In This Article
His Story
On August 8, 1832, Ebenezer Pomeroy of Hadley, Massachusetts, submitted an application for a Revolutionary War pension. He was seventy-three years old and had lived through more than half a century of American independence. His military service belonged to an earlier generation, when Massachusetts communities supplied men for campaigns stretching from New England into New York.
Pomeroy had been born in Hadley on November 12, 1758. He grew up in the Connecticut River Valley, a region of farms, established towns, and long-standing militia traditions. When fighting began between British troops and colonial militia in April 1775, he was sixteen years old.
His documented military service began in December 1776, when he enlisted as a private in Captain Oliver Smith’s company. A later federal summary of his pension papers identified the regiment as belonging to Colonel Seth Pomeroy and credited him with three months and nineteen days of service.
That first enlistment came at a particularly difficult moment for the American Revolution. During the second half of 1776, General George Washington’s army had suffered a succession of reverses around New York City. British forces occupied Manhattan and threatened the American position in the surrounding region.
Massachusetts responded to the crisis by supplying additional troops. Men serving for limited periods helped reinforce the military establishment, guard important positions, and maintain American resistance while the Continental Army struggled to survive.
Ebenezer Pomeroy’s surviving pension summary does not provide a detailed account of every movement during his first enlistment. It does, however, establish that he entered military service while the outcome of the Revolution remained deeply uncertain.
He returned to military duty in June or July 1779. This time he served for nine months under Lieutenant Pritchard in Colonel Greaton’s regiment.
His second period of service placed him in the military environment surrounding New York, where British forces maintained a major occupation throughout the war. American troops operated around the approaches to the city, including Westchester County, while British and Loyalist detachments conducted patrols, raids, and other military operations.
The federal pension summary specifically connects Pomeroy with an engagement at Eastchester, New York, while serving under Captain Lord. The surviving transcription renders the place name as “Fast Chester,” a reading that requires comparison with the original document.
Unlike the great set-piece battles that dominate popular accounts of the Revolution, many engagements in the New York region involved smaller bodies of soldiers operating through roads, farms, villages, and wooded countryside.
Such service could involve sudden encounters, long marches, exposed outposts, and uncertainty about the enemy’s movements. For men like Pomeroy, military life was often defined by these less celebrated duties rather than by participation in a single famous battle.
After the war, Pomeroy returned to civilian life in Massachusetts. The surviving federal summary records his marriage on February 5, 1795, at Wilbraham, Massachusetts. His wife was Sarah Pomeroy, whose name appears on the pension file cover.
The marriage took place more than a decade after American independence had been formally recognized. By then, the former colonies had become a constitutional republic, and the Revolutionary generation was establishing families and communities in the new nation.
Pomeroy remained connected with Hadley. When he applied for his pension in 1832, he was living in the town where he had been born.
His application was approved, according to the federal summary prepared from the original pension papers. That recognition preserved an official record of his military service during two separate periods of the Revolution.
Ebenezer Pomeroy died in Hadley on October 26, 1840, shortly before his eighty-second birthday.
His life extended from the reign of George II through the creation of the United States and into the presidency of Martin Van Buren. The surviving records reveal a Massachusetts soldier who answered military calls in both 1776 and 1779, returned to his native community, raised a household with his wife Sarah, and lived long enough to receive federal recognition for his Revolutionary service.
Early Life
Birth in Hadley, Massachusetts
Ebenezer Pomeroy was born on November 12, 1758, in Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, according to a federal summary prepared from his Revolutionary War pension file.
Hadley was one of the established English settlements of the Connecticut River Valley. Its economy depended heavily upon agriculture, with farms occupying the fertile lands along the river.
The town’s residents participated in a community shaped by local government, church life, family networks, and agricultural production.
By the middle of the eighteenth century, Hadley had been settled for nearly a century and possessed traditions of local militia organization and town administration.
The Pomeroy Family Name
The Pomeroy surname had a long history in the Connecticut River Valley. Families bearing the name appeared in several western Massachusetts communities, including Northampton, Hadley, and neighboring towns.
However, the presence of a shared surname does not by itself establish a close family relationship.
Although the pension summary identifies Ebenezer’s birthplace and birth date, the transcribed documents examined for this biography do not identify his parents.
Any proposed connection between Ebenezer and other prominent members of the Pomeroy family must therefore be verified through original town, church, probate, or family records.
Growing Up During the French and Indian War
Ebenezer was born during the French and Indian War, the North American theater of the wider Seven Years’ War.
British and colonial forces were fighting French military forces and their Indigenous allies for control of territory in North America.
Although Ebenezer was too young to participate, the conflict influenced the political and military environment in which he grew up.
The war expanded British imperial responsibilities and contributed to the financial pressures that later influenced Parliament’s taxation policies toward the American colonies.
Massachusetts Before the Revolution
During Ebenezer’s adolescence, Massachusetts became a center of resistance to British imperial policy.
Disputes over taxation, representation, customs enforcement, and colonial political authority gradually intensified.
Events such as the Boston Massacre in 1770 and the destruction of tea in Boston Harbor in 1773 deepened the conflict.
When British troops confronted colonial militia at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the political dispute became an armed rebellion.
Pomeroy was sixteen years old at the beginning of the war and eighteen when his first documented enlistment began.
Revolutionary War Service
First Enlistment: December 1776
A federal pension-office summary dated January 29, 1929, identifies Ebenezer Pomeroy’s first period of Revolutionary War service as beginning in December 1776.
He served as a private in Captain Oliver Smith’s company, identified in that summary as belonging to Colonel Seth Pomeroy’s regiment.
The credited length of service was three months and nineteen days.
This enlistment occurred during a period of emergency for the American cause.
The Crisis of 1776
After the Declaration of Independence, British forces launched a major campaign to regain control of New York.
The Continental Army suffered defeats on Long Island and Manhattan and retreated through New Jersey.
American military leaders faced shortages of soldiers, supplies, and money. Enlistments were expiring, and the army’s ability to remain in the field was uncertain.
Massachusetts continued to furnish soldiers for the war effort, including men serving for limited periods.
Pomeroy’s enlistment belongs to this broader mobilization, although the available summary does not identify the exact route or military stations of his first service.
Captain Oliver Smith’s Company
Pomeroy’s first commanding captain was Oliver Smith.
In eighteenth-century military organization, the company was the basic unit through which soldiers received orders, performed guard duty, marched, and maintained military discipline.
Captains supervised the daily responsibilities of their men, assisted by lieutenants, sergeants, and corporals.
The available federal summary identifies Smith as Pomeroy’s captain but does not preserve the company’s complete roster or describe its individual assignments.
The Colonel Seth Pomeroy Identification
The federal pension summary names Colonel Seth Pomeroy as the regimental commander associated with Ebenezer’s first service.
This identification requires careful examination.
Seth Pomeroy, the prominent Massachusetts militia officer who participated in the opening stages of the Revolution, died in February 1777. He was associated with the Massachusetts military establishment and is remembered for his service at Bunker Hill.
The pension-office summary’s regimental identification should therefore be checked against the original declaration and Massachusetts service records before concluding that Ebenezer served directly under the famous officer or determining the precise organizational status of the unit.
The shared surname does not establish a family relationship between the two men.
Second Enlistment: June or July 1779
Pomeroy returned to military service during the summer of 1779.
The federal summary states that he served nine months under Lieutenant Pritchard in Colonel Greaton’s regiment.
The date of entry is recorded approximately as June or July 1779.
His second enlistment demonstrates that his Revolutionary War service was not confined to the opening years of the conflict.
Colonel Greaton’s Regiment
Colonel John Greaton was a Massachusetts officer who served in the Continental Army during the Revolution.
The Massachusetts Line furnished soldiers for the main American military establishment, including operations in the New York theater.
Regiments were frequently reorganized, and companies could be detached or assigned to temporary commands.
Consequently, the identification of a colonel and lieutenant does not necessarily establish every intermediate command or movement of an individual soldier.
Service Under Lieutenant Pritchard
The federal pension summary names Lieutenant Pritchard as one of Pomeroy’s commanding officers during his 1779 service.
Lieutenants assisted company captains and could command detachments or perform other responsibilities assigned by senior officers.
