ROGERS SAVAGE

A CONTINENTAL SOLDIER 

WHO SERVED NEAR THE END OF THE REVOLTION

3rd great grandfather of Jessie Larson

My 3rd great grandfather, Rogers Savage, first enlisted in the New York Militia as an eager 17-year-old in July 1781; however, he did not serve at this time.  Instead, his 19-year-old brother Joel was persuaded to take his place during which time Joel was captured by Indians, taken to Fort Niagara where he was twice forced to run the gauntlet, and was held captive for 15 months–first in a dungeon and later on an island above Montreal–until he was released by the British in a prisoner exchange on 28 November 1782. 

Five months before his release, in June 1782, now-18-year-old  Rogers enlisted in the Continental Army at Richmond, Massachusetts. His Revolutionary War Pension Application tells of his two-year military experience which, luckily for him, did not involve fighting, being captured, running the gauntlet, nor being held prisoner.

[Note: Rogers’ writing in his pension application is here separated into paragraphs for ease in reading.] 

“On or about the first of June 1782 I enlisted as a soldier at Richmond, Berkshire Co., Mass for the term of three years and immediately marched to Springfield, Mass where I was mustered by Captain Bannister (given name not recollected) an officer sent from the regular or Continental Army for that purpose, and after drilling sometime at that place we were ordered to march for West Point. 

“When we arrived there Capt John Kilby Smith, being muster master for the Massachusetts line, took me into his Company and the remainder of the new [recruits] were ordered to different companies and regiments. I served in the sixth Massachusetts Regiment commandeered by Col Smith until the next arrangement took place that year when we marched to Verplanks Point where we were when a part of the French Army marched through that place. 

“In the fall of the same year, we received orders to march back to New Windsor [state of New York] and erect huts for Winter Quarters. We lay in time until we finished the huts for officers and soldiers. Then we erected a large building for meetings and a conference house for the officers. 

“We remained at this place until the news of the treaty of peace1 arrived when there was great rejoicing, and those who had enlisted for during the war was discharged upon six months furlough. This produced a decampment in the line and Col. Tupper took the command of the regiment to which I was attached. Shortly after we received orders to march to West Point where Col. Sprout was appointed to the command of the regiment to which I belonged. 

“We soon after received orders to march to Philadelphia as some of the Southern troops attempted violence on Congress and proceeded to break open the Bank to obtain their pay. On our march we passed by a number of the members of Congress in Princeton who had fled there for safety who stood with heads uncovered and their hats in their hands until our brigade had passed them. When we arrived at Philadelphia the mob was dispersed, two of the leaders having been taken and sentenced to be shot but were subsequently reprieved. 

“In the fall (1783) we returned to West Point where my captain John K Smith left the army and Capt Jackson, Christian name not recollected, commanded the company to which I belonged until I was discharged which I think was about the first of May 1784. I received a written discharge but do not know what has become of it. I know of no person living by whom I can prove any part of my service except my brother Joel Savage whose affidavit is hereunto annexed. 

“I was born at Middletown Connecticut in the 14th day of May 1764. It appears from a record of my age in an old family bible now in possession of one of my sons, and also in the Presbyterian Church at Middletown in which I was baptized. 

“I resided at West Point about 2 years after my discharge when I remove to Lake Champlain with the French refuges where I remained a short time and removed to Canaan NY at which place and Argyle, Washington Co I remained until 1800 since which time I have resided at different places where any business as a mechanic has called me until the month of May last when I removed to Mexico Oswego Co where I now reside. I am acquainted with several persons in the neighborhood where I now reside who can testify as to my character for truth and veracity and their belief of my services in the revolution, among whom is Isaiah Kuln [or Keeler?] a clergyman with whom I have been well acquainted for the last thirty years, and William Goit whose affidavits are hereunto annexed. I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declare that my name is not on the Pension Roll of the agency of any state.”

Rogers Savage

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“Joel Savage of the town of Mexico in said county being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that in the year 1781 he joined the regiment under the command of Col. Willet as a four-months man during which four months he was taken captive by the Indians and Tories and was absent in Canada or from home 16 months, 15 of which he was in close confinement or prison in Canada.

 “That on his return home he understood that his brother Rogers Savage had enlisted for three years in the Sixth Regiment of the Massachusetts line, commanded by Col. Smith and Company of Capt. John Kelby [sic] Smith, according to the best of his recollection. Believed his brother Rogers enlisted in the summer of 1782—the summer this deponent was absent in Canada.

 “That in the Spring of 1783 he visited his brother Rogers at the Cantonment of huts back of New Windsor in the state of New York for the purpose of obtaining his discharge, but which he was not able to procure.

 “That in the November following he found his said brother with his regiment at West Point and obtained a furlough for him for three or four weeks.

“His brother returned to the Army on the expiration of his furlough and was discharged, as this deponent believed, the following Spring and remained at West Point two or three years after.

