A Discussion of Revolutionary War Patriots in Brookhaven and South Haven Hamlets, Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York
Prepared by: John Deitz
Page revised: 24 November 2015
While we have attempted to provide as complete a listing as possible of those residents of Brookhaven and South Haven hamlets who were in the military during the Revolutionary War, it needs to be emphasized that official records of the period are often vague. It was not until 1868 that the first “official” compendium of records of the Revolutionary War were prepared and published by New York State, but historians have recognized that these first efforts were deficient in many respectsa. And the most serious efforts to present a complete roster of all the men from New York engaged in the Revolutionary War did not occur until the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries—over a century after the end of the war. By then, many records were missing or defective. In some cases no enlisted men appeared, only the officers of the organizations. For our purposes, the most serious deficiency was the lack of specific individual identifying information, such as residency or birth dates, that would assist in providing evidence of their specific residency. For example, residency was often given as “Suffolk County,” “Brookhaven Town,” or “New York State”; and there were many cases of individuals with the same names.
Members of the Fire Place History Club of Brookhaven Hamlet have conducted extensive research on those interred in the various cemeteries in the hamlets of Brookhaven and South Haven, Suffolk County, NY. Nearly all the individuals interred in them have been documented Since nearly all residents of the two hamlets from this period would have been interred in local family cemeteries (excepting those who removed to other communities), this source is likely to be the best compilation of residents of South Haven and Fire Place (now known as Brookhaven). Even where an individual may have been interred elsewhere, that they were found to be of a family at the time of the War was of great help in providing evidence of their participation in the War effort.
Principal resource sources are listed below. Additional information on the individual listed may be found by clicking their name.
The military forces of New York Colony and State during the Revolutionary War were divided into three classesc.
The Line: which regiments were in the United States service under General George Washington and the Continental Congress.
The Levies: which were drafts from the different militia regiments, and from the people direct as well, and which could be called upon to serve outside the State during their entire term.
The Militia: which then could only be called out of the State for three months at a time. The militia were also referred to as Minute Men.
Of the line, there were 9 organizations in the State; of Levies, 7 organizations; of Militia, 68 organizations. Eventually over 43,000 men from New York State were identified as having participated in the military effortb.
New York’s militias were first established by James, Duke of York, in 1664, and continued until the Revolutionary War with few changes. They provided that: “All males above the age of sixteen shall be enrolled and be subject to military duty. Each person must provide himself with a good serviceable gun to be kept in constant fitness, and with a good sword, bandoleer, and horn, a wormer, a scourer, a priming wire, a shot bag, a charger, one pound of good powder, four pounds of pistol bullets, and twenty-four bullets fitted for the gun, four fathoms of serviceable match for match lock gun and four good flints for the fire lock gun.” Annual local and general training requirements were prescribed, and every two years a general training day was specified. Fines were prescribed for failure to appeard.
Militia regiments were usually first identified by their colonel’s name, and next by their county. In some cases, militia regiments were designated by number, especially, it seems, when a county had more than one regiment. Suffolk County had two regiments—Col Josiah Smith’s (1st Regiment) mainly from the western portion of the County including the Town of Brookhaven; and Col. Thomas Terry’s (3rd Regiment) in the eastern portion of the County. There was also a small general regiment, Col. David Mulford’s, for which no enlisted men were found. The regiments consisted of companies, largely organized along Town lines. The Town of Brookhaven had at least four companies, of which Nathan Rose of Fire Place, was a Captain of the Third Company. During most of the war period (following the Battle of Long Island on August 27, 1776), Long Island was under British occupation, and local militias were disbanded. Many residents were forced to flee their homes, many of which were refugees in Connecticut. For many, their homes and livelihood were confiscated or destroyed. Some of these families did not return to Long Island and established themselves elsewhere. As the militia was disbanded, many men escaped Long Island and joined the Line. Ironically, prior to the disbanding of the Militia, the Governors’ Militia companies appear to have been the principal organizing institutions for opposition to British rule—signers of the Association (a form of Patriot loyalty oath) were generally reported by Militia companies.
Some names were proposed for the Honor Roll (in addition to individuals investigated because of their interment in local cemeteries) , said by some sources to have been “Patriots” and participants in the American War of Independence. They were initially placed on the list, followed by a [?], indicating that they had not yet been fully research. Where our research concluded that this was not likely, their names were then shown with a strikethrough. After review by the Honor Roll committee, these “strikethrough” names were then deleted from the master roll, but included here as part of the documentation. This procedure enabled a somewhat systematic review.
