The American Revolution was not won by a single colony or a unified army. It was won by the collective sacrifice of ordinary men who left their farms, shops, and homes to defend a revolutionary idea. These nine patriots—spanning from New England to the Pennsylvania frontier, from Continental regulars to frontier militia—represent the extraordinary breadth of American service in the struggle for independence.
Each man fought in his own theater of war: Massachusetts minutemen answering the alarm at Lexington, New Hampshire militia decisive at Bennington, Continental officers defending the Hudson, Jersey farmers at Monmouth, Pennsylvania frontiersmen guarding the western line, and Southern militia in the Carolina campaigns. Together, their service tells the story of a nation born from widespread commitment and sacrifice.
Verifying Revolutionary Service
How do we know these men truly served? The Sons of the American Revolution—founded in 1889—exists precisely to verify and document legitimate Revolutionary War service. SAR membership requires meticulous documentation: military records, pension applications, muster rolls, and genealogical proof connecting applicant to patriot ancestor.
Six of these eight patriots carry SAR verification numbers. These aren't honorary designations—they represent years of genealogical research, primary source documentation, and official validation by the National Society. When you see "SAR #28417" next to Michael Blue's name, you're seeing proof that his service has been authenticated by an organization dedicated to historical accuracy.
On January 29, 1901, more than a century after William Van Dyck stood at Monmouth, his great-grandson presented this certificate to preserve his Revolutionary War service for all future generations.
Benjamin Franklin Van Dyke—William's great-grandson and later warden of the Oklahoma Territorial Prison—received this certificate from the Iowa Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. State Number 171 documents the four-generation lineage from William Van Dyck through his service with Captain Abraham Vroom's Somerset County Company at the Battle of Monmouth. This certificate represents the kind of rigorous documentation that validates the patriots featured on this page.
Sons of the American Revolution Certificate
January 29, 1901
SAR certificate (Iowa Society, State #171) issued to Benjamin Franklin Van Dyke, documenting verified lineage from Revolutionary War patriot William Van Dyck. This certificate exemplifies the rigorous documentation required by the SAR to authenticate Revolutionary War service across generations.
Click image to zoom and examine details
Source: Van Dyke Family Archives
Of the nine patriots profiled below, six carry SAR verification numbers. William Van Dyck's service is verified through Benjamin Franklin Van Dyke's SAR certificate (shown above). Joseph R. Rhoads and Captain Laboyteaux are documented through other military records and family archives, with SAR applications potentially in progress. Every patriot listed here has verifiable service—whether through SAR certification, pension records, muster rolls, or regimental rosters preserved in state and federal archives.
Six Colonies, One Cause
New England Theater
- Massachusetts: Ephraim Hall Jr. (Lexington-Concord, Bunker Hill)
- New Hampshire: Captain Jesse Wilson (Bennington)
- Connecticut: James Peck, Jeremiah Webb (coastal defense)
Middle Colonies
- New York: Captain Laboyteaux (Continental Line), Jeremiah Webb (frontier)
- New Jersey: William Van Dyck, Michael Blue (Monmouth)
- Pennsylvania: Joseph R. Rhoads (frontier defense)
Southern Department
John Mosley Montgomery: Service in Virginia or the Carolinas, possibly including Yorktown or the crucial Southern campaigns of 1780-1781.
The Nine Patriots
William Van Dyck
1756-1807
New Jersey
Somerset County, New Jersey Militia (1776-1783)
Dutch-Jersey farmer who fought at the Battle of Monmouth with Captain Abraham Vroom's company, defending the soil his family had worked for generations.
Read his storyJoseph R. Rhoads
1745-1799
Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania Militia (1777-1782)
Frontier militiaman defending the western line against raids from Fort Niagara and native allies of the Crown.
Read his storyMichael Blue
SAR #284171751-1787
New Jersey
Somerset County, New Jersey Militia (1776-1780)
Dutch-Jersey farmer who served alongside William Van Dyck, including at the Battle of Monmouth.
Read his storyCaptain Laboyteaux
1737-1813
New York
2nd New York Regiment, Continental Line (1776-1779)
Continental Army captain who commanded a company during the defense of Manhattan and Hudson forts.
Read his storyJames Peck
SAR #168121742-1780
Connecticut
Connecticut Militia (1776-1779)
Farmer-soldier defending Long Island Sound, responding to the Danbury Raid and Tryon's coastal raids.
Read his storyJohn Mosley Montgomery
SAR #343601755-1825
Southern Colonies
Southern Militia (State TBD)
Southern Department service, possibly at Yorktown or in the Carolinas campaigns.
Read his storyJeremiah Webb
SAR #194181748-1830
Connecticut & New York
Connecticut & New York Militia (1776-1781)
Served in Fairfield County then moved to upstate New York, defending Schoharie Valley settlements.
Read his storyEphraim Hall Jr.
SAR #356091741-1821
Massachusetts
Middlesex County Militia, Dracut MA (1775-1777)
Answered the Lexington-Concord alarm, served in the Siege of Boston, likely at Bunker Hill.
Read his storyCaptain Jesse Wilson
SAR #356081739-1810
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Militia (1777-1778)
Commanded a Hillsborough County company under General John Stark at the Battle of Bennington.
Read his storySons of the American Revolution Recognition
Seven of these nine patriots have been formally recognized by the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), the nation's premier patriotic lineage society. SAR membership requires verified documentation of direct descent from a proven Revolutionary War patriot who provided military, civil, or material support to the cause of American independence.
Verified SAR Patriots: William Van Dyck (Iowa Society #171, via Benjamin Franklin Van Dyke), Michael Blue (#28417), James Peck (#16812), John Mosley Montgomery (#34360), Jeremiah Webb (#19418), Ephraim Hall Jr. (#35609), and Captain Jesse Wilson (#35608). Research continues on Joseph R. Rhoads and Captain Laboyteaux to secure their formal SAR recognition.
More to Discover
Ongoing research continues to uncover additional details about each patriot's service. Pennsylvania Archives Series V & VI may yield muster records for Joseph R. Rhoads, while Southern Department research may clarify John Mosley Montgomery's specific regiment and battles.
If you have additional information about any of these patriots or their families, particularly documentation that could support SAR applications, please reach out through the contact information in the site footer.