wouldnt you think that community leaders would want to put his name on their war memorial with others who had died in other wars from the community? I contacted city of New Fairfield, CT in regards to the story below. They seemed disinterested so when I supplied all the documents war pension records, affidavits, probate records etc I thought for sure it would be a "no brainer" having my ancestors name added to the city's brass plaque.... told me they were not interested... even if he were the only citizen of the city to die during the Rev War. This seem a bit odd to anyone else?



This past couple of years have been a very rewarding from the standpoint of my research on the Dunks family of Connecticut, Thomas and Mary Dunk of Sherman, Connecticut and my ggggg grandmother Amelia and siblings Annis, Mabel, Mary, Sarah, Dorcus, Joanna, Daniel and Joel. Records show that Thomas and Mary attended the North Congregational Church in now Sherman, CT.

Thomas b. abt 1740 was age 39 when the alarm went out from New Haven in early July, 1779 that British Gov. Tryon had ordered the sacking of costal towns along the Long Island Sound. It is believed that Thomas had family from the area around New Haven. Thomas, under Captain Nehemiah Beardsley, joined the New Fairfield Milita on July 8, and headed to Norwalk to give what help he could in staving off 2000 British soldiers.

Thomas lost his life in that battle that occurred July 10, 1779. He is the only known militiaman to have died there along with 8-9 Continental line soldiers. He left behind a family of 9 children the youngest of which Joanna was born only 5 months before his death. Of this Amelia, his daughter, stated in an affidavit "I hereby certify that I was brought up in the town of New Farifield, Fairfield County, CT and one night bourne to Doct James Potter, father to Milton Potter, now of Pittsford, Rutland County, VT and wel remember that he the said Milton frequently inlisted and went for a soaldier in the time of the revolutionary war particularily in the yeare 1779 for my father went with him and was kild at the batle of Norwalk." signed: Amela Gorham (spelling included).

When I first read that quote I had stayed up all night reading documents from the Revolutionary War Pension Records and it was about 5 am on a Saturday and had to read it several times over before I could comprehend her handwriting. When it finally struck me as to what she had sworn... my heart raced at realizing that for the first time in over 30 years of searching for anything on Amelia's family that I had finally had a breakthrough. That lead to the discovery of his probate record and the identification of his entire family. To think that this information had finally come to light was wonderful, but to have it written in her own hand made that document come alive to me ...it was as if her statement was not only written as a witness of the Revolutionary War service of a friend, Milton Potter, but to those of us who are her descendents it has become a witness of her father having given the "last true measure of devotion to his country". What a rare find ...I am so excited to think that perhaps now Thomas can be recognized for being a true patriot. Woohoooo!!!!!!!!!! Because to my knowledge no modern day documents even mention Thomas's service.

My experience in coming across this information has been perhaps the most rewarding family history experience of my life to date. I have been working to make this known to individuals in New Fairfield and expect that soon (?) Thomas will be recognized among those honored at the city's War Memorial. He will be the only known person to have been killed in action from New Fairfield in the Revolutionary War. Thomas also served in the French and Indian Wars and was at the Battle of Quebec in 1759 for which he received bounty lands near Crown Point, NY.

I am very proud to be a descendent of Thomas Dunk. He died a rather unknown death before the outcome of the War was known or that our nation and its founding principal of freedom had been established.