The summary does not establish Pritchard’s complete name or the precise dates during which he directly commanded Pomeroy.
Captain Lord and the Eastchester Engagement
The pension-office summary also states that Pomeroy served under Captain Lord during an engagement identified in the transcription as “Fast Chester,” New York.
Eastchester, in present-day Westchester County, is a plausible reading of the place name, but the original pension document must be consulted to confirm it.
During the Revolution, the region north of British-occupied New York City was contested by American, British, and Loyalist forces.
Military operations frequently involved patrols, raids, reconnaissance, and smaller engagements.
Pomeroy’s pension summary specifically associates him with an engagement in this region. It does not provide enough information to identify the exact date, casualties, tactical circumstances, or outcome.
Completion of His Service
The second period of service was credited as nine months.
The surviving summary does not specify the exact date of Pomeroy’s final discharge or identify a surviving written discharge certificate.
His military service should therefore be described in terms of the two periods recorded in the pension file rather than extended into undocumented campaigns.
Battles and Campaigns
Massachusetts Mobilization During the Crisis of 1776
December 1776–1777
Ebenezer Pomeroy entered service while the Continental Army faced serious military difficulties following the British campaign around New York City.
His first enlistment lasted three months and nineteen days under Captain Oliver Smith.
The available pension summary establishes his service but does not identify a particular battlefield or campaign route during this period.
Participation classification: Military service documented; specific battle participation not established.
The New York Theater in 1779
1779–1780 — New York region
During Pomeroy’s second enlistment, British forces continued to occupy New York City while American troops operated in the surrounding countryside.
The Hudson River corridor and Westchester County remained strategically important because they connected British-held positions with the interior of New York.
American forces conducted patrols, maintained outposts, and responded to British and Loyalist operations.
Pomeroy’s reported service under Colonel Greaton and Lieutenant Pritchard places him in the Massachusetts military establishment during this period.
Participation classification: Nine months of service documented; full campaign movements not established.
Engagement at Eastchester, New York
During his second service period, 1779–1780
The federal pension summary associates Pomeroy with an engagement under Captain Lord at a location transcribed as “Fast Chester,” New York.
Eastchester is the likely geographic interpretation, but the original handwriting must be checked before treating that reading as definitive.
Eastchester was situated in the contested region north of British-occupied New York City.
The area witnessed military movements and smaller armed encounters throughout the Revolution.
The surviving summary does not identify a named battle, precise date, or tactical outcome.
Participation classification: An engagement is specifically reported in the pension summary; exact identification remains uncertain.
Military Honors and Recognition
Massachusetts Revolutionary War Service
Ebenezer Pomeroy served as a private in Massachusetts troops during two separate periods of the American Revolution.
His first credited service began in December 1776 and lasted three months and nineteen days.
His second began in June or July 1779 and lasted nine months.
Federal Pension Recognition
Pomeroy was allowed a Revolutionary War pension following an application executed on August 8, 1832.
The pension-office summary confirms that his military service was accepted for federal pension purposes.
Recognition of an Engagement
The federal summary specifically records his presence under Captain Lord during an engagement in New York.
This is an important element of his military history, although the engagement’s exact identification remains subject to archival verification.
Military Decorations
No individual military decoration, formal battlefield commendation, or officer’s commission has been established from the available pension transcriptions.
His documented rank was private.
Original Military Records
Ebenezer Pomeroy’s principal military evidence is preserved in Revolutionary War pension file W.1996.
Pension File Cover — W.1996
The federal file cover identifies Ebenezer Pomeroy and Sarah Pomeroy and associates the claim with Massachusetts Revolutionary War service.
The file number is W.1996, indicating a pension file containing widow-related records.
Original image: 4161866_00822.jpg.
National Archives Identifier: 196414468.
August 8, 1832 — Pension Application
A federal summary of the pension papers states that Ebenezer Pomeroy executed his pension application on August 8, 1832.
He was living in Hadley, Massachusetts, at the time.
The pension was allowed following this application.
Evidence: Federal pension-office correspondence dated January 29, 1929.
First Military Service — December 1776
The federal summary credits Pomeroy with three months and nineteen days in Captain Oliver Smith’s company, identified as part of Colonel Seth Pomeroy’s regiment.
Evidence: Federal summary of Revolutionary War pension file W.1996.
Second Military Service — 1779
The federal summary records nine months under Lieutenant Pritchard in Colonel Greaton’s regiment.
It also associates Pomeroy with an engagement under Captain Lord in New York.
Evidence: Federal summary of Revolutionary War pension file W.1996.
January 29, 1929 — Federal Pension-Office Letter
The Revolutionary and War of 1812 pension section prepared a response to Mrs. Florence Sweet of St. Johnsville, New York.
The letter summarized Pomeroy’s birth, military service, pension application, death, and marriage.
Its surviving transcription ends after identifying his marriage date and location, so the remainder of the letter should be examined in the original image.
Original image: 4161866_00836.jpg.
View Ebenezer Pomeroy’s Revolutionary War pension file in the National Archives Catalog.
Revolutionary War Pension
The Pension Act of 1832
On June 7, 1832, Congress enacted legislation expanding federal pension eligibility for surviving Revolutionary War veterans.
The law allowed qualifying veterans to receive pensions based upon their military service, including certain periods of militia and state service.
Unlike some earlier pension legislation, the 1832 act did not impose the same requirement that applicants demonstrate financial need.
Veterans were required to provide evidence of their service, often through sworn declarations and supporting testimony.
Ebenezer Pomeroy’s Application
Pomeroy submitted his pension application on August 8, 1832.
He was then living in Hadley, Massachusetts, and was seventy-three years old.
The federal pension-office summary states that his pension was allowed.
Service Recognized
The summary identifies two periods of military service.
The first began in December 1776 and lasted three months and nineteen days.
The second began in June or July 1779 and lasted nine months.
Together, these periods represent approximately one year of credited military service, although the precise total should be calculated from the original pension adjudication.
Pension Amount
The available transcriptions do not establish the precise annual pension allowance or certificate number.
Those details should be obtained from the original pension certificate, payment records, or federal pension rolls rather than estimated from the reported service periods.
Widow-Related Records
The pension file is numbered W.1996 and identifies Sarah Pomeroy.
This indicates that widow-related pension materials are associated with the file.
The currently available transcription does not establish the exact date of Sarah’s application, the amount of any widow’s allowance, or the date of her death.
These questions require examination of the complete pension file.
From His Account
The available transcription includes a federal pension-office summary prepared in 1929 rather than the complete text of Ebenezer Pomeroy’s original sworn declaration.
Accordingly, the passages below are excerpts from that federal summary and should not be mistaken for Pomeroy’s own exact words.
His Birth
“Ebenezer Pomeroy was born, November 12, 1758, at Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts.”
Source: Federal pension-office letter, January 29, 1929.
His Military Rank
“he enlisted and served as a private with the Massachusetts Troops”
Source: Federal pension-office letter, January 29, 1929.
His First Enlistment
The federal summary credited Pomeroy with three months and nineteen days beginning in December 1776 under Captain Oliver Smith.
Source: Federal pension-office letter, January 29, 1929; paraphrased.
His Second Enlistment
The federal summary credited him with nine months beginning in June or July 1779 under Lieutenant Pritchard in Colonel Greaton’s regiment.
Source: Federal pension-office letter, January 29, 1929; paraphrased.
His Pension Application
The pension office recorded that Pomeroy applied on August 8, 1832, while living in Hadley, Massachusetts, and that his pension was allowed.
Source: Federal pension-office letter, January 29, 1929; paraphrased.
His Death
“He died there, October 26, 1840.”
Source: Federal pension-office letter, January 29, 1929.
