Beckwith History

Including the family’s involvement in the War of 1812

Bob Gray

March 2015

My father’s middle name, Beckwith, was most likely given to him in honor of his great grandmother, Thyrza Beckwith Gray. Thyrza Beckwith Gray died at the age of 103 in Oswego, New York. Consequently, the local newspapers, The Palladium and Daily Times, ran stories about her life each year leading up to her 100^th birthday and beyond. The stories were picked up by papers in other cities as she became the oldest person in New York. The stories varied in the level of detail from year to year but overall they provide an excellent source of Beckwith family history. In particular, Thyrza talked about her parents as well as her family’s involvement in the War of 1812.

MRS. GRAY IS THE OLDEST RESIDENT [1]

Will Celebrate Her One Hundredth Birthday on August 10

Thyrza identified her parents as Nathan Beckwith and Elizabeth Rich. She said they were “both the descendants of the English colonists who settled in Connecticut” [2] and that her father died in 1845 at the age of seventy six and that her mother died in 1853 at the age of eighty four. This information is consistent with the records of the Rural cemetery in Oswego which lists Nathan Beckwith’s death as June 2, 1844 at the age of 76 and his wife, Elizabeth’s death on 30 May 1852 at the age of 82. This places Nathan Beckwith’s birth around 1768 and Elizabeth Rich’s birth about 1770.

Thyrza’s account of her parents differs from the information published in The Beckwiths by Paul Beckwith [2] in several key ways. The Beckwiths [1] lists Nathan Beckwith, born September 12, 1778, as the son of Ruel Beckwith, Lyme, Connecticut. It lists his wife as Dalinda Appleton and his children as Edgar, Appleton, Betsy, Dalinda, Emily, Thirsa [sic], and Nathan R. It also states that Nathan removed to Oswego, New York and died there. While the list of children is consistent with Thyrza’s family, the information about her parents does not agree with Thyrza’s or the Rural Cemetery account.

Who were Nathan Beckwith’s Parents?

Rural Cemetery records show that Nathan Beckwith was a revolutionary war soldier which means he had to have been in the army before 1783. The birth date given in The Beckwiths would make him five years old in 1783. Ruel’s birth date is given as August 8, 1742 and he married Sarah Wood on December 9, 1773 [2]. While Ruel is old enough to have had a child in 1768, it is doubtful he would have had a child before his marriage to Sarah Wood. If Ruel is the father of the Nathan Beckwith of interest here, both the marriage date and for Ruel and the date of birth of his son, Nathan, would have to be incorrect in The Beckwiths book.

The History of Oswego County [3] mentions that Thyrza's uncle, Reverend Roswell Beckwith gave a sermon at the First Presbyterian Church. This is also reported in an Oswego newspaper article [4] about the First Presbyterian Church where Thyrza Beckwith Gray is cited as providing information that her uncle, Roswell Beckwith, from Cazenovia gave a sermon in Unionville in the 1811-1813 time period. Roswell Beckwith is known to have served in the Revolutionary War and that he was held prisoner on a British ship [5]. Roswell Beckwith died in Cazenovia, New York in 1836 [5].

Family history shows Thyrza’s father, Nathan, as the son of a Beckwith who died at the Battle of White Plains in 1776 [6, 7]. Elisha Beckwith is listed as killed at White Plains in [8]. Family history [6] also states that Nathan Beckwith’s brother was held prisoner on prison ship “Jersey” during the Revolution. Reference [5] indicates Roswell was held prisoner on the Dutton, not the Jersey but both ships were located in New York harbor and used as prison ships during the Revolution. The Daughters of the American Revolution application of Miss Grace L. Kent [9] identifies her great great great grandfather as Roswell Beckwith who died in Cazenovia, New York and her great, great, great grandfather as Elisha Beckwith who died at the battle of White Plains, New York. This link between Roswell and Elisha Beckwith is also made in a newspaper article about Roswell’s wife, Lydia Dorr [10].

Based on the above findings, it is concluded that Thyrza’s father, Nathan Beckwith, was a brother of Roswell Beckwith and the son of Elisha Beckwith who died at the battle of White Plains, New York during the Revolution. Elisha Beckwith’s wife is identified as Adelaide Carpenter in the D.A.R. Patriot Index [11]. The Beckwiths [2] lists Elisha Beckwith’s and Adelaide Carpenter’s children as Roswell, Samuel, Abner, Nathan, and Mary. However, the date of birth for Nathan is given as 1747 and his wife’s name is Patience. This information was clearly obtained from a pension application by a Nathan Beckwith who lived and died in Waterford, Connecticut [12]. The pension application does not provide any information of this Nathan Beckwith’s parents.

