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A battle-tested veteran of the Connecticut Continental Line, Barnabas Wellman was born August 15, 1756 at Killingworth, Connecticut to Barnabas Wellman and Sarah Ward Wellman. He started his military career with 20 days of active duty in April of 1775, when he marched with militia from the town of Killingworth to the relief of Boston. Upon his return from this tour of service, he enlisted May 18, 1775 in Captain Samuel Gale's 8th company in the 6th Connecticut Continental Regiment of 1775, commanded by Colonel Samuel H. Parsons. His enlistment expired December 19, 1775. His principal service began January 3rd, 1777, when he enlisted for 3 years in Captain Aaron Stevens' company of the 7th Regiment, Connecticut Continental Line, commanded by Colonel Heman Swift. Barnabas served as a drummer in each unit he served, and he was appointed Drum Major of the 7th Regiment on January 20, 1779. He fulfilled his full three-year enlistment, being paid until January 03, 1780, when he was honorably discharged at Morristown Huts, New Jersey. During his wartime service he participated in some of the most stirring battles and events of America's struggle for Independence. These battles included; White Plains, Trenton, Germantown, Valley Forge, and Monmouth. In 1780, Barnabas married Lois Page in New Fairfield, Connecticut. They had the following Children; James (born 1783), Homer (born 1786), Millie (born 1791), Barnabas (born 1793), Ford (born 1796), Hannah (born 1799), and Leander (born 1801). The family moved to Busti, Chautauqua County New York in 1811. Barnabas died in Busti on March 07, 1847, and is buried in Wellman Road Cemetery. Barnabas's younger brother John Wellman also served in the Revolutionary War. *This information taken from the "Patriot-Soldiers of 1775-1783" compiled by Frederick Ward Kates. Obituary from the Jamestown News of March 12, 1847: He was one of the remaining relicts of the American Revolution. Major Barnabas Wellman was born in Connecticut on August 15, 1756. At the age of 19 years, he entered the Continental Army in the state of Connecticut as a soldier in the regiment of Colonel Thomas Smith and in the company commanded by Captain Stevens in which service he continued two years when he received the appointment of drum major in the same regiment which corps was immediately under the command of General Washington of whom the deceased related many personal incidents. For three years he served as drum major and obtained an honorable discharge. The eventful struggles in which he participated were the battles of Long Island, Trenton, Germantown, the attack at Red Bank with General Washington, Valley Forge and the evacuation of Fort Independence. In erecting the fortifications of Dorchester Heights the first shovel of gravel was thrown up by him. He shared in the distress at Valley Forge in the winter of 1778 where he was compelled by hunger to boil and eat his cowhide shoes. He was also at the Battle of Freehold Courthouse, at the defeat of the Americans near Camden, at the Battle of the Cowpens and other minor campaigns. He was the father of a numerous circle of children and grandchildren. For the last twenty-two years he has lived with his son Captain Homer Wellman where his declining years have been soothed by constant care and attention.