Author: Dennis Craig Anderson
Hezekiah Davies was born on November 22, 1747 in Charlestown Twp., Chester County, Pennsylvania. He grew up on the family farm and was trained as a saddle maker in his youth.

In January 1776, he enlisted in the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment, a Chester County Militia unit. Later that year, when General Washington issued a call for troops to help in the defense of New York, a call went out for PA troops to serve in the Flying Camp. Hezekiah volunteered to serve and was assigned to Col William Montgomery’s Chester County Battalion.

This unit marched through Philadelphia on July 18th and 19th and was the first Pennsylvania unit to arrive in Perth Amboy on July 24th. At Perth Amboy the regiment was re-organized and sent north to Fort Lee on the west bank of the Hudson River

On September 7th, Hezekiah Davies received a commission as a 1st Lt. in Samuel Culberson’s company. The Flying Camp remained in garrison at Fort Lee until November 1776. Following the battle of White Plains, General Howe moved his troops south to eliminate the last American presence on Manhattan at Fort Washington on the east bank of the Hudson River opposite Fort Lee.

To counter this threat, troops were ordered across the river from Ft Lee to reinforce Fort Washington. On November 16th 1776, the 3000 troops at Fort Washington we attacked by 8000 British and Hessian Troops. The action lasted from early morning to late afternoon and the American troops were ultimately driven back into the fort. Outnumbered and seeing the hopelessness of their cause, the American Commander. Col Magaw surrendered the garrison.

The troops were physically abused by their Hessian captors, stripped of their personal possessions including much of their clothing, and marched south toward New York City.

Hezekiah Davies was confined for a time in New York with the other officers, and then in December 1776 he was sent to one of the prison ships anchored in the harbor. On January 20th, 1777, he gave his parole and was sent to Long Island where he was quartered with the prominent Dutch family of Nicolas Schenck. During his lengthy period of confinement on Long Island, he received periodic sums of money from various Pennsylvania benefactors for the upkeep of himself and other prisoners. While a prisoner, he also compiled and maintained a list of the other American prisoners being held on Long Island.

Most importantly for Hezekiah, Nicholas Schenck had a daughter, Anna; aside from their differences in politics, Hezekiah and Anna fell in love. Not surprisingly, Anna’s parents refused their permission for the couple to marry so in late October 1780 Hezekiah and Anna eloped. They were married on October 29th, 1780 at Flatlands, Kings County, Long Island by Reverend Vansinder. Hezekiah was exchanged the following month, and he and his bride returned to Chester County. Hezekiah applied for and was granted a pension in 1833 of $320 per year. He died in 1837 at the age of 90 years.