Wilson, Titus
Titus Wilson (about 1747-1777)- Peterborough
Little is known about Titus Wilson of Peterborough before the American Revolution. But his name appears on several muster rolls and lists from Captain William Scott’s Company, First New Hampshire Battalion of the Continental Army. From these Revolutionary War records, a picture of Titus Wilson begins to emerge.
Wilson enlisted as a private on April 1, 1777, joining a company of men from Peterborough and nearby towns under the command of William Scott of Peterborough. His enlistment was for the duration of the war. That spring, Scott’s company assembled with the First New Hampshire at Fort No. 4 (Charlestown, NH) and then marched to Skenesborough at the south end of Lake Champlain. From there, they moved to Mount Independence, the recently constructed American fort across the lake from Fort Ticonderoga.
On July 5, the British forces successfully set up heavy artillery at Mount Defiance with cannons readied to attack Mount Independence. Outnumbered, the American forces retreated on the military road that went to Castleton. But the British forces caught up with some of the Continental rear guard and attacked them near Hubbardton on July 7. Titus Wilson disappeared that day along with fellow Peterborough patriot John Taggart and many others. The company muster roll dated January 1 to February 1, 1778, listed both men as “Taken pris. on July 7, 1777.” Wilson and Taggart likely died while in British custody.
January 1778 Muster Roll listing Titus Wilson as taken prisoner in July 1777.
Titus Wilson appeared one last time in the records of the First New Hampshire Battalion on a list of absentees dated Valley Forge, January ye 10th 1778. The list described Wilson and the other in detail to help identify them. Here we learn that Wilson was 30 years old and stood 5 feet 11 inches tall. His skin and hair were black; his eyes “yalo.” His place of residence was Peterborough, N.H. A column headed “Where Left” said Wilson was “with ye enemy.”
How did Titus Wilson come to live in Peterborough? Was he associated with the household of Major Robert Wilson? Was he enslaved or a free man? So far, we have not found any documentary evidence that answers these questions.
Titus Wilson is honored, along with his fellow patriots, each Memorial Day at the Peterborough War Memorial.
SOURCE MATERIALS
A Muster Roll of Captain William Scott’s Company June 15, 1777. "United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL6T-T6L2 : Sat Mar 09 17:30:48 UTC 2024), Entry for Titus Willson, 15 June 1777. Image 404.
A Muster Roll of Captain William Scott’s Company in the First New Hampshire Battalion. “United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL65-52K9 : Sat Mar 09 14:17:13 UTC 2024), Entry for Titus Wilson, 1 January 1778. Image 410.
Roll of Absentees Belonging to the First New Hampshire Regiment Commanded by Col. Joseph Cilley, Valley Forge, January 10, 1778. "New Hampshire Revolutionary War Records, 1675-1835", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q242-NZ4Z : Thu Oct 05 15:41:46 UTC 2023), Entry for Titus Willson, 10 Jan 1778. Image 729.
Smith, Jonathan. Peterborough New Hampshire in the American Revolution. Peterborough, NH: Peterborough Historical Society, 1913. p. 391.
LEARN MORE
Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site https://historicsites.vermont.gov/hubbardton-battlefield
American Battlefield Trust https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/hubbardton