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Diary and Orderly Book of Sergeant Jonathan Burton, of Wilton, N. H., While in Service in the Army on Winter Hill: December 10, 1775—January 26, 1776, and of the Same Soldier as Lieutenant Jonathan Burton, While in the Canada Expedition at Mount Independence: August 1, 1776—November 29, 1776.
Concord, NH: Republican Press Association, 22 North Main Street, 1885. Sm 4to (9.5” x 6.625), self wrappers. 38 pp. CONDITION: Very good, some light wear and toning. First edition of this Revolutionary War diary and orderly book, shedding light onto the militia experience at Winter Hill during the Siege of Boston and around Lake Champlain during one of the first naval engagements of American independence. Jonathan Burton was born in Middleton, Massachusetts in 1741, and first served in the militia during the French and Indian War. He married fellow Middleton native Hulda Nichols, with whom he had nine children, and by the War of Independence the two had removed to Wilton, New Hampshire. On December 8th, 1775, Sergeant Burton marched with Captain Benjamin Taylor’s Company to Winter Hill and the Siege of Boston. “That same day, he wrote his first journal entry. Sgt. Burton documents the experience and daily occurrences of his unit at Winter Hill from December 8, 1775 through January 26, 1776. Jonathan Burton’s second diary encompasses the time of his service as a Lieutenant in Captain William Barren’s Company of Colonel Isaac Wyman’s Regiment, from August 1, 1776 through November 29, 1776. During this campaign to the Lake Champlain region, Burton details the march from the Fort at 4 (present day Charlestown, NH) to Rutland, Lake George, Skeensborough, Fort Ticonderoga, Crown Point, Mount Independence, Castleton, Otter Creek and bateaux service on Lake Champlain. During this time, Burton’s company is charged with building roads and defensive positions” (“Jonathan Burton”). Burton was ultimately promoted to Brigade Major, and, among other civil roles, served sixteen years as a Wilton selectman. He died in 1811. Burton’s diaries were compiled and edited by New Hampshire historian Isaac W. Hammond (1831–1890), whose brief introduction states his commitment to transcribing Burton’s diaries without editorial intervention: “The soldier who endured the hardships and privations of camp-life at that time…had no time for graphic descriptions of events; and his scanty notes…should be published as they were written.” REFERENCES: “Jonathan Burton” at New Hampshire National Guard online.
Item #9482
Price: $375.00
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