Ebenezer Collins, Jr.

Quick Facts

Date of Birth:

1746

Date of Death:

October 26, 1777

Ebenezer Collins, Jr., (born 1746) of East Kingston, New Hampshire, was the youngest of nine children born to Ebenezer and Apphia Collins. A “husbandman,” Eben was a single man who wasted little time to fight for the American cause by joining Colonel Bedel’s Regiment of Rangers in July 1775. After his enlistment expired, Eben rejoined the war for independence in 1777, this time as a sergeant in Captain Hutchin’s company of the 1^st New Hampshire Regiment.

Eben may have fought in the July 7, 1777 Battle of Hubbardton, Vermont, but he most certainly fought in the September 19 Battle of Freemans Farm – the First Battle of Saratoga; thankfully, he survived the battle unharmed. Over two weeks later, the 1^st New Hampshire Regiment was again deployed to battle the British invaders on October 7. This time, Eben wasn’t so lucky.

Nathaniel Bacheller, one of Ebenezer’s neighbors, happened to check in on the wounded and wrote home to his wife about it on October 9:

“I went to the Barn yesterday where the wounded men Lay & was Looking in at the Door to See if I Knew any of them but Did not But at Length a man came to me & asked if my Name was Not Bacheller I told him it was, he says here is one of your Neighbours want to see you I went with him & who Did I find But Ebenezer Collins shot through the shoulder & was So Bloody I Did not Know Him Tell Lieut Collins of it & Tell him I have Like wise Been to See him to Day & he is as comfortable as Possible I could Expect I hope he will Do well and I Veryly Believe he will as it is the outward part of his shoulder.”

Despite Nathaniel’s hopes, Ebenezer died in the hospital on October 26. The 31-year-old was probably laid to rest in the nearby burial yard in an unmarked grave.

A couple months later, Eben’s slightly older brother, Benjamin, enlisted in the very same regiment and company. Ben joined Washington’s army at Valley Forge where he immediately became sick and hospitalized. He died on August 31, 1778, leaving behind a wife and at least three children.