DAR Revolutionary War Marker Memorial

Photo Caption: Joseph Dutton Anscestors (left to right: Michael McKinney, Michael Quish, Patricia McKinney, Ed Quish, Bree Berner, Hazen McKinney, Britanny Quish)

Memorial Day provides citizens the opportunity to remember those who supported our country in the armed services. Last Saturday, the local Glastonbury chapter of the Daughters of the American honored an ancestor and patriot that fought in the Revolutionary War. The Glastonbury Eunice Cobb Stocking Chapter of the DAR dedicated a DAR Marker for the Revolutionary War Service of Joseph Dutton at Scotts Swamp Cemetery in Farmington, Connecticut. Alice Ridgeway, Connecticut State DAR Regent and other officers from the Connecticut DAR participated in the ceremony. In addition to the state and local DAR members, there were seven Dutton descendents, from Connecticut, Vermont and Ohio, that participated in the marker dedication ceremony.

Joseph Dutton was a longstanding Connecticut patriot who served three terms of service in the Revolutionary War. He was a young private who served in Connecticut and also across the Hudson River in New York state. Joseph Dutton's ancestry was deeply entrenched in Connecticut from the colonial time. Life during the Revolutionary War was very difficult so the average expectancy was thirty-six during that era. Joseph Dutton lived to be an astounding seventy-five years old, more than double that of most people during the Revolution. His service to his country and his longevity enabled him to ultimately collect a pension. That, coupled with the State of Connecticut and town of Farmington records preservation, provided the evidence that was required to obtain the honor of a DAR marker. Joseph Dutton also had a son who served in the War of 1812 and a grandson who served in the Civil War.

It is unfortunate that many revolutionary soldiers were killed and unable to have descendants capable of honoring them with a DAR marker. Many more were not fortunate to be buried in a family setting with a marked grave. Joseph Dutton was blessed to survive the war and be buried in a marked grave, with other family members, in this special cemetery that has survived the test of time. In addition, his grave site in the Scotts Swamp Cemetery in Farmington benefited from the work of Charles Hale, enabling an installation of a federal marker for this and other veterans’ graves. The Revolutionary War soldiers, like Joseph Dutton, fought for the establishment of our country. All of the subsequent veterans though out the centuries have committed themselves to maintaining our democracy and all the freedom that it supports. Although Memorial Day provides a focused opportunity to remember our veterans, it is worthwhile to take a moment to honor our veterans any day of the year.

The Eunice Cobb Stocking Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution is located in Glastonbury, Connecticut and has programs that are open to the public. The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With nearly 185,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.DAR.org or connect with DAR on social media at facebook.com/TodaysDAR, twitter.com/TodaysDAR and youtube.com/TodaysDAR. If you are interested in joining a chapter, then please email StockingChapter.DAR@gmail.com.