GenMassachusetts-L Archives

From: "Betty" <>
Subject: History of "Fifers and Drummers" (KIDDER)
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 07:26:44 -0500

Hello,

For several years I've been looking for more information on the older
brothers of my ancestor, Calvin KIDDER (1765-1799), all of New Ipswich and
Temple, NH. Calvin was hard enough to research, as he seems to have gone
with other NH families, as an 18-year-old, to Canada (~1783), settling in
St. Stephen, NB.

But, Wilder KIDDER (b1753) has been even harder to research. The "KIDDER
book" states that he was a Famous Fifer in the Revolutionary War. This
week, because of more "free data bases" becoming available, I found out
that Wilder was at "Valley Forge," but fought there as a Sergeant and as a
resident of NJ. He had initially signed up in NH where he lived.

I wrote to George KIDDER and he said that Wilder seems to have lived in many
areas, including NY, VT, NJ, back to NY, and back to NH. And, he and his
wife, Lucretia (?), probably lived out their last years in Jaffrey, NH,
probably dying there in the 1820's.

When I did a search for other KIDDER's at "Valley Forge," I found there were
6 more, several from MA and NH. But, what I found strange that there was
another Fifer among them, and a Drummer. So, of the 7 KIDDER's, there
were 2 Fifers and 1 Drummer - just during that one winter (1777/78).

I then became curious about the history of "Fifers and Drummers" and then
became curious about how many "Fifers and Drummers" existed during the
Revolutionary War. .. This morning I found a web site which offers a
seemingly good history of them:

http://companyoffifeanddrum.org/fifedrumamerica.htm

(Some of the information I did not know.)

The 3rd of the KIDDER sons of Joseph and Rebecca KIDDER of New Ipswich and
Temple, NH, has been "impossible" to research. He was born in 1763, and
thus would have been only about 12 when the Rev. War started. But, the
"KIDDER book" states that "Joseph Kidder, Jun. served as a private in Capt.
Drury's Company, Col. Moor's Regiment at Temple, N.H. in 1777, ......"
So, he is listed as having been a soldier, but no other information about
him can be found !

Thank you for your time.

Betty (near Lowell, MA)


P.S. Joseph and Rebecca KIDDER had daughters, Rebecca, Sibyl, twins Lydia
and Molly, and Rhoda. The only daughter where marriage information is
known is Molly marrying Stephen AUSTIN.

(The 3 KIDDER brothers helping to found New Ipswich, NH, had "many"
daughters, many of Reuben's daughters lived very long lives.) (Joseph
(father) lived a very long life, as did his grandson in Maine, but his son,
Calvin in NB/CAN, died in a boating accident.)

This thread:

• History of "Fifers and Drummers" (KIDDER) by "Betty" <>