Hercules Mooney
Encyclopedia
Hercules Mooney was an Irish
-born veteran of the French and Indian
and American Revolutionary
wars.
Born to a Protestant family, in 1733 he emigrated to the United States
and settled in Dover, New Hampshire
. In 1738 he married Elizabeth Evans, also of Dover. Having been a tutor back in Ireland, Mooney became a teacher and schoolmaster at Dover and after 1750 in Durham
.
In 1757 Mooney joined the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment
to fight in the French and Indian War
as a captain in command of a company of soldiers. Capt. Mooney was at the Siege of Fort William Henry that ended in the fall of the fort and attack by the Indians. After the end of the war Mooney returned to Durham to teach and was elected selectman in 1765.
In 1775 he was a delegate to the provincial congress at Exeter, New Hampshire
and in 1776 was appointed lieutenant colonel
in the Continental Army
. Lt. Col. Mooney served in Col. Pierse Long
's regiment (Long's Regiment
) and fought at the Battle of Fort Anne during the Saratoga campaign
. During 1778 and 1779 Col. Mooney served on New Hampshire's Committee of Safety
. In June 1779 he was given command of a regiment
of the New Hampshire Militia
that was sent to Rhode Island
to keep watch on the British Army
at Newport
.
After the end of the Revolutionary War
Col. Mooney moved to Holderness, New Hampshire
and served as a justice of the peace
for Grafton County
and in the New Hampshire General Court
. He died at his home in April 1800.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-born veteran of the French and Indian
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
and American Revolutionary
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
wars.
Born to a Protestant family, in 1733 he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and settled in Dover, New Hampshire
Dover, New Hampshire
Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region...
. In 1738 he married Elizabeth Evans, also of Dover. Having been a tutor back in Ireland, Mooney became a teacher and schoolmaster at Dover and after 1750 in Durham
Durham, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,664 people, 2,882 households, and 1,582 families residing in the town. The population density was 565.5 people per square mile . There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 130.5 per square mile...
.
In 1757 Mooney joined the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment
New Hampshire Provincial Regiment
The New Hampshire Provincial Regiment was a composite regiment made up of units of the New Hampshire Militia during the French and Indian War for service with the British Army in North America. It was first formed in 1754 with the start of hostilities with France.-1755:In 1755 Col...
to fight in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
as a captain in command of a company of soldiers. Capt. Mooney was at the Siege of Fort William Henry that ended in the fall of the fort and attack by the Indians. After the end of the war Mooney returned to Durham to teach and was elected selectman in 1765.
In 1775 he was a delegate to the provincial congress at Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
and in 1776 was appointed lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. Lt. Col. Mooney served in Col. Pierse Long
Pierse Long
Pierse Long was an American merchant from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He served as a colonel of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War and served as a New Hampshire delegate to the Continental Congress in 1785 and 1786....
's regiment (Long's Regiment
Long's Regiment
Long's Regiment was raised on May 14, 1776 at New Castle, New Hampshire under Colonel Pierse Long for service with the Continental Army. The regiment was stationed at Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence on Lake Champlain and fought a delaying action at Fort Ann, New York on July 8, 1777 against...
) and fought at the Battle of Fort Anne during the Saratoga campaign
Saratoga campaign
The Saratoga Campaign was an attempt by Great Britain to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War...
. During 1778 and 1779 Col. Mooney served on New Hampshire's Committee of Safety
Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community...
. In June 1779 he was given command of a regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the New Hampshire Militia
New Hampshire Militia
The New Hampshire Militia was first organized in March 1680, by New Hampshire Colonial President John Cutt. The King of England authorized the Provincial President to give commissions to persons who shall be best qualified for regulating and discipline of the militia. President Cutt placed Major...
that was sent to Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
to keep watch on the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
at Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
.
After the end of the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
Col. Mooney moved to Holderness, New Hampshire
Holderness, New Hampshire
Holderness is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,108 at the 2010 census. An agricultural and resort area, Holderness is home to the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center and is located on Squam Lake...
and served as a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Grafton County
Grafton County, New Hampshire
Grafton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2010 census, the population was 89,118. Its county seat is North Haverhill, which is a village within the town of Haverhill. Until 1972, the county courthouse and other offices were located in downtown Woodsville, a...
and in the New Hampshire General Court
New Hampshire General Court
The General Court of New Hampshire is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The lower house is the New Hampshire House of Representatives with 400 members. The upper house is the New Hampshire Senate with 24 members...
. He died at his home in April 1800.
Sources
- A List of The Revolutionary Soldiers of Dublin, N.H. by Samuel Carroll Derby, Press of Spahr & Glenn, Columbus, Ohio 1901
- State Builders: An Illustrated Historical and Biographical Record of the State of New Hampshire. State Builders Publishing Manchester, N.H., 1903