The original grant to the men of De Lancey's first and second battalions is extant and in an excellent state of preservation. It is now in the possession of Mr. Charles L. Smith, of Woodstock. There is an excellent plan attached to the grant, scale one mile to an inch, drawn by Charles Morris Esq., Surveyor General. The grant is signed by Governor Parr and counter-signed by the Provincial Secretary, Richard Bulkely. The great seal of Nova Scotia, some four inches in diameter and about half an inch in thickness is attached to the grant. This venerable document has now been in the Smith family for many years and is occasionally consulted by surveyors and others.
As originally surveyed the Woodstock grant to De Lancey's men comprised 48 lots of 550 acres each, with the single exception of lot 22, which contained but 500 acres. The grant began about two miles above Eel river the lower boundary being nearly identical with the McIlroy road leading from the St. John river to Benton.
The present and original owners of the lots as far as the writer has been able to determine them are now given:--
Lot
|
Present Owner
|
Original Grantee
|
Acres
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
Robert Franklin
S. Teeling
|
Robert Brown
James Brown
Wm. Brown
Corp. Andrew Holt
|
100
100
150
200
|
2
|
George Brown
Gilbert Brown
|
Sergt Wm Jackson
Wm Vanderfield
John Merry
James Wake
|
250
100
100
100
|
3
|
Ben Stickney
|
Sergt D Newman
Joseph Dickson
|
450
100
|
4
|
Mrs T A Brown
|
Surgeon N Smith
|
550
|
5
|
A R Hay
|
Corp E Maxwell
James Craig
Sergt Isaac Kipp
|
200
100
250
|
6
|
A W Hay
|
Corp T Stanley
Samuel Dawson
John Dugan
|
350
100
100
|
7
|
Peter Johnston
B Bull
|
Surgeon N Smith
John Smith
|
350
200
|
8
|
Levi Yerxa
Alex Johnston
|
Ensign H Ferguson
|
550
|
9
|
John Lilly
James Bryden
|
Ensign G Brewerton
|
550
|
10
|
John Craig
P Brophy
|
Ungranted
|
550
|
11
|
Armstrong prop'ty
M Gough
|
Ungranted
|
550
|
12
|
Allen Barnett
C Yerxa
M Teed
|
Ungranted
|
550
|
13
|
James Dugan
E Sproul
J Powers
|
Ungranted
|
550
|
14
|
John Day
|
Miles Riley
Chris Myers
Adolphus Brush
James Carter
Ensign N E Old
|
100
100
100
100
50
|
15
|
A Dow
|
David Rivers
Wm Lawrence
Lawrence McDonald
Wm Hickie
John Barrot
Ens Geo Everitt
|
100
100
100
100
100
50
|
16
|
J Ferris
Henry Bull
 
|
David Flinn
Martin Devire
John Jennings
Sergt Sol Wood
|
100
100
150
200
|
17
|
Albert Bull
|
Dan'l Buckley
Mich'l Dennison
Joseph Jones
Sergt Edward Neil
|
100
100
150
200
|
18
|
John Riorden
|
Lieut Ben Lester
|
550
|
19
|
Leonard Slipp
|
Peter Thompson
Pat Birmingham
Sergt D McSheffrey
|
100
150
300
|
20
|
A Stephenson
C H L Perkins
|
Thos Everitt
Benj Collins
John Weston
Henry Fisher
Major Jos Greene
|
100
100
100
100
150
|
21
|
C H L Perkins
Franklin Bull
|
Geo McGea
Fred Hubbard
John Strawbank
|
200
200
150
|
22
|
J D Ketchum
|
John McLaughlin
James Bradley
Thomas Lutart
Edward Couzins
Thomas Stanton
|
100
100
100
100
100
|
23
|
Fred Cookson
L Dibblee
|
Adam Sutherland
Sergt T Fowler
|
150
400
|
24
|
Byron Bull
|
Corp Jonas Higby
Sergt Wm Parridy
Joseph Temple
|
200
200
100
|
25
|
John Fleming
H McLean
|
Ens Rich Boyle
|
550
|
26
|
Indian Reserve
|
Ens Geo Everitt
|
550
|
27
|
Mrs Jas Wetmore
Joseph Griffith
J Davidson
|
Major J Greene
|
550
|
28
|
Wm H DeVeber
|
Lt B P Griffith
|
550
|
29
|
J J Bedell
[D] M Carman
|
Joseph Stevens
John Short
John Fitzgerald
Corp James Berry
|
150
100
100
200
|
30
|
O S & J Peabody
Stephen Peabody
|
Corp Robert Hallet
Peter Clark
Wm Pitt
Thos Callaghan
|
250
100
100
100
|
31
|
C W Raymond
A J Raymond
C A Beardsley
|
Sergt H Farmer
Sergt P McNamara
|
250
300
|
32
|
Misses Beardsley
|
Lt T Cunningham
|
550
|
33
|
C L Smith
|
Capt Thos French
|
550
|
34
|
Henry Upham
Aug Upham, etc.
