A little late for sharing on this site, but a couple of weeks ago I had given a talk on Moses Tryon during the Revolutionary War.  Perhaps about 20 people in attendance.  I like to think that my talk was well received.  I did give a warning that I might pop a couple of bubbles of preconceived notions regarding Moses, mostly due to Stile’s History of Ancient Wethersfield relating about half of the information about Moses to be incorrect in light of subsequent research.  Not sure that I convinced one or two there, but the questions were good.  Early on in becoming a historical researcher, I was told that this is something of a “blood sport”, and that some people hold their conclusions very dear, eager to discredit anything new unless they themselves uncovered it.

What I do is essentially a “deep dive” into my topics; I know that each time I look for something, what I find may completely change my most recent conclusions.  It can be disturbing, but it is also thrilling!

Previously owned by the late William Gemmell, an acquaintance of mine and fellow researcher, this creamware pitcher featuring the 1799 USS CONNECTICUT has now come into my possession. I am elated!

William showed me that this is a generic transfer image used on British pottery to represent a smaller warship such as a sloop-of-war.  We therefore know that this isn’t an actual image painted of the USS Connecticut, but since this pitcher was made, it has been the default representation, even used by the New York Times in 1904 in a history of the Public vessels named “Connecticut”.  It is without doubt meant to represent THIS Connecticut when the pitcher was made, regardless.  However, it also was intentionally used to represent other smaller US warships of the time (IE: not as large as the Constitution).

Nathan is going through a reading and editing process.  While that is being done, I have opened up the file on Silas Butler.  Currently, it’s just the framework for the book, so there will be some slogging at getting a good narrative together.  But there’s a lot of data to sift through, as well.  I hope to get Nathan uploaded in the next month or so and then devote all of my research time on Silas.

13 July 2025 – Well, having been tripped off track by running the CT Sea Music Festival, and my side quest of the Gregory watch, I am trying to redirect myself to wrapping up the Nathan biography.  I have asked someone to help with pinning down a particular site in Norwich, and I need to polish up the opening and the index.  This is only touching base for those of you who are following.  I really hope to get this done and uploaded in the next month or two.

Rick Gildersleeve is a descendant of Philip Gildersleeve – the man who was the subcontractor/foreman for the building of the USS Connecticut.  On the evening of 16 June, Rick will be giving a presentation for the Portland, CT Historical Society regarding the family shipyard.  This will touch on some fascinating local history and I think should not be missed.  Rick may even touch upon the Connecticut.

<<The Gildersleeve Shipyard
Friends of Portland Library and the Portland Historical Society present “The Gildersleeve Shipyard” by Rick Gildersleeve, Tuesday, June 16th at 7 p.m., in the Mary Flood Room, Portland Library, 20 Freestone Avenue, Portland CT. The presentation will cover the entire life of the Gildersleeve Shipyard including an extensively illustrated discussion of the development of shipbuilding on the Connecticut River through the “Golden Era” of the 18th and 19t…h centuries; related Gildersleeve businesses such as the store and lumber acquisition and the history of the ship The USS Cayuga by RG Skerrett (c 1900) shown below which was built in the Gildersleeve Shipyard and played a critical role in the Civil War. Come join us for this fascinating look at a pillar industry in the development of Portland, CT and the Connecticut River. Door prizes, from Gotta’s Farm will be given away at the end of the program. This is a free event. Registration is suggested but not required. To register, go to portlandlibraryct.org and click on the library calendar or call 860-342-6770.>>

The USS Cayuga by RG Skerrett (c 1900) shown below which was built in the Gildersleeve Shipyard and played a critical role in the Civil War.

Real life has a way of tearing you from the things you love most to do, which is a partial explanation of why this overall project has been taking so long.  However, recent inquiries into Owen Tudor, Louis Manierre, and Capt. Tryon have brought me back on track when two jobs and other obligations allow.  Not least of which is the nagging misinformation from the late 19th century which has caused great confusion regarding Moses and his family line – No, Moses was not in the Barbary Wars.  No, Moses Jr. did not marry an Ann Tryeon or any other variant spelling of the name, nor was she his child by another – that was his half-sister and the misconception there is a result of the 1890’s mis-transcription of Nancy/Ann’s gravestone by E S Tillotson – so for all of you claiming descendancy from this fictional union on your Ancestry.com charts, I bring you bad news…

On the other hand, the biography of Capt. Tryon is back on track, undergoing that second re-write in which I am inserting some relevant information of the era to explain what and why for Moses’ activities.  The genealogical data for several generations is essentially complete, which will comprise the second section of the book.

I have also been reviewing my data on Seth Overton – the contractor for the building of the ship Connecticut, and of Silas Butler – the purser of the vessel and later the purser for the Navy Yard in Brooklyn, NY.  I’ll be adding some general data to this site regarding them, and assembling bios for them that may or not become books in their own right.

Please continue to contact me should you have thoughts or questions, and if you are a descendant of any of these men, please DO contact me!

As with a few other sites that I manage, the subscriber option has not worked the way it was intended.  Additionally, there are many who have subscribed only to hammer away at the site to see if they might break in and spam the whole thing to death.  That said, I regret that I must shut down the subscriber option for now.  If you wish to receive updates you can contact me directly and I will put your e-mail address on a secret list and blind-courtesy-copy you each time something new happens.  I apologize for any inconvenience.

So recently I was permitted to volunteer aboard the gaff-rigged schooner Mary E as she sails out of Essex, CT.  Periodically Captain Dan sends me a text and off I go after my day job is done; the crew have been very patient and gracious with me as I try to gain some first-hand experience of what being a ship hand sailing the CT must have been like.  While I juggle other projects and aspect of life, slowing down the writing process for this book, things like being something of an honourary crewmember really helps to bring my mind back to the big project!  The crew are also inspirational, teaching me things about the culture of the river that I simply had no way of knowing otherwise.  I find myself to be deeply grateful to them all, captain and crew.

I have posted a bit more about some of the crewmembers, prompted by a realization that I am overwhelmed with the various plans for the greater project and it is necessary to get some of the information out.  Genealogical requests prod me towards this!  I hope that what I post is of some help in these cases.  PLEASE contact me to open conversation about these men, especially if you are copying the information I have posted! Just “leave a reply”.