Ebenezer Sinkler

Quick Facts

Date of Birth:

1732/3

Place of Death:

Schuylerville, NY

Date of Death:

October 7, 1777

Ebenezer Sinkler (born 1732/3) of Weare, New Hampshire, had a good life. A joiner by trade, he was in the business of making important household components such as stairs, doors, and windows. He and his wife, Mary, and their three young children lived peaceably nestled in their small community surrounded by family and friends. Then the Revolutionary War came.

Despite having a business and a growing family, Ebenezer’s patriotism inspired him to fight against British tyranny in the war’s first year when he enlisted as a private soldier in Colonel John Stark’s New Hampshire Regiment in April 1775. Eben marched off to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he and his regiment were deployed to the Charlestown peninsula and fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17. Eben survived and was discharged to go home in August.

While Eben skipped the fight in 1776, he was again willing to go to war in 1777. The manner of his enlistment was atypical, though, and it’s unclear why he opted to engage “to serve as a Solder in the Continantal Servis” in the manner he did. On May 22, 1777, Eben signed five separate contracts with men from Weare by which he agreed to serve for fragments of terms totaling 3 years. Each of the five men in turn agreed to pay Eben a sum of money which totaled £22.05.06. Now duly “Hired by particular persons in said Weare,” Eben enlisted as a private in Captain Morrill’s company of Colonel Joseph Cilley’s 1^st New Hampshire Regiment for a three-year term.

In anticipation of a British invasion from Canada, the New Hampshire regiments were deployed to Forts Ticonderoga and Independence that spring. The attack came in early summer, and Eben evacuated the place along with the rest of the Northern Army. Continued skirmishing with the enemy and other hardships - no change of clothes, money, tents, blankets, and little food for weeks – followed. But by September, most of these privations were filled and Eben and his regiment were ready to engage the enemy.

Ebenezer fought hard in the Battle of Freeman’s Farm on September 19 and, luckily, survived the fight unscathed. Eben fought again over two weeks later in the Battle of Bemus Heights on October 7; this time, he wasn’t so lucky. The 44-year-old was killed in the fight. He was buried by his victorious compatriots in the field near where he fell.

Now a widow with three children, Mary faced severe financial hardship and sought a simple allowance from the New Hampshire state government a few years later. Her petition read as follows:

“Humbly sheweth, Mary Sinclear of halestown [Weare] in the County of hillsbourough in the State of Newhampshire widow — that her Late husband Ebenezer Sinclear was a soldier in General Poors Brigade, in Coll Silleys Regt & Capt Morrells Company, & was killd att Sarotoga att the taking of Genll Burgoin, & that your Petitioner is Left a widow with three small Children the Oldest of which is under the Age of fourteen, and is So much Disabled By a wound in His hand, & other weakness of Body, which prevents your Petitioner from Getting a place for him to Learn him a trade — that She has, (By Selling her house hold Furniture & a Sett of Joiners tools which Belonged to her Late husband) provided places in the Country for her Children for the present, that her Late husband Died Intestate, Leaving one hundred & fifty Acres of wild Land in the town of wentworth it Being all the Estate he possessd, & that your Petitioner is Now out to Servis herselfe & finds it Verry Difficult to miaintain herselfe, the Collector of taxes for the town of wentworth has calld on her for taxes, Some part of which She has payd But is unable to pay the Remainder, She therefore prays your honours that She may Be Exempt from paying any more taxes for the Above Land untill her Children are of age & what Ever Else your honours, In your wisdom Shall please to Do in favour of your Petitioner & the Orphan Children, as in Duty Bound shall Ever pray."

Mary’s request for relief from the state was denied.