|
Major J Greene
|
550
|
35
|
Town of Woodst'k
|
Capt Jacob Smith
|
550
|
36
|
Town to creek
|
Capt Jacob Smith
Michael Penn
John Carson
|
350
100
100
|
37
|
Above creek
|
Ens N E Old
|
550
|
38
|
Town above L P Fisher's
|
Sergt R Chambers
John Vance
Michael Higgins
William Laird
|
200
100
100
150
|
39
|
Town
|
Ens Jas DeLancey
|
550
|
40
|
Town
|
Ens Ralph Smith
|
550
|
41
|
Town
|
Sergt Adam King
Sergt J Fitzpatrick
Sergt Henry Farmer
|
200
200
50
|
42
|
Beginning of Upper Woodstock
|
Corp Rich Rogers
Corp Rich Inman
Wm Tingell
Lt T Cunningham
|
200
200
100
50
|
43
|
Upper Woodstock
|
John Mainey
Thomas Thaimes
Daniel Cummings
Capt Thoms French
|
100
100
100
250
|
44
|
At Lane's Creek
|
Lt Jas Supple
|
550
|
45
|
Above Lane's Creek
|
Sergt R Johnson
Robert Ogle
Henry Holmes
Wm Thacker
|
200
100
100
150
|
46
|
Upper Woodstock
|
Corp James Devire
Corp Josh Nailer
Wm Slayman
Lt B P Griffith
|
200
200
100
50
|
47
|
Upper Woodstock
|
Abraham Garrison
John Shuty
Moses Holmes
Corp J Gondelo
Lt B P Griffith
|
100
100
100
200
50
|
48
|
To parish line
|
Wm McDavitt
Thomas Foy
John Linnehan
James McChain
|
200
100
100
150
|
A few words will now be in order respecting the old veterans of DeLancey's brigade, the first English owners of the soil at Woodstock. They were all members of the first and second battalions of the Brigade, and the majority of them has served throughout the revolutionary war.
DeLancey's battalions were organized towards the close of the year 1776, and were supposed to be each 500 strong, but from a variety of causes it was found impossible to keep the brigade always up to its strength. In August 1777 the muster rolls show that the total strength of the first and second battalions was about 640 men. They were a little stronger when ordered to engage in the Campaign in Georgia and South Carolina in the year 1779, at which time they were about 400 officers and men in the first battalion and about 350 in the second. When first organized the DeLancey battalions were officered as follows:
First Battalion
No. 1. or the General's Company Oliver DeLancey, Br. Gen'l; George Kerr, Capt.-Lieut; Mark Kerr, Ensign;
No 2. Thomas Conkling, Capt; John Roney, Lieut; Nicholas E. Old, Ensign;
No. 3. Charles Duffee, Capt; Arthur Blaynet, Lieut; Thomas Hoyt, Ensign;
No. 4. James Galbreath, Capt.; Charles McPherson, Lieut.; Thomas Cunningham, Ensign.
No. 5. James Raymond, Capt.; Thos. French, Lieut.; James Supple, Ensign.
No. 6. Barent Roorback, Capt.; John Neaille, Ensign.