Military Service Record
| Date or Period | Service or Event | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| November 12, 1758 | Born in Hadley, Massachusetts | Federal pension summary |
| December 1776 | Entered service as a private under Captain Oliver Smith | Federal pension summary |
| 1776–1777 | Credited with three months and nineteen days of service | Federal pension summary |
| June or July 1779 | Entered second period of service under Lieutenant Pritchard in Colonel Greaton’s regiment | Federal pension summary |
| 1779–1780 | Credited with nine months of service | Federal pension summary |
| 1779–1780 | Reported engagement under Captain Lord at a New York location transcribed as Fast Chester | Federal pension summary |
| February 5, 1795 | Marriage at Wilbraham, Massachusetts | Federal pension summary |
| August 8, 1832 | Executed Revolutionary War pension application | Pension file W.1996 |
| October 26, 1840 | Died in Hadley, Massachusetts | Federal pension summary |
| January 29, 1929 | Federal pension office prepared a summary of his records | Pension correspondence |
Later Life and Burial
Return to Civilian Life
After completing his military service, Ebenezer Pomeroy returned to civilian life in Massachusetts.
The available pension summary does not provide a detailed account of his occupation or property holdings during the years immediately following the Revolution.
His later residence in Hadley establishes a continuing connection with the community in which he was born.
Massachusetts After Independence
The decades following the Revolution brought major changes to western Massachusetts.
New transportation routes, expanding trade, agricultural development, and the growth of manufacturing gradually transformed the regional economy.
Hadley remained an important agricultural community in the Connecticut River Valley.
Pomeroy lived through the adoption of the federal Constitution, the presidency of George Washington, the War of 1812, and the political changes of the early nineteenth century.
Marriage in Wilbraham
The federal pension-office summary records that Pomeroy married on February 5, 1795, at Wilbraham, Massachusetts.
The pension file cover identifies Sarah Pomeroy, who is understood to be his wife.
Because the available transcription of the federal letter ends immediately after the marriage location, Sarah’s maiden surname and the complete marriage documentation have not been established.
Residence in Hadley
When Pomeroy applied for his Revolutionary War pension in August 1832, he was living in Hadley.
He was seventy-three years old.
The federal summary does not identify his occupation, household composition, or financial circumstances at the time of the application.
Death in 1840
Ebenezer Pomeroy died on October 26, 1840, in Hadley, Massachusetts, according to the federal pension-office summary.
He was seventy-one days short of his eighty-second birthday.
His death came sixty-five years after the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.
Burial
The available pension transcriptions do not identify his burial location.
Hadley cemetery records, local church records, and contemporary death notices may provide additional evidence.
No specific cemetery or gravestone is assigned without documentary confirmation.
Family History
Ebenezer Pomeroy’s pension records establish his birth in Hadley, his marriage in Wilbraham, and the presence of Sarah Pomeroy in his pension file. The available transcriptions do not establish his parents, siblings, children, or earlier ancestral line. Those relationships remain open for documentary research.
Family Name & Heritage Pomeroy Explore surname origins & meaning
Meaning and Etymology
The surname Pomeroy is generally associated with Norman-French place names derived from terms connected with apple orchards.
Medieval forms of the name appear in England following the Norman period.
The name is commonly interpreted as referring to a place associated with apple trees or an orchard.
The Pomeroy Name in New England
Pomeroy families were established in colonial Massachusetts, particularly in the Connecticut River Valley.
The surname appears in the history of Northampton, Hadley, and surrounding communities.
Members of these families participated in local government, agriculture, military service, and the religious and civic institutions of colonial New England.
Ebenezer Pomeroy’s Family
Ebenezer was born in Hadley in 1758, placing him within a community where the Pomeroy surname was already established.
His pension file identifies his wife Sarah but does not, in the available transcriptions, establish his parents or earlier ancestry.
Research Considerations
Original Hadley vital records, church registers, probate files, and land records should be consulted to reconstruct his family relationships.
Connections to other Pomeroy families, including prominent Revolutionary War officers bearing the surname, should not be assumed without documentary evidence.
Surname history provides linguistic and regional context. It does not independently establish a specific genealogical relationship.
His Parents
Ebenezer Pomeroy’s parents have not been identified from the pension transcriptions examined.
His precise birth date and birthplace provide useful starting points for research in Hadley vital records.
Until an original birth, baptismal, probate, or comparable record is examined, no parental names are assigned in this biography.
His Grandparents
No grandparents have been established from the available pension documents.
Identification of the preceding generation depends upon first verifying Ebenezer’s parents through contemporary Massachusetts records.