BARTO (BARTEAU), FRANCIS
(father of Stephen Barto)
Source: Roberts, Mather
Francis was a private soldier at the Battle of Long Island. He enlisted April 1776 in the company from Suffolk County, Long Island, NY and was in action at the Battle of Long Island. Original muster roll of Town of Brookhaven (formerly Fireplace) Long Island, contains this record; Francis Barteau among 57 privates under Colonel Josiah Smith of Moriches, Long Island and Captain Selah Strong; also his receipt for one gun, nineteen cartridges.
BARTO (BARTEAU), STEPHEN
(son of Francis Barto)
Source: Bartow Genealogy
The only source found of his participation in the Revolutionary War was his entry in Evelyn Bartow’s 1875 Genealogy of the Bartow family. He otherwise was illusive. Evelyn appears to have been a careful researcher, and him/her sources appear to have been only a couple of generations removed from the events. The Barteau family name was spell variously, making it difficult to research. Especially because he was killed during the War, his name was included on the Honor Roll Plaque..
BARTOW (BARTEAU), NATHAN ROSE
(son of Capt. Nathan Rose, he took his mother’s surname).
Burial: #29 Barteau Cemetery, South Haven.
Source: Mather
He signed the Town of Brookhaven Association of 17 May 1775, Third Company (Capt. Nathan Rose.) The Associators chose Selah Strong in the presence of William Smith, Nathaniel Woodhull, and Josiah Smith. Other Rose’s signing at the same time were Jesse (his uncle), Nathan (Capt.) [his father], Nathan Jr, [present] and Thomas (Lt.) [his uncle]. While not confirmed, the evidence of the Association is that he likely served under his brother in the Third Company, First Regiment of Suffolk County
[He was not found in Roberts.]
CORWIN, RICHARD
Born about 1751 – Died 27 Oct 1848
Burial: #33 Corwin Family Cemetery, Brookhaven
Source: Corwin
He was present at the battle of Yorktown, and at the surrender of Cornwallis. Washington is said to have once to have once tested his fidelity as a guard by attempting to pass him in the night, but he would not allow him to pass, and afterward received commendations for his fidelity.
HAWKINS, NATHAN (Nathaniel)
Born about 1752 – Died Aug. 31,1823.
Burial: #39 Nathaniel Hawkins Cemetery, Brookhaven.
Source: Hawkins, Huson
He refused to sign the Association. He was not found in Mather or Roberts. Except for Huson, no evidence has been found of his participated in the military during the Revolutionary War .Hawkins does not record any Revolutionary War involvement; and records name as Nathaniel.
HAWKINS, ZACHARIAH
Born 1715 – Died 1800.
Burial: #39 Nathaniel Hawkins Cemetery, Brookhaven.
Sources: Hawkins, Huson, Mather
Ralph Clymer Hawkins Notes: “Zachariah settled at Oak Island on the Smith Patent, east of Yaphank, and north of where now is the L.I.R.R. on the road [old Upton Rd.] to site of Camp Upton [now Brookhaven National Laboratory]. Later he moved into the Glover house further south on the same property, just east of Carman’s Mill, on the east side of Carman River, north of the railroad at South Haven. Just south of the railroad on the east side of the river was Zach’s Landing, named after this Zachariah Hawkins, probably because it was from here that he shipped to New York City the cord wood that he cut nearby, there being an inlet at this time from the ocean to the bay just west of Smith’s Point. It was also probably near this landing in the woody swamp by the river that Zachariah hid the horses and cattle of General John Smith during the American Revolution to prevent their capture by the British. Zachariah had been placed in charge of the General’s extensive property at Smith’s Point at St. George’s Manor or Tangier. In 1796 he was living again at Oak Island according to the will of William Smith of the Manor of St. George at Smith’s Point. In addition to furthering the efforts of General Smith during the Revolution, Zachariah as a patriot signed the Association Papers June 8, 1775, and again in May, 1776. He died about 1800 on the Smith property at South Haven and letters of administration of his estate were granted May 5, 1800, to his son Nathaniel and his grandson Zachariah Hawkins.
