06/28/2026
248 years ago today, poor Solomon Parsons of Massachusetts would have a no good very bad day.
(See below for Solomon's account of the Battle of Monmouth, with great thanks to Jason Wickersty.) Thanks to John I Rees for the research and post.
By the about 5 o'clock on the evening of 28 June 1778, Parson had marched about 9 miles, been shot twice, stabbed numerous times with bayonets, mugged, nearly hit by countless solid shot, and almost run over by artillery, all in oppressively sweltering heat.
That would certainly qualify as a no good very VERY bad day.
Solomon Parsons was in Captain Martin’s company, in Colonel Bigelow’s fifteenth Massachusetts regiment.
A “rod” is 5.5 yards or 16 1/2 feet
(Parson’s narrative)
“The regiment were ordered to incline to the left, to let our artillery in. They commenced to fire most vehemently. We had orders to march forward to a growth of wood a little to our left, where we soon met the enemy. The smoke gave way. I beheld the red-coats within eight rods. I was loaded with a ball and six buck-shot. I took aim about waistband-high. I loaded the second time, and made attempt to fire; but my gun did not go. I jumped into the rear, where I saw Major Porter. I told him my gun would not go off. He said, “Take care of yourself: the enemy are just upon us!’ I stepped into the front rank, and discharged my piece, the enemy within six rods. I loaded the third time. As I returned my ramrod, I found our men four rods distant, and the enemy the same. I wheeled to the left, and observed that the enemy had flanked our men which were out of the woods. I then ran out of the woods. I got ten rods, and the enemy came out of them, and fired a platoon upon me. One ball struck my heel, which much disabled me. The next platoon on the left fired on me, and broke my thigh. I then raised myself upon my right arm, and looked toward the enemy, and saw a man coming towards me.“
He was bayoneted by the British
"He came upon the run within a rod of me. I begged for quarter. He came within four feet of me. I begged for quarter. He says, “ You damned rebel, I have none for you!” He drew back, and stabbed me through the arm. I twitched back my arm and seized the bayonet, one hand by the hilt and one hand by the point, and twitched it to the ground. Then he went to twitching it, and twitched it five or six times. He twitched me off the ground, and tried to stab me with the bayonet a number of times. I defended my body. He then drawed me about fifteen feet. I then began to faint. I looked over my shoulder, and saw the flourish of a cutlas, which was by a British officer, who said, “Why ain’t you in your rank?’ I let go of the bayonet, and they went off.
They robbed him
“ I then was beset by two men. One took my piece, and said, “I will blow your brains out with your own gun!’ He snapped it at me; but, not being loaded, he run upon me like a mad bear. A man standing by says, “Let him alone : he has got enough. One cut away my canteen of rum and my time-piece. I had three days’ provision and thirty rounds of cartridges, which I had in my blanket. The cry of all was, “ Damn the rebel! why don’t you kill him?’
“ Here there came a man, and demanded my money. I told him I would not; but, if he would help me to a shade, I would give it to him. He took towards eight dollars. He took hold of my arms, and took me up on my feet; and my bones grated, and I fainted; and he laid me down in the same place. I was alarmed by a British sergeant with twelve men.
They wore green coats, which we call tories. The sergeant, a Britoner, I had some talk with. I heard some one cry, · Have you got there a rebel? Why don’t you kill him ?’
Two lighthorse-men appeared. One came towards me, and I gave myself up; but the horse, having more mercy than the man, jumped over me. The horseman struck at me, which came very near me.
“I lay in imminent danger from our artillery. The balls came every side of me: one of them came right over me. The sun was so hot, that I could not bear my hand on the ground. I covered myself with my blanket to keep off the sun. The enemy were continually passing. I asked them to help me to a shade. I happened to look out, and saw Gen. Clinton with his life-guard, with several parade-officers. The aide-de-camp rode up towards me, and says, “My lad, are you wounded?’ I told him I was: ‘I received my wounds, by balls and three bayonet-thrusts, since I fell into your hands. You give no quarter to-day.’ He says, “There is no such order.’ He says, “The men are rash. I told him, “Rash or not, this is what we get for using your men like brothers. I was at the taking of Burgoyne, where we took their whole army. I never saw one of them abused. They did not want to hear of that. They asked me the state of our army, and where they were. I told them that I had news from them every minute; that our whole park of artillery were playing upon them now, which were six and thirty pieces of artillery. They asked me how many men we had. I told them we had a numerous army. They asked what detachment I belonged to. “To Marquis Lafayette’s. They asked me what division I belonged to. I told them, 'Gen. Green’s division, and Gen. Glover’s brigade; Col. Bigelow’s regiment, and Capt. Martin’s company. They asked me what town I belonged to.
I told them, Leicester.’ They asked me where. I told them, “Leicester in the county of Worcester, in the Massachusetts Bay;’ and I was not ashamed of it.
“I lay in a deplorable situation. The sun being about an hour high, I perceived their men on the retreat. I then laid myself in the very posture of a dead man, as near as possible. Their main body marched over me; and I heard their officers say they would halt in that growth of woods, and refresh themselves. I heard another party, which was the covering party of the artillery; which marched over me. The artillery came on, which I expected would go over me. They just cleared my head. They trotted. I perceived somebody at my breast. I suppose I stirred. They asked one another whether that man was dead. He said he did not know. I heard the piece move, and I knew no more till our men passed by. I beckoned to the officer: he came with six men, and carried me to the village meeting-house.”
