#181--Abiathar Richards, Jr.--Fighting for Freedom

Several years ago I blogged about  Abiathar Richards, Sr. and his role in the Revolutionary War.  However, he was not the only person in that household that fought for freedom.  His oldest son, Abiathar Richards, Jr. also served briefly.  Abiathar, Jr. is my 3^nd great grandfather and the subject of this week’s blog. whose theme is military.

                Abiathar Richards, Jr. was born on April 7, 1754.  His parents were Abiathar Richards, Sr. and Elizabeth (Richards) Richards.  He married Elizabeth Smith on April 12, 1782.  Abiathar and Elizabeth had eleven children.

                I did not know much about Abiathar, Jr.’s service, but  found in the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War,  that Abiathar Richards, Jr. was a Private in Captain Aaron Fuller’s 

Company, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775.  The company was from Dedham, Massachusetts and served for 2 day.  That was helpful, but I still did not know that much about what that company actually did.  Fortunately, I was able to find a description of their involvement in Dedham, 1635-1890:  Examples of things past.

          “A little after 9:00 a.m. on the morning of April 19, a rider on an (inevitably) lathered horse galloped down Dedham High Street from the direction of Needham, and reined in at Samuel Dexter’s front gate.  Flinging himself off the horse and rushing up the walk, he met Dexter at his door, spouting forth his message of bloodshed and conflict at Lexington. ..As units or fragments of larger military contingents, Dedham men assembled and march for the scene of the engagement—89 men from the First Parish under Captain Aaron Fuller and George Gould….[At Menotony (now Arlington)] some of the men, joining with units from Needham and Lynn, ranged along a hill on the south side of the road, where they had a clear view of the approach from Lexington, and where they could expect a measure of protection from a stone wall that stretched uphill from the Jason Russell house.  A British flanking party surprised them and drove them back toward the house, trapping them between the flankers and the main body of troops in the road and virtually annihilated them.  Elias Haven of Captain Battle’s Company died there, along with nine men from other towns, (Hanson, p.155).

So now I know a little more about Abiathar, Jr.’s 2 days of service in the Revolutionary War.  Exactly where he was and what he did during the battle at Menotony I do not know.  So if I could talk to him, I would ask them those questions.