Bissell Family History

GREYLOCK’S WAR, 1725.

 

Captain EPHRAIM SPRAGUE, 8th Great-grandfather born in 1685, was elected captain of the North Parish (Lebanon, CT) company of militia in 1724, responsible for training the company, making sure they were properly armed and supplied and paying them when called up for service. This company was called to service in 1725 in an Indian conflict known as “Lovewell’s War” or “Greylock’s War.” Ephraim’s father John Sprague was an officer in a Lebanon, CT militia unit in the early 1700’s, having relocated his family to Lebanon, CT. from Duxbury, MA in 1703.

 

KING WILLIAM'S WAR, 1688-1697

 

Great Uncle, Lieutenant (also referred to with the colonial military title of "Cornet") John Bissell, Jr., b. circa 1633 in England, died intestate before 15 Oct 1688 at an undefined place in the Province of New York "while in the King’s service."  While it is speculation, one might assume that John Junior was a soldier serving in the British forces during "King William's War" or "the Second Indian War," which went from 1688-1697.  The War was fought between "New France," French settlers in North America, and "New England," the northern English colonies which had united in 1686 as "the Dominion of New England."  This "Dominion" of colonies only lasted three years.  On the New England side were the Indians of the Iroquois Confederacy; New France fought alongside the Wabanaki Confederacy.  This was the only significant military action going on at this time in colonial America.

 

KING PHILIP’S WAR, 1675-77.

 

This was the major Indian war in New England history, one in which many Bissell ancestors fought in one or more battles and in which several Great-grandfathers died. It was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–1677, named after the main leader of the Native American side, Chief Metacomet, known to the English as "King Philip.” In little over a year, nearly half of the region's towns were destroyed, its economy was all but ruined, and much of its population was killed, including one-tenth of all men available for military service. Proportionately, it was one of the bloodiest and costliest wars in the history of North America. More than half of New England's ninety towns were assaulted by Native American warriors, including at Bridgewater, Groton, Providence, Rehoboth, Scituate and Springfield.  Three major events within King Philip's War are described below, The Springfield Massacre; Pierce's Fight; and The Battle of Turner's Falls.

 

THE SPRINGFIELD MASSACRE.

 

Tenth Great-grandfather Lt. THOMAS COOPER, was killed in “The Springfield Massacre” in 1675. On October 4, 1675 Cooper was quietly warned by an Indian friend that Springfield, Mass. was surrounded by 500 warriors who planned to annihilate it on the following day. Cooper thought to use his 30 years of friendly Indian relations to persuade the hostile force to disband. Accompanied by one other settler, he rode out of the palisaded village to negotiate with Indian leaders. Before they had gotten to the edge of the woods, Cooper’s companion was shot dead and Cooper himself was wounded by unseen snipers. Shot again as he struggled back to the stockade, he was barely able to reach a house where the villagers had taken refuge. He died there of his wounds while the Indians pressed their attack — killing all the livestock, burning the corn mill, sawmill, crops and storehouses, stables, barns and more than thirty houses with everything in them. The advance warning given to Thomas Cooper had enabled most of the settlers to save a few possessions and gather for their defense and safety in a handful of fortified houses. As a result of this preparation only three settlers were killed and four wounded.

 

PIERCE’S FIGHT.

 

