Icabod Jeremiah Perry

Reminisences of the Revolution by Ichabod Jeremiah Perry, reportedly a cousin of Commodore Perry, was written about his experiences of the Revolutionary War.  Ichabod Perry's granddaughter, Rose Sheldon of Lima, New York, loaned Perry's manuscript to the DAR for publishing.

The best information available indicated that Ichabod Jeremiah Perry was the father of the Stephen Perry who married Esther Loper. That would mean that Ichabod was the grandfather of Rebecca Perry and great-grandfather of Rosaltha Farrar More (wife of James Levi More).

Ichabod Jeremiah Perry married [Rebecca] Sturges.  The Perrys settled in Richmond, New York, where he died in April, 1839.

Excerpts

I paid no attention to the Dog at first, and after Creeping a little further I look'd up again, where the
Dog still stood, when I recogniz'd him to be my father's Dog (for my father had start'd on horse back, as soon as he had notice). In a few minutes my father came up to us, on our hands and knees Crawling. He culd not speak to us, but he took us up and plac'd us on the horse, and steadi'd us by our legs, till we came to a house, where they gave us some warm milk pottage, which greatly reviv'd us.

Then I thought I was beginning to Recrute. But after I had been home about a week, I was taken more unwell than common. They sent for a Doctor who said that I was breaking out with small-pox which made Considerable alarm in the house, for none of the family had ever had it; they then sent for a tender Nurse who took me up (bed and all) and put me into an ox sled and Drove me off to a house where there was another of our Company who had just broken out. As we past some of our naibors, I culd hear the young people weeping and crying for they thought that would be the last of me. 

I was pretty sick and part of the time Derang'd. I had few pox that came out. The Doctor said that they would been better out than in, but I liv'd thro' it. I was thirty one Days in the pest house. My nurse charg'd me a Dollar pr Day, and my expenses for boarding, wood, house rent, and Doctor's bill, took all my wages for that Campaign, and more too; I was ten or fifteen Dollars in Debt— my father and step mother, at that time was both taken sick of a feaver, and but just made a live of it, so that they was not able to assist me.

In June or July one of my step brothers (Smith) was Draft'd for three months in the horse service. He hir'd me to take his place and I engag'd to serve the tour, and my name was set Down in lue of his. I join'd the Company and we had our horses and accorterments apris'd. Mine was apris'd in my name, and we went to White Plains where we joyn'd Col'n Meggs Reg't of horses. Our business was prinsaply scouting between the lines, we would some times fall in with the British scouting parties, and sometimes we would chase them, and sometimes they would chase us. 

My mother Died in Child bed when I was born and about the same time one of my Mother's brothers lost a child, which they had nam'd Jeremiah, and they took me to nurse, and call'd me by the same name ; which was the one that I always went by amongst my mother's relations. My father for tradition's sake saw fit to alter it and Call me Ichabod, but he afterwards told me that I might go by both names. I then gave in my name, Jeremiah Perry, which name I went by as long as I was on board.

...and then set fire to every building. (But as for my part, I did not much like our orders, altho my native Town had lately bin burnt by our enemy). 

We then went on till we got near Boston when our Officers held a consultation with the advice of Wm. Pinkney, (who had bin sent as a minister from America to France, and was a passenger home) and they agreed that our Officers shul'd take Command of the ship, and take her into Boston, and that Cap't Landis
shul'd be consider 'd as under arrest.

Officers of the board told us they had no money but old Continental, which was good for nothing, so I and Chancey Wheelor set out for Fairfield (which was about two hundred miles) without money. 

After our ship had got repair'd, our brig ariv'd from Halifax with about three hundred American prisoners, which were all seafaring men. Our Capt'n had recover'd of his wound and he was exerting himself to the utmost to git the ship ready for sea before the old hands time was out. Benj'm Darrow and myself told some of the OflEicers that we was going to quit, and we went home in Oct. or Nov'm in 1781.

After the Doctor had given the tender his Directions they left me, but I overheard the Doctor tell the Officers that I would not live till morning, but that did not alarm me much for I was Determin'd to try an experiment.

This book review nicely summarized the manuscript: