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John Greenwood journal, [after 1809]

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Summary

Creator:
Greenwood, Clark, 1797-1838
Abstract:
This volume (7.5"x6") contains John Greenwood's memoirs about his experiences during the Revolutionary War (approximately 163 pages) and about his family and personal life (17 pages). During the war, Greenwood was a fife player with a Massachusetts regiment and served on privateers and other vessels in the Caribbean Sea. He originally composed his Revolutionary War memoirs in 1809; this item is a later copy made by his son Clark.
Extent:
1 volume
Language:
English
Sponsor:
James S. Schoff Revolutionary War Collection
Authors:
Collection processed and finding aid created by Clements Staff and Meg Hixon, May 2012

Background

Scope and Content:

This volume (7.5"x6") contains John Greenwood's memoirs about his experiences during the Revolutionary War (approximately 163 pages) and about his family and personal life (17 pages). During the war, Greenwood was a fife player with a Massachusetts regiment and served on privateers and other vessels in the Caribbean Sea. Greenwood originally composed his Revolutionary War memoirs in 1809; this item is a later copy made by his son Clark.

After a brief note by Clark Greenwood, who transcribed his father's memoirs, the main narrative opens with John Greenwood's brief account of his early years in Boston and in Portland, Maine, and of the unrest that eventually led to the American Revolution (5 pages). Pages 5-51 consist of Greenwood's detailed recollections about playing the fife in a Massachusetts regiment in the Continental Army, and about his experiences in the military. After page 51, the memoirs focus on the interception of British ships in the Caribbean Sea, during which time Greenwood was captured as a British prisoner of war. In addition to his wartime experiences, he also briefly recounted some stories of his postwar life, such as the beginning of his dental practice (pp. 85-89). The remaining parts of the volume include a note by a Greenwood family member who had recently read the memoirs (January 11, 1894), and an additional 17-page autobiographical account by John Greenwood.

Biographical / Historical:

John Greenwood was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 17, 1760, the son of Isaac Greenwood, a dentist, and his wife, Mary. From 1773 to 1775, he worked as an apprentice cabinetmaker under his uncle, Thales Greenwood of Portland, Maine, and he returned to Boston in early 1775. Greenwood enlisted as a fifer in Captain Theodore Bliss's company of the 26th Massachusetts Regiment on May 3, 1775, and he served for around 20 months. After 1777, he sailed in the Caribbean on vessels directed to intercept British ships. The British captured him on several occasions, though he escaped from prison each time. From February 13, 1778-May 13, 1778, he served as a fifer with John Hinkley's company of Lieutenant Colonel Symmes's guard detachment in Boston. After the war, Greenwood moved to New York, where he served as George Washington's dentist and influenced contemporary dental practices. He and his wife, Elizabeth Weaver, were married in 1788 and had 4 surviving children: Jane Weaver (1789-1861), Isaac John (1795-1865), Clark (1797-1838), and John William (1804-1838). John Greenwood died on November 16, 1819.

Acquisition Information:
1986. M-2303 .
Processing information:

Cataloging funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). This collection has been processed according to minimal processing procedures and may be revised, expanded, or updated in the future.

Rules or Conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Contents

Using These Materials

Info for Visitors

How to Request

Ordering Reproductions

Download PDF Finding Aid
RESTRICTIONS:

The collection is open for research.

USE & PERMISSIONS:

Copyright status is unknown

PREFERRED CITATION:

John Greenwood Journal, James S. Schoff Revolutionary War Collection, William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan

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Collection

John Greenwood journal, [after 1809]
Total components 1
Last indexed 2025-02-09