As we celebrate Veteran’s Day, I am proud to take time to pay tribute to Daniel Dugan, my 4th great grandfather, for his contribution to the United States army when it was in its beginning. To have an ancestor who fought for this nation’s independence is a great honor. To be able to read his recounts of some of his experiences adds to the appreciation.
Daniel Dugan originally hailed from Reading Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey where he was drafted into service numerous times for the Revolutionary War from 1776 to 1779. In September 21, 1832 Daniel applied for a pension and his application lists his service record in the New Jersey Regiment. According to Daniel he was first drafted “after the second call made of the Militia after the British rebels first made their appearance at New York for one month under Captain Denike and served during that month between Newark and Amboys (two municipalities in Middlesex County) watching the movement of two or three British rebels.” Private Dugan served usually one month at a time and was under other captains, including: Brook, Kownover, Johnson, Gearhart, Caricoff, Hankerson, to name a few.
His deposition, although brief, details a number of his undertakings. Under Maj. Rinehart’s battalion, he “was in a swamp near Trenton and lay on [his] arms all night and in the morning [they] were taking in to the woods near the road when [they] soon got orders to march. [They] did take over some British troops but had no engagements.” He describes a skirmish below Shanks Mill where the British beat the troops back into an old field, but the militia got the advantage beating the British back again. In another episode under Maj. Rinehart his company marched to Trenton and from there marched on the left of the British army through Allentown and onto Monmouth, where he engaged in battle under General George Washington.
Daniel was born around March 9, 1750 in New Jersey. After the war he moved to Lycoming County, PA. There, in Moreland Township, he married Catherine on August 19, 1813. He spent most of his life in this county, probably earning his livelihood as a farmer. After his pension was approved in 1832, he was receiving about $50 a year and collected this for four years. On May 24, 1836 he died at the age of 86 years, 2 months and 15 days.
Daniel Dugan is said to have been married three times. Except for his third marriage to Catherine, no documentation of these marriages have been found. Information on Daniel’s other wives and most of his children have come from other Dugan descendants, and no birth registers for his children are known to exist. His first wife is said to have been a Miss Kenney, and they most likely married in Hunterdon County, NJ. Their children are thought to be: Margaret, who married Alexis Simmons; Elizabeth, who married Powell Lyons; Michael, Patrick and William, who married Charity Price.
His next wife has been listed as Mary Dawes to whom he had two sons: Daniel, Jr., born about 1789 in NJ and John Clark, born about 1791 in PA. Daniel Jr. married Rachel Croft and John married Lydia Holmes. Both sons had about 10 children and from census records it appears they continued to reside in Pennsylvania, living in the same county as their father.
Daniel’s last wife Catherine, widow of Mr. Spring, was young when she married Daniel, outliving him about 40 years. They had five children: Elinor, who married Jacob Reed; Mary, who married Jacob Shaner; Rachel, who first married Samuel Spiece, then Henry Starr; Sarah; Samuel Perry, who married Julia Reed. Catherine and her children remained in Lycoming County after Daniel’s death.
So to Daniel Dugan, and to the many men and women in my family who have served our country during its 240 years, thank you for your service!
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