The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.
Lebbeus Ball was born 11 November 1738 at Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. He married Thankful Stowe. He removed to Granville, Massachusetts, before the War, where they had several children, including Sarah, Elizabeth, and Lebbeus Jr.
In 1775, Ball mustered 60 men as the Captain Lebbeus Ball Company from Granville to Concord, Massachusetts, before the creation of Washington’s army. The Fourth Massachusetts Regiment was raised in April 1775, outside Boston, before July 4. Ball served principally under Colonel Shepard of the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment, under the overall command of General John Glover. Ball’s Company the saw action at Bunker Hill, the New York Campaign, the Battles of Trenton, Princeton, Saratoga, Monmouth and Rhode Island. Ball was twice named officer of the day to Washington's staff while wintering in Valley Forge.
Ball was wounded with a musket ball, 1 November 1777, that left a conspicuous scar on his forehead and persisted for remainder of his life. At Saratoga, he was captured twice and escaped twice. Upon his escape from capture, he was promoted from Captain to Major at West Point. In 1782, after he had retired, he helped quell a riot at Northampton, Massachusetts.
After the war, Lebbeus moved to Ballston (Ball's Town), New York named after distant kin, Rev. Eliphalet Ball. According to Martha Washington’s diary, George Washington was at Ballston, where he met with Rev. Ball as a third cousin, while Lebbeus Ball's daughter, Sarah Ball, and lthamar Coe were married. The Ball family resided next at Carleton, New York.
About 1799, Ball moved west to the pioneer town of Pompey, New York, with son-in-law lthamar Coe, and daughter, Sarah Ball Coe.
Author: Wayne Jerome Rogers
While the earthly remains of an unknown exists in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier since WWI, a grave with no tombstone of a known soldier of the Revolutionary War existed nearly 200 years in a rustic rural cemetery near Pompey, New York, south of Syracuse. In Sweet Cemetery, a small white natural stone lies just barely above the ground.
While his name appeared to have been abandoned, the town historian never abandoned his grave, but puts an American flag at this stone every year.
Lebbeus Ball was born 1737/1738 and died 1806..
In 1775 Lebbeus Ball mustered 60 men from his home town of Granville, Massachusetts to march to Concord. As a member of the 3rd Continental Regiment. , He was involved in many major historical battles: the siege of Boston, defense of Philadelphia, Valley Forge, where he was twice named officer of the day in Washington's staff, and the assaults at Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey. During the Revolutionary War at Saratoga , he was captured twice and escaped twice. Lebbeus Ball was wounded and left with a conspicuous scar from a musket ball shot on his forehead Upon his escapes from captures, he was promoted from Captain to Major at West Point. In 1782 after he had retired, he helped quell a riot in Northampton, Mass.
Lebbeus Ball was an ancestor of Winston Churchill, and a third collateral cousin of George Washington. Lebbeus Ball fulfilled the Society of the Cincinnati motto: Omnia reliquit servare republicam, translated: he virtually abandoned all to serve the Republic After the war, Major Ball moved to Ballston, named after distant kin, Rev. Epithet Ball. At this period according to Martha Washington's diary, George Washington was there to meet with Rev. Ball a third cousin. Lebbeus Ball's first daughter Sarah was married during this time to patriot Ithamar Coe. Likely Washington have attended this wedding? because Lebbeus had been an officer of the day twice at Valley Forge. About 1799, Lebbeus Ball moved west to the pioneer town of Pompey, New York.. Lebbeus Ball died in Pompey in1806, and buried at Sweet Cemetery?” The mystery of Major Lebbeus Ball's unnamed grave may not be where or how he was buried, but that a local historian made sure an American flag flies at this unnamed gravesite every year, even after nearly two hundred years! It is definitely a sign of local patriotism to know that this obscure revolutionary soldier was not forgotten, but that his presence endured despite an incognito grave site.
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