MOSES BLY
My patriot, Moses Bly was born on June 19, 1752 in Plaistow New Hampshire, the last of six children of James Bly and Johanna Hadley. Moses’ father worked as a Chairmaker from 1741 to 1761. Moses was married in 1772 to Sarah Ordway, and they had 9 children.
When Moses was 24 he was a husbandman (farmer) in Plaistow, NH with his wife and 2 children. In June 1775 he enlisted in the Revolutionary Army into the company of Capt Samuel Gilman. He went to Winter Hill in Charlestown MA where he remained under the command of Col. Poor for his 7-month term of service.
On August 6,1832, at the age of 80, Moses appeared before the Superior Court of Judicature in the County of Rockingham to apply for benefits from the Pensions Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. His request was approved and Moses received $23.33 pension benefit per year until his death on September 1, 1844 at the age of 92 years.
By: Henry
ABIATHAR VINTON
Abiathar Vinton, son of Nathanial Vinton a blacksmith and Anne Green Vinton was born on October 11, 1758 in Braintree Massachusetts. Abiathar, in 1765, moved with his father to New Braintree, Worcester County.
In January of 1776 Abiathar enlisted for a year in Colonel Asa Whitcomb’s 6th Continental Regiment commanded by Aaron Haynes. Their regiment established a camp in Boston until August when they marched to New York State. Then in November 1776, Abiathar took ill and spent the next month at the hospital in Fort George. He was later discharged home for his remainder of his year of service as it was almost up and he was still unfit for duty.
In the autumn of 1777 Abiathar and his family moved to Goshen which at that time was a part of Chesterville in Hampshire County Massachusetts. On November 1st of that same year Abiathar enlisted for three years of service in the Colonel William R. Lee’s Additional Continental Regiment. Along with his brothers Nathaniel and Levi, they served under Lieutenant Colonel William Smith. Their regiment later joined up with Washington's army in Pennsylvania and he suffered through the disastrous winter at Valley Forge.
Abiathar Vinton married Sarah Paine on the 15th day of August 1786. They had 10 children, 8 of which survived childhood, married, and had children of their own. Abiathar applied for an invalid pension September 7, 1818 and received $96.00 per year for his Massachusetts service.
Abiathar Vinton died on the 22nd day of January 1850 age 92, and his widow was granted a widows pension, which she collected until she died on the 22nd of August 1854.
By: Oliver