The American Revolutionary War was a turning point in world history. It was the early beginning of one empire destined for greatness, and a reckoning of sorts for the most powerful nation of the day. It is viewed by some as the first American Civil war. Brother against brother, father against son.

Great Britain had just finished a hotly contested war with the French and Indians for the bragging rights to North America. To the victor go the spoils but also the expense of waging war. The mother country felt it necessary to impose taxes to pay for the services of protecting loyal settlers and expanding his majesty's royal domain. To a minority of the people of the 15 British Colonies* this did not sit well and from 1775 until 1783 the revolt of the American Colonies would separate Loyalist from Rebel. (* - Nova Scotia, which included New Brunswick, and Canada modern day Quebec and Ontario were British Colonies along with the thirteen which separated.)

The war had been raging for over a year when we first see our ancestor. On a muster roll for Capt. James Holden of the Prince of Wales American Regiment (PWAR) dated November 11, 1777 we find a young private by the name of Jn. Cuffman. This was several months after the PWAR had lead a successful raid on a Rebel stronghold in Danbury, Connecticut, and the Corps received much praise for its accomplishments. By this time though, the regiment had settled into the mundane task of garrison duty, and away from the glory of battle many soldiers would end up deserting.

Prior to November 11, 1777 there is no indication where John Coffman was or where he came from. Perhaps he joined this regiment in the hopes of receiving land for his services. The commanding officer of the battalion, Montfort Browne, owned large quantities of land along the Mississippi and promised recruits a bounty for services rendered to the Crown. Risking one's life for a chance of owning land was a small price to pay for an opportunity at self sufficiency.

From November of 1777 to March 1780 John Cuffman would be mustered a total of 5 times. During this time he was on guard or piquet at several different locations on Long Island, New York, including Camp Kingsbridge, Lloyd's Neck, and Flushing Fly. It is also possible he may have served in the defence of Newport, Rhode Island, were he may of also met his lifelong friend Karl Foerster A.K.A. Charles Foster. This has not been proven but is a working theory of mine due to the coincidence that Foster's Hessian (German) regiment was involved in this area at the same time the PWAR was also there.

This early part of the Revolution was served in relative obscurity for John Coffman. Other than his commanding officer, James Holden, dying in 1778 and being replaced by Stephen Holland a Loyalist from New Hampshire, nothing spectacular happened. This was about to change. The British Command shifted their concentration from the war in the north to the war in the southern colonies.

In the spring of 1780 John Coffman would have many changes take place. He was transferred from Stephen Holland's company to the Light Infantry Company of Captain Daniel Lyman. The following quote is from The On-Line Institute of Advanced Loyalist Studies Glossary (Please see Links for the web address)"Lightly uniformed and accoutred soldiers trained for skirmishing and rapid movement. Each British regiment had one company of such men. Many but not all Provincial and some Militia regiments had Light Infantry Companies. The soldiers typically had a distinctive uniform consisting of a short coat, a cap in lieu of a hat, wings, tin cartridge boxes, shot bags and powder horns." This was only the beginning; John's entire regiment was transferred from the relatively safe confines of garrison duty to the front lines of the war in the south. The PWAR landed in Charleston, South Carolina, in April of 1780 and all hell was about to break loose.

The regiment marched from the coast at Charleston overland to Camden, SC on the Wateree River. Here they camped and built shelters to protect themselves from the intense summer's heat of a southern climate. The incredible heat must have played a large role on the health of the soldiers and their northern constitutions. After a brief stay in Camden the PWAR and other British regiments headed for Hanging Rock, where fate lied in wait.

Hanging Rock, SC was the location where the PWAR encountered its most severe fighting. As a entire regiment they did themselves proud and fought with valour and bravery. After several charges the Rebels were fought off and the British were left holding the battlefield at a steep cost to the PWAR. Over half of the regiment was killed, wounded or missing during the action and it was one of the worst losses during the war for Loyalist troops. John Coffman was no doubt involved and was one of the lucky ones to come out alive. Many of his friends and comrades had probably dropped by his side as he fought for his King, his beliefs, and most importantly his LIFE.

As a independent fighting unit the PWAR was done after Hanging Rock. Their numbers were decimated and the PWAR was parceled out to several other British regiments. In January of 1781 Private John Caufman was attached to the Light Infantry Company under the command of Lt. Col. Banastre Tareleton. I have read no better description than the following from Todd W. Braisted of The On-line Loyalist Institute:

"After an exhausting march through the country, TARLETON ordered his infantry immediately to form a line of battle and attack the Continental and militia forces under General Daniel Morgan, waiting to meet him at a place called the Cowpens. The British were at first victorious but eventually were beaten back and routed.