Huson recorded that Zachariah Hawkins was interred in the “Fireplace Cemetery.” By this I have assumed that he meant the “Nathaniel” Hawkins Cemetery, now badly vandalized, as this appears to be the oldest “Hawkins” cemetery in the hamlet. No other indication of his burial site has been found. However, his son Nathaniel, after whom the cemetery is named, is documented as being interred in this cemetery. Nathaniel was an executor of Zachariah’s estate, and it seems reasonable that Zachariah also would be interred in the “Fireplace” family cemetery.
He signed the Town of Brookhaven (Middle Island, Fourth Company Limits) Association of 8 June 1775, witnessed by Ebenezer Dayton, clerk. His son Zachariah and Nathaniel refused to sign. He was on the list of Associators sent to Col. Nathaniel Woodhull on 17 Aug 1775 by Richard Woodhull and Samuel Thompson, Committeemen.
Because of his age, it seems unlikely that he served an active role in a field fighting force, or had a formal rank in the military.
[While a Zachariah Hawkins was found in Roberts enlisted in the Line, Fourth Regiment, under Col. James Holmes, there is no indication that it is the present Zachariah..]
HOMAN, ISAAC
Born about 1765 – Died 8 Dec 1814
Burial: Said originally to have been interred in the #29 Barteau Cemetery in Brookhaven Hamlet. Later removed to the “Yaphank Cemetery,” more particularly #49 Old Baptist Cemetery, Yaphank, NY
Source: Huson
I have a suspicion that Isaac Homan was not originally interred in the Barteau Cemetery as indicated by Huson. I think there may have been a clerical error when the entry was recorded in the Town Historian’s database — cemetery 029 was entered instead of 049. Other such errors were known to have occurred. Huson when he conducted his research found Isaac Homan on the record for Barteau Cemetery, and recorded it as such. My understanding is that by 1939, when the Town of Brookhaven Historian’s survey was actually conducted, the Yaphank Baptist Cemetery was largely abandoned. It seems unlikely that a gravestone would be moved there between 1939 and 1971 when Dayton and Carter conducted an inventory and found it there. I believe that the Town Historian’s office still has the original cemetery inventory work sheets.
It it unlikely that the Isaac Homan whose gravestone was found at the Baptist Cemetery, Yaphank, and who was recorded in the c. 1939 Town of Brookhaven Historian’s cemetery inventory as having a gravestone in the Barteau Cemetry, could have been a Revolutionary War soldier. He was recorded as having died in 1814, aged 49 years. He possible that he could have been in the military late in the War, but he seems to have been too young to have participated in Long Island engagements, even as a fifer. While listed in Huson, this source is known to be an unreliable compendium of military participation in the Revolutionary War. While listed here (as a strike-out), he was not included on the Revolutionary War “Honor Roll” erected in 2015.
HOMAN, MORDECAI [iii]
Born 1757-1759. Died April 6, 1829.
Burial: Originally interred in the #80 Homan Cemetery (abandoned) in South Haven. Later removed to #21 Oaklawn Cemetery, Brookhaven.
Sources: Husan, Mather
Which of the three Mordecai’s who signed the Association that date was the present Mordecai is not entirely clear. However, most likely it was Mordecai 3d. The present Mordecai would have been about age eighteen when he signed the Association, too young to himself have had a son of age to sign. As a hypothesis, the other Mordecai’s might have been his father and grandfather; Joseph Homan might have been the father to Letita Homan, who became the wife of Thomas Ellison (the elder, grandfather to “Big Tom” Ellison). That these Homan’s were at South (southern Brookhaven Town, NY — the vicinity of Fire Place and South Haven hamlets) is likely, given that Capt. Nathan Rose (of Fire Place) was the company officer, and that the witnesses and other names on the list were at South.
Mordecai was also found on the Pay Roll of Lt. Isaac Davis’ Company (probably earlier than the above Association as some on the list also appeared on the above Association. His name was recorded as Mordica and he received 0-6-2 (six shillings, two pence).
A Mordecai Homan also appears on the Town of Brookhaven Association of 8 June 1775, Fourth Company Limits, witnessed by Ebenezer Dayton, clerk. Many of the names on this list are recognized as being from the Middle Island area.
[He was not found in Roberts.]
[A brass D.A.R. plaque has been provided for Mordecai’s grave site.]
HOWELL, JONATHAN
Born about 1758 – Died Sept. 23,1840.
