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From: <>
Subject: Micah and Hannah (Cobb) Whitney
Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 5:05:58 -0500


Thanks for the History of Gorham reference. I'm well familiar with it,
and unfortunately find not much of value in it. The listing of the
children of Micah and Hannah in this history does not convince me that
they were all born in Gorham, especially since I know that Benjamin was
born in Gray, ME. The Gorham vital records contain a record of the births
of only the first six children, and a complete registration of the whole
family was never made in Gorham, as it was in Phillips, ME.

While Micah served in the Revolutionary War, I can find no evidence that
he ever served in the War of 1812. By the year 1812, Micah would have
been 60 years old, a fairly advanced age for a soldier, but not out of
the realm of possibility. A more convincing fact is that in his sworn
deposition documenting his military service that accompanied his
application for a military pension, no mention is made of service in the
War of 1812. The pension application is dated April 22, 1818. I believe
that he would have received a larger pension if he also documented
serving in the War of 1812, so I see no reason to omit this service from
his testimony. I can't find a record of a Micah Whitney on the rolls in
the War of 1812, but there may have been. I just don't believe it was our
Micah.

As to the deaths of Micah and Hannah Whitney, McLellan has them
incorrectly listed also. Both Micah and Hannah Cobb Whitney died in
Phillips, ME. He died 4 Sept 1832, and she died
5 Dec 1833. They are buried in unmarked, but I believe identifiable,
graves on the banks of the Sandy River near Phillips, opposite what was
once known as the Rufus Bean Farm. They lived there with their son,
Benjamin Morse Whitney.

Which returns me to the five children of unknown birthplace. Otisfield,
or somewhere nearby, just seems to me to fit, but I may never prove it.
It is known that Micah worked on the road in Otisfield in 1779, and
actually lived on a piece of land he owned there for a short period of
time in 1782. However, he returned to Gorham before the birth of his son,
William, in 1783. Where they lived between 1791 when Ebenezer was born in
Gorham, and 1806 when Benjamin was born in Gray, I do not know, but sure
would like to learn.

Ken Whitney
Silver Spring, MD

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