(signed) Joel Savage

20th day of Sept 1833”

 

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1 After the British defeat at Yorktown, peace talks in Paris began in April 1782 between Great Britain and Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams. The preliminary articles of peace were signed on 30 November 1782. This is likely the “treaty of peace” referenced by Rogers Savage and when Joel Savage was released. The Treaty of Paris which formally ended the war was not signed until September 3, 1783. The Continental Congress ratified it January 14, 1784.

A PORTRAIT OF 

ELIZABETH JEMIMA (PHILPOTT) RENCHER

 How important is it that extended family members you may have never met know that you are very interested in preserving your extended family history and researching your genealogy?  How important? Extremely!

My maternal grandmother Jessie Mary (Wiltbank) Burgess died in July 1938 at age 51 when my mother Virginia was only 12.  Therefore, I never met this grandmother for whom I was named.  Jessie Mary’s mother Mary Ellen (Rencher) Wiltbank died at age 57, in October 1907, when Jessie was 20, and 19 years before the birth of Virginia, so my mother never met her grandmother, either. Mary Ellen’s mother Elizabeth Jemima (Philpott) Rencher died at age 80, January 1909, 15 months after the death of her daughter Mary Ellen.

My mother Virginia (Burgess) Whetten recently passed away in my home at the age of 96.  After her funeral here in Mesa, she was buried next to my father in the small town of Eagar AZ, the town of her birth.  Some of her extended relatives were at this burial service. One of these elderly men, surnamed Rencher whom I’ve only met once before, said he had something for me.  He had recently discovered among his deceased father’s possessions the original portrait of Elizabeth Jemima (Philpott) Rencher.  He explained that he wanted the photograph to go to someone who would treasure it.  He thought of me (rather than either of his two sons or his sister and her children) because of a book I compiled in 2016 containing life stories of 46 of my mother’s ancestors—a book which included many of his Rencher ancestors.  He said since I had compiled the book which had included the story I wrote about Elizabeth Jemima, he felt I would appreciate and care for the portrait.  Wow! [You have to realize that professional genealogist David Rencher, CG, AG, FUGA, FIGRS, past president of FGS and the Director of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, is also a descendant of Elizabeth Jemima (Philpott) Rencher, and he could have chosen David to receive this treasure.  Instead, he gave it to me.  Wow, again.]

The picture is slightly damaged which could easily happen as it is not currently framed and the charcoal image is easy to smear.  Of course, I do not know the type of camera nor the process used to create this portrait, but I find it quite interesting that is was finished with charcoal.

Maureen Taylor in Family Tree Magazine states these charcoal portraits are both a drawing and a photograph. They belong to the hand-coloring tradition and date from the 1860s into the 20^th century. Portraits could be enhanced with India ink, charcoal and crayons, and they were large so they could be displayed on a wall.  Evidently hand-coloring first started in the daguerreotype era of the 1840s. Although mine is black and white, she says the photographs sometimes have a bit of pink on the cheeks and a touch of gold to make them more lifelike, plus the clothing might be colored. Maureen wrote that the images could be enhanced to fix graying hair and wrinkles¹, which I think is possible in this portrait of Elizabeth Jemima.

Another article² describes solar cameras, the first patented in 1857, where a negative was placed at the back of the enlarger and a mirror reflected the sunlight into it.  Concentrated by a condenser before passing through the negative and lens, the image was projected onto a screen holding photographic paper.  By 1859 a solar camera was invented that could be operated unattended.  The 1864 version was supported on a stand with rack-and-pinion movement so that it could be pointed towards the sun.  The progress of enlargement was observed through a yellow window on the side of the camera.  Some say this is the camera which became the most popular in America.

Albright and Lee, in the article mentioned above, state the most common enlargements were albumen and salted paper photographs and that there were two methods for making solar enlargements.  In the 1^st method, albumen or salted paper was exposed in the camera from 30 minutes to several hours until the image was visible.  Then it was washed, toned, fixed, and rewashed.  In the 2^nd method, the image was partially printed with only 3 or 4 seconds of sunlight exposure. The final procedure was the painting or coloring the photograph to increase contrast and reduce streaks or blemishes which were not as noticeable when the photo was not enlarged.³    

Whatever the method used, I am thrilled to be owner and caretaker of this portrait of my 2^nd great grandmother, Elizabeth Jemima (Philpott) Rencher.

 

¹               Maureen A. Taylor, “A History of Charcoal Portraits”, Family Tree Magazine, https://familytreemagazine.com/photos/a-history-of-charcoal-portraits/

²               Gary E. Albright and Michael K. Lee, “A Short Review of Crayon Enlargements: History, Technique, and Treatment,” American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, http://resources.culturalheritage.org/pmgtopics/1989-volume-three/03_05_Albright.pdf

³               Ibid.