Early Life

Philip Morse was born on August 12, 1765, in Voluntown (now Sterling), Windham County, Connecticut. Details about his family are scarce, though he recalled that a family record had once been kept by his youngest sister. Like many young men of his generation, Philip came of age during the turbulent years of the American Revolution, when calls for independence echoed throughout New England.

Military Service

At just nine years old in 1774, while living in Roxbury, Rhode Island, Philip was impressed into service as a teamster under Captain John Stafford. His military career would span more than four and a half years, during which he served under several commanders, including Captain Jeremiah Olney, Captain Josiah Gibbs, Captain Benjamin Fry, and General Israel Putnam.

Philip witnessed and participated in significant moments of the war. He remembered being present at the Battle of Rhode Island, where he was stationed behind a stone wall near a buttonwood tree and sustained a wound near his right temple. During this battle, when cannonballs ran short, he recalled General Putnam ordering a log chain fired from a cannon. A memory that stayed vivid throughout his life.

His service took him across Rhode Island, New London, and beyond. He was present when New London was burned and continued marching wherever the war demanded. Though his discharge papers were lost, Philip later testified to his extensive service, which spanned over four years of the Revolution.

Life in New York

After the war, Philip moved to New York State around 1801. By 1810, he had settled in Lenox, Madison County, and later lived in Orleans County before making his home in Albion, Oswego County.

Despite his long service, Philip did not apply for a pension until 1857, at the age of ninety-one, when financial hardship compelled him to seek government support. His pension was approved at $80 per year.

Marriage & Family

The name of Philip’s wife is unknown, but records indicate that he had at least one daughter:

Sally Morse, who married Franklin Chapin.

Later Years & Death

Philip lived an extraordinarily long life, passing away in the fall of 1859 at the age of ninety-four. He was buried in Dugway Cemetery in Albion, Oswego County. His headstone bears the inscription: “Soldier of the Revolution.”

Programs

Stories in Stone: Understanding Headstone Materials