Private Henry Smith

Private Henry Smith of Natick, son of Timothy and Esther, was born around 1752. He married Mary (aka Molly) Fuller of Boylston in 1791. According to Henry’s son, Amos Smith, Henry was wounded at Bunker Hill when a musket left a “furrow” on his head. Henry’s wife Mary later filed a pension application, which included an account of Henry’s time in the Army written by Abel Perry who served alongside Henry.

“Henry Smith and myself of Natick were detached to serve in the service of the United States in the American Revolution. We took up our line of March in the month of December in the year of our Lord seventeen hundred and seventy six, for three months service. We marched by the way of Providence, Rhode Island, Norwich in Connecticut; thence to Hartford and Danbury, in Connecticut; from thence to White Plains in the State of New York; thence through New Jersey & near the City of Philadelphia; afterwards we returned to Woodbridge in the State of New Jersey and spent several days in that place. Our route from Natick to New Jersey was very circuitous. While in the service, my own duty consisted in carrying a Musket, and the duty of the said Henry Smith was performed most of the time in driving and taking care of the baggage waggon belonging to our Company. While stationed in said town of Woodbridge, the Enemy captured our baggage waggon & team drove by said Smith. On the same day of the Capture, our own troops recaptured the wagon and team without the loss of any of the articles, together with seven soldiers from the enemy's ranks. The Company in which the said Henry Smith and myself marched was Commanded by Capt. Hezekiah Broad of Natick, and the Regiment was Commanded by Colonels Samuel Thatcher of Cambridge. Henry Smith and myself served during this campaign for the term of three and a half months and received pay for that term of time, though the pay did not eventually turn out to be of much value. I further say that I saw said Henry Smith almost every day during the whole term of the three and half months service, which we both performed faith-fully as soldiers of the United States in the American Revolution. I well knew said Henry Smith when we were both lads; we went to school together; were both born in Natick and always lived near to our permanent homes and were nearly of an age.”