Major John Simpson (December 1, 1748 – October 28, 1825) was an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

soldier from

Deerfield, New Hampshire Deerfield is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,855 at the 2020 census, up from 4,280 at the 2010 census. Deerfield is the location of the annual Deerfield Fair. History Deerfield was originally pa ...

. He is one of several men traditionally described as having fired the first shot on the American side at the Battle of Bunker Hill.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 Chelmsford () is a town in Massachusetts that was established in 1655. It is located northwest of Boston. The Chelmsford militia played a role in the American Revolution at the Battle of Lexington and Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill. ...

" entry, 2005 printing, vol. 3, p. 152). According to historian Richard Ketchum, a Lieutenant ames?Dana claimed to have fired first in order to cause the British to fire prematurely (''Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill'', p. 159).

Military career

After the shooting in the Revolutionary War began at

Lexington and Concord The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord ...

, Simpson joined a company of militiamen under Captain

Henry Dearborn Henry Dearborn (February 23, 1751 – June 6, 1829) was an American military officer and politician. In the Revolutionary War, he served under Benedict Arnold in his expedition to Quebec, of which his journal provides an important record ...

. The company marched to Boston and joined the siege of that town. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, Colonel

John Stark Major-General John Stark (August 28, 1728 – May 8, 1822) was an American military officer who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. He became known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Batt ...

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

Later life

In 1785, Simpson married Mary Whidden.

Smith Smith may refer to: People * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland ** List of people wi ...

(1906), p. 18 Two blacks were given to them by Whidden's mother. They were not considered slaves; however, they were considered a part of his family. 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). Simpson died on October 28, 1825, and was originally buried in his family lot. This graveyard was not taken care of and eventually one of his descendants moved him to the Old Center cemetery,

(1906), pp. 18–19 which is now part of the Old Deerfield Center Historic District. Simpson is featured on a

New Hampshire historical marker The U.S. state of New Hampshire has, since 1958, placed historical markers at locations that are deemed significant to New Hampshire history. The New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources (DHR) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) are j ...

( number 25) along the concurrency of Route 107 and Route 43 in Deerfield.

Sources

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, John 1748 births 1825 deaths New Hampshire militiamen in the American Revolution