Revolutionary War Hero: Col. Israel Hutchinson

In 1896, the town of Danvers, Massachusetts, remembered their heritage and the time when Col. Israel Hutchinson (1727-1811) answered the call with his local militia, responding on that fateful day: 19 April 1775, the Battle of Lexington.

Seven men from Danvers men were killed that day:

• Samuel Cook
• Benjamin Deland
• Ebenezer Goldthwaite
• Henry Jacobs
• Perley Putnam
• George Southwick
• Jotham Webb

This 1896 newspaper article reports on the town erecting a monument to Hutchinson:

“The monument itself is a plain but massive and handsome piece of work. Its seven-foot shaft is of highly polished Quincy granite, and this rests upon a base of plain granite. The whole weights over six tons.”

The inscription on the monument says of Hutchinson, who also served in the French and Indian War:

“Israel Hutchinson, 1727-1811, served his Country as Sergeant, Company of Rangers, 1757; Lieutenant, Lake George and Ticonderoga, 1758; Quebec, 1759; Battle of Lexington, 1775; Colonel, Siege of Boston, New York, New Jersey, Crossing of the Delaware, Trenton. His men manned boats in the retreat from Long Island. Representative and Councilor 21 years. An honored citizen and a loyal soldier.”

Genealogy Tip: Sometimes the Revolutionary War service of our ancestors is described in newspaper articles when monuments were erected in their honor.

Thank you GenealogyBank!

Related Articles:

• 27 Colonial Newspapers to Trace Your Early American Ancestry
• Tracing Your Colonial & Revolutionary Ancestry in Newspapers
• Revolutionary War Ancestors’ Life Stories Are in Old Newspapers