No. 7. Jacob Smith, Capt.; James French, Lieut.; Richard Boyle, Ensign.
No. 8. Thomas French, Capt.; Nicholas E. Old, Quarter Master, John Neaille, Adjutant, Nathan Smith, Surgeon, Daniel Cornwell, Surgeon's Mate, Rev. James Sayre, Chaplain.
Second Battalion
No. 1. The Colonel's Company. George Brewerton, Col.; Ralph Cunningham, Capt. Lieut.; James Moffat, Ensign.
No. 2. Stephen De Lancey, Lieut. Col.; Benjamin P. Griffith, Lieut.; Henry Ferguson, Ensign.
No. 3. Walter Campbell, Capt.; Colin Campbell, Lieut.
No. 4. Alex Constable, Capt.; Justice McCartney, Lieut.; Angus McDiarmid, Ensign.
No. 5. George Dunbar, Capt.; Alex McMilligan, Lieut.; Benjamin Pollard, Ensign.
No. 6. Samuel Hallett, Capt.; Daniel Hallet, Lieut.
No. 7. Howes Hatch, Capt.; William Brooke, Lieut.
No. 8. Thos. Wm. Moore, Capt.; Edward Potts, Lieut.; Daniel Cameron, Ensign.
No. 9. Thomas Woolley, Capt.; Benjamin Lester, Lieut.; Thomas Serives, Ensign.
Edward Potts, Quarter Master, Daniel Cameron, Adjutant, John Johnston, Surgeon, Joseph Marven, Surgeon Mate.
During the continuance of the war there were numerous changes both amongst the officers and also in the rank and file.
Capt. Thomas Conkling was killed in 1780 in the Georgia campaign and his Lieutenant John Roney was killed May 22nd 1781 at the seige of fort ninety-six. Ensign Benjamin Pollard was killed at the seige of Savannah in 1779. Col. Brewerton died during the war. Many of the men were killed or died of wounds and exposure, others broken down in health were discharged as unfit for service. Some were from time to time taken prisoners by the enemy and the entry frequently occurs in connection with a name here and there in the old muster rolls "prisoner with the rebels."
The losses in the south during 1779 and the two years following reduced the first and second DeLancey battalions to less than half their original strength, and about the end of the year 1781 the commanding officer at Charlestown issued an order incorporating the two battalions into one and from this date the 3rd battalion stationed under Col. Ludlow at Lloyd's Neck became the 2nd battalion. When it was ascertained that any further continuance of the struggle was hopeless no attempt was made to secure recruits and the numbers enrolled in De Lancey's brigade continued to diminish, some were discharged as their period of service expired, many sought their old homes and some were disbanded in New York to proceed whither they would.
Thus it came to pass that in September 1783 there were only a little more than one hundred officers and men of the first and second battalions to proceed to Nova Scotia. The officers of the corps are thus returned in the last muster at New York previous to the evacuation of that place by the British.
De Lancey's First Battalion
No. 1. Brig. Gen. De Lancey, Capt. Lieut. Chas. McLean, Ensign Wm. French.
No. 2. Lieut Col. Cruger, Lieut. Nehemiah Rogers.
No. 3. Major Joseph Greene, Lieut. Benjamin Lester, Ensign Henry Ferguson.
No. 4. Capt. Jacob Smith, Lieut. B. P. Griffith, Ensign Richard Boyle.
No. 5. Capt. George Dunbar, Lieut. Alex McMillan, Ensign James De Lancey.
No. 6. Capt. James Galbreath, Ensign Colin Campbell.
No. 7. Capt. James French, Lieut. Daniel Hallet, Ensign N. E. Old.
No. 8. Capt. George Kerr, Lieut. James Supple.
No. 9. Capt. Thomas French, Lieut. Thos. Cunningham, Ensign Brewerton.
No. 10. Capt. Barent Roorback, Lieut. Daniel Cameron.
Chaplain Rev. Mr. Bowden, Adjutant Thos. Cunningham, Quarter Master Neh. Rogers, Surgeon Nathan Smith.
W. O. Raymond