James SAWYER

Born: 1760
Died: 1775

Father: James Sawyer (1738-82)
Mother: Elizabeth Bradner (1740?-1802)

James was probably born in Goshen, NY. Dear Folks indicates that James died as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Although that source also indicates that his father, James, was taken as a prisoner by the British and imprisoned on Long Island, where he starved to death, I suspect that this was actually son James. One source (letter from Wesley U. SAWYER) says he was captured at age 18 and starved to death in captivity on a prison ship near Long Island. The ship was in the charge of the notorious and inhumane British officer named CUNNINGHAM.

DAR records 41607 and 86827 indicate that James senior was at Minnisink and at Forts Clinton and Montgomery, where his son James was taken prisoner and died in captivity. DAR records also indicate that Major James died in 1782 (the war ended in 1783, hmmm, of natural causes for war-related?).

The GFHCNY source states: "James Jr. served in the revolution and was taken prisoner at the engagements of Forts Chester and Montgomery, 7 Oct 1777, and never returned; supposed to have died while a prisoner of war; his name is in the "History of Orange County," among the names of those taken from Colonel ALLISON's regiment in the engagement, spelled 'James SARDYER.'"

Sources:

  • Dear Folks and DAR Records
  • Genealogical and Family History of Central NY (GFHCNY), ed. William Richard Cutter, A.M., Vol III, Lewis Hist. Pub. Co., 1912