, their spouses with maiden names where applicable and their place of residence in 1845.  What a gift to us descendants!

While serving in the militia, they at one point took possession of an island that the British had vacated and found a large pile of cowhides. It was summer and the hides were starting to rot. During wartime leather for shoes was at a premium. While some of the troops moved on, Charles was left behind to tan the hides because his family were tanners. He had the knowledge and experience.

The article mentioned that throughout the war Charles always asked if the men had sufficient shoes to wear.  Learning this about the Dyer family and Charles especially has been so helpful in my research.

MaryLynn Strickland



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Send your stories to m.strickland@skcgs.org





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