Curtis Fowle

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Curtis Fowle was born in London, England around 1745. He arrived in the American Colonies around 1766 when he deserted in Boston from a British frigate that he had been impressed into serving on. Not wanting to be anywhere near the British authorities or the ocean he moved to Princeton, MA and became a farmer.

Curtis Fowle served for almost the entirety of the Revolutionary War. On April 19, 1775 he marched on the Lexington Alarm as a Corporal in Capt. Boaz Moore's Company of minutement on April 19, 1775. He lost a sword during the Battle of Bunker Hill. Curtis Fowle does not appear in any pay or muster rolls in 1776, but does continuously from 1777 through 1783. Beginning in 1780 he served under Capt. Benjamin Heywood in the 6th Massachusetts Regiment. His last military record is when he was furloughed in June of 1783 pending the ratification of the Treaty of Paris. Shortly after he moved to Worcester, MA where Capt. Heywood was from.

From the descriptive lists in the records of the 6th Massachusetts Regiment we get the follow description of Curtis Fowle: age 27 (in 1781), 5 ft. 8 or 9 in. in stature, light or dark complexion (maybe he tanned?), and dark or brown hair.

After filing their intentions on December 25, 1784 Curtis married Susannah Shedd on January 23, 1785. Theophilus Wheeler, Justice of the Peace, officiated. Though both were listed as being "of Worcester", Susannah had been born in Charlestown, MA and likely came to Worcester with her sister Anna/Nancy and brother John shortly after their father's properties were burned during the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.

Both Curtis and Susannah were older when they were married (though not old by any means!), and I can find no evidence that they ever had children. In the 1810 and 1820 US Censuses they are the only members of their household. In 1800 they became member of the Second Parish Church (now the First Unitarian Church) led by Rev. Aaron Bancroft.

Curtis died in Worcester on March 18, 1825.  His obituary in the Massachusetts Spy said: "He was an Englishman by birth, came to this country about the year 1766 on board a British frigate, from which he deserted. In 1775 he joined the American Army, in which he faithfully served during the whole Revolutionary War." Shortly after her husband's death Susannah moved to live with family in Boston, where she died a few months later on June 2, 1825.

Curtis Fowle's grave was originally in the Mechanics Street Burial Ground and was moved to Hope Cemetery in 1878 when Mechanics Street was closed and the permanent residents relocated.

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From Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, volume 5, pages 943-944:

Fowle, Curtis, Princeton. Corporal, Capt. Boaz Moore's co. of Minute-men, Col.

Ephraira Doolittle's regt., which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775; service,

8 days; reported enlisted into the army; also, Capt. John Jones's co.. Col.

Ephraim Doolittle's regt.; receipt for advance pay dated Cambridge, July 1, 1775,

signed by said Fowleand others ; also, same co. and regt.; musterroll dated Aug.

1, 1775; enlisted April 27, 1775; service, 3 mos. 12 days; also, company return

dated Camp at Winter Hill, Oct. 6, 1775; also, account dated July 1, 1775, of

sundryarticles lost in battle at Charlestown Hills, June 17, 1775, by menbelonging

to Capt. Jones' co.. Col. Doolittle's regt.; said Fowle lost a sword; also. Private,

Colonel's co.. Col. Thomas Nixon's regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for

service from March 25, 1777, to Dec. 31, 1779; residence, Princeton; credited to

town of Princeton; also, Capt. Adam Wheeler's co.. Col. Thomas Nixon's (6th)

regt.; return of men in service on or before Aug. 15, 1777, dated Soldier's Fortune,

Feb. 15, 1779; reported enlisted March 25 (also given March 15), 1777; also,

Colonel's co., Col. Nixon's (5th) regt.; muster roll for May, 1779, dated Camp

Highlands; enlistment, 3 years; also, Colonel's co. commanded by Capt. Lieut.

Benjamin Heywood, Col. Nixon's (6th) regt. ; pay abstracts for June-Sept., 1779;

also. Colonel's co., Col. Nixon's regt. ; pay abstract for Oct., 1779 ; also. Colonel's

CO. commanded by Capt. Lieut. Matthew Chambers, Col. Nixon's regt. ; pay

abstracts for Nov. and Dec, 1779; also, Capt. Benjamin Heywood's (5th) co..

Col. Nixon's regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from Jan. 1, 1780,

to Dec. 31, 1780; also, order dated Boston, Jan. 28, 1780, signed by Benjamin

Heywood, Captain and Paymaster, 6th Mass. regt., for clothing for said Fowle to

enable him to return to camp, he having re-enlisted into said Heywood's company,

6th Mass. regt., to serve during the war; also. Colonel's co. commanded by Capt.

Lieut. Peter Clayes, Col. Nixon'sregt. ; pay abstract for Jan.-June, 1780 ; reported

transferred ; also, Capt. Heywood's co., 6th Mass. regt. ; pay abstracts for Jan.-

Fowle, Curtis, continued.

Dec, 1780; also, descriptive list dated West Point, Jan. 29, 1781; age, 27 (also

given 26, and 28) yrs.; stature, 5 ft. 8 (also given 5 ft. 9) in. ; complexion, light

(also given dark); hair, brown (also given dark); occupation, farmer (also given

j'eoman); birthplace, London, England; residence, Princeton; .enlisted Dec. 1,

1779, at Princeton, by Lieut. B. Lynde; joined Capt. Heywood's co., Lieut. Col.

Smith's (also given Col. Thomas Nixon's) 6th regt.; term, during war; also,

Private, Capt. Benjamin Heywood's co., Lieut. Col. Calvin Smith's (6th) regt.

muster rolls for Jan.-March, 1781, dated West Point; also, muster rolls for Jan.

and Feb., 1782, dated Huts, New Boston ; reported on command after provisions

in Jan., 1782; also, muster rolls for April and May, 1782; reported sent to Dan-

bury with Brigade Quarter Master's horse March 5, 1782; also, muster rolls for

July-Nov., 1782; also, Capt. Heywood's (4th) co.. Col. Benjamin Tupper's (6th)

regt.; muster roll for Jan., 1783; also, Capt. Heywood's co., 6th Mass. regt.;

register of contingencies; said Fowle furloughed Dec. 15, 1782, for 40 days; fur-

lough to expire Jan. 24, 1783; returned Jan. 25, 1783; furloughed again June

10, 1783, until definite treaty should be ratified.

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