Captain Robbins' Company, Sept. 29, 1774

One of the ongoing frustrations of Acton historians is the fact that we cannot list all of the Acton residents who participated in the battle at Concord’s North Bridge on April 19, 1775, during the aftermath that afternoon, and in the days before the American army became organized enough to have helpful service records.  The membership of Acton’s company of minute men under Captain Isaac Davis was documented in later years.  In addition, we know that there were two Acton militia companies that also participated in the events of April 19, the East Company under Captain Joseph Robbins and the West Company under Captain Simon Hunt (who took over from Major Francis Faulkner to free him for other duties).   When town histories were written, the only members of the militia companies who were known were three officers who served under Captain Robbins.

In what must have been a dream-come-true moment for our predecessors at the historical society, in the early 1990s, Joyce Robbins, a great-great-great-granddaughter of Captain Joseph Robbins, donated some papers that had come from the Robbins home in Acton.  The documents had been taken out to Nebraska in 1906, made their way to California and New York, and were now coming home.  Acton historians were thrilled to discover that one of the papers, dated two hundred and fifty years ago today, was a list of men who had signed up to serve as a militia company, thinking themselves “Ignorant in the Military Art and Willing to be Instructed.”  They chose as their officers Joseph Robbins (captain), Israel Heald (lieutenant) and Robert Chaffin (ensign).   While this document does not by itself prove who was actually at the battle the following spring, it does give us a list of initial East Company membership and a much better understanding of how Acton residents responded to 1774's tumultuous months of grievances and escalating reactions from both the British government and the colonists.

We are grateful to the Robbins family for preserving that fragile document for over 200 years and to members of the historical society whose careful work on the Robbins papers and whose research into the Acton minutemen and militia companies continue to help us in our own efforts to make sure that Acton’s stories are remembered and shared.

Captain Joseph Robbin’s Militia Company as of Sept. 29, 1774 (not every name is clear):

Simon Tuttle Isaac Davis Seth Brooks Hezekiah Wheeler John Hayward William Johnson Stephen Law Samuel White Oliver Wheeler, Junr. Daniel Barker John Heald, 3.d Reubin Law Solomon Smith Samuel Temple Nathan Parlin David Davis Joseph Barker, Jnr. Benjamin Brabrook Jude Gilbert

Francis Chaffin Thomas Thorp Elijah Davis Amos Russell Jesse Davis Ephraim Billings Willm Barker Francis Chaffin, Jnr. Joseph Chaffin Daniel Shepard, Jnr. John Davis Ebenr Heald Flint Davis John Harris John Shepard Ebenr Edward John Robins James Billings Edward Wetherbee John Barker

Ezekiel Davis Elias Chaffin Jacob Gilbert Philip Piper Jonas Barker Simeon Hayward Ebenr White Francis Barker Stephen Shep[erd] Joseph Hager Abraham Hapgood Joseph Proctor/Pratt? Whee[ler?] John Hayward, 3d Jon.a Billings James Davis Jon.a Heald Micah Davis Jon.a Stratton S[t]ephen Law, Junr. Joseph Brabrook Asa Parlin

On the reverse side:

Josiah Davis

James Edson

Joseph Brooks

Moses Woods

Sam.el Parlin

Joseph Robbins, Junr.

Joseph Emery

James Law

Daniel White

Daniel Fletcher [?]

Oliver Emerson

At bottom, upside down: Boston Wheeler

Perhaps there are more documents in a closet somewhere.  If anyone has documents with more information about Acton’s militia companies or other pieces of Acton’s history, we would be delighted to hear from you. 

For those interested in learning more about Acton residents in the Revolutionary War, including recent findings, see the Military History-Revolutionary War section of our History Resources page.