Day 7 of the 365 Project Honoring Reuben Kidder on Veteran’s Day
Why I Took This Photograph of Reuben Kidder’s Tombstone
I thought it would be nice to honor a veteran on Veteran’s Day. Someone that time has forgotten, although even in this old cemetery where no one has been buried in a very long time flags are posted on all of the known veteran’s graves.
I have no idea who Reuben Kidder was before taking the photograph. I knew there were several veterans buried in the Sherwood Robbins Cemetery in Camillus, New York. Some from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Most of the engraving on the Revolutionary War veteran’s tombstones is impossible to read as the marble has dissolved. But Mr. Kidder’s has leaned forward protecting it from weathering.
Searching for the History of Reuben Kidder
I thought I would do a quick internet search for the history of Reuben Kidder and here is what I found.
Based on the information on the gravestone, he was born sometime in 1760 and based on his military record somewhere in New Hampshire. Believe it or not, there were quite a few Reuben Kidder’s in the war, there is more information on those than the one buried here in Camillus, New York
He was in Capt. Daniel Livermore’s Co., Col. Reed’s Regt. of N. H. Infantry, and served till the war closed. According to Capt. Livermore’s service he was in Ticonderoga in 1777; in Valley Forge from late 1777 to June 1778 and joined General Washington’s main army.
Battles included the Battle of Trenton, the Battle of Princeton, the Battle of King’s Bridge, and Yorktown. I’m unsure if he stayed in Yorktown or accompanied the other half of Washington’s army back to Newburgh, New York.
I originally thought Kidder was granted land here in upstate New York after the war, but the 1790s census does not list him in Camillus.
Here is the only other information I found:
A cooper by trade, in 1820 Reuben Kidder limped into court (assuming Onondaga County Court) on crutches and with his hip out of joint, reporting that his debts were $15 and assets $70.10. His wife was then 46 years old, and his children were Noah, Debora, Lemina, and Eli. No stone marks his wife’s grave.
However, looking up some of the other Reuben Kidder’s information that seems to be more precise and accurate one of them also had children named Noah and Eli.
It was very interesting looking up this information. I hope he is resting in peace, I’m glad I know a little bit more about this man than only reading his grave marker.
Thank you for your service Mr. Kidder and all of the other veterans not only in this one small cemetery but across the Nation and those still with us.
Day 7 and the first week in the books.
