Bartholomew Goyer from A List of The Revolutionary Soldiers of Dublin, N.H. (1904) Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by MLM, Volunteer 0000130. For the current email address, please go to http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000130 Copyright. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************ Full copyright notice - http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm USGenWeb Archives - http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************************ Surname: GOYER Source: A List of The Revolutionary Soldiers of Dublin, N.H. by Samuel Carroll Derby, Columbus, Ohio, 1901, pages 10-12 BARTHOLOMEW GOYER, a Frenchman, whose previous history is unknown, but who was a resident of Dublin and bought land there in 1766, served as a private in Capt. John Mellen's company, which went in June and July, 1777, to reinforce Ticonderoga. July 29, 1779, he enlisted and received £6 billeting money to Springfield, Mass. April 24, 1781, he enlisted for the war and was in the 2d regiment, 5th company. He was paid £60 bounty. How he fared appears in the following paper. It is likely that the experience of Bartholomew Goyer and Samuel French found many parallels among the soldiers of the Continental army and that the treatment of such captives did not a little to embitter the feeling between the people of the United States and England, whose government was held responsible for the acts of the Indians and Tories in its service. In the Mohawk valley, owing chiefly to the great influence of the Johnsons and their adherents, the hostilities were marked by extreme brutality. The petition of Bartholomew Goyer of Dublin in the County of Cheshire humbly shows that in year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one, he Enlisted into the Continental army in Captain Dustin's company, and Col. Read's Regt., and served as a soldier in said Company till June, 1782, at which time being on Command at Mohawk River he was surprised by a party of Indians and carried into Canada where he remained a prisoner untill September, 1783, and as it was reported that he was killed by said Indians Return was made accordingly and your petitioner was not made up in any roll and Consequently drew no pay dureing the whole time of his Captivity- and also after his return out of Captivity he being poor and also not possessed of that knowledge which was requisite to direct the proper way to obtain a recompense for his servises in behalf of his Country both he and his family hath greatly suffered on that account. Wherefore your petitioner Humbly prays your Honours to take his case into wise Consideration and grant him the pay for his services in the Cause of his Country for which he has Received no Compensation and your petitioner as in duty bound shall ever pray, Dover June ye 11th 1792 BARTHOLOMEW GOYER ----- I certify that sometime in June 1782 Indians attacked carried and burned a mill on Mohawk river in which was a Serjeant's party belonging to the Regimt then under my Command & that the bearer Bartholomew Goyer being in the party instead of being taken was supposed to have been killed, and was accordingly returned dead in consequence of which his pay ceased. Given under my hand at Londonderry this 6th day of June 1792 GEO. REID Then Lt Col Comdt 2d N Hampr Reg. The following paper throws more light upon the preceding petition: A Return of N Hamps Troops & where Station'd The first Regt Consisting nearly of 270 R & File fit for Duty are Stationed at Saratoga The 2d Regiment are distributed as follows (viz) 3 Companies at Fts Harkimer and Dayton their number about so R & File one Compy at Esqr Harkimers & the Indian Castle R & F 30 --- the Remaining part of the Regt which is nearly 150 are Station'd at Fort Plain or Ransler from which they detach guards weekly to Fort Willett Parrisses Mill Moyen House & the Ferry near the Post GEO REID Lt Colo Comm'd N B this Return is taken from the Musters of May last; Can't say that it is .so accurate as I could wish - G REID Albany 1st July 82 Samuel French of Hopkinton, a member of the same company, was taken prisoner, apparently with Goyer, at Little Falls, and held a captive by the Indians till March, 1787. French was allowed by the N. H. authorities £96, which was in lieu of four years' wages, and an allowance for two years' clothing. See N. H. State Papers, vol. XXI. Goyer was allowed £30, and interest from Sept. 30, 1783, see N. H. State Papers, vol. XXII. He lived on the Derby Hill and removed from Dublin to North Adams, Mass., about 1796. The localities mentioned in Col. Reid's Return were situated, Ft. Herkimer in German Flats township; Ft. Dayton in Herkimer; Herkimer's house and Indian Castle, the residence of the famous Indian Chiefs, King Hendrick and Joseph Brant, in Danube; Ft. Willet in Minden; Ft. Rensselaer in Canajoharie, and the other posts in the neighborhood. These towns all lie on the Mohawk, near Little Falls, and all suffered very greatly in the Revolutionary War from the frequent raids of Tories and Indians. Nowhere were hostilities more embittered by feuds and vindictive hatred. Harold Frederic's novel, "In the Valley," gives a good account of the struggle. ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS, OCTOBER, 1904. Bartholomew Goyer, of Natick, Mass., served in the Crown Point Expedition of 1755, as private in Capt. Jonathan Hoar's company, and was mustered out Dec. 15, 1755. Bartholomew Goyer of Natick, was private in Capt. Nathan Watkin's co., Col. Edmund Phinney's reg't, and was in garrison at Ft. George, Dec. 8, 1776; he had enlisted Jan. 1, 1776. It is supposed that these persons are identical with Bartholomew Goyer, of Dublin, N. H. In regard to captivity of Samuel French, see N. H. State Papers, vol. xvii, pp. 465-466.