Isaac Howe Davenport, 1856-1778
Demarest, Thomas. “The Baylor Massacre—Some Assorted Notes and Information” published in Bergen County History. (River Edge, Bergen County Historical Society, 1971
Named for his father, Isaac Howe Davenport was one of fifteen children, the third son of Isaac and Mary Pray Davenport. He was of the fifth generation of a family that been in Dorchester since 1640. His father was a weaver. [Davenport, Bennett F., “Davenport Genealogy” G-DAV-530, 52, New England Historic Genealogical Society]
Isaac Howe Davenport who enlisted in the Continental Army soon after the 19th of April 1775 belonged to the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard, formed at Cambridge, Massachusetts, on March 12, 1776. Davenport must have been a soldier to be recommended for “sobriety, honesty, and good behaviour” and he must have been considered “handsomely and well-made”, and his appearance “neat and spruce” and his height between five feet, eight inches and five feet, ten inches tall. These were the qualifications for entrance into the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard.
Isaac Howe Davenport later became part of the troop of horse that was attached to Colonel George Baylor’s regiment in January, 1777, as an adjunct to the George Washington’s very own Commander-in-Chief’s Guard. The attachment to Baylor’s regiment was secondary. Davenport’s own father, in petitioning the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1779, did not even mention Baylor’s Corps, but said only that his son had belonged to “General Washington’s Guard,” and that “when the present army was raised your Petitioners sd Son Regingaged in the same Service & continued therein …” [Godfrey, Carlos, “The Commander-in-Chief’s Guard—Revolutionary War” (1904) 39; Fitzpatrick, John C., editor, “Writings of George Washington,” 6, 483-4; Mass. Archives v. 224, 261]
Davenport’s name appears in a document entitled “Three months Pay Due a Troop of Horse Commanded by Capt. G. Lewis”, covering a three-month period beginning with May, 1777. There are 41 names on the payroll, and an idea of Davenport’s status can be gathered from his placement on the list. He is enrolled as a sergeant and his name is fourth from the top, the first name to appear after the two officers and the quartermaster of the troop.
Davenport’s name appears in another document, a certificate recording the fact that eight men of the troop had indeed enlisted in that service. Dated at Headquarters, Morristonw, July 10, 1777, and signed by Captain George Lewis, it certifies that “Isaac Davenport … Carswell Gardner … Zenas Macomber … Soldiers have Listed in my Troop for three years.” The certificate is also endorsed: “I hereby certify that the above named Men were mustered in Capt. Lewis’ Troop of Horse in the Service of the United States. Joseph Ward, Mustr. Mastr. Genl.” They had actually been in the troop some time, some since January.
In another document dated June 13, 1778, Isaac Howe Davenport authorizes the payment of Davenport’s state bounty to his father.
On September 26, 1778, Washington ordered his personal troop of horse across the Hudson River and down into Bergen County to join the regiment to which they rightfully belonged.
They came, Baylor and his men, to a place called Over the Kill. “I was of opinion,” wrote Baylor, “it was the most secure place I could have stationed myself in … as it would have been had they not received the most particular intelligence of our guard and patrol.
“There were two roads leading from the enemy’s camp to our quarters, one on each side of the Hackinsac River. They joined at a bridge, at half a mile distance from our quarters, where I myself fixed a guard, of a sergeant and twelve men …” [Sparks, Jared, “Correspondence of the American Revolution” (1853), II, 223.
Isaac Howe Davenport was killed in the Baylor Massacre, slain by the British on September 28, 1778.
The newspaper “The Continental Journal and Weekly Advertiser,” printed in Boston on October 8, 1778, contains the following item:
Extract of a letter from Head Quarters, dated Sept.29, 1778
An express is arrived from the Jersies giving his Excellency an account that last night a party of Col. Baylor’s regiment of horse consisting of about 100, were surprised by the enemy who carried off the surviving commission’d officers, but in the most barbarous and unheard of manner murder’d in cold blood (after they had surrender’d) all the non commission’d officers and privates … Col. Baylor and Major Clugh are supposed to be prisoners … Serj. Davenport, a valuable man belonging to some part of Massachusetts state is also kill’d.”
Davenport’s authorization mentioned above resulted in his father petitioning the Massachusetts legislature in 1779 for the bounty money that had been due his son.
To the Honble the Council & the Honble House of Representatives in General Court assembled
The Petition of Isaac Davenport humbly shews That your Petitioners Son Isaac How Davenport Inlisted into the continental Service soon after the memorable 19th of april 1775 & continued therein till the Time of his Death Being inhumanely murthered by a detachment of the british army at about a year ago Your Petitioners sd Son belonged to a Corps called General Washington’s Guard whilst at Cambrige and when the Army moved from Cambrige he moved in the same Company and contined therein till the Expiration of his Term when the present Army was raided your Petitioners sd Son Reingaged in the same Service & continued therein till Those british Butchers deprived him of Life & his Country of an active good Soldier …
Isaac Davenport
Dorchester 20 Sepr 1779
Two weeks later his request was granted, and he received a total of 50 pounds. [Mass. Archives 224, 261; “Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War” (1898), Vol. 4, 450.