Caleb Nurse (born c. 1760 in Rutland, Massachusetts or Bradford, Pennsylvania) married Sarah Fields (1761-1840). Caleb’s father was Joshua Nurse Sr. (1717/19-1760s/80s) believed buried in Barre, Massachusetts. His mother was Mary Sampson (1721-?). He had 10-16 siblings. Of those, Asa Nurse, Caleb’s brother, also served in the Revolutionary War. His 2nd cousin, Sgt. Francis Nurse, served in the War in 1775 and also owned the Nurse family homestead (which is now a museum in Danvers, Massachusetts) where he and many of the family are buried. Sgt. Nurse’s brother, another 2nd cousin of Caleb, Samuel Nurse, also served.
Caleb served as private in Capt. Samuel Stone’s Company of Col. William Prescott’s Regiment, which fell out at Concord/Lexington April 19, 1775. He served 12 days. Then, on July 5, 1778, he enlisted in Capt. Peter Woodbury’s Company of Col. Jacob Gerrish’s Regiment (originally part of the 26th Continental Regiment and by this time the 9th Massachusetts Regiment, which is believed to have been clad in a blue/buff white faced uniform). He saw service at Cambridge and the Northern Theater.
Caleb was discharged Nov. 9, 1778, then he promptly re-enlisted the next day in Capt. Woodbury’s Company of Lt. Col. Nathan Tyler’s Regiment. (A Lt. Jewett became captain after Woodbury.) He was guarding troops of convention – troops who had surrendered from Burgoyne’s British defeat. Caleb was discharged on Dec. 12, 1778.
References and Notes
Ancestry.com. “Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783.”
Archive.org. “Muster roll of Capt. Peter Woodbury’s company of Col. Jacob Gerrish’s Regiment.”
Beck, Sr. Kenneth W. “The Nurss Family Tree.”, Nov. 1974, and continued by Brenton C. Kemmer (present).
Wikipedia.org. “9th Massachusetts Regiment.”