Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780): Documenting His French and Indian War Service in Maryland

Or, Subtitled: “I Robert Lineard now Soldier in Captain Dagurthey’s Company”

In this posting, I want to take a closer look at the documented history of Robert Leonard’s military service in Frederick County, Maryland, in the 1750s. We have a document placing him with Captain John Dagworthy at Fort Cumberland by February 1755, and after the construction of Fort Frederick in 1756-7, documents showing him serving there with Captain Alexander Beall, Dagworthy’s commander at that fort, up to November 1758. The document which tells us that Robert was serving under Dagworthy in February 1755 is an 8 February 1755 indenture that Robert made with a Frederick County farmer to whom he apprenticed his son William.[1] This indenture document gives the farmer’s name variously as Robert Byard, William Byard, or Robert Bowie. It states that Robert Leonard was a “Soldier in Captain Dagurthey’s Company” when he indentured his son on 8 February 1755. (To read the continuation of this posting, please click the numeral 2 below.)


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