Who was Thyrza Beckwith’s mother?

Family history has Nathan married to Elizabeth Rich. This is supported by Thyrza's newspaper accounts of her family. Her obituary and birthday stories state that her mother was Elizabeth Rich. Elizabeth’s grave is next to Nathan in Rural Cemetery. There is no Dalinda or Patients, wife of Nathan, in the family plot in Rural Cemetery [13]. Thyrza and most of her siblings were born in Blenheim, Schoharie, New York [1], making it possible that Nathan had a wife who died there before he married Elizabeth Rich. However, Thyrza tells many stories of her brothers in the newspaper articles, none of which mention them being half brothers. Family history indicates that Elizabeth Rich was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut [7]. Marriage records for Wethersfield [14, 15] show Nathan Beckwith of Hartford married Betsy Rich on November 25, 1789. While this is not conclusive evidence, it certainly support the idea that Nathan Beckwith only had one wife, Elizabeth Rich.

Family history [6, 7] identifies Elizabeth Rich’s mother as Ruth Pryor. Early Connecticut records show an Elizabeth Rich born in Middletown, Connecticut on November 10, 1770 to Ruth Pryor and Thomas Rich [15, 16]. Wethersfield and Middletown are about 12 miles apart.

The results for Thyrza Beckwith’s parents differ greatly from Paul Beckwith’s information in The Beckwiths [2] which, unfortunately, is repeated in many on-line genealogies.

Beckwith family involvement in the War of 1812

Thyrza Beckwith Gray told several stories about her family’s involvement in the War of 1812 [1]. Each story is repeated here along with an investigation into its validity. The first story involves her three brothers who all fought in the War of 1812. Her first story was as follows [1]:

Mrs. Gray had three brothers who served in the war of 1812 and each of whom participated in the battles of Lundy's Lane, Ticonderoga, Plattsburg and Fort George. Speaking of their experiences she said to a TIMES representative today: “After the battle of Lundy's Lane all the survivors were gathered together in a large barn. It was very dark and one of them got up on a high place and called out in the darkness: “Are any of the Beckwith boys here?” From one end of the barn came the answer, “here's one” and from another a voice came, “and here's another,” “well, I'm the third,” he cried out, “and thank God we're all safe.””

US infantry attacks at Lundy's Lane. Painting by Alonzo Chappel in 1859.

A reference to three members of the Beckwith family participating in the War of 1812 also appears in Francis Jefferson Beckwith’s biography [17]. Francis was Thyrza’s nephew. Thyrza Beckwith’s three older brothers were Appleton, Nathan, and Josiah. As shown in Table 1, Army records were found for two of her brothers, Appleton and Nathan [18]. There is little doubt that these records are for Thyrza Beckwith’s brothers as their birth places are given as (although misspelled) Blenheim, Schoharie, New York.

The information presented in Table 1 was collected from various sources by the author [18]. It is seen that Appleton and Nathan enlisted on the same day at the same place. Their records, in the Remarks column, are essentially identical, indicating they were in the same Army Company during the war. Army records of the company commanders listed in Table 1 are provided in Table 2. They were all captains in the 23^rd infantry and their promotion dates are consistent with the information in Table 1. The meaning of the various abbreviations in Tables 1 and 2 are listed in Table 3. Details of the size of companies during the War of 1812 could not be found but it is believed that a company would have been comprised of 50 to 200 soldiers and most likely towards the lower end. Further proof that Appleton and Nathan served in the same company is provided by their land warrant records, Table 4, which were one number apart [20]. The land warrants were received as part of their enlistment but would not have been given to them until their service was ended, as evidenced by the fact that Captain Whiting signed them. These warrants would have been good for 160 acres in Arkansas, Illinois or Missouri [20]. Appleton and Nathan redeemed their warrants for land in Illinois on July 22, 1819 [21], see Table 5.

Similar records could not be found for their brother, Josiah. In fact, almost nothing is known about Josiah other than his name. Family history indicates he may have been married [6] and Rural Cemetery records show him buried there but no dates are included [13]. Based on the lack of records similar to those found for Appleton and Nathan, it is doubtful that Josiah was enlisted in the regular Army. Josiah may have joined the New York State Militia Volunteers. Records for the militia are very limited and a search, including Ancestry.com, provided no results.