Roderick MACKENZIE, an officer of the 71st present in the battle, attributed the loss to the extreme fatigue of the troops, the rashness of TARLETON's attack, and a lack of coordination with the troops in reserve. MACKENZIE commented on the PWAR's participation:

"The light infantry company of the Prince of Wales's American Regiment, when but newly raised and indifferently disciplined, acquired reputation under General TRYON at Danbury; their only officer was here [at Cowpens] wounded."

Most of the infantry involved in the battle were taken prisoner, but only a few of TARLETON's cavalry."

John Cuffman was captured in this battle and would sit out the remainder of the Revolution as a prisoner of war. It is impossible to tell the hardships he faced as a POW. We know he was marched from South Carolina to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Here he would stay as a prisoner until his release in the spring of 1783 back to the British lines in New York. The final muster role dated 25th April to the 24th June 1783 for the PWAR states "John Coofman returned from captivity; no pay drawn for them since 23 February 1781." The war was over for John and the acceptance of defeat must have been a bitter pill to swallow after a hard fought effort to maintain loyalty.

New York was swelled to capacity with Loyalist Refugees with little or no hope of returning to their homes. Reports were funneling into the city of beatings and mistreatment of Loyalists by the victorious Rebels. The British had negotiated in good faith with the Continental Congress to preserve the property and rights of the Loyalists after the war but it was all for naught as the people of the new-found republic would not accept the loyal subjects back within their communities.

All that was left to do was to remove the thousands of Loyalists to England, the Caribbean, and remote and largely uninhabited parts of British North America. I would like to quote Ester Clark Wright's book The Loyalists of New Brunswick to emphasise the plight of the Loyalists and their leaders. Page 67,"Sir Guy Carleton's task was completed. It says much for his identification of himself with his country that he showed dejection on the occasion of the handing over of New York: he could have been pardoned for showing relief that the sorry business of clearing up the messes made by others was over. He had long since asked, and been refused, permission to return home. Now he could go. With everything against him, the situation, the temper of the times, the administrative awkwardness of the age he had brought to a remarkably successful conclusion the first important evacuation of political refugees in modern times."

At the end of September 1783 John Coffman boarded either the Montagu or the Elizabeth and headed for the River St. John in the Province of Nova Scotia. The fighting was over and he could look forward to carving out an existence under the King he fought to preserve. His regiment was disbanded in October of 1783 at Saint John and a new part of his life was just opening up in front of him. Soldier, Prisoner of War, Loyalist, Hero. A new Province of the British empire would have to be chopped out of shear wilderness. John would be part of this effort.
 

Undoubtedly many cowards and men of unscrupulous nature turned their backs on the British after peace was negotiated. Many men probably begged for forgiveness from the victorious Rebels and many more had forsaken their King in hopes of life unchanged. This was not the case for the United Empire Loyalists. Their lives would be filled with hardship and uncertainty, all on account of standing by the principles they fought to maintain.

The Loyalists' arrival in Saint John was a time of great confusion. The British authorities realized there were thousands of people to relocate but the numbers were overwhelming. The authorities of the day had their hands filled to capacity with the welfare of the loyal subjects.

John Coffman arrived in Saint John with the fall fleet of ships early in October of 1783. Most of the Provincial soldiers were expected to head up the St. John River where land grants would be laid out in blocks for the different regiments. The first winter John spent in this new land would have been harsh to say the least and most certainly left an impression he would never forget. The following quote illustrates the hardships the Loyalists suffered the first years after arriving. This quote is from The First History of New Brunswick by Peter Fisher. It is the recollection of Mary Fisher from page 126 - 127:

When we got to Saint John we found the place all in confusion; some were living in log houses, some building huts, and many of the soldiers living in their tents at the Lower Cove. Soon after we landed we joined a party bound up the river in a schooner for St. Ann's [modern day Fredericton]. It was eight days before we got to Oromocto. There the Captain put us ashore being unwilling on account of the lateness of the season, or for some other reason, to go further. He charged us each four dollars for the passage. We spent the night on shore and the next day the women and children proceeded in Indian canoes to St. Ann's with some of the party; the rest came on foot.

We reached or destination on the 8th day of October, tired out with our long journey, and pitched our tents at the place now called Salamanca, near the shore. The next day we explored for a place to encamp, for the winter was near and we had no time to lose.

The season was wet and cold, and we were much discouraged at the gloomy prospect before us. Those who had arrived a little earlier had made better preparations for the winter; some had built small log huts. This we could not do because of the lateness of our arrival. Snow fell on the 2nd day of November to the depth of six inches. We pitched our tents in the shelter of the woods and tried to cover them with spruce boughs. We used stones for fireplaces. Our tent had no floor but the ground. The winter was very cold, with deep snow, which we tried to keep from drifting in by putting a large rug at the door. The snow, which lay six feet around us, helped greatly in keeping out the cold. How we lived through that awful winter I hardly know. There were mothers, that had been reared in a pleasant country enjoying al the comforts of life, with helpless children in their arms. They clasped their infants to their bosoms and tried by the warmth of their own bodies to protect them from the bitter cold. Sometimes a part of the family had to remain up during the night to keep the fires burning, so as to keep the rest from freezing. Some destitute people made use of boards, which the older ones kept heating before the fire and applied by turns to the smaller children to keep them warm.

