David RICE

                   Vital Records of Willington, Connecticut; Cambridge , New York and Ft. Ann,
       Washington County, New York
Federal and state censuses for Washington Co., NY 1850-1875
Washington Co. cemeteries
Cambridge and Ft. Ann cemeteries
DAR Lineages
Will of Mary (Boyce) Rice at Ft. Ann Bk 7, p. 199-202, 2 Oct 1862
Letters by David Rice, b. 1780 (states "My mother was Eunice Cowan.")
Genealogical History of the Rice Family, printed 1858

The following letters were written by David Rice, b. 1820 to his niece, Cora Messier Reynolds:

West Troy, NY  Nov. 11, 1893

My Very Dear Niece,
       Your very dear letter of the 8th is received and contents noted.  The Rice family has a grand Revolutionary Record.  One of the best in America.  In 1846 I spent a week at My Father's house with a great uncle, Oliver Rice, who lived at or near Johnstown, Fulton or Montgomery Co., and who was one of several bros. who were all in the Revolutionary War.
       My grandfather (David Rice, b. 1752) was one of them. He, my Grandfather, was only in one battle, that was the battle of Bennington under Gen. Stark.  My Grandfather was enrolled as a Minute Man and left on the farm while his father (David Rice who married Lydia) and his 6 bros. (Amos, Stephen, Solomon, Jonathan, Oliver and ?) were all in the Army.  But my Grandfather was only called into service when Burgoyne started on his trip from Canada thru NY.
       My Great-grandfather was a soldