Amos Walbridge

Father of Hannah (Walbridge) Converse: a Continental officer who wintered at Valley Forge and an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati. Born at Norwich, Connecticut, in 1727, the son of Amos Walbridge and Theodia Porter, he grew up at Stafford, where his father settled in 1735, and married Margaret before 1751. The colony’s records have him ensign of a company in the 1st Regiment in May 1759 and then captain of the 17th company or train band of the 5th Regiment (source).

The Revolution. Heitman’s summary of his service, as Wallbridge gives it: “Capt. in the Lexington Alarm, April, 1775; Capt. 13th Conn. Infty., Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 1776; Capt. 7th Conn., Jan. 1, 1777; Major 2d Conn., May 27, 1777; retired Jan. 1, 1781.” The Lexington Alarm list credits him with nineteen days’ service as captain from Stafford, and Temple’s History of Palmer has him among the officers whose commissions were ordered “In Congress, June 17, 1775”: “Capt. Amos Walbridge, of Stafford, Conn., and Ensign James Blodgett — 61 men, 51 arms.” The 2nd Connecticut, of which he was major, “engaged in the sharp action of Whitemarsh” on 8 Dec 1777, “Wintered at Valley Forge, 1777-1778, and was present, July 28 following, at the Battle of Monmouth”; its light company stormed Stony Point in July 1779 (source). Kith and Kin: “His three sons-in-law and his son, Porter, were in the service with him” (source); Porter Walbridge enlisted in his father’s company in January 1777 and was fife major of the regiment. The Ancestry tree holds a document of May 1779 “where Major Amos Walbridge has signed regarding the use of blankets for his company in the 2nd Connecticut line” (source).

The Cincinnati. “Among the original members of the Connecticut Cincinnati Society … appears the name of Ames Walbridge, Major from Stafford, Conn., in service April, 1775, to Jan., 1781, subscribing to the following oath: ‘We the subscribers, officers of the American Army, do hereby voluntarily become parties to the aforegoing Institution, and do bind ourselves to observe and be governed by the principles therein contained, for the performance whereof we do pledge to each other our Sacred Honor.’” A great-granddaughter remembered in 1895: “people used to come to my father’s when I was a child, to see the roll of Major Amos W.’s co. In 1876 that roll was given to the town of Stafford.”

He died at Stafford on 24 Oct 1793, aged 65, and Margaret the next August. Their children were Charity (1751, Mrs. Caleb Blodgett), Hannah (b. 11 Oct 1752, Mrs. Israel Converse), Elizabeth (1755, Mrs. Joshua Warner), Porter (1760-1823), Theodia (1768) and William (1771-1773). His descendant Ella (Chapin) Browne joined the DAR on his record: “Ames Walbridge, (1727-93), served in the Connecticut line from 1775-81. He was a charter member of the Society of the Cincinnati” (source).

Research: research/hatten/Browne_Chapin_Cumins.md.