Many women and children, and some of the men, died from cold and exposure. Graves were dug with axes and shovels near the spot where our party had landed, and there in stormy winter weather our loved ones were buried. We had no minister, so we had to bury them without any religious service, besides our own prayers. The first burial ground continued to be used for some years until it was nearly filled. We called it The Loyalist Provincials Burial Ground.

There is no question that many people paid for their loyalty with their lives. Life in the undeveloped northern climate of British North America was harsh to say the least. Communities, fields, and homes would have to be chopped out of the vast woods which enveloped the entire area. Most of the soldiers received quantities of land for their faithful service to the King but many problems faced the new settlers and many did not take up their grants. In The Loyalists of New Brunswick by Esther Clark Wright, she explains many of the circumstance behind the refusal to accept the grants. Some of the land was of poor quality, some soldiers wanted to be close to the new capitol in Fredericton and others found employment elsewhere other than farming.

On September 3, 1784 Daniel Lyman and 38 others were granted 13,300 acres of land in the County of Sunbury and Province of Nova Scotia, on the River Nashwaak, a branch of the River St John. It is important to note Daniel Lyman was the Captain of the Light Infantry Company of the Prince of Wales American Regiment. John Coffman received 150 acres of this land and his name is still on the Provincial land grant maps. The fact that John received 150 acres of land is a clue in itself. After comparing this land grant with the PWAR muster roles, I have concluded that John Coffman was in fact married or had a dependent when he arrived in this Province. Originally I determined that John received 150 acres of land, instead of the customary 100 acres for a Private, because he had been a Prisoner of War. This conclusion fell apart after I noticed that several other Privates which had been captured with John at the Cowpens, SC had been granted 100 acres. Another clue was a fellow soldier in the PWAR, (Titus Finch also a P.O.W) was a married man when he received his 150 acre grant.

There is no record to date that proves conclusively that John was married when he came to New Brunswick, but the extra 50 acres he received is a strong indication. The following is a portion of the Royal Instructions regarding the granting of land. It is copied from the CD "Fort Havoc" compiled by R. Wallace Hale and available at his web site listed on our links page. "That One hundred Acres of Land be granted to every person being Master or Mistress of a Family, for himself or herself, and Fifty Acres for every White and Black Man, Woman or Child, of which such Person's Family shall consist, at the actual time of making the Grant;"

It would appear that John lost his first wife or dependent between 1783 and 1792. She may be buried in the old burial ground which Mrs. Fisher referred to earlier, which is located in a patch of woods off a walking trail, close to downtown Fredericton. I have no other proof beside the land grant of 150 acres to corroborate this notion. I rest the entire weight of my conclusions on this one shred of evidence.

Although John may have received 150 acres on this grant, it appears that he never settled on the land. After an extensive search of the York County Registry Office deeds for 1785 to 1805 there is no John Coffman/Cuffman/DeMerchant who sold land. To take it one step further, I searched others listed on the grant to see if they had sold their land on the Nashwaak. Several of John's fellow soldiers did sell or buy land in this area, but John's name was not mentioned. In fact a deed to Titus Finch describes his land as a portion of the grant made to the Light Infantry Company of the Prince of Wales Regiment.

Why didn't John take his grant? On page 196 of The Loyalists of New Brunswick, Ester Clark Wright states,"At first, there was a great scramble for lots on the Nashwaak and its tributaries, but nearness to Fredericton could not compensate for the hilliness of much of the terrain." So perhaps it was not suitable for his needs or perhaps John was employed doing something different. Labour in the new colony was at a premium and perhaps he used his skills in a more lucrative business than farming. Whatever the case may be, I feel very confident in saying that John Coffman never received or at any time settled his grant lot on the Nashwaak. This theory is backed up by a land grant petition in 1805 where John DeMerchant states "they have not received any land from Government."

In the years of 1792 until 1805 John Cuffman's life would again change. He would end up marrying again, having children and make the fateful decision of changing his name from Cuffman to DeMerchant. We may never know the exact reason why he felt compelled to adopt a new name, but I have some new points to raise which are sure to lift some eyebrows.

This information is subject to international COPYRIGHT laws. Unless otherwise noted, this material is the work of Norman A. DeMerchant. It can be used with permission, contact Norm...
 

Last modified May 24, 2005.