David Pulsipher

07 May 1708 - 17 June 1775

Came to Rockingham, Windham, Vt. in 1766 with his wife and, Elizabeth (Stowell) and five children (prob. dau. Mary was already married at the time.  He settled opposite South Charlestown, N.H.  Town and church meetings were sometimes held in his home.  He, with Ebenezer Pulsipher, were among the first nineteen members of the First Church of Rockingham organized 27 Oct. 1773, Rev. Samuel Whiting, pastor. 

On 21 Apr. 1775, David and his son John (bn 1749) joined a band of Patriots gathering on both sides of the Connecticut River and were assigned to Capt. John Marcy's Co. in Col. James Reed's reg't. which took an active part in the Battle of Bunker Hill.  "In the memorable Battle of Bunker Hill, 17 Jun. 1775, there stood David and John side by side and fought about 13 Americans against 3000 of the British for about two hours. When the enemy, after firing Charleston and wending around under the smoke, had nearly surrounded that wing of their own army, when they say but a small gap to retreat through which was then continually plowing the ground with balls from the shipping.  But while they were going out, David Pulsipher saw one of our men wounded and crawling on his hands and knees.  In the meantime a British soldier ran him through with a bayonet, being filled with indignation at such rank breach of the laws of all civilized nations he, (John) immediately stopped, amid scenes of death and carnage, loaded his gun and shot that man down before he left the ground and then obtained a safe retreat.  In a few weeks after this David died with cramp rheumatism in his breast, (no doubt heart failure).