Hope Angell 1780 recruiting for the Revolution

/ Kirstin Miller

July 1780 a Revolution in the making:
Be it therefore enacted by this General Assembly, that the persons here-after named be, empowered and directed, to form all male persons sixteen years and upwards, residing within their respective towns (deserters, Indians, mulattoes and negroes excepted), into classes; and each of the said classes is directed to furnish one able-bodied, effective man, by the 12th day of July instant.

And it is further enacted, that the following persons be appointed in the respective towns, for the purpose, afore-said, to wit: Names of Person appointed by the General Assembly for the several Towns to receive Recruits. North Providence Messrs. Eleazer Jenckes, Eleazer Whipple, Hope Angell, Thomas Olney and Christopher Whipple.

In 1780 Hope Angell 7th great uncle was 38, his older brother Israel  6th great grandfather was 40; and in the midst of the American Revolution which lasted, very generally, from 1774-1782. The above is from Records of the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England : Printed by order of the General assembly at HathiTrust, specifically volume 9 of 10, pages 126-128.

At a previous session the second Monday in June 1780 (page 101), the Assembly voted to ‘raise’ 610 able bodied men for the state’s Continental battalions. By the first Monday in July 1780 assembly meeting, Rhode Island was still short in men, so groups were appointed, in each town to classify and enlist some men as soldiers.

This one assembly gathering goes on for pages, some items included:

  • Captain Stephen Olney, paymaster of Colonel Israel Angell’s battalion taking pairs of overalls and shirts to  men (page 134).
  • Monsieur Lewis Ethis de Corny, of the French Army unable to find a suitable house in Providence (page 120).
  • consequences for able men not doing their duty, money for men doing their duty.

The assembly ends (page 149) with: God save the United States of America, and letters written between William Greene, Governor of Rhode Island and General Washington.

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