The Battle of Lundy’s Lane occurred on July 25, 1814. According to records for the battle, the US troops included the 23^rd Infantry under the command of Major Daniel McFarland as part of the 2nd Brigade under Brigadier General Eleazer Wheelock Ripley and the New York Militia Volunteers commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Dobbin as part of the 3rd (Militia) Brigade under Brigadier General Peter B. Porter [22]. Around midnight, Porter was ordered to retreat and somewhat later Ripley also withdrew. It is not said where the troops gathered after the retreat. On July 25, 1814, moon rise was about 2:22 PM and it set around 12:51 AM the next day [23]. The moon was just past the first quarter. This indicates it was probably pretty dark after midnight no matter where the troops were. So, whether they were inside a barn or simply outside, Thyrza’s story seems feasible from the existing history for the Battle at Lundy’s Lane. It certainly seems feasible that both Appleton and Nathan were there but the presence of Josiah cannot be proved or disproved at this point. It is known that there were other Beckwiths in the Army at the time as one is registered just above Appleton [18].

As to Thyrza’s statement that her brothers fought at Ticonderoga, Plattsburg and Fort George, it is likely that only the Fort George battle is correct. The Battle of Fort George occurred from May 25, 1813 to May 27, 1813. Although not generally identified as participating in the Battle of Fort George, one group dedicated to the reenactment of 23^rd Infantry Regiment battles during the War of 1812 [23] lists the 23^rd as participating at the Battle of Fort George on May 27, 1813. So, Thyrza’s statement that her brothers participated at the Battle of Fort George is probably correct. There wasn’t a battle at Ticonderoga during the War of 1812 but the US Ticonderoga did take part in the naval Battle at Plattsburg on September 11, 1814. No reference to the 23^rd Infantry Regiment participating in the Battle of Plattsburg could be found. There were a large number of militia involved in this battle, making it possible that Josiah took part in it, but it is doubtful that either Appleton or Nathan were there.

Table 1. Beckwith registrations for the Army during the War of 1812 [18].
Number			211	5477
Name			Beckwith, Appleton	Beckwith, Nathan
Organization	Rank		Recruit	Pri
	Regiment		23rd US Infy	23 US Infy
	Company			Capt R. Goodell
	Company Commander
	Regimental Commander
Description	Height	Feet	5	5
		Inches	6	7
	Eyes		Blue	Blue
	Hair		Light	Light
	Complexion		Light	Light
	Age		18	15
	Occupation		Farmer	Cooper
Where Born	Town or County		Blenham or Blenhiem, Schoharie Co.	Blenham, Schoharie
	State		New York	New York
Enlistment	When		Jan 22, 1813	Jan 22, 1813
	Where		Hannibal	Hannibal
	By Whom		Lieutenant Goodell	Lieutenant Goodell
	Period		5 years or war	War
Remarks			M.R. Capt. L.B. Canfield's Co. Feb 28 & April 30/14, present; Capt. Rich'd Goodell's Co. Book 1814 - D.R. of Capt. Henry Whiting's Co. Feb 16, & I.R. Sackets Harbor, Feb 28/15, as Pri. present - I.R. Capt Henry Whiting's Co. 2nd US Infy June 30/15, Discharged at Sackets Harbor, N.Y., May 18 or June 30/15, term expired see Pension	M.R. Capt. Canfield's Co. Feb 28 & April 30/14, present - a Drummer; Co. Book 1814, D.R. of Capt. Henry Whiting's Co. Feb 16 & I.R. Sackets Harbor, Feb 28/15, Present - I.R. of Capt. Henry Whiting's Co. 2nd US Infy, Sackets Harbor, June 30/15, Discharged June 5/15, Discharged Sackets Harbor, N.Y. May 15/15, term expired - See Pension Case.

Appleton and Nathan Beckwith Army registration records [18].

Table 2. Information for officers identified in Table 1 [19].
Page 280	Canfield, Lizur B., N. Y. capt 23 inf, 25 Sep 1812, resd 14 June 1914
Page 463	Goodell, Richard, N. Y. 1 lt 23 inf, 1 May 1812; capt, 9 July 1814; hon dischd 15 June 1815.
Page 1030	Whiting, Henry; N. Y. N. Y., 2 lt 23 inf, 1 May 1812; 1 lt, 20 June 1813; capt, 1 Sep 1814; tr to 2 inf, 17 May 1815; hon dischd 1 June 1821

Table 3. Abbreviations used in Reference [18].
D.R.	Descriptive Roll
I.R.	Inspection Return
Jd	Joined
M.R.	Monthly Return
O.B.	Order Book
R.R.	Recruiting Return
S.A.I.R.	Semi-Annual Inspection Return
S.A.M.R.	Semi-Annual Muster Roll

Table 4. Land warrant records for Appleton and Nathan Beckwith Jr. [20].
Full Name	Appleton Beckwith	Nathan Beckwith
Rank	Private	Private
Military Unit	Capt Henry Whiting, 23rd Reg US Infty	Capt Whiting; 23rd Reg US Infty
Rejected	FALSE	FALSE
Service Year	1812	1812
Warrant Number	12-160-13812	12-160-13811

Table 5. Illinois land warrant records for Appleton and Nathan Beckwith Jr. [21].
Purchaser	BECKWITH APPLETON	BECKWITH NATHAN
Residence of Purchaser	NEW YORK	NEW YORK
Social Status
Legal Description
Aliquot Parts or Lot	SE	SW
Section Number	29	29
Township	05N	05N
Range	02E	02E
Meridian	4	4
County of Purchase	FULTON	FULTON
Details of Sale
Acres	0160.00	0160.00
Price per Acre	000.00	000.00
Total Price	WARRANT	WARRANT
Type of Sale	MT	MT
Date of Purchase	07/22/1818	07/22/1818
Volume	808	808
Page	502	502

Thyrza Beckwith Gray’s second story involved a British officer, named Drummond, who was killed during the battle of Fort Erie. Thyrza’s description of his death, as reported in the newspaper, went as follows:

Mrs. Gray told another story of the experience of one of her brothers on a battlefield. “There was a British officer named Drummond,” she said, “who was a very profane man. He yelled to his men ‘Come on boys, give the damned Yankees no quarter’. As he did so he fell pierced by a bullet and my brother caught his sword. He kept it intending to bring it home as a trophy but he sold it for $10 because he could not care for it and it was probably worth much more.

and the quote attributed to Drummond also appears on page 67 of the History of Oswego [3]. The passage in the History of Oswego is repeated here for comparison:

The Drummonds also were a brutal race. Lieutenant Colonel Drummond the brother of the bully of the Prince Regent was killed a short time after in the assault on Fort Erie while crying out to his men “Give the damned Yankees no quarter” and pistoling with his own hand the wounded who asked for mercy. We mention the behavior of Sir George and Sir James because it is connected with the history of Oswego County not with the idea of sanctioning the common clap trap notion that all the ruffianism in any war is on one side.

It is known that Thyrza and her husband, Jesse Gray, were contributors to the History of Oswego County [3] as they were long term residents of the area, making her the likely source of the quote there. The quote by Drummond also appears in the Wikipedia account of the Siege of Fort Erie [25] but it does not provide a reference for the quote. This reference indicates that the 23^rd Infantry participated under the command of Brigadier General Ripley. It also makes reference to the fact that Lieutenant Colonel Drummond was very apprehensive about the coming battle to the point of giving away his sword to Surgeon William Dunlop of the 89^th British Regiment of Foot.

On first read, it seems implausible that a solder in the heat of battle of would hear, let alone remember, a command from an opposing force’s leader. However, further details about the event make Thyrza’s story much more believable. One key factor in this statement is that it wasn’t simply a battle that occurred at Fort Erie, but rather, a siege by the British of Fort Erie which was held by the Americans [26]. The American forces who were involved in the Battle of Lundy’s Lane retreated to Fort Erie which was across the Niagara River from Buffalo. The British forces laying siege were also involved in the bloody battle of Lundy’s Lane. After about two weeks into the siege, the British forces mounted multiple attacks on the fort. An account of one of the attacks is as follows [26]:

Lt. Col. Drummond's men fared better, scaling the walls despite heavy fire from the defending Americans. From within the fort Private Amasiah Ford of the 23^rd U.S. Infantry observed, "The enemy attacked us on the right and left flanks…Colonel Drummond having command of the charge of the fort and exclaiming at almost every breath to his men, 'Shew the damned Yankees no quarter.' As soon as the action commenced, the first and second companies of the 23^rd were ordered to the fort, and I, belonging to the first company, was amongst the rest. We immediately repaired to the fort, where we kept our enemy off with bayonets from scaling the walls."

contains a similar quote as the one reported by Thyrza. It is also noted that the source of the quote, Amasiah Ford, was also in the 23^rd U.S. Infantry with Nathan and Appleton Beckwith. Amasiah (Amarsa) Ford’s Army record, provided in Table 6, verifies he was Private in the 23^rd Infantry under Captain Azariah W. Odell.

Amasiah Ford’s account of the attack is similar to that of another participant, 2^nd Lieutenant John Watmough, which is as follows [27]:

Suddenly, up went the ladders and 2^nd Lieutenant John Watmough, directing a gun, was startled as ‘a British officer followed by several seamen and five or six soldiers jumped into the Bastion ....’ He recognized the colonel from his appearance at the fort under a flag of truce, as Drummond lunged at Watmough with his boarding-pike which the American avoided; more British poured in from different sides, and Watmough remembered ‘the enemy repeatedly called out on charging, to “surrender” – called us “dam’d Yankees” and even “rascals.” I believe they called the men and repeated “no quarter, no quarter”.’ But Watmough survived as he ‘received the blow on my side that knocked me [off the bastion] over into the ditch’. The other officers in the position, Captain Williams and Lieutenant Patrick McDonough, were not so fortunate; they were killed, as were those gunners who did not flee.

Drummond and his men had gained the bastion, but the only way into the fort’s interior was down a steep two-metre-wide flight of steps between the bastion and a stone mess building. The fort’s commander, Major W. A. Trimble of the 19^th US Infantry, reacted quickly and ordered Lieutenant John McIlwain to take men from the curtain wall and bring the passageway under fire. McIlwain reported that the ‘enemy made two or three charges, three I think, to come out’ but, by ‘heavy fire and by some charges we drove them back’, while American attempts to get into the bastion proved equally futile resulting in a stand-off. During one British charge Trimble pointed out to McIlwain ‘an officer advanced as far as the door of the mess house . . . [and] gave us orders to hill him – we shot him down and his party gave back at his fall.’ William Drummond’s premonition had come true, and with his death the attack lost all momentum.

Lieutenant Watmough’s Army record, presented in Table 6, verifies he was in the U. S. Artillery unit under Captain A. J. Williams. It also verify his presence at Fort Erie during the siege and that he was wounded during that time. Lieutenant Watmough’s account includes another variation of the quote in the story by Thyrza. Another very detailed account of the siege [28] states:

“The body of Lieut.-Colonel Drummond was found on the parade, a "noble looking man," says an eye witness, "his countenance stern, fixed and commanding in death"

and that several items found on Drummond’s body were preserved.

It is concluded, based on the closeness of the fighting (see E. C. Watmough’s picture of the siege below) and the similar accounts by other participants, that Thyrza’s story is basically true. Her brother most likely heard the commands of Lieutenant Colonel Drummond and witnessed his death as his unit was protecting the portion of the fort under attack by Drummond. Whether he obtained Drummond’s sword, which most likely was a boarding-pike, cannot be verified. However, Drummond’s death inside Fort Erie makes it feasible that one of the Beckwiths procured an artifact Drummond was carrying in battle.

Repulsion of the British at Fort Erie by E. C. Watmough, Chicago Historical Society (John Watmough is thought to be one of the two U.S. officers on the wall of the fort).

Table 6. Ford and Watmough registrations for the Army [18].
Number			89	2183
Name			Ford, Amarsa	Watmouth, John G.
Organization	Rank		Pri	3^rd Lieut.
	Regiment		23rd US Infy	US Art.
	Company			Capt A. G. Williams
	Company Commander		Capt. A. W. Odell
	Regimental Commander
Description	Height	Feet	5	5
		Inches	6	7
	Eyes		Blue Blk	Blue
	Hair		Bro	Light
	Complexion		Lt	Light
	Age		16	15
	Occupation		Laborer	Cooper
Where Born	Town or County		Milton, Saratoga, Saratoga Co.	Blenham, Schoharie
	State		New York	New York
Enlistment	When		Feb 18, 1813	Jan 22, 1813
	Where		Ballstown	Hannibal
	By Whom		Captain Odell	Lieutenant Goodell
	Period		War	War
Remarks			Co. Book 1812 to 1815, Present June, Sept & Nov 1814, D.R. Feby 16 & J.R. Feby 28/15, Capt. P. B. Van Buren’s Co. 2^nd Infy Sackets Harbor, June 30/15, Discharged June 5/15, 23^rd U.S. Infy made 2^nd after May 17/15.	M.R. Capt. Canfield's Co. Feb 28 & April 30/14, present - a Drummer; Co. Book 1814, D.R. of Capt. Henry Whiting's Co. Feb 16 & I.R. Sackets Harbor, Feb 28/15, Present - I.R. of Capt. Henry Whiting's Co. 2nd US Infy, Sackets Harbor, June 30/15, Discharged June 5/15, Discharged Sackets Harbor, N.Y. May 15/15, term expired - See Pension Case.

The third of Thyrza’s stories in the newspaper had to do with her father as follows:

Mrs. Gray vividly recalls the attack on Oswego by the British during the war of 1812. She does not recollect the date, but the events are very fresh in her mind. The family had come to Oswego only a short time before and were then living at Fitch’s Corner over three miles from the now city.

Mrs. Gray says that the constant boom, boom of the cannon aroused the family, but as the guns of the fort answered the British sallies, Mr. Beckwith, her father, continued un-annoyed at his work. But when the sharp, spiteful barking of the small arms replaced the dull boom of cannon, Mr. Beckwith excitedly hastened from the field, rushing to the family home, and grasped a rifle in each hand and started down the road to the settlement. When he arrived, the fighting was over. Mr. Beckwith was disappointed; but he was enabled by his trip to gain full particulars of the conflict without having to wait for the village gossips. Mrs. Gray's three brothers were at that time in the western part of the State fighting against the common enemy.

Mrs. Gray, in telling the story, says that she often wondered why Mr. Beckwith took two rifles, and she answers the question herself by the conclusion he intended to give one of the guns to one of his neighbors on the road to the fort.

Attack on Fort Oswego, May 6, 1814.

There seems little doubt that this story is true. The British attack occurred on the morning of May 6, 1814. The description of the attack in the History of Oswego County [3] includes the following:

“For a short time the thunders of artillery echoed along the shore and rolled far inland, startling the people with terrible visions of coming invasion.”

which supports the statement that Thyrza’s father heard the cannons. Reference [3] provides further details of the attack as it moved onto land, saying:

“The cracking of muskets and rifles was incessant, and the bullets flew thick and fast among the saplings and underbrush.”

which again is consistent with Thyrza’s telling of events. Apparently, the conflict ended relatively quickly as the Americans withdrew due to being greatly outnumbered. Reference [3] indicates that one outside source was used in developing the history of the attack but that most of the information came directly from inhabitants who survived the attack. Therefore, it seems very likely that Thyrza’s story of her father’s attempt to help with the attack on Fort Oswego is accurate.

As an aside, two antique guns were donated to the Oswego County Historical Society by two of Thyrza’s grandchildren in 1955. The guns were originally categorized as shot guns, per the catalog card below, but a later note indicates at least one was a musket that had a percussion lock conversion. Discussions with the personnel at the historical society indicated the gun was most likely from the time of the Revolutionary War. Only one gun remains which is shown in the second picture below. While the origin of the guns cannot be proved definitively, it is known that Thyrza was the last of her siblings living the Oswego area, making her the likely recipient of her parents possessions. This makes for the possibility that the musket shown below is one of the two carried by Thyrza’s father, Dr. Nathan Beckwith, on his way to help defend Fort Oswego in 1814.

Card documenting two guns donated by Margaret and Florence Gray.

Revolutionary War era musket believed to have belonged to Dr. Nathan Beckwith.

Beckwith brothers after the War of 1812

A search for information on the three brothers, Appleton, Nathan Jr., and Josiah, produced only minimal information. Appleton and Nathan Jr. purchased land in Manlius, Onondaga, New York (later to become part of Oswego County) on July 7,1815 from Coleman I. and Millecent Keeler [29]. As listed in Table 5, Appleton and Nathan Jr. later procured land in Illinois in 1818 using their land patents listed in Table 4. None of the three were found anywhere as heads of households in the 1820 US Census. The 1820 census record for Dr. Nathan Beckwith includes two males over the age of 16 and less than 26 years of age, which could account for two of the brothers. Appleton would have been about 25 and Nathan Jr. would have been about 23 at the time of the 1820 census.

1815 Land record for Appleton Beckwith and Nathan Beckwith Jr. [29].

Apparently no US Census information was collected in Fulton county, Illinois in 1820 or the records were lost. However, the 1825 State Census lists a William Walters as the resident on one of the properties listed in Table 5. No resident is identified for the second property indicating they may have been combined into one farm. It is concluded that Appleton and Nathan Jr. sold their Illinois property in the 1818 to 1825 time frame.

Nathan Jr. shows up as a head of a household in Oswego, New York in the 1830 US Census. In addition to listings corresponding to his known family members (his wife Phoebe Granger and sons Augustus, Appleton, and Addison) the record lists one male between the ages of 20 and 30 years, and one female between the ages of 15 and 20 years. Appleton would have been 35 years old in 1830, which eliminates him as the unknown male in Nathan Jr.’s household. Josiah’s birth date is unknown. Family history [6] indicates that Josiah was married, making it possible that the two unidentified people living with Nathan Jr. are Josiah and his wife. No census records are found for Josiah in 1840 and beyond leading to the conclusion that he died somewhere in the 1830 to 1840 time frame.

No other records have been found for Appleton. It is speculated that Appleton died shortly after acquiring the land in Illinois, somewhere in the 1818 to 1830 time frame but probably before 1825. As discussed above, Appleton and his brother, Nathan, did pretty much everything together and after 1818 only Nathan appears in official records. The only other information on Appleton is a family history note [6] labeling him as “crazy.” One wonders if his “crazy” could have been what is now referred to as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to his military service during the War of 1812.

It is known that Nathan Jr. and his family moved to Steuben county, Indiana around 1836 [30]. No entry for him could be found in the 1840 US Census, possibly because the records for their township were lost. The 1850 US Census shows Nathan Jr.’s wife, Phoebe Granger, living in Scott Township, Steuben, Indiana with two of her sons, Addison and Francis J. The 1860 US Census shows her in the same place living with her son, Francis J. Francis J. Beckwith later moved to California and became a very successful farmer there [17]. According to Francis’s biography [17], his father, Nathan Jr., “. . . spent his last years in Ontario County, New York, where his death occurred at the age of sixty-five.” Given Nathan Jr.’s age when he enlisted in the army, he would have been 65 in 1862. This account is inconsistent with public records as he does not show up in either the 1850 or 1860 US Census data for New York, or in the 1855 New York State Census data.

The Beckwiths [2] states that Nathan Jr. had a second wife, Caroline Davenport, and that they had four children, Appleton, Frank, Nathan, and Francis P. There is additional information provided for Francis P. including his birth on April 3, 1847 in Dubuque, Iowa and his wife’s name as Augusta Waldeck. The death record for Francis P. Beckwith, born April 4, 1847 in Watertown, Wisconsin, died June 20, 1923 in Toledo, Ohio, lists his father as Nathan R. Beckwith, born in Connecticut, and his mother as Caroline Sayers, born in Watertown, New York. Watertown is in Jefferson County about 60 miles North East of Oswego, New York and about 11 miles East of Sackets Harbor. Census records for Francis P. Beckwith from 1850 in Neenah, Winnebago, Wisconsin, shows him born in Wisconsin, age 4, living with a N. Beckwith, born in New York, age 50, occupation cooper and a Caroline Beckwith, born in New York, age 36. The 1860 Census for Toledo, Lucas, Ohio, lists Francis P. Beckwith, age 14, born in Wisconsin, living with Nathan, age 63, born in New York, occupation cooper. It is unfortunate that the 1850 and 1860 Censuses did not include the relation of household members to the head of the household.

Death record for Francis P. Beckwith from Family Search.org.

1850 and 1860 Census records for Nathan Beckwith.

It is entirely possible that the Nathan Beckwith in Wisconsin and Ohio are not Nathan Jr., as it seems strange for him to name another son Francis, even with a different middle name. However, there are several compelling reasons for believing the Nathan Beckwith listed as the head of the household for Francis P. Beckwith is Nathan Jr. including:

· Their age of 63 in 1860 (1850 is slightly off – 50 versus 53)

· Their place of birth as New York (at least on the census records when he was alive),

· Their occupation of cooper – see Table 1, and

· The family preceding Nathan Beckwith in the 1860 census is Nathan Jr.’s sister, Emily Beach, her husband, William, also a cooper, and their children.

It is worth noting that Nathan Beckwith Jr. and William Beach most likely learned to be coopers from Nathan and Thyrza’s father, Dr. Nathan Beckwith, as he was known to have been a cooper [31].

One possibility that was explored was that Francis P. Beckwith was actually Nathan Jr.’s grandson as Nathan Jr. was reported to have had a daughter named Caroline [2]. No Census records could be found for Caroline, daughter of Nathan Jr. and Phoebe Granger other than the unknown female, age 15 years to less than 20 years, listed with them in the 1830 Census for Oswego, New York. There is a marriage record for a Caroline M. Beckwith and an Isah Swagger in Steuben County, Indiana on August 28, 1845. No additional information about Caroline’s family is given in the record. As mentioned above, 1840 Census records could not be found for Steuben County, Indiana but a review of the 1850 Census shows Nathan Beckwith’s family but no other Beckwiths. This marriage date is consistent with Francis P. Beckwith’s birth in April 1847. If it is assumed that Caroline’s husband died shortly after their marriage, then it seems feasible that Nathan may have gone to live with her. What doesn’t seem reasonable is why Caroline didn’t move back to Indiana if she in fact was Nathan Jr.’s daughter. The inconsistencies in death record information for Francis P. Beckwith could be explained by the fact that the information was provided by Francis P.’s daughter, Jessie H. Beckwith Ringelman as she would not have known either of Francis P.s’ parents. However, there are enough unexplainable inconsistencies to make this a very unlikely case.

