The stories a person tells friends and children after participating in an event of historic significance tell a lot about the person's values, hopes, fears, and accomplishments.  Sometimes we have to consider the natural tendency to embellish a story to make it more dramatic and memorable and to highlight a positive role-model for the listeners.

These links go to such stories and anecdotes.  Some are known to be true; some are known to be fabrications (Washington and the cherry tree); but most fall in the grey area where there is known to be a basis for the story, but the details seem unlikely.  Enjoy them as the personal testimony of our ancestors, sometimes struck cold with terror and deprivation, sometimes jubilant at a small victory, sometimes comfortable to watch your eyes grow larger and larger as the tale winds onward.

  American Revolution and History   by Derby and Jackson, 1859

252 anecdotes to amaze and amuse you with tales of both prominent patriots and ordinary citizens.  Posted by the Florida Society SAR

  Paul Revere and His Son   from the July 1997 issue of The Legacy Magazine

The Revolutionary War started on April 19, 1775 in Lexington, Massachusetts (the day after Paul Revere made his famous ride) and did not officially end until September 3, 1783.  I had ancestors living ... more

  Christopher Vail's Journal (1775-1782)   from Newsday

I CHRISTOPHER VAIL of Saggharbour, Suffolk County and State of New York enlisted as a soldier in Capt. John Hulberts company, it being the 3.d company and 3.d regiment of Continental soldiers, and ... more

The following was transcribed by Don Guttinger from a newspaper clipping which he found in the diary of Adelaide Capron (1846-1937) of Uxbridge MA.  The clipping was dated Wednesday, November 17, 1897.  The full name of the paper was clipped off, leaving only "ing Transcript", but it is either the Boston Morning Transcript or the Boston Evening Transcript, judging from the ads on the reverse side.  All spelling below is exactly as in the article.

LIVING "ACTUAL" SONS

Members of the Sons of the American Revolution Massachusetts Society Includes Twenty Three Whose Fathers fought in the Early Battles for Liberty-No Other State Has So Many Representatives

So great is the interest in patriotic societies at this time, and so constant is the increase in membership of the numerous societies formed to perpetuate the memory of men and events which make the early history of this county, that in all directions effort has been made to enlist as members of both men's and women's societies all people whose eligibility is found in the fact that they are what are now called "real" daughters and "actual" sons of men who took an active part in the stirring events of Revolutionary days.  Not a great many such people are now living, and these, of course, are nearly all past the allotted three score of years.   Each State society of the Sons of the American Revolution and of the Daughters of the American Revolution aims to discover these descendants of Revolutionary heroes and patriots, many of whom, until sought out by the societies, have shown no special interest in the fact that their ancestors performed service during the early struggles for independence.  Many real daughters and actual sons know comparatively little of their ancestry and lineage until discovered by the societies which seek to enroll them as honorary members.

The Massachusetts society S. A. R. has more of the actual sons among its members than any other State society of that organization, and yet only twenty-three are known to be living.  However, from time to time a discovery is unexpectedly made of such a son.  He is then made an honorary member of the state society, and much pride is felt in adding his name to the rolls.  Following is a list of the actual sons belonging to the Massachusetts society, with brief accounts of their ancestors and the part they played in the early days.  In some instances family records have not been kept in full, but such correct information as may be had, and which is filed in the membership papers, is given regarding fathers of these actual sons.

John ADAMS, eighty-three years of age, of Holden, is the son of Elisha Adams, who was born in 1765.  He enlisted in the Continental Army, but from what town he did this is unknown to his son, who states, however, that the family was in very destitute circumstances, and he has always felt that his mother should have received a pension.

Noah ALLEN, ninety years of age, of Medfield, is a son of Phineas Allen of that town.  The father received a pension for his services.  He is described on the rolls in the State archives as having enlisted in 1781 at the age of seventeen years.  Records show that "he suffered in the Jerseys, returning home at the close of the war in a terrible condition, having travelled the entire distance, fully three hundred miles, on foot.  Noah Allen was the youngest child of eight children, among whom death did not enter during seventy-seven and a half years.  The Allens from the beginning have been "progressive, stanch lovers of freedom in Church and State; in sympathy with Garrison, yet voting as Federalists, Whigs, Free-Soilers or Republicans of the Charles Sumner class, with many mugwumps and independents among those of the present generation.   Among them there have been liberal Orthodox, Channing Unitarians, Parkerites and free religionists, rarely pecuniarily rich or poor."

Albert BARNES, who at the age of seventy-eight years is postmaster of Kearsarge, N. H., and whose home is at Conway in that State, is the son of Amos Barnes, who was born in 1755, and enlisted in 1775 from Dunbarton, N. H. He took part in the battle of Bunker Hill and subsequently marched to New York and to Canada.   He was numbered among the forces at Valley Forge, was in the battle of Trenton, also the battle of Monmouth, and served in the campaign under Sullivan in the Indian country in 1779.

Edmund Harvey Newton BLOOD of Pepperell probably is the youngest actual son of a soldier of the Revolutionary war, his age being sixty-one years.  His father was Edmund Blood of the same town, and his name appears in the State archives in a descriptive list of men called upon to re-enforce the Continental Army for a term of six months.  He was sixteen years of age at the time of his enlistment.  Edmund H. N. Blood is one of the few living children of a soldier of the Revolution who has had the tale of personal experience from his father's lips.  He has in his possession the discharge paper received by his father on the expiration of his term of service.  The father marched on July 4, 1780, and did six months' service on the North River, New York.   He was in the Eighth Division under Ebenezer Kent.  He frequently saw Washington, and early learned to admire his manly form, open, frank countenance and uniform courtesy to all, regardless of rank.  He afterwards was in the privateer service under Captain Manley.