Burial: Originally interred in the #80 Homan Cemetery (abandoned) in South Haven. Later removed to #21 Oaklawn Cemetery, Brookhaven.
Sources: Roberts
Jonathan Howell is recorded as having been enlisted in Col. Josiah Smith’s First Regiment of the Suffolk County Militia (Minute Men). He was the brother-in-law of Mordecai Homan (above).
HULSE, DAVID
Born 1755–Died May 4,1808
Burial: Huson indicated that he originally was interred #29 Barteau Cemetery in South Haven. Removed to Cedar Hill Cemetery, Port Jefferson. No other evidence of his interment at the Barteau Cemetery has been found.
Source: Huson
Huson’s assertion that he was originally interred in the Barteau Cemetery, implying that he was at one time a Fire Place/South Haven resident. No other evidence that he resided in Fire Place or South Haven has been found. There is a Hulse family cemetery in Brookhaven hamlet — on Fire Place Neck road. This branch of the Hulse family is distantly related. “King” David Hulse, the oldest family member interred in that cemetery is David Hulse’s 2nd cousin once removed.
KETCHAM, SCUDDER
Born about 1741 – Died Jan. 6,1799.
Burial: #30 Rose Family Cemetery, Brookhaven
Source: Huson
No evidence has been found that Scudder Ketcham participated in the military during the Revolutionary War. While he was referenced in Harry W. Huson, “Revolutionary War Patriots Buried in the Town Of Brookhaven,” a specific source was not provided. His name was not found in Frederic Gregory Mather, The refugees of 1776 from Long Island to Connecticut or James A. Roberts, Comptroller, State of New York, New York in the Revolution as Colony and State.
RIDER, BARNABAS, FIFER
Born about 1761 – Died Oct. 8, 1830.
Burial: #29 Barteau Cemetery, South Haven.
Sources: Huson, Mather
It is likely that this is the “Barnardus Rider, Fif.” recorded in Mather as being on the Pay Roll of Capt. William Ludlum’s (10th) Company of Militia, in Col. Josiah Smith’s Regiment, in Queens County.
[He was not found in Roberts.]
ROSE, REV. DAVID “PRIEST ROSE”
Born Dec. 11,1736 – Died Jan. 1,1799.
Burial: #04 South Haven Church Cemetery
Source: Huson, Mather, Roberts
Served as minister at South Haven and Middletown (Middle Island) from 1766 to 1799. His church at South Haven was misused by British during the war. He signed the Assn. in 1775. He signed the Town of Brookhaven Association of 17 May 1775, Third Company (Capt. Nathan Rose.) The Associators chose Selah Strong in the presence of William Smith, Nathaniel Woodhull, and Josiah Smith. He is recorded as being enlisted in the Suffolk County Militia, Col. Josiah Smith’s First Regiment of Minute Men. His family became refugees to Conn. After the war he was a leader in rehabilitating and rebuilding the southern part of the Town of Brookhaven.
[A modern memorial monument has been provided]
ROSE, JESSE
Born 30 Dec 1738 – Died 2 Oct 1821.
Burial: #30 Rose Family Cemetery, Brookhaven
Source: Mather
He signed the Town of Brookhaven Association of 17 May 1775, Third Company (Capt. Nathan Rose.) The Associators chose Selah Strong in the presence of William Smith, Nathaniel Woodhull, and Josiah Smith. Rose’s signing at the same time were Jesse [present], Nathan (Capt.) [his brother], Nathan Jr, [his nephew] and Thomas (Lt.) [his brother]. While not confirmed, the evidence of the Association is that he likely served under his brother in the Third Company, First Regiment of Suffolk County.
[He was not found in Roberts.]
ROSE, CAPT. NATHAN, JR
Born about 1731 – Died Oct.21, 1793.
Burial: #30 Rose Family Cemetery, Brookhaven
Sources: Huson, Mather
He signed the Town of Brookhaven Association of 17 May 1775, Third Company (Capt. Nathan Rose.) The Associators chose Selah Strong in the presence of William Smith, Nathaniel Woodhull, and Josiah Smith. Other Rose’s signing at the same time were Jesse [his brother], Nathan (Capt.) [present], Nathan Jr, [his son] and Thomas (Lt.) [his brother].
