Col. Nathan Denison

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51845341/nathan-denison

N'athan Denison left a legacy when appointed colonel of he local militia and second in command under Colonel Zebulon Butler during the war for independence. He negotiated the necessary surrender to the British on July 3, 1778, after the fatal Battle of Wyoming. He continued public service as a judge, legislative representative, farmer, educator for his seven children and solid citizen. Col. Denison's legacy continued through public service given by his son George and even two grandsons, Charles Denison and Lazarus (Denison) Shoemaker.

The DAR's "Lineage Book of the Charter Members" by Mary S Lockwood and published 1895 states "Col Nathan Denison served his country, first, as member of the Committee of Correspondence, second, commander of the left wing of the patriot forces in the battle of Wyoming; third, associate judge; fourth, member of Connecticut and Pennsylvania Assembly."

Nathaniel and Betsy's first child, Lazarus born in the original log cabin was reportedly the first white child born in the Wyoming Valley.

---

He commanded the left wing of the patriot forces, in the battle which preceded the "Wyoming Massacre," July 3, 1778. He was a man of strong ability and character, and stood among the foremost in the region where he lived.

DENISON GENEALOGY, ANCESTORS AND DESCENDANTS OF CAPTAIN GEORGE DENISON, Of Stonington Connecticut, by John Denison Baldwin and William Clift, Worcester, MA, 1881, p 198

---

HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF STONINGTON, county of New London, Connecticut, from its first settlement in 1649 to 1900, by Richard Anson Wheeler, New London, CT, 1900, p. 347

---

1. Event: Clement F. Heverly Marriage in Pioneer & Patriot Families of Bradford County PA 1800-1825
2. Note: According to Mr. Heverly, the marriage between Elizabeth Sill and Col. Nathan Denison was the first in Wyoming County.
3. Event: George Brubaker Kulp Book excerpt 1890 in Families of the Wyoming Valley: Biographical, Genealogical and Historical
4. Note: Colonel Nathan Denison, son of Nathan Denison, was born January 25, 1741. He emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1769, and April 1 of that year, was married to Elizabeth Sill, eldest daughter of Jabez Sill. The knot was tied in a log cabin which stood on the corner of River and South streets in this city, where the residence of Reuben J. Flick now stands, and was the first white marriage in Wyoming. Colonel Denison commanded the left wing of the patriot forces in the battle and massacre of Wyoming, July 3, 1778.

   ---

Nathan Denison was born to Nathan Denison Senior and Ann Carey[var. of Carew] on 17 Sep 1840 in Windham (Windham County), Connecticut Colony.

According to Oscar Jewell Harvey in A History of Wilkes-Barré Luzerne County Pennsylvania ("The Harvey Book" to locals), Nathan Denison Sr. purchased from John Webb a half-right in the Susquehanna Purchase on 5 Dec 1768, and on 18 Jan 1769 conveyed it to his son, who set out for Wyoming Valley a few days later as one of the "First Forty" settlers.

Unbeknownst to Nathan Denison Jr. at that time, the area of Wyoming Valley to which he was headed had been promised by King Charles II of England to two different groups

---

to the Colony of Connecticut, which called it Westmoreland County, Connecticut, and to the followers of William Penn, who called it Northampton County, Pennsylvania. (The clever Indians had sold the same land to both groups.)

When Nathan arrived in Wyoming Valley, he and other members of the Susquehanna Company set about building a fort (Forty Fort, named after the "First Forty") and local shelters until about mid-March, 1769, when they were attacked by about 150 men headed by the Sheriff of Northampton County

---

who considered them to be trespassers!

---

and taken to Easton under armed guard. Denison was forced to make a court appearance and post bond, and was forbidden from setting foot in Wyoming Valley under the terms of his release. This was the start of the Yankee-Pennamite Wars, land disputes which would continue until well after the Revolutionary War.

A temporary truce was achieved about September of 1771, but we know from various lists made by Zebulon Butler of those "...who were actually on the ground..." that Nathan did not return to Wyoming Valley until the spring of 1772.

It has been stated erroneously in some published accounts that Nathan Denison married Elizabeth Sill on 1 Apr 1769

---

the first white wedding in Wyoming Valley. These materials have now been used as authoritative sources and copied by millions of people on Ancestry, Family Search and other genealogical sites. Oscar Jewell Harvey sets the record straight in the Harvey book, stating that the two were married in November 1772 by Rev. Jacob Johnson at the home of Jabez Sill, father of the bride, in Wilkes-Barré's town plot.

I thoroughly researched both dates, in an effort to determine which was correct, and found that the 1769 date was an impossibility. I have written a lengthy paper with proofs, which I hope to post somewhere soon, but there were several factors that precluded the wedding having occurred in 1769, chief among them that the Sill home had not yet been built, and the bride, bridegroom and minister weren't in Wyoming Valley!

Nathan and Elizabeth's firstborn son Lazarus was the first white child born in Wyoming Valley

---

another historic milestone

---

on 5 Dec 1773. Elizabeth's third child, daughter Mary, was born while Elizabeth was on the run down the Susquehanna River, fleeing from the British during the Revolutionary War.

Her husband, "Colonel Nathan," meanwhile, was second in command to Colonel Zebulon Butler in the 24th Regiment of the Connecticut Militia. On Friday, July 3rd, 1778, Colonel Nathan was informed by scouts that a force of 700 Tories, Rangers and Indians was gathering near Pittston at Fort Wintermute. Denison sent word to General Washington requesting reinforcements.

Some of the men, who were young and unseasoned fighters, charged Colonel Zebulon Butler with cowardice for not advancing immediately (and recklessly) to meet the British forces, and threatened to lead the advance against the British if Butler did not do so. Thus, the words of caution expressed by Butler and Denison were disregarded, and the men marched right into a trap. As they approached the British, they were attacked by Indians and Rangers, who were lying hidden.

At this point, Colonel Denison gave an order to (Plymouth Company's) Captain Whittlesey to fall back and form an angle to the main line, but the unskilled fighters, frightened by the war-whoops of the savage Indian warriors, mistook this as a signal to retreat. The battle lasted only 45 minutes, but the massacre that followed lasted nearly 12 hours, and only 174 men, including Colonel Denison and Colonel Butler, escaped with their lives. Few men were killed in the actual Battle of Wyoming Valley. Most lost their lives by being scalped by Indians or having their heads bashed by rocks. Reading a firsthand account of what transpired absolutely made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. It was horrific!

On the following day, July 4, 1778, Colonel Denison met the British Colonel John Butler (no relation to Zebulon) to sign the Articles of Capitulation drawn up by Rev. Jacob Johnson, which promised that the Colonists would lay down their arms and engage in no further fighting. The British and Indians promised to leave the Colonists in peace, a promise which was not kept.

After the war, Nathan Denison settled in Kingston Township, where he built a fine home modeled after the Denison Homestead in Mystic, Connecticut (originally built by Captain George Denison, who came to Roxbury, Mass. in 1631). Today, both homes are museums.

In his remaining years, Denison served as Justice of the Peace and Judge in Kingston Township and Luzerne County, respectively. In the latter capacity, he helped to settle many of the land disputes that arose from the Yankee-Pennamite Wars. He and Elizabeth (Sill) Denison raised a family of seven children, including U.S. Congressman George Denison. He died on 25 Jan 1809 in his Kingston Township home.

My research on Colonel Nathan revealed that both he and Elizabeth were descended from Mayfower passengers

---

he from John Howland, and she from William Brewster.

---

C.A. Brooman-Dilger (FindAGrave Member #48601467)* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 8 2019, 6:12:21 UTC

---

DAR# A031905