It is concluded that the Nathan R. Beckwith, father of Francis P. Beckwith and husband of Caroline Sayers, is the same person as Thyrza Beckwith Gray’s brother Nathan Beckwith Jr.

Conclusions

The objective of this study was to verify published information on Thyrza Beckwith Gray and her family. The published information collected directly from Thyrza about her parents was found to differ greatly from widely accepted genealogical information. The family information from Thyrza along with other family history information was used to establish the identity of Thyrza Beckwith Gray’s grandparents.

Thyrza Beckwith Gray’s stories of her family’s involvement in the War of 1812 were found to be supported, for the most part, by historical facts from a variety of other sources. No doubt her stories included some embellishments to the actual events but the basic stories were verified with the exception of one of her brother’s participation in War of 1812. Given the results for all other elements of her stories, it is believed that her brother, Josiah Beckwith, also participated in the War of 1812.

References

1. Oswego Daily News, Thursday Evening, Page 5, August 2, 1902.

2. Beckwith, Paul, “The Beckwiths,” Joel Munsell’s Sons, Albany, N.Y., 1891.

3. “History of Oswego County, New York,” L. H. Everts & Co., Philadelphia, 1877.

4. Oswego Daily Times, Friday Evening, November 22, 1878.

5. Revolutionary War records, letter dated December 11, 1924 to Bertha E. Malone, 81 Waverly Ave., Detroit, Michigan

6. ET Gray’s family tree for the Beckwiths c 1916.

7. Rebecca Gray’s family tree c 1955.

8. Clarence Stewart Peterson, “Known Military Dead During the American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783,” Baltimore, Maryland, 1959, reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Com, 2009.

9. Daughters of the American Revolution application of Miss Grace L. Kent,
DAR #28175, Vol. 29.

10. Gazette & Farmers' Journal, Thursday, September 24, 1931, Baldwinsville, New York.

11. DAR Patriot Index, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Vol. I, Washington, 1966, Page 49.

12. Pension Application for Nathan Beckwith, S.39.189, 26 June 1820.

13. Private communication with Debbie Hogan, Rural Cemetery Manager, Oswego, New York, August 24, 2010.

14. Wethersfield, Hartford Co., CT, Marriages 1739-1799, Early Connecticut Marriages

As found on Ancient Church Records Prior to 1800, Vol 3, Rev. Frederick W. Bailey, 1898.

15. Barbour, Lucius Barnes, Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut,

Author: Genealogical Publication Co., Baltimore, 1977

16. FamilySearch.org, Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906.

17. Gidney, C.M., B. Brooks, and E.M. Sheridan, History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties California, Volume 2, 1917, Page 734-736

18. Registers of Enlistments in the United States Army, 1798-1914, available on-line at FamilySearch.org

19. Heitman, Francis B., Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army from its Organization, September 29, 1789 to March 2, 1903, Vol. I.

20. War of 1812, military bounty land warrants, 1815-1858, FamilySearch.org

21. Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales, Compiled by the Illinois State Archives.

22. Wikipedia entry for Battle of Lundy's Lane.

23. Time and Date.com data for Buffalo, New York in July 1814.

24. U.S. 23^rd Infantry Regiment Reenactment, 23rdus1812reg.org

25. Wikipedia entry for the Siege of Fort Erie

26. Shosenberg, James W., Bloody Stalemate at Fort Erie, 1814, Originally published by Military History magazine. Published Online: December 27, 2013.

27. Latimer, Jon, “Niagara 1814: The Final Invasion,” Osprey Publishing, 2009.

28. Cruikshank, I,ieut.-Colonel :Ernest, “The Siege of Fort Erie, August 1^st - September 23^rd, 1814”, Lundy's Lane Historical Society, Welland, 1905.

29. Oswego Land Records, Book: A, Page:161, Film Reference: FHL US/CAN 1012256 

30. History of Steuben County, Indiana, Inter-State Publishing Company, 1885, Page 632

31. Oswego N.Y., Tuesday Evening, Five O’Clock Edition, September 29, 1885.

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