Elbridge BOYDEN of Worcester, eighty-six years of age, is a son of Amos Boyden, who was born in Sturbridge in 1763 and who enlisted at the age of sixteen years, performing service from July 8, 1779, till September, 1783, in which year he died in a hospital while still at the service of his country.  His work was done mostly in New York and New Jersey, and he was in the guard which did duty when Andre was executed, being one of those who witnessed the execution.

Andrew Jackson CARLETON of Springfield, who is now sixty-nine years of age, is the son of Enoch Carleton of Amherst, N. H., who received a pension for one year's actual service in the New Hampshire troops.

John Curtis CLARK of Kingston, Ont., eighty-four years of age, is a son of Thaddeus Clark, who was born in Hampshire County in 1766, and received a pension for service in the company commanded by Captain Vose of Colonel Smith's regiment.

John F. EDWARDS and his brother, James M. EDWARDS, aged ninety-one and eighty-two respectively, residents of Chicago, Ill. and Menomonee, Wis., are sons of Ebenezer Edwards of Acton in this State, where he was born in 1757.  He was a member of the Acton Minute-Men under Captain Davis, was with the company when they met the British at the Concord Bridge, and he was beside Captain Davis when that commander was killed.  Edwards was among those who pursued the British on their retreat.  He also had a part in the work of building the fortifications on Dorchester Heights at the siege of Boston.

James FAXON of Salem, seventy years of age, is the son of James Faxon, who received a pension for his services as a musician.  He was stationed for a time at Fort Independence.

Rev. Roby FLETCHER of Fitchburg is ninety-three years of age.  His father was Ebenezer Fletcher of New Ipswich, N. H., a fifer for the New Hampshire troops at Ticonderoga.  He was severely wounded at Hubbardston, in the battle with Burgoyne, at which time he was taken prisoner.  He afterward rejoined his regiment and was discharged on May 20, 1780.

Albert HOBART of Rockland, eighty-one years old, is a son of Elijah Hobart who served under Captain Daniel Fisher in Major Job Cushing's regiment, in 1782, at Hull.

Rev. Elijah KELLOGG of North Harpswell, Me. who now is eighty-three years of age, is a son of Elijah Kellogg of South Hadley, a drummer in a company of minute-men in 1775.  On Jan. 1, 1777, he enlisted for three years, doing service at Ticonderoga. He afterward received a pension as a drum-major.

Aaron B. MAGOON of Roxbury, eight-nine years of age, formerly a teacher, is a son of Josiah Magoon of East Kingston, who served from New Hampshire in Captain Brown's company of Colonel Long's regiment.  He was in the battles of Plattsburg, Ticonderoga, and Crown Point.  During three years of service, from 1776 to 1779, suffered many hardships.  At one time he was almost starved to death, going without food from Friday until Monday.  He weighed 175 pounds when he joined the army and only 116 pounds when he was discharged in 1779.

John MCCLURE of Revere, ninety-four years old, is a son of David McClure, who took part in the battle of Bennington.

John P. MARBLE of Worcester is one of the oldest sons, his age being ninety-five years.  He is the son of Thaddeus Marble of Sutton, whose name appears on the rolls at the State House as having performed service in 1778 and 1780, in Rhode Island.

Nathaniel PORTER of Winchester, eighty-eight years of age, is a son of Nathaniel Porter of Andover, who served with the troops from Massachusetts in 1778 and 1780.  His last service was to re-enforce Washington's army from Nov. 4, 1780, until Jan. 20, 1781.

Henry R. REYNOLDS of Dorchester, who is now sixty-seven years of age, is a son of Grindall Reynolds, a native of Bristol, R. I., who served in the expedition against Rhode Island in August, 1778.  He afterward served for fourteen months in the Massachusetts troops, and for his various services received a pension from the Government.

Ethan Crandall RING of Melrose is eighty-four years of age and is a son of Eleazar Ring of Chesterfield, who performed service during eight months in 1775, and also in the expedition to Manchester, VT., on July 20, 1777.  He also was with Washington's army at Valley Forge.

Luke SMITH of Acton, also eighty-four years of age, is the son of Solomon Smith of that town, a member of Captain DAV[*] company at the Concord fight.   He was also in the Battle of Bunker Hill, at Trenton, and at White Plains, and was concerned in the surrender of Bourgogne.

Elbridge Gerry SNOW of Fitchburg, one of the younger members of the Massachusetts society, is sixty-two years of age.  He is the son of John Snow, who was in service from the battle of Lexington to the surrender of Bourgogne at Saratoga.  His son has a sash which the father took from a British officer on the morning after the battle of Stillwater.

Salmon WASHBURN of Taunton, whose age is eighty-five years, is a son of Isaac Washburn of that place.  The father was a pensioner for services rendered in the Massachusetts and Continental lines of troops.

Rev. John WOOD of Fitchburg, eighty-eight years of age, is the son of John Wood of Brookfield, who responded to the Lexington alarm, and afterward served at the siege of Boston, during which he was credited to the men furnished by the third precinct of Brookfield, on June 30, 1778.