GOLDSMITH
DAVIS
Coram
Continental Army
Born into the
world January 28, 1756 to Elijah Davis and Mary Moger was
one, Goldsmith Davis. The family home and farm was and is
still located on Middle Country Road in Coram.
After the first
shots of the war had been fired at Lexington,
Massachusetts, the colonists responded quickly. On April
26, 1775 inhabitants in New York were asked to sign an
Association pledging loyalty to the Continental Congress.
Goldsmith Davis
signed the Association twice, once on May 8, at
Brookhaven and a second time on June 8, 1775 at
Brookhaven.
Davis was
assigned to a minuteman company and appeared on the
payroll of Lt. Isaac Davis's company. After the minutemen
company had been disbanded Goldsmith enlisted in the
Continental Army on March 4, 1776 at the age of twenty in
a company commanded by Daniel Roe of the fourth regiment
commanded by Colonel Henry B. Livingston.
Following the
defeat of the American army under General George
Washington at the battle of Long Island, Davis' company
was sent to the east end of Long Island and stayed there
until the surrender of Long Island to the British. They
were then sent to Shelter island to bring Patriots and
their belongings, including the cattle and sheep they did
not want to fall into British hands, to Connecticut for
protection. Long Island forces were encamped at Saybrook
and later at New Haven in Connecticut.
From their
Connecticut base the Americans staged a number of raids
on Long Island to stop Tories from seizing Patriot
property. On September 30, 1776, The Connecticut Courant
reported that Davis' company was sent to Brookhaven with
Daniel Roe to escort Roe's family and belongings to
Connecticut. Near Roe's home they encountered a
well-known Tory named Richard Miller. Miller who had been
stopped by the soldiers fired a pistol at them as he
tried to escape. The Americans responded by firing their
muskets and mortally wounding Miller. The Patriots
retreated to their whaleboats and crossed to Connecticut
when the threat that another Captain Jacob Smith would be
arriving with reinforcements.
The company
also took part in the expedition to Colonel Floyd's
estate to bring back his personal effects. Instead they
captured two British ships, the Mary and the Lily, both
loaded with firewood and bound for British General Howe
in New York City.
Davis took part
in the raid that came to Long Island capturing the Tory
Captain, Jacob Smith, 23 of his men and seventy-five fine
muskets, which were brought to Connecticut. The Patriots
suffered one casualty, a sergeant, while the Tories
suffered several.
Whaleboat raiders from Connecticut,
landing on Long Island.
Davis and his
company was then marched upstate to Fishkill, New York,
on the North River and later to Fort Montgomery to
support American troops in Canada. It was at Fort
Montgomery where Davis's enlistment expired and he was
discharged from the service.
Davis returned
home to his Coram farm and on June 8, 1780, Goldsmith
married Elizabeth Brown, and they had four children,
Luther, Clarissa, Charry Charlotte, and Sofphy.
According to
tradition, sometime after Davis was discharged and
returned home a company of British soldiers who knew he
was a patriot demanded military information. It is quite
possible that they wanted to obtain information about
those involved in the whale boat raids or the destruction
of 300 tons of British hay stored at Coram in November,
1780. The British troop hung him upside down, by his
ankles in the well for not releasing such information,
and was rescued when his wife found him and ran for help.
She ran a half-mile down the road to get a neighbor to
help rescue him.
After Davis's
wife Elizabeth died in 1801,he married again but the date
is unknown. His second wife Mary also gave him four
children, Mary Elizabeth, Lewis Goldsmith, Harriet and
Richard. Only a few of the children's birth dates are
known.
Goldsmith owned
and operated a tavern and hotel in his Coram home.
According to National Archive records he was appointed
Coram's first postmaster in 1794. He operated the post
office out of his home as well. The home also served as a
general store, an an entry in the ledger book of
Lietenant william Phillips illustrates a variety of items
sold.
" Feb. 5,
1792
Bought of Goldsmith Davis
One tea kettle 0 - 8 - 0
2 ounces of Pork 0 - 3 - 0
March 11
by 2 ounces of bark 0 - 2 - 0
by one bunch of rope 0 - 2 - 6
by one green hat 0 - 14 - 0
by one felt hat 0 - 8 - 0"
Davis home on Middle Country Road in
Coram. The house is currently being refurbished by
Brookhaven Town. Photo from the collection of Davis
Erhardt.
In 1797 Davis
was elected as a commissioner of schools for Brookhaven
Town.
Davis was
forced to put the home and farm up for auction February
20, 1818. After the auction, he still needed money, so he
applied for a government pension on June 6, 1818. He
claimed that he was in "reduced circumstances"
and it was the cause of his great need for money as he
was unable to provide for his family.
Goldsmith Davis
died April 26, 1825 at the age of 69, he was buried in
the family cemetery behind the family home. Brookhaven
Town recently acquired the Davis home and is in the
process of restoring it to its glory, where it served the
town as a hotel, tavern and Town meeting place.
Signature
of Goldsmith Davis, from the collection of Davis Erhardt.
Written by,
April Trovillion
March, 2001
Lt. William Phillips
ledger book can be found at the
Bridgehampton Historical society