John Simpson (soldier)

Major John Simpson (December 1, 1748 – October 28, 1825) was an American Revolutionary War soldier from Deerfield, New Hampshire. He is one of several men traditionally described as having fired the first shot on the American side at the Battle of Bunker Hill.[1]

For other people named John Simpson, see John Simpson (disambiguation).
John Simpson
Born(1748-12-01)December 1, 1748
Deerfield, New Hampshire
DiedOctober 28, 1825(1825-10-28) (aged 76)
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1775–1783
Rank Major
Battles/warsAmerican Revolutionary War
Other workFarmer

Military career

After the shooting in the Revolutionary War began at Lexington and Concord, Simpson joined a company of militiamen under Captain Henry Dearborn. The company marched to Boston and joined the siege of that town. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, Colonel John Stark instructed his men of the 1st New Hampshire Regiment to hold their fire until the British had reached a certain point. According to the story, Simpson fired early and was arrested the next day for disobeying orders, but was not punished.[1]

Simpson eventually rose to the rank of major in the New Hampshire state troops. After the war, he returned to his farm.[1]

Later life

In 1785, Simpson married Mary Whidden.[2] Two blacks were given to them by Whidden's mother.[2] They were not considered slaves; however, they were considered a part of his family.[2] While married, the two had 6 children: Joseph Langdon (February 8, 1787 – February 28, 1808), Thomas (August 2, 1788 – December 1, 1872), John Jr. (March 2, 1790 – February 8, 1868), Samuel (January 29, 1792 – January 13, 1872), Mary (June 5, 1794 – November 11, 1832), and Hannah (April 29, 1797 – July 18, 1872).[2]

Simpson died on October 28, 1825, and was originally buried in his family lot.[2] This graveyard was not taken care of and eventually one of his descendants moved him to the Old Center cemetery,[3] which is now part of the Old Deerfield Center Historic District.[4] Simpson is featured on a New Hampshire historical marker (number 25) along the concurrency of Route 107 and Route 43 in Deerfield.[5]

Sources
  • Smith, Chellis Vielle (July–December 1906). Broune, George Waldo (ed.). "Major John Simpson: The Man Who Fired the First Shot at Bunker Hill". Granite State Magazine. Manchester, New Hampshire: Granite State Publishing. 2.

References
  1. According to the 15th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, "Joseph Spalding of Chelmsford is said to have fired the first shot in the Battle of Bunker Hill." ("Chelmsford, Massachusetts" entry, 2005 printing, vol. 3, p. 152). According to historian Richard Ketchum, a Lieutenant [James?] Dana claimed to have fired first in order to cause the British to fire prematurely (Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill, p. 159).
  2. Smith (1906), p. 18
  3. Smith (1906), pp. 18–19
  4. "Former village center named to National Register of Historic Places". NH.gov (Press release). New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. April 29, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  5. "List of Markers by Marker Number" (PDF). nh.gov. New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. November 2, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
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