Drummers of the First Battalion, KRRNY

Robert Averil *

28 NOV 1778

14

19

Daniel Benjamin

07 DEC 1779

Unknown

Unknown

Abraham Bowman ‡‡

01 FEB 1780

11

14

Donald Brooks

02 MAY 1780

12

15

Cornelius Bulson

30 APR 1779

22

26

Elihu Cass

04 MAR 1780

12

15

Henry Casselman

03 APR 1780

11

14

Thomas Casselman

03 APR 1780

13

16

John Collison

01 SEP 1778

12

17

John Cousins

25 AUG 1778

10

15

Philip Daly

14 AUG 1779

13

17

Richard Davies

19 JUN 1776

22

29

John Dewitt

Unknown

Unknown

14

John Farlinger

19 JUN 1776

33

41

William Franks

01 FEB 1780

12

15

Winard Mitchel

02 MAY1780

15

18

John Mitchell §§

08 JUL 1783

Unknown

Unknown

Gillis McBean

19 AUG 1776

24

31

William Parker

19 JUN 1776

Unknown

Died 1780

Elias Paterson

02 MAY 1780

11

14

Joseph Pimricais

04 MAR 1780

13

17

Alexander Ross

13 SEP 1779

19

23

John Stoneburner

02 NOV 1779

07

11

Leonard Stoneburner

13 SEP 1779

12

16

George Stuart

19 JUN 1776

Unknown

Unknown

Richard Trapp §

24 NOV 1777

42

47

Lambert Van Alstine ‡‡

01 FEB 1780

13

16

Peter Young **

16 OCT 1780

14

18

The official strength was two drummers in each ten companies. Therefore, a full complement was twenty. As can be seen above, there were twenty-seven Drummers who served in the 1^st Battalion during the war. This number included two men who transferred to the 2^nd Bn after its formation in 1780.

Those Drummers who enlisted on 19 JUN 1776 joined on the date of the 1^st Battalion's founding. Although three lads enlisted on 02 MAY 1780, the significance of that specific date is Unknownnown.

Two drums used in the recreation of the 1^st Battalion were donated to the unit in memory of the Casselman drummers. One was given by Murray Barkley and the other by Ken and Cecile Paterson, who also commemorated the loss of a son with this gift.

* - Averil enlisted in the 53^rd Regiment when the 1^st Bn disbanded on 24 DEC 1783.

** - Young enlisted in 1777 at age 11 with Butler's Rangers and transferred to the KRR NY in 1780.

§ - Trapp served as 1^st Bn Drum Major from his enlistment through to 1782. Exactly where he came from has not been determined. He was English-born, one of the 5% of the men with that ethnic background. When he left the regiment in 1782, he seems to have disappeared, as no record of settlement in Quebec can be found. It is very likely that Trapp had transferred from a Regular battalion and returned to that unit.

§§ - John Mitchell replaced Trapp as Drum Major. He is another mystery man. Where he suddenly emerged from is unknown, but he likely transferred from a Regular regiment. Due to his very late enlistment, he is not found on KRR muster rolls. His appointment was recorded in Captain Archibald McDonell's Orderly Book. Mitchell did not settle in Quebec before 1786; however, the Old UE List noted that a man of that name, who had been a Drum Major, settled at some time in RT4/Williamsburgh.

‡‡ - These men were noted as Fifers.

Drummers of the First Battalion | Drummers of the Second Battalion

John Behn Ø

12 NOV 1781

20

23

Allan Chisholm

16 OCT 1780

13

17

Henry Davis

16 OCT1780

09

13

John Dewitt

Unknown

Unknown

14

John Farlinger •

19 JUN 1776

33

41

James Fitchett

22 MAY 1780

15

19

John Lambert €

10 MAY 1781

10

13

Jonas Larraway Ø

12 NOV 1781

13

16

John Lower

25 AUG 1780

12

16

Samuel Lucky

21 SEP 1781

12

16

James Rankin Ø

12 NOV 1781

17

20

John Shaver

10 MAY 1781

20

23

Nicholas Schuyler

15 APR 1781

20

23

Peter Sinnot

Unknown

Unknown

14

George Sullivan Ø

12 NOV 1781

18

21

Daniel Teague

12 JAN 1780

11

15

Jonas Van Alstine Ø

12 NOV 1781

15

18

John Windecker

17 JUL 1780

13

17

Peter Winter

25 JUN 1780

13

17

By the time the 2^nd Battalion disbanded on 24 JUN 1784, there were ten companies and twenty drummers, ie. a full complement.

Although Sir John Johnson received the Beating Order for the 2^nd Battalion on 13 JUL 1780, the official formation date for the battalion was 12 NOV 1781 and the Officers' commission dates begin at that time, although many of them had been doing duty with the battalion a year or longer.

Ø - These Drummers had seen previous duty in LtCol Francis Van Pfister's Loyal Volunteers and two of them in Captain Robert Leake's Independent Company, which was formed from the Loyal Volunteers in 1779 and attached to the 1^st Battalion, KRR and later to the 2^nd Battalion. Leake's Company was officially absorbed into the 2^nd Battalion on 12 NOV 81.

‡ - This man was noted as a Fifer.

• - The name of the Drum Major of the battalion is Unknownnown; however, it may have been John Farlinger. John was a veteran of fourteen years service in the 60^th Royal American Regiment. With his three and a half years of additional service in the 1^st Battalion, he was a likely candidate for that role. He transferred into the 2^nd Battalion on 24 AUG 1780.

€ - This youngster also did duty in Captain Crawford's Company as a Private soldier.

Drummers of the First Battalion | Drummers of the Second Battalion