Veteran and Attica Resident

Lived: (March 22, 1759- June 13, 1848)

Biography

Rowland was born in Pomfret, Connecticut.

December, 1775 Rowland at the age of 18 would enlist to fight in the Revolutionary War out of Pomfret, Connecticut and would join Captain Stephen Brown's Company in Colonel John Durkee's Regiment. He would join his regiment in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rowland was present during the Siege of Boston until the city was evacuated by the British on March 7, 1776.

Rowland was then ordered with his regiment to New York City where he arrived on April 10, 1776. In July his regiment went to Poules Hook, New Jersey, it was there in August that Rowland was taken from Colonel Durkee's Regiment and placed in a Regiment of Rangers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Knowlton, who was under the command of Captain Stephen Brown as well. On September 15th the rangers marched to Harlem Heights and engaged the British there. In the conflict 4 rangers were killed including Lieutenant Colonel Knowlton. Rowland was then put under command of Captain Stephen Brown for about 2 weeks until he join back with Colonel Durkee's Regiment that where at Bergen, New Jersey.

The army retreated from Bergen and Rowland's regiment was stationed at Fort Lee where they remained until the army retreated to the Pennsylvania line on the 1st of December. They patrolled the Delaware River until Christmas morning when they received the order to cross the river. Durkee's Regiment was part of the division under the command of George Washington. Rowland participated in the Battle of Trenton and afterwards crossed back in Pennsylvania.

By January Durkee's Regiment was a part of General Mercer's Brigade which were marching towards Princeton, New Jersey when on sunrise Jan. 3rd 1777 they were engaged in combat that would see the death of General Mercer and the army defeated. The army then marched to Pluck River in New Jersey until the 1st of February when Rowland was discharged and returned to Pomfret, Connecticut.

Around the 1st March 1777, Rowland again enlisted in Captain Stephen Brown's Company in Colonel Durkee's Regiment in the Connecticut line in the Continental army for the term of 3 years.

In the month of May Rowland joined with his company in Peekskill, NY where the regiment was a part of General McDougal's Brigade. In September the brigade was order to march into Pennsylvania and join the main army under the command of General Washington at Schuylkill. They remained there until October 3rd when they march to Germantown where a battle took place and the army fell back to Schuylkill. A few day after the battle Rowland was promoted to Corporal.

In November Colonel Durkee's Regiment was detached and ordered to Mud Island on the Delaware River where they manned the fort and fought the British ships up until it was evacuated. During the evacuation Rowlands officer, Captain Brown was killed.

The regiment would find the main army again in Crooked Billet, PA and Lieutenant Beriah Bill was appointed to command the company, commanded by Captain Stephen Brown. In December they went into winter quarters at Valley Forge until the spring of 1778.

On the 28th of June he fought in the Battle of Monmouth where Colonel Durkee was shot through both hands. They would then camp out at White Plains until December when the regiment went into winter quarters at Reading, Connecticut.

In the Spring of 1779 the regiment was attached to General Parson's Brigade and still under the command of Colonel Durkee. The regiment saw not much action until November the brigade crossed the river to go into winter quarters in Morristown, New Jersey. While in winter quarters Rowland was promoted from his Corporal position to 1st Sergeant.

In February 1780 the Brigade was ordered to the vicinity of Staten Island and in April Rowland was discharged after he served his term and he returned to Pomfret, Connecticut.

In the Spring of 1781 he again enlisted in the Connecticut line in the Continental Army as a Sergeant, he would serve as a recuiting sergeant until June when he joined the regiment formerly under the command of General Durkee, now under the command of Colonel Thomas Grosvenor in the vicinity of West Point on the East side of the Hudson River.

His company would then be detached and placed under the command of Colonel Alexander Hamilton and they where transported to Jamestown and marched to Williamsburgh, VA and united with the army there under the command of Marquis De La Fayette. From there they marched to Yorktown and particiapated at the seige of Yorktown, being part of the detachment that stormed the redoubt under Marquis De La Fayette on October 14, 1781. They remained at Yorktown until the surrender of Lord Cornwallis on November 19th.

After that they travelled back to the vicinity of West Point to regroup under the command of Colonel Grosnevor and wintered there. He would remain in the area of West Point until he was discharge for the last time. After this discharge he settled in Genesee County, NY.

on April 8, 1784 Rowland married Kezia Holt in New Haven 2nd Church in Pomfret, Connecticut..

Rowland would also serve during the War of 1812 starting on Dec. 16, 1813 and serve as captain under Brigadier General Timothy S. Hopkins of the New York State Militia. He would be wounded during the Battle of Black Rock on Dec. 30, 1813 and was discharge in Jan. 26, 1814.

Rowland died at the age of 90 and was originally buried in the 'Old' Exchange Street Cemetery but was reintered by his son Elijah in 1870 and is now buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Section N.