Daughters of the American Revolution around the world strive to honor those who have served our country and remember their sacrifices. We have three Revolutionary veterans buried in our area.
Edward Otis
Written by Pamela Hotary, DAR of Michigan member
Narrative From FindAGrave
Served 11 months in the Revolutionary War
Died at the age of 86 at Bigelow Mills in LaPorte, Indiana, when on one of his trips his horse fell and so injured him that he died as a result. He spent his last years with his sons Merrill and Henry Jr., in Henry Co., Illinois. His grandson Finley Rice Harding wrote in 1908, “I am the only living relative that knows where he is buried, and I have a permit to remove the remains and shall do so in the spring, as he is buried in a neglected graveyard. I shall remove him to the family (Harding) plot in Buchanan, Michigan”. [Note by George A. Otis: He did indeed move him as I have visited the Harding family plot in Oak Ridge Cemetary, Buchanan, Michigan, and took photographs of the brass plaque which marks his grave.], (2014 update: Was originally buried in the Union Church Cemetery (Bigelow Mills Cemetery) was moved in 1949 to Oak Ridge Cemetery. Record in La Porte Co., IN and a notation made on his record in Revolutionary Soldiers Vol. I.)
According to family tradition, like the other brothers, he is said to have vowed vengeance against the English, and made an oath to kill as many as he could (see his father’s notes), with this end in view, he tried to enter the Revolutionary War, but being only twelve years old, was not allowed to do so, and only got in as a driver of a baggage team, (probably for his grandfather Robrt Otis who was a Wagon master, seizing however, occasions as he could to use a gun against the foe. At sixteen he regularly enlisted, and at the conclusion, mustered out, according to the records of the U.S. Pension Office, on March 25, 1833, while living at Salt Creek, Ohio, He made application for pension, which was granted, for Eleven months’ active service as a Private in the Connecticut Troops. It appears that he enlisted from Lyme and served under Captain Lord and Colonel Stare. (1783-1784). At one time he was wounded and carried off the field, but after recovery re-enlisted and served until the war closed. He then went to live with his grandfather in Lyme, Connecticut, but eventually moved to Vermont, where he settled at the Onion River.
In the spring of 1809, he left Vermont and went to Ohio, where he already had numerous relatives, settled near Sandyville, Tuscarawas County and continued preaching, he was a missionary and Baptist preacher (Circuit Rider), going from place to place preaching to a scattered faithful, being the first minister of that description in Ohio. He was said to have been an effective speaker. In 1823 he moved to Holmes County, Ohio, then to Henry County, Illinois, in 1837 and to LaPorte County, Indiana, in 1851. When he was 75 years old, he rode horseback 1,200 miles from Illinois through Ohio to his old home in Vermont and returned.
In 1810 Tuscarawas Township was formed, the third census of the United States showed of the 145 inhabitants nearly every man was the head of a family. Names of note, James Eldedge, Thomas Eldredge and Edward Otis.
Combination atlas map of Stark Co, Ohio, from 1875 shows him as a Minister in 1811.
History of Stark County: Rev. Edward Otis was one of the pioneer Baptist preachers of the County.
He also preached once a month at Michael Engle’s Cabin.
He organized a church at Pigeon River, called Pigeon Run Baptist Church, Stark County, Ohio.
Sandy Township, the town of Sandyville was laid out in 1815. The first house in Sandyville was built by an old Baptist Minister Rev. Edward Otis who remained there only a short time. He applied for pension on March 25, 1833 whole living in Salt Creek, Ohio.
From: “To the Pioneers of The Ohio Country 1788-1938,” He served as a Private in Captain Lord’s Continental Line, 11 months. Born in Lyme, Connecticut in 1766. A pensioner in Holmes County, July 6, 1833, he was a resident of Salt Creek Township. From March 4 to September 4, 1851, he lived in New York and his last pension was made to Erastus Wright for pensioner in Illinois. On September 4, 1851, he certified he had lived for 14 years in Henry County, Illinois and had previously resided in Holmes County, Ohio. Ref S 32425. (Letter from Mrs. Maddox Waseon, states “he moved to Stark County. Ohio; then to Putman County.; Wyoming, Illinois, (now Henry County, Ilinois) where he lived with his son Edward Jr. or Merrill). Copied by Jane Dailey.
From Mrs. Delia Warner Huntington; (1766-1852) Enlisted from Lyme, Connecticut, as a private. He was placed on the Pension Roll of Holmes County, Ohio, at the age of 67, for 11 months active service in the Connecticut Continental Line, he died in Bigelow Mills, Indiana.
Son of Stephen H. 1738-1776 & Lois Hackett Edgerton Otis
Spouse: Mary Merrill 1771-1822, daughter of John & Mary Gilman Merrill reported to have died in Tuscarawas or Holmes County in 1822.
Children: Lois, Ezekiel, Jesse, Phoebe, Mary, Merrill, Edward Jr. & Marrilla Otis, and Mary 1797-1863, who was the first spouse of William Tripp Harding.
William Ferguson
Ferguson was born in Virginia to Hance and Mary Caviness Ferguson on June 25, 1760. He died July 1, 1844, in Buchanan and was buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery on Dayton and Buffalo Roads.
He married Ann Ross on September 16, 1783, in Tyrone, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Ann was born in Tyrone, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 1763. She died in Lynne, Huron County, Ohio, on August 12, 1819. William Ferguson moved with his underage children to Berrien County in 1834. They had the following children:
- Mary Jane 1784-1852
- Mary Polly 1785-1852
- George 1787-1852, died in Berrien County, Michigan
- Elizabeth 1789-1834
- Jonathan 1791-1860, died in Buchanan, Michigan
- Ann 1799-1873
- William 1801-1839
- Jemima 1805-1860, married Seth Sherwood and died in Buchanan, buried at the Sherwood family cemetery
- Cynthia 1810-1860
Ferguson’s gravestone is engraved that he served under General Washington. It is believed he enlisted in the Fifth Virginia Regiment.
The Fifth Virginia Regiment was raised on December 28, 1775, at Richmond, Virginia, for service with the U.S. Continental Army. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth, and the Siege of Charleston. The regiment was merged into the 3rd Virginia Regiment on May 12, 1779.
Ezra Chilson
Ezra Chilson was born in Scituate, Providence, Rhode Island, on November 20, 1762, to Alexander and Tabatha Tucker Chilson.
Chilson and Pamela Daggett married on August 30, 1792, in Vergennes, Addison County, Vermont. They came to Niles after 1830, following their children Hiram Chilson and Mandana Case. Ezra died September 18, 1838. Pamela, who was born in Vergennes, Vermont, on June 3, 1774, died September 28, 1848.
Ezra and Pamela had the following children:
- Charlotte 1794-1829
- Hiram 1797-1889, died at Niles, Michigan
- John Wesley 1799-1848
- Mandana 1804-1890, she married George Clark Case and died at Niles, Michigan
- Theron 1806-1850, died in Bertrand Township, Michigan
- Charles 1809
- Caroline 1812-1882
- Laura 1817-1888
- Olive
Chilson served as a Private in the Massachusetts Militia. June or July 1778 to January 1779, under Lieutenant Ingalls and Colonel Sprout, Massachusetts militia; 1782 two months service Hopkins privateer, Rhode Island.