Army Guard commemorates Soldier who died in 1777 during Battle of Saratoga at national cemetery today, Oct. 19

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New York National Guard Soldiers conduct a military funeral at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in September 2021.

GERALD B. H. SOLOMON SARATOGA NATIONAL CEMETERY (10/19/2022) (readMedia)-- The New York National Guard's Military Forces Honor Guard will memorialize a Revolutionary War soldier who died during the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, during a special ceremony on October 19 at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.

A nine-Soldier detail will provide full military honors -to include a firing party- during a ceremony marking the placement of a memorial marker commemorating Private Oliver Barrett, a member of the 10th Massachusetts Regiment, who died at age 51 during the Battle of Breymann Redoubt on Oct. 7, 1777.

Barrett's gravesite is unknown, but a marker commemorating his sacrifice is being planned at the cemetery thanks to his descendants.

"It doesn't matter if somebody gave up their life 245 years ago or yesterday. That's a valuable thing to remember," said Ann Washburn Lord, Barrett's fifth great-granddaughter, who organized the event with her husband Steve.

Nine other Revolutionary War Soldiers are memorialized at the cemetery, but Barrett will be the first one who fought and died at the historic battle which took place nearby.

"This is a very significant event," said Cemetery Director W. Scott Lamb. "It's a very notable service with connection to the turning point of the Revolutionary War."

WHO: Forty people, including descendants of Oliver Barrett; representatives of the 10th Massachusetts Regiment and Westford Colonial Minutemen reenactment groups; W. Scott Lamb, the director of Saratoga National Cemetery; Eric Schnitzer, Saratoga National Battlefield historian; Sons of the Revolution; and the New York Army National Guard's New York Military Forces Honor Guard.

WHAT: A ceremony commemorating the service of Oliver Barrett, a resident of Westford, Massachusetts who served as a Minuteman early in the Revolutionary War and was enlisted into Continental Army in January 1777.

The event will feature remarks, and military funeral honors provided by the New York Military Forces Honor Guard, which will feature a firing party and will take place at one of the cemetery's memorial pavilions where services are held. The Son's of the American Revolution will fire a cannon salute.

Taps will not be played since that bugle call which has come to be used at military funerals was not written until the Civil War.

The marker is in place in Memorial Section 1. This area is reserved for families who wish to honor a veteran when there are no remains.

WHEN: 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022

WHERE: Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, 200 Duell Rd, Schuylerville, NY 12871

Coverage opportunities:

Reporters can interview Ann Washburn Lord, and her husband Steven, and their children, who worked to obtain the memorial stone, and the event speakers. Visual opportunities include the military funeral honors to include firing party salute and flag folding. A cannon salute will also be conducted.

BACKGROUND:

Pvt. Oliver Barrett

Oliver Barrett was born January 9, 1726 in Chelmsford, Mass. He was a cooper by trade. In 1754 he married Anna Fiske of Lexington, Mass., and together they had seven children.

By 1770 they had moved to Westford, and it is there that Oliver joined his fellow townsmen as a Minuteman and marched to Lexington for the Lexington Alarm on April 19,1775. He served as a member of Capt. Timothy Underwood's company in Col. William Prescott's regiment.

On January 2, 1777, he joined the Continental Line as a private in Capt. Phillip Thomas' Company in the 10th Massachusetts Regiment, commanded by Col. Thomas Marshall. As a member of the 10th Massachusetts, he participated in the Battle of Saratoga where he was killed in action at Breymann Redoubt on Oct. 7, 1777.

The site was the farthest defense of British positions during the second battle at Saratoga. Defended by about 300 men under the command of the Hessian Heinrich von Breymann, the position was attacked and captured late in the day, with Breymann killed in its defense.

The capture of the Breymann Redoubt marked the final defeat of the British effort to capture Albany, secure the Hudson River valley to New York City and choke off the rebellion in New England.

The success at Saratoga is widely considered the turning point of the American Revolutionary War.

He was most likely buried on the battlefield near where he fell. Being a private, he would not have had a headstone.

He was 51 years old when he was killed and his youngest child, Bethiah was less than three.

His wife and family were left with many debts. Despite this, the story of his dedication to and sacrifice for his country made a lasting impression on his family through the generations.

His great grandson, William Barrett Washburn, followed his dedication to service as a U.S. Congressman from the State of Massachusetts from 1863- 1871 under Presidents Lincoln, Johnson and Grant.

He left the House of Representatives when he was elected Governor of Massachusetts in 1871 and, in 1874, he was elected to the U.S. Senate to fulfill the term of the late Hon. Charles Sumner. Thus, Oliver Barrett's legacy was a lasting one.

Ann and Steve Lord

Ann and Steve Lord, residents of Peterborough, New Hampshire, have both had a long interest in history and the history of their New England families. They have been researching the histories of ancestors who fought to defend this country and came across the story of Private Oliver Barrett, the great-grandfather five times of Ann.

After learning his history, they visited Saratoga National Historical Park in May of this year, to see the place where Oliver Barrett fought. They also visited the national cemetery and learned of the opportunity to place a memorial marker there from cemetery director W. Scott Lamb.

The Lords spent about 100 hours doing the necessary research to document Oliver Barrett's service and order a marker from the Veterans Administration, as well as organize the October 19 ceremony.

Since Oliver Barrett's remains are still on the battlefield where he fought, it seemed appropriate to allow him to rest there, but to commemorate his service, according to the Lords.

"Being interested in history for much of our lives, we feel that it is important that future generations know where we, as a country, have come from, so that they, thoughtfully, can decide where it is best for us to go," according to the Lords.

"We feel good about honoring Oliver Barrett, knowing that what we have done reaffirms the good intentions of our ancestors and, hopefully, inspires the next generation," the Lords wrote in a statement.

The Lords said they originally assumed it would just be family members attending the event. But Lamb suggested they ask the New York National Guard to provide an honor guard, and as they reached out to more people for information on Oliver Barrett, they found more people interested in being part of the event.

New York National Guard Funeral Honors

New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen provided military funeral services for more than 10,353 families in 2021.

The New York Army National Guard conducted 8,235 military funerals in 2021.

The New York Air National Guard's honor guard teams conducted 2,118 services in 2021.

A 2000 federal law mandates that former members of the U.S. military who served on active duty or in the reserves and were not dishonorably discharged are eligible for a military funeral.

At a minimum, these honors are provided by a two-person team that plays taps with a bugle and folds and presents an American flag to the family.

Retired military personnel and those who passed away while on active duty are entitled to honors that involve upwards of nine personnel and can include a rifle firing party and pallbearers.

Military funeral honors are requested through the funeral home that handles arrangements for a family.

There are 40 Soldiers assigned to the funeral honors mission full-time. Another 59 Soldiers are available part-time to provide funeral honors.

Twenty-five Airmen work full time as funeral honors coordinators or team members, with 87 more Airmen available part time.