Daniel Blodgett Revolutionary War Hero

Sergeant Daniel Blodgett (1739-1776)

Of the 20 or more of our ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War during the years 1775-1783, there were four who gave their lives in the conflict. This is the story of one of them.





Lexington Common 19th of April, 1775

Sergeant Daniel Blodgett of Stafford, Connecticut, responded to the Lexington Alarm, April 19, 1775. His service as a Soldier in this initial engagement of the Revolutionary War was 10 days. His company marched to Cambridge on the Lexington Call under Captain Zephaniah Allen. The following year, he enlisted in the Continental Army and served under Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Moulton. He held the rank of Sergeant in the battle for New York. In this first major battle of the War, the British captured New York, and Daniel was taken prisoner, and died in captivity in a British Prison camp in New York City, Nov. 12, 1776. He left 9 children for his wife Lydia (Robinson) Blodgett to raise, and a tenth who was born in 1777 after his death. Over 6,500 of their descendants have been identified.

Sgt. Daniel was the son of Lt. Daniel Blodgett, also a Revolutionary Soldier, and his mother was Deborah Ellsworth. His wife Lydia Robinson was a great-grand-daughter of the John Robinson, pastor of the Pilgrim's Leiden Church in Holland who planned the Mayflower voyage to America. She was also a great-grand-daughter of William Bradford who came on the Mayflower to the new World, served as Governor of Plymouth colony, and wrote the history "Of Plymouth Plantation".




The Battle of New York, by Pelham

One of Daniel and Lydia's nine children was Benjamin Blodgett our 4th great-grandfather, who was father of Neuman Greenleaf Blodgett who joined the Church in 1832 in New Hampshire.


Strategic Battle Plan of New York


Battle Scene from New York, by John Quidor