Person:Nathaniel Seaver (15)

Some information on this family was received in a letter from Elaine Bush Prince, of 74 Dennison Avenue, Framingham MA, to Randy Seaver dated 4 Oct 1995. Elaine is a descendant of Timothy Bush, the father of Mary Bush, wife of Nathaniel Seaver. She provided the Revolutionary War Pension file summarized below.

Details of the military service of Nathaniel Seaver was obtained from his Revolutionary War Pension File, Number W22764. The Soldier married Mary ____ on 15 Oct 1778 in Norwich VT. He later went to Canada and never returned. The widow remained alone for 15 years, then on 10 Nov 1805 she married Abner Chamberlain at Norwich, Vermont and he died 8 August 1832. The Soldier's son, Josiah W Seaver of South Berwick, York County, Maine made affidavit in 1839 aged 59 years and stated that his father went to Canada in 1790, and his widow applied for the pension on 1 January 1839 at South Berwick, York County, Maine, aged 78.

Nathaniel Seaver enlisted in Col. Seth Warner's Regiment, serving first in Capt. Michael Field's Company. Over a lengthy period he served in nearly all of the Canada Campaign at Montreal and other places in the region. According to a deposition by Benjamin Burton, they started from Norwich and went to Haverhill NH where Seaver was stationed as a sentinel over some stores. They went from Haverhill to Colchester (VT) and from thence to St. John's in Canada. They enlisted in July 1776 and were out until December. Burton saw no more of Seaver until at Ticonderoga where he found Nathaniel a soldier in St. Clair's Army.

Hezekiah Goodridge reported in a deposition that in 1777 he met Nathaniel at Charlestown NH on his way to Ticonderoga at which time he was with Capt. Seeley's Company, Col. Seth Warner's Regiment, in which he held the rank of sergeant. He and his company encountered many perils and hardships after the evacuation of Ticonderoga by Gen. St. Clair's army. Nathaniel and many others were taken prisoners when on retreat after the battle of Hubbardston 7 July 1777. He was taken to Quebec as a prisoner of war, thence to Halifax, and on the way he tried unsuccessfully to escape the prison ship. For this he was put in irons for a long period of time until a British superior officer discovered the situation and ordered him released from the irons. He was a prisoner for nearly a year until his release on parole in September or October of 1778 at which time he returned to Norwich and married Mary Bush according to a deposition by Hezekiah Goodridge who attended the wedding performed by Presbyterian Rev. Lyman Potter at the home of Capt. Timothy Bush.

When Indians threatened Royalston, Nathaniel enlisted again and was given then the rank of sergeant. He was listed on Capt. Timothy Bush's pay roll dated 16 Oct 1780, serving 3 days. This was followed by 6 days guarding and scouting at Strafford against the Indians and Tories at the time of the alarm at Newbury under the direction of Col. Peter Olcott. The pay roll for this period of service was dated 19 Oct 1780. He was then discharged and returned to Norwich.

All family letters and other depositions found in the Revolutionary War pension papers say he left Norwich later and never returned so assumed dead, which explanation was accepted by the government. The exact time he left is confusing, as his wife says he left in 1790, his son Josiah says he died in 1790, a deposition by Hezekiah Goodridge dated 1838 says he left some 40 years before and never returned, and a deposition by Benjamin Burton says he returned in 1780, stayed several years and left some 38 to 40 years ago and never returned.

In the 1790 United States Census, Nathaniel Sever was a head of household in Norwich, Windsor County, Vermont. The household included one free white male over age 16, one free white male under age 16, and four free white females (1790 United States Census, Norwich, Windsor County, Vermont, Page 062, FHL Microfilm 0,568,152).

In the 1800 United States Census, Mary Sever was a head of household in Norwich, Windsor County, Vermont. The household included no males, one free white female aged 10 to 16, and one free white female aged 26 to 45 (1800 United States Census, Norwich, Windsor County, Vermont, Page 373, FHL Microfilm 0,218,689).

1. ↑ Templeton, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Templeton, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. (Worcester, Massachusetts: F.P. Rice, 1907)
   p. 60.

   SEAVER, Nathaniel, s. Nathaniel and Rebecca, [born] June 6, 1751.