Hugh Jameson Revolutionary War Study

Determining the facts surrounding any Jameson's Revolutionary War service is made difficult by the fact of several identical names from the same place and at a similar time of service. The biggest problem is determining which is which (who is who), especially with the various spellings (Jameson, Jamison, etc.) found on different records.

The principal surviving records in the National Archives directly pertaining to these men fall into two categories: (1) Individual Service Records, which are mostly made up of Muster Rolls and Payroll Records and (2) Pension Records. Although the Pension Records generally seem to include the most information, probably because of the nature of the narrative of the application process, they also seem to be the least reliable for that same reason. There is often little or no official government information in these documents about the solider or his service apart from the outcome of the pension applied for and it's details or denials. All the information about the soldier, his service, the surviving descendants and the applicants is supplied by the applicants. The Individual Service Records on the other hand are usually sparse. They contain only very basic information such as name, date of enlistment, intended duration, unit and sometimes commander, discharge or death and occasionally some payroll information. What they do have is official and is about as close to fact as we can get. Muster Rolls vary in usefulness as they are infrequent and usually incomplete. They are akin to a printed roll call and can only be taken as a stand alone snapshot of a specific time and place. However they can be useful as a fill in to a soldiers overall data as to who they served with and sometimes where.

There were two Hugh Jamesons's living in New Hampshire during the time of the Revolutionary War. Both from our Jameson family. The elder was Hugh Jameson (1713-1790) who first lived in Londonderry and soon after 1750, in Dunbarton. The other was Hugh Jameson (1758-1795), son of his the elder Hugh's brother Thomas Jameson. Hugh (son of Thomas) was born in Lonfonderry in 1758, but moved to Dunbarton about 1760. This Hugh Jameson may actually have been living in Antrim by 1775.

There are several documents and references for service from men named Hugh Jamesons during the Revolutionary War in New Hampshire. Here is what we know about that:

A Hugh Jameson, signed the Association Test at Dunbarton, NH, November 25, 1776[1]

A Hugh Jameson, was a Minute Man from Londonderry, and served for 3 days, traveling 90 miles after the battle at Bunker Hill under Captain Robert Wilson and Lieutenant Joseph Hogg.[2] - PDF here

Several other records of enlistment and service at various times, starting in July of 1775, in the Revolutionary War, from both New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Also servin in 1781 from Bedford, mustered for 6 months to fill up Continental Army.

Here is our analysis on who served where and when:

The Hugh Jameson, who signed the Association Test at Dunbarton, NH, November 25, 1776[1] was unquestionably Hugh Jameson (1713-1790). Just about all of the contemporaneous records suggest this and this is the conclusion of E.O.Jameson, who may have been privy to additional private family information. The younger Hugh Jameson would have been just 16 or early 17 years old in 1775.

It is recorded in the New Hampshire State Records, that a Hugh Jameson was a Minute Man from Londonderry.[2] E.O.Jameson says this was Hugh Jameson (1713-1790) in his book The Jamesons in America: "After the battle of Bunker Hill in 1775, Hugh Jameson joined the war of revolution for the independence of his adopted homeland. Although far advanced in years he served for three days, reportedly shouldering his gun and marched ninety miles under the command of Captain Wilson of the Continental Army."[3] This is (apparently) echoed in several places since.

This however must be questioned. First and foremost, the principle record on this ( New Hampshire papers[2]) does not identify which Hugh Jameson may have served. Second, neither Hugh Jameson was thought to be living in Londonderry at the time. Both in fact, were likely to have been living in Dunbarton, NH, a considerable 35 miles further west. Furthermore both had moved at least a decade (the elder Hugh, at least two decades) prior to this event. It is of course possible that either or both of these Hugh Jamesons were still associated with the Londonderry militia, or that the younger Thomas was living there at the time. However, Margaret (Steele) Jameson, widow of this Hugh Jameson, applied for and received a pension for that Hugh's known Revolutionary War service (1777-1779), but did not mention any service in 1775, nor Minuteman connection or service, nor prior service of any kind, in her lengthy and detailed application for a pension.

The elder Hugh Jameson (1713-1790), was also living in Dunbarton, NH, and would have been about 62 years old at the time. This would seem to have been much older than the younger and especially fit men sought out to have been Minuteman during those years.

E.O.Jameson's reference[3] aside, it is difficult to be sure which of these two Hugh Jamesons was the Minuteman Soldier described in the New Hampshire papers. It should However be noted that a John Jameson, and older brother to the younger Hugh Jameson (above) is credited as serving at Bunker Hill in the 1st New Hampshire Regiment under Captain Moore, and in Canada in 1776 in Wingate's Regiment and in Capt. Wm. Barrows Co.[4]

Apart from the early Miniute Man service at Bunker Hill and the Association letter, all other Revolutionary war service for Hugh Jameson was clearly that of Hugh Jameson (1756-1795)

Other issues, complications and kown inaccuracies:

There is a SAR member application record on Hugh Jameson (1713-1790). (ACN 792, Nat.#122222, St.#5491) Part 1, Rolls of NH Soldiers Rev War, Vol. 1 War Rolls pages 504 & 605: Service in Ebenezer Fryes Company, Colonel Joseph Gilley's Regiment. Mustered in 1778 for 9 month enlistment. Note: This record is clearly incorrect. The Hugh Jameson who served in Gilley's Regiment, Fryes Company in 1778 was Hugh Jameson, son of Thomas Jameson, nephew of Hugh Jameson.

Copyright 1967-2024 Some New Hampshire Jam?sons ©. All Rights Reserved.
Some New Hampshire Jam?sons, its owners and participants assume no responsibility for the accuracy of the information available on this site.
- This site was created and maintained using The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding © software. - - Our Data Protection Policies -