On 5 April 1776, his company was under the command of Col. William Floyd, and had a total of 113 men (1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 1 ensign, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, 1 clerk, 1 drummer, 1 fifer, and 98 privates) making it the third largest company in Col. Floyd’s First Regiment of Suffolk County. Col Floyd reported to the Provincial Congress that “the Regiment is about two thirds furnished with bayonets and the others are getting them as fast as they can get them made; they are furnished with half pound of powder and two pound of ball per man; and a magazine in the Regiment to furnish them with about as much more when it shall be wanted. They are pretty industrious in fixing their accoutrements , and I hope in a short time they will be tolerably well prepared.
[He was not found in Roberts.]
[A modern memorial monument has been provided at his gravesite]
ROSE, LIEUT. THOMAS
Born Sept. 27,1736 – Died April 3,1780.
Burial: #30 Rose Family Cemetery, Brookhaven
Sources: Huson, Mather
He signed the Town of Brookhaven Association of 17 May 1775, Third Company (Capt. Nathan Rose.) The Associators chose Selah Strong in the presence of William Smith, Nathaniel Woodhull, and Josiah Smith. Other Rose’s signing at the same time were Jesse [his brother], Nathan (Capt.) [his brother], Nathan Jr, [his nephew] and Thomas (Lt.) [present]. While not confirmed, the evidence of the Association is that he likely was one of the lieutenants serving under his brother in the Third Company, First Regiment of Suffolk County.
[He was not found in Roberts.]
[A modern memorial monument has been provided at his gravesite.]
TERRY, DANIEL
Born ? – Died ?
Burial:#29 Barteau Cemetery?, South Haven.
Sources: Huson, Roberts
He enlisted in the Suffolk County Militia, Col. Josiah Smith’s First Regiment of Minute Men.
Both a Daniel Terry and a Daniel Terry, Jr. were recorded in Roberts. It is unlikely that the present Daniel could have had a son of military age, suggesting that he was Daniel, Jr., and that he had a father Daniel.
While Huson recorded that he was interred at the Barteau Family Cemetery, his gravestone cannot be found, and he does not appear on the c. 1939 Town of Brookhaven Historian’s Cemetery List. It does seem possible, though, as his wife and children were interred there.
TERRY, RICHARD
Born about 1729? – Died July 13, 1814.
Burial: #39 Nathaniel Hawkins Cemetery, Brookhaven.
Sources: Huson, Mather, Roberts
There is clearly some confusion about this entry. The Richard Terry mentioned by Huson, and interred in the Nathaniel Hawkins Cemetery died in 1814 at age 35 years, 10 months, 18 days, making his birth year 1778, not 1729—clearly too young to have been in the Revolutionary War.
While Mather and Roberts recorded a Richard Terry as a Refuge to Connecticut, he appears to have been from Southold.
Sources (partial list):
Corwin : Corwin, Edward Tanjore (1834-1914), The Corwin genealogy (Curwin, Curwen, Corwine) in the United States. xxxii, 284 p., 3 leaves of plates: ill., coat of arms, geneal. tables, ports, includes index. (New York. Unknown publisher (S. W. Green Printer). 1872.)
Husan : Harry W. Huson, Revolutionary War Patriots Buried in the Town Of Brookhaven (a pamphlet prepared for the Brookhaven Town Bicentennial Committee, 1976). He does not record his sources for individual names; he does however, provide the general references he used to develop his list. Some names he records are disputed. To have been included on the honor roll, a second reference was required.
Hawkins : Ralph Clymer Hawkins, A Hawkins genealogy, 1635-1939 : record of the descendants of Robert Hawkins of Charlestown, Massachusetts (Baltimore : Published for the Hawkins Association by Gateway Press, 1987)
Mather : Frederic Gregory Mather, The refugees of 1776 from Long Island to Connecticut (Albany, N.Y.: J.B. Lyon Co., printers, 1913 (reprinted 2006))
Roberts : James A. Roberts, Comptroller, State of New York, New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, 2nd Ed. (1898) with Volume II (Supplement, 1901) (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1996). (Mather was apparently the principal investigator on the staff of the Comptroller when the reports were prepared.)
a. Introduction, page 12
b. Introduction, page 8
c. Introduction, page 10
d. Introduction page 12
NY Secretary of State : New York State. Dept. of State, Calendar of historical manuscripts, relating to the war of the revolution, in the office of the Secretary of State, Albany, N.Y: Volume 1 (Albany: Weed, Parsons & Co., Printers, 1868),