Major John Simpson (December 1, 1748 – October 28, 1825) was an American Revolutionary War soldier from Deerfield, New Hampshire. He is one of several men traditionally described as having fired the first shot on the American side at the Battle of Bunker Hill.[1]
John Simpson | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 1, 1748 Deerfield, New Hampshire |
| Died | October 28, 1825 (aged 76) |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1775–1783 |
| Rank |  Major |
| Battles / wars | American Revolutionary War |
| Other work | Farmer |
Military career
editAfter the shooting in the Revolutionary War began at Lexington and Concord, Simpson joined a company of militiamen under Captain Henry Dearborn. The company marched to Boston and joined the siege of that town. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, Colonel John Stark instructed his men of the 1st New Hampshire Regiment to hold their fire until the British had reached a certain point. According to the story, Simpson fired early and was arrested the next day for disobeying orders, but was not punished.[1]
Simpson eventually rose to the rank of major in the New Hampshire state troops. After the war, he returned to his farm.[1]
Later life
edit
In 1785, Simpson married Mary Whidden.[2] Two blacks were given to them by Whidden's mother.[2] They were not considered slaves; however, they were considered a part of his family.[2] While married, the two had 6 children: Joseph Langdon (February 8, 1787 – February 28, 1808), Thomas (August 2, 1788 – December 1, 1872), John Jr. (March 2, 1790 – February 8, 1868), Samuel (January 29, 1792 – January 13, 1872), Mary (June 5, 1794 – November 11, 1832), and Hannah (April 29, 1797 – July 18, 1872).[2]
Simpson died on October 28, 1825, and was originally buried in his family lot.[2] This graveyard was not taken care of and eventually one of his descendants moved him to the Old Center cemetery,[3] which is now part of the Old Deerfield Center Historic District.[4] Simpson is featured on a New Hampshire historical marker (number 25) along the concurrency of Route 107 and Route 43 in Deerfield.[5]
Sources
edit- Smith, Chellis Vielle (July–December 1906). Broune, George Waldo (ed.). "Major John Simpson: The Man Who Fired the First Shot at Bunker Hill". Granite State Magazine. 2. Manchester, New Hampshire: Granite State Publishing.
References
edit- ^ a b c According to the 15th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, "Joseph Spalding of Chelmsford is said to have fired the first shot in the Battle of Bunker Hill." ("Chelmsford, Massachusetts" entry, 2005 printing, vol. 3, p. 152). According to historian Richard Ketchum, a Lieutenant [James?] Dana claimed to have fired first in order to cause the British to fire prematurely (Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill, p. 159).
- ^ a b c d e Smith (1906), p. 18
- ^ Smith (1906), pp. 18–19
- ^ "Former village center named to National Register of Historic Places". NH.gov (Press release). New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. April 29, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
- ^ "List of Markers by Marker Number" (PDF). nh.gov. New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. November 2, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2019.