Goodenows of Sudbury, Massachussetts 1638

Notes

1082. Lt. William Steward

Revolutionary War Record of WILLIAM STEWARD April 1775,
Private. under Capt. Joseph Palmer. CT. April or May, 1775; 7
months Private under Waterman Clift, CT. After above: 9
months, 4th Sgt, under Isaac Gallup, CT.
16 days; Sgt. under Isaac Gallup, CT.
2 months; First Lt. under Isaac Gallup, CT.
Commanded a company of the town at a skirmish at Harlem. Taken
prisoner by the British at Ft. Washington, Long Island on
Nov.16, 1?76. Kept in the British Prison Ship, "Jersey" in New
York Harbor Until Parolled Jan 5, 1777. (Very few prisoners
lived long on that partioular Prison Ship. It was well known
that excepting a rare exchange of a prisoner now and then, the
British intended that no American prisoner should leave the
ship alive.) (I have calculated that the average life of a
prisoner on the "Jersey" was 4 months. - T.J. Banvard.)
WILLIAM STEWARD was noted for his defiance of a British Officer
who tried to coerce the prisoners in his charge to join the
British in exchange for their freedom. He told William
Steward: "I have tamed wild tigers and the beasts of the
jungle- I'll tame you men yet" To which, "William Steward
responded heatedly,"You may have tamed wild animals, but you
will never tame us!"
He was so ill when he was finally parolled, he wasn't expected
to live, but he found his way home and his family nursed him to
health- whereupon he went to VT and married DESIRE CRARY on
March 17, 1778. They first settled in Clarendon, VT, but moved
to Wallingford, VA.
After the children were born, he and Desire Crary moved. on to
the NY frontier around Lake Champlain. Here he was always
referred to as the "Squire" Steward He was twice elected to the
NY State Legislature. In 1811 Desire Crary Steward died of
tuberculosis and William moved on to OH, with his young family.
The frontier was very unsettled, unsafe area to travel, so they
traveled with the Army under Gen. Harrison when he went to
fortify Fort Meigs at Perrysberg, OH in 1813. He lived the
later years of his life and died at the home of his daughter,
"Polly" Steward White. He was blind the last 20 years of his
life.
REVOLUTIONARY WAR RECORD AND PENSION OFFICE WAR DEP'T. also
shows: "WILLIAM STEWARD, rank not stated served in Capt.
Ichabod Robinson's Co of VT Militia 1780. Name appears on
Payroll dated May 21, 1781, with remarks: "Number of days-18;
number of miles, 140; s.d.3-10-8" So he evidently enlisted
again after his marriage in Vermont. He was granted a pension.
He is buried in Fargo Cemetery Bennington Twp, Morrow Co., OH-
this used to be a part of Delaware Co., OH. His gravestone
reads: "First Lieut. under Capt. Joseph Palmer, of Col.
Knowlton's CT Regiment,," His Grave is marked by the DAR as a
Revolutionary War Veteran. He stood very near Col. Kowlton, and
saw him killed, in the Battle of Long Island.

NEHGS Vol 60 & 61, DAR, Dept Interior Record Div VLN: SF 4890

1121. Amos Palmer

See attached sources.