Ninth Great-grandfather MICHAEL PIERCE (Click Here for Family Tree Chart for Michael Pierce) was at the center of the most notable battle of King Philip’s War, “Pierce’s Fight,” at Central Falls, Rhode Island on March 26, 1676.  Michael Pierce was born in Bristol, Eng. about 1615; emigrated to America in about 1645 and settled in Hingham, Mass in 1646; moved to Scituate in 1647 and was commissioned a Captain by the Colony Court in 1669.  Captain Pierce and about 80 men left Plymouth in pursuit of the marauding Narragansett Indians. They got to Rehoboth settlement on the western boundary of the Plymouth Colony. From there, on Sunday morning March 26, 1676, after receiving word that a party of the enemy lay near Blackstone's house at Study Hill in Cumberland, Capt. Pierce marched from Rehoboth, leading a company of 63 English and 20 friendly Wampanoag Indians. Upon reaching a ravine near Attleborough Gore, a point on the Blackstone River above Pawtucket Falls, he and his company were ambushed by about 500 to 700 Narragansett Indians. Pierce and his men retreated across the river to set up a defense on the west bank (now part of the City of Central Falls), but were attacked by a blocking force of about 300 Indians. Pierce formed his men into a circle and they continued to fight in ever decreasing numbers for about two hours. The Indians were as thick as they could stand, thirty deep. Pierce was killed early in the battle. Also killed fighting with Pierce were: JOHN SPRAGUE, Sr.(Click Here for Family Tree Chart for John Sprague, Sr.), b. 1630 in Duxbury, Mass., a 10th Great-grandfather; JOSEPH WADE, brother of 8th Great-grandfather Nicholas Wade (and thus a great-uncle); 8th Great-Uncle ELEAZER CLAPP, brother of  ; and JOSEPH COWEN, the brother of 8th Great-grandfather Israel Cowen (and thus another great uncle).

 

THE BATTLE OF TURNER’S FALLS.

 

One turning point in King Philip’s War was the Battle of Turner’s Falls, also known as the Peskeompscut Massacre, on May 19, 1676 in Western Massachusetts. Indians had attacked Springfield, Hadley, and Northfield, with a raid on Deerfield on May 12. About 150 men mustered at Hatfield and marched under Captain William Turner towards the Upper Falls on the Connecticut River, arriving undetected at a large Peskeompscut Indian fishing village at dawn. As many as 200 inhabitants, including women and children, were slaughtered. Some of the Indians who were not shot drowned while attempting to escape across the river, others escaped and regrouped with other Indians nearby and attacked the settlers as they retreated towards Hatfield, killing about 40 of the 150. Deacon JAMES WARRINER, 10th Great-Grandfather (born in Springfield, MA in 1640) along with his brother Joseph, served with Captain William Turner but unlike Turner, Warriner survived the battle. CALEB POMEROY, (Click Here for Family Tree Chart for Caleb Pomeroy) 9th Great-grandfather, born in 1641 in Windsor, CT, took part in the Turner Falls fight; as did Lt. THOMAS STEBBINS, (Click Here for Family Tree Chart for Lt. Thomas Stebbins) , 8th Great-grandfather; and Benjamin Edwards, born in Springfield in 1652 and 9th Great-grandfather.  I believe all four of these men were living in Northampton, MA at the time of this battle.  Samuel Crow, a Bissell 3G first cousin through the Adelaide Boutelle line -- Samuel was the first cousin of 9th Great-grandfather Christopher Goodwin -- died in the Battle of Turner's Falls. 

 

Also serving in other militia units during King Philip’s War were: Captain WILLIAM HOLBROOK, 9th Great-grandfather (and a neighboring farmer to Michael Pierce), driven out of Mendon, MA. by Indians in 1676 and forced to retreat to Scituate; NATHANIEL BISSELL, 8th Great-grandfather, as a member of the Windsor, CT “Troop of Horse;” Captain JOHN BISSELL, 9th Great-grandfather and a founder of Windsor, CT. who served as a Captain in the Windsor Troop in 1676 and quartermaster of the troop in 1677. He had previously served in the Militia in 1657-58; JOSEPH LOOMIS, 9th Great-grandfather, was also a Windsor Trooper in King Phillip's War, 1675-76 and was granted payment (“6s 8d”) "on war account;" and ALEXANDER ALVORD, 11th Great-grandfather, whose buildings were burned–probably in the vicinity of what is now known as Pomery Terrace in Windsor–outside the Windsor palisades and who received a war grant of land on Hawley St. in 1676 also served. Alexander’s older brother Benedict (and thus a great-uncle) was a Sargeant in the Windsor Troopers during the Pequot Indian War in 1637; RICHARD VORE, 10th Great-grandfather, was a member of the Windsor Military company in 1675; Lt. ISAAC BUCK, (believed to be a 9th Great-grandfather), was a Lieutenant in King Philip’s War, “...and repulsed the Indians with great bravery from Scituate in March 1676,” say the history books; BENJAMIN PIERCE (8th Great-grandfather and son of Michael Pierce) was a Captain in the local militia, probably in Scituate, MA.; JOHN HOWARD, 9th Great-grandfather, came to Duxbury, MA when he was 15 and lived with Miles Standish and his family. He was one of the first militia officers of Bridgewater, which was the first inland town in the Massachusetts colony. In May, 1676, during King Philip's War, “...Ensign John Howard, with twenty others, fought with some Indians and took seventeen of them alive with much plunder, and all returned without serious injury.” (from the records of the Old Bridgewater Historical Society). He was promoted to Lieutenant on October 2, 1689; and RALPH ELLENWOOD, 9th Great-grandfather on Julia Richardson's tree, who served in the militia from Beverly, MA.

