Sylvanus Wood was one of the militia men who stood at Lexington. Like many, he wore civilian clothing to the action. He recalled Capt. John Parker saying, “Every man of you who is equipped, follow me.” Later that day, Wood became the first American to capture a British soldier.

Anna Maria Lane, one of the few women known to fight in the war, was wounded at Germantown. Virginia later granted her a pension, honoring her “extraordinary military service” in “the garb, and with the courage of a soldier.”

In 1776, John Lane joined the Continental Army, followed by his wife, Anna. Wounded at White Plains, he later fought with Anna at Germantown and served at the Siege of Savannah. He spent his final years in Richmond, Virginia.

At 16, Cato Varnum, an enslaved man owned by William Vernon, enlisted in the 1st Rhode Island Regiment in 1778. He earned his freedom through service and adopted the name of his commander. For his bravery at Yorktown, he received the Badge of Military Merit.

Daniel Nimham was the last sachem (chief) of the Wappinger People. At the age of 49 he joined the Patriots and became captain of a company that recruited other Stockbridge Indians into the Army. They served as scouts and sharpshooters. At the Battle of Kingsbridge, sixteen Stockbridge Indians were killed, including Daniel and his son, Abraham.

John Laurens, from a wealthy South Carolina family, served on Washington’s staff and was wounded in battle. A slave owner’s son, he championed freeing enslaved men in exchange for military service—a plan praised by Washington, Lafayette, and Hamilton, though ultimately rejected.

William Seymour fought in every major battle of the Southern Theater. His journal describes how they marched hundreds of miles across the country, even detailing how many Soldiers went barefoot. He noted they suffered “with the greatest patience imaginable.”