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Stories from the Life and Death of Revolutionary War Hero Enoch Poor

Melissa Berry
Photo: Enoch Poor's burial site. The inscription includes: "In 1824, Lafayette revisited this grave, and turning away much affected, exclaimed, 'Ah, that was one of my generals!'" Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry searches old newspapers to learn details about the life of – and funeral service for – American Revolutionary War hero Brigadier General Enoch Poor. Melissa is a genealogist who has a blog, AnceStory Archives, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.

Author’s Note: The Heritage Collectors Society sent me a document to research: “The State of New Hampshire to Joseph Cilley,” from 1777. This document records payments made to sundry officers and soldiers from the American Revolution. The items for Major James Carr, Lt. Blanchard, and General Enoch Poor are included. I discovered that Captain Joseph Cilley and Brigadier General Enoch Poor/Poore were not only serving together during the American Revolutionary War, but share the same blood lines and their children married. (The family lines are listed at the end of this article.) GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives were one of my best resources for gathering information on General Poor. The tidbits on his life and funeral service were the best!

Photo: “The State of New Hampshire to Joseph Cilley,” 1777. Credit: Heritage Collectors Society.

The military record of Brigadier General Enoch Poor (1736-1780) is extensive and very impressive. Enoch was born in Andover, Massachusetts, on 21 June 1736 to Thomas Poor and Mary Adams. He served as a private in the French and Indian War with his brother Thomas, who was a captain.

Illustration: Colonel Enoch Poor. Portrait by U. D. Tenney, 1873, after an earlier portrait by Kosciusko. Presented to the State by a descendant, 1873. Credit: New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources; Wikimedia Commons.

After he returned from the French and Indian War, Enoch began a trade as cabinetmaker and by 1761 was ready for marriage – and a lass of his native town was chosen.

According to an article published in the Arkansas Gazette, when Enoch set his sights on colonial belle and beauty Martha Osgood, he was not approved by daddy Osgood. But Enoch was too smitten to walk away. Apparently, daddy Osgood resorted to stringent tactics and locked Martha away in her bed chamber. Martha camped out at the window waiting for Enoch.

Arkansas Gazette (Little Rock, Arkansas), 5 March 1916, page 35

Charlotte Helen Abbott, in Early Records of Andover, noted that with the aid of a slave named Brewster, Enoch carried Martha down a ladder from her parents’ home and they eloped. Enoch and Martha moved to Exeter, New Hampshire, and eventually daddy Osgood made peace with his son-in-law.

Enoch learned the cabinetmaker trade and was quite skilled, as shown by this beautiful Secretary he made.

Photo: Chippendale Serpentine Front Secretary attributed to Enoch Poor. Credit: Frank Levy; Levy Galleries.

Enoch then evolved his craft into a prosperous shipbuilding business. According to an article published in the New Hampshire Patriot and Gazette, Poor employed many men in shipbuilding, and during the summer of 1775 their skill was utilized for building fire rafts at Exeter, New Hampshire, in case British ships attempted to burn Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Patriot and State Gazette (Concord, New Hampshire), 6 September 1876, page 4

Enoch served in the Continental Army from 1775-1780 during the Revolutionary War, and was promoted to brigadier general on 21 February 1777. He led troops in many engagements, including the Battles of Saratoga, Freeman’s Farm, Bemis Heights, Monmouth, and Newtown.

Washington, Lafayette and a portion of the American army attended the burial of General Poor in 1780.

Poor’s funeral is described in the Military Journals of James Thatcher, who was a surgeon in the Continental Army:

“He [General Poor] was a true patriot, who took an early part in the cause of his country, and during his military career was respected for his talents and his bravery, and beloved for the amiable qualities of his heart. But it is sufficient eulogy to say, that he enjoyed the confidence and esteem of Washington.”

Thatcher provided these details:

“The procession: a regiment of light-infantry, in uniform, with arms reversed; four field-pieces; Major Lee’s regiment of light-horse; General Hand and his brigade; the major on horseback; two chaplains; the horse of the deceased, with his boots and spurs suspended from the saddle, led by a servant; the corpse borne by four sergeants, and the pall supported by six general officers. The coffin was of mahogany, and a pair of pistols and two swords, crossing each other and tied with black crape, were placed on top. The corpse was followed by the officers of the New Hampshire brigade; the officers of the brigade of light-infantry, which the deceased had lately commanded.

“Other officers fell in promiscuously, and were followed by his Excellency General Washington, and other general officers. Having arrived at the burying-yard, the troops opened to the right and left, resting on their arms reversed, and the procession passed to the grave, where a short eulogy was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Evans. A band of music, with a number of drums and fifes, played a funeral dirge, the drums were muffled with black crape, and the officers in the procession wore crape round the left arm. The regiment of light-infantry were in handsome uniform, and wore in their caps a long feather of black and red. The elegant regiment of horse, commanded by Major Lee, being in complete uniform and well disciplined, exhibited a martial and noble appearance.

“No scene can exceed in grandeur and solemnity a military funeral. The weapons of war reversed, and embellished with the badges of mourning, the slow and regular step of the procession, the mournful sound of the unbraced drum and deep-toned instruments, playing the melancholy dirge, the majestic mien and solemn march of the war-horse, all conspire to impress the mind with emotions which no language can describe, and which nothing but the reality can paint to the liveliest imagination.”

In 1824 Lafayette revisited Enoch Poor’s grave, and turning away much affected, exclaimed: “Ah! That was one of my generals.”

Daily Eastern Argus (Portland, Maine), 16 August 1869, page 4

A statue and monument to Brigadier General Enoch Poor was erected near his gravesite in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Photo: the statue and monument erected in honor of Enoch Poor, a brigadier general during the American Revolutionary War. This statue is located between the Hackensack Courthouse and Poor’s final resting place, the old burial grounds of the First Reformed Church in Hackensack, New Jersey. Credit: Michael Hodum of New Jersey; Wikimedia Commons.

Further Reading and Sources:

Genealogy:

Children of Enoch Poor and Martha Osgood:

Children of Capt. Joseph Cilley and Elise Rawlins:

Children of Joseph Cilley and Sarah Longfellow:

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