 

EARLY COLONIAL MILITARY SERVICE

BEFORE KING PHILIP’S WAR.

 

THOMAS HOLCOMB, 10th Great-grandfather of Windsor, CT. was a member of the Connecticut Militia following the founding of Windsor in the mid-1630s and thus most likely in the Pequot Indian War.  ANTHONY EAMES, 10th Great-grandfather, was a lieutenant of the military company in Hingham, MA. When he was chosen to be captain of the company, a serious controversy developed between his friends and others in the community. This friction extended for many years. When he moved to Marshfield, MA he was a member of the “Council of War” in 1657. His daughter married Michael Pierce. HENRY BURT, 10th Great-grandfather, of Dorchester and Springfield, Mass. He was a member of the first Military Company of Springfield. In 1657 he was clerk of the “Train Band,” the most basic small unit of colonial militia and essentially a training unit for militia members. Deacon JONATHAN BURT, 9th Great-grandfather, was born in 1624. In September 1662, he was chosen to be the first Corporal of the Springfield Train Band. BENJAMIN COOLEY, 9th Great-grandfather, and his son JOSEPH COOLEY, 8th Great-grandfather, were both in the militia in Springfield, MA in the mid-1600’s, Benjamin an Ensign and Joseph a Lieutenant. LAWRENCE LITCHFIELD, 10th Great-grandfather, settled in Scituate by 1640 and sometime after that (probably 1643) settled in Barnstable near the Great Pond. He was listed in the Company Roll in Barnstable Company in August 1643 as a non-commissioned officer or private. In 1640 he had joined the newly formed “Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston” and sometime before his death in 1650 was sent to Boston to study military arts so that he could command a branch of the Barnstable Train Band. From “Robert’s History of the A&HA Company” it indicates that Lawrence Litchfield was in active service against the Indians under Lt. Thomas Dymoke’s Company of Barnstable in 1643-44.

 

PEQUOT INDIAN WAR, 1637.

 

The Pequot tribe had aggressively expanded its territory into Connecticut in the early 1630s and began raids (and counter-raids) against the settlers in 1636. In April 1637, as an example of Pequot raids against the English settlements, an attack on Wethersfield, CT resulted in the killing of six men and three women settlers and the capture of two girls. On May 1, 1637 the General Court at Hartford voted “an offensive war against the Pequods.” On May 10, ninety men along with the Sachem Uncas and 70 of his Mohegan tribe warriors (and some additional Narraganset Indidans) led by Captain John Mason of Windsor attacked a Pequot fort. The majority of the 600-700 Pequots in the fort were women, children and older men but Mason ordered the fort set on fire. Virtually all the Indians were killed, with only 2 settlers killed and about 20 wounded. A second major battle was fought May 26, with the Indian men being put to death. About 30 Indian women and children were given to the settlers’ Indian allies and about 50 were sent to Boston, to be sold as slaves.  HENRY SAMPSON, 9th Great-grandfather who came to Plymouth, Mass. in 1620 on the Mayflower, fought in the Pequot War in 1637 in Eastern Massachusetts.  Capt. JOHN CULLICK, 9th Great-Grandfather, was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, the first military organization in the U.S., founded in 1638 , before he came to Hartford as one of its founders. Cullick was also granted a lot in the Soldier's Field, for services in the Pequot War. According to one of the first definitive histories of the Pequot War by George Bodge, the result of the war was that the Indians of New England were so dismayed by the settlers’ force that for nearly 40 years there was no further formidable outbreak of Indian attacks, even though the Indians, “...knew that they were wronged, cheated, and oppressed in many ways by the colonists.” Note that the first fight between the English settlers and Native Americans appears to have been on Dec. 7, 1620 while the Pilgrims were still on board the Mayflower but making a foray in a long boat to explore the shore at Cape Cod.

 

SOME NOTABLE COUSINS' MILITARY SERVICE.

 

Many cousins of the Bissell ancestors also had notable military service, including:

 

Revolutionary War:

• John Hancock (4th cousin), a great leader of the revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence;

• Nathan Hale (4th cousin), hung by the British at age 21 as a spy and who said, “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country;”

• Israel Bissell (4th cousin), legendary for his 4 day horseback ride through New England and the middle Atlantic states in April 1775, spreading the word that the revolution had begun;

• Daniel Bissell The Spy (4th cousin), decorated by George Washington with the first Purple Heart military decoration, for his wartime service;

• Mathew Griswold (3rd cousin), leader of the Sons of Liberty in Connecticut;

• William Colfax (4th cousin), Commander of George Washington’s Revolutionary War Guard.

 

Northwest Indian War, 1794:

• Major Russell Bissell (4th cousin), wounded at the Battle of Fallen Timbers where the American victory forced the Native tribes to cede disputed land in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois under the Treaty of Greenville in 1795. Later briefly the Commandant of the U.S. Army Fort at Belle Fontaine in the Northwest Territory, the first U.S. Army fort west of the Mississippi River.

 

War of 1812:

• General Daniel Bissell (4th Cousin), a young fifer in the Connecticut militia during the Revolutionary War, commanded Fort Massac in Illinois and befriended Daniel Boone and Zebulon Pike, among others. Bissell helped outfit the Lewis & Clark expedition, commanded Fort Belle Fontaine and served with distinction in the War of 1812, commanding a brigade and winning a battle against the British at Cooks’ Mills, Canada in 1814.

 

Mexican-American War, 1846-48:

 

Commodore Simon Backus Bissell

• Commodore Simon Backus Bissell, Jr. (4th cousin) commanded the first steamship in the U.S. Navy in the 1840’s. He was in the Mexican War commanding the sailing ship sloop of war U.S.S. Albany and was friends there in Mexico with young Army engineering officers, including Robert E. Lee, Joseph Johnston, George McClellan and P.G.T. Beauregard (all later to become famous generals in the American Civil War). Simon also commanded the sloop Cyane during the Civil War. His father, David Bissell 3rd, was in the Crown Point Expedition (along with a young copper engraver named Paul Revere) against the French during the French and Indian War in 1755 and was later a Lieutenant in the 4th Connecticut Regiment during the Revolutionary War. Simon’s great-great-grandfather was David Bissell, our 7th Great-grandfather.

• Col. William Bissell (5th cousin, later Governor of Illinois and friend of Abraham Lincoln) who served at the Battle of Buena Vista in 1847 and of whom General (and soon to be U.S. President) Zachary Taylor said, “Col. Bissell...merits notice for his coolness and bravery on this occasion.”

 

Civil War:

• Brigadier General Strong Vincent (4th cousin), a hero of the Battle of Gettysburg who died at age 26 shortly after the second day of fighting at Little Round Top;

• Colonel Rufus Dawes (7th cousin), who successfully led the Union “Iron Brigade” at the battle of the Railroad Cut on the first day of fighting at Gettysburg;

• Col. Josiah W. Bissell (3rd cousin), an engineer who became famous at age 20 for building the stone aqueduct in 1838 that carried the Erie Canal across the Genesee River in Rochester, New York and which is still in use as a bridge today. During the Civil War, Col. Bissell commanded the Union Army’s Engineer Regiment of the West during the seige of New Madrid, Missouri; in the actions against Island No. 10 on the Mississippi River; constructing the New Madrid Canal; and joined in Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign in 1863. In 1864, he took command of the 1st Missouri Engineers regiment and participated in the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman’s march to the sea and the Campaign for the Carolinas.