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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

soldier from

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

. He is one of several men traditionally described as having fired the first shot on the American side at the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Boston, Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peri ...

.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 Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Chelmsford was incorporated in May 1655 by an act of the Massachusetts General Court. When Chelmsford was incorporated, its local economy was fueled by lumber mills, ...

" 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, 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 Ba ...

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. John Simpson's musket was directly passed through the Simpson family for 10 generations. It is now displayed at the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois, Wyoming.

Later life

In 1785, Simpson married Mary Whidden. Smith (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, Smith (1906), pp. 18–19 which is now part of the Old Deerfield Center Historic District. Simpson is featured on a New Hampshire historical marker ( number 25) along the concurrency of Route 107 and Route 43 in Deerfield.

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