Earlier Generations
The Pomeroy surname has an extensive documented history in colonial New England.
However, an established surname history is not sufficient to connect Ebenezer Pomeroy to a particular ancestral line.
Earlier generations should be added only after the necessary parent-child relationships have been demonstrated through original records.
His Marriage
Sarah Pomeroy is named on Revolutionary War pension file W.1996. A federal summary reports Ebenezer’s marriage on February 5, 1795, at Wilbraham, Massachusetts.
View Additional Research
Documentary Identification
The federal pension file cover identifies both Ebenezer and Sarah Pomeroy.
Marriage
A January 29, 1929, federal pension-office summary reports that Ebenezer married on February 5, 1795, at Wilbraham, Massachusetts.
Maiden Surname
The surviving transcription ends immediately after the marriage location and does not establish Sarah’s maiden surname.
Widow’s Pension Research
The W-prefix pension file indicates widow-related records. The complete original file should be examined for Sarah’s sworn statements, marriage evidence, and later residence.
Unresolved Questions
Sarah’s birth date, death date, maiden surname, and the complete circumstances of any widow’s pension application remain to be verified.
His Children
No children are identified in the available pension transcriptions.
The absence of children’s names from the transcribed documents does not establish that Ebenezer and Sarah Pomeroy had no children.
Hadley and Wilbraham vital records, probate records, and the complete widow’s pension file may establish their children and descendants.
His Siblings
No brothers or sisters have been established from the pension transcriptions examined.
Research into Hadley birth records from the 1740s through the 1770s may identify possible siblings, but each proposed relationship must be verified.
Military and Historical Connections
Prominent Massachusetts militia officer named in the federal summary of Ebenezer Pomeroy’s first period of service.
View Additional Research
Military Background
Seth Pomeroy was a Massachusetts military leader associated with colonial military service and the opening stages of the American Revolution.
Connection to Ebenezer
The federal pension summary identifies Colonel Seth Pomeroy in connection with Ebenezer’s first enlistment.
Historical Caution
The original military records should be checked to establish the exact command relationship. A family relationship is not established merely because both men shared the Pomeroy surname.
Identified as Ebenezer Pomeroy’s captain during his first enlistment beginning in December 1776.
View Additional Research
Military Association
The federal pension-office summary identifies Captain Oliver Smith as Pomeroy’s company commander.
Research Status
The company’s precise assignments and surviving muster records require further examination.
Identified by surname and rank in the federal summary of Pomeroy’s second period of service.
View Additional Research
Military Association
Pomeroy’s second enlistment was credited as nine months in Colonel Greaton’s regiment.
Regimental Research
Massachusetts military returns and Continental Army records may clarify the company’s assignments during 1779 and 1780.
Identified as an officer under whom Ebenezer Pomeroy served during his second enlistment.
View Additional Research
Military Association
The federal pension summary identifies Lieutenant Pritchard in connection with nine months of service beginning in June or July 1779.
Identification
The officer’s full name has not been established from the available transcription.
Named as Pomeroy’s commanding captain during an engagement in the New York region.
View Additional Research
Engagement
The federal summary associates Captain Lord with an engagement at a location transcribed as Fast Chester, New York.
Research Status
The original manuscript should be consulted to establish the place name and the officer’s complete identity.
His Descendants
No descendant line has been verified from the available pension transcriptions.
The complete widow’s pension file may contain affidavits from relatives or community witnesses that help establish later generations.
Additional research should focus on Hadley and Wilbraham marriage records, birth registers, probate files, and nineteenth-century census records.
Family Research Update
Ebenezer Pomeroy’s birth date, birthplace, marriage date, marriage location, and death date are preserved in a federal summary of his pension papers.
Sarah Pomeroy is identified on the pension file cover.
His parents, siblings, children, and earlier ancestors remain unverified from the materials examined.
The original widow’s pension papers represent the most promising immediate source for expanding the family history.
Original Sources
- Ebenezer Pomeroy, Revolutionary War Pension File W.1996. National Archives, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. National Archives Identifier 196414468. National Archives Catalog.
- Ebenezer and Sarah Pomeroy, Pension File Cover. Federal pension file W.1996. Original image 4161866_00822.jpg. Identifies the soldier, the associated widow, and Massachusetts service.
- Federal Pension-Office Correspondence, January 29, 1929. Revolutionary and War of 1812 pension section, response to Mrs. Florence Sweet, St. Johnsville, New York. Summarizes Ebenezer Pomeroy’s birth, two periods of military service, pension application, death, and marriage. Original image 4161866_00836.jpg.
- Ebenezer Pomeroy, Pension Application, August 8, 1832. Referenced in the 1929 federal pension-office summary. The original declaration should be consulted for complete testimony and supporting witnesses.
- Massachusetts Revolutionary War Military Records. Potential corroborating records for Captain Oliver Smith’s company, Colonel Seth Pomeroy’s command, Lieutenant Pritchard, and Colonel Greaton’s regiment. Individual muster and payroll entries require verification.
- Hadley, Massachusetts, Vital and Town Records. Potential original sources for Ebenezer Pomeroy’s birth, parentage, death, and family relationships. Specific entries have not yet been independently examined.
- Wilbraham, Massachusetts, Marriage Records. Potential corroborating source for the marriage recorded as February 5, 1795, in the federal pension summary.
- The Yost Post Revolutionary War Transcription Collection. RevWar-Transcriptions-Final. Working transcriptions associated with National Archives Identifier 196414468, including images 4161866_00822.jpg and 4161866_00836.jpg.
Historical Research Note
Principal source: Revolutionary War pension file W.1996, National Archives Identifier 196414468.
Nature of evidence: The available transcription includes a pension file cover and a federal summary prepared in 1929 from earlier pension papers. The original 1832 declaration has not been fully transcribed in the material examined.
Birth: November 12, 1758, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, according to the federal pension summary.
Parents: Not established from the available transcriptions.
First enlistment: December 1776, credited as three months and nineteen days.
First company: Captain Oliver Smith.
First regiment: Identified in the 1929 federal summary as Colonel Seth Pomeroy’s regiment. The precise military organization should be verified against original service records.
Second enlistment: June or July 1779, credited as nine months.
Second command: Lieutenant Pritchard in Colonel Greaton’s regiment.
Engagement: An engagement under Captain Lord at a New York location transcribed as Fast Chester. Eastchester is a plausible interpretation, but the original handwriting should be examined.
Military rank: Private.
Battlefield participation: An engagement is reported, but its exact identification and date are not established. No additional battles are attributed without documentary evidence.
Pension application: August 8, 1832, while residing in Hadley, Massachusetts.
Pension approval: Confirmed by the federal summary. The amount and certificate number have not been established from the available transcription.
Marriage: February 5, 1795, at Wilbraham, Massachusetts, according to the federal summary.
Wife: Sarah Pomeroy, named on the pension file cover. Her maiden surname has not been verified.
Children: Not identified from the available transcriptions.
Death: October 26, 1840, Hadley, Massachusetts, according to the federal pension summary.
Burial: Not independently established.
Portrait: The accompanying image is an artistic reconstruction, not a documented likeness of Ebenezer Pomeroy. Clothing and equipment shown in the image should not be treated as evidence of his actual appearance or military uniform.
Research priority: Obtain the complete original pension declaration, marriage documentation, widow’s pension statements, and Massachusetts military service records to verify the chronology and reconstruct the family.
Genealogical Research Note
Ebenezer Pomeroy’s surviving pension evidence provides a useful outline of his Revolutionary War service and later life in Hadley, Massachusetts.
The federal pension-office summary preserves his birth and death dates, two periods of military service, marriage date, and the fact that his pension application was approved.
However, the summary is a later administrative account of earlier records rather than the original sworn testimony itself. Its descriptions should be compared with the complete pension papers before unresolved questions are treated as settled.
The principal uncertainties concern the precise identification of his first regiment, the New York engagement, the complete identity of his wife Sarah, and the names of his parents and children.
The Yost Post distinguishes between directly documented facts, later archival summaries, historical context, and unresolved genealogical claims so that the record of Ebenezer Pomeroy’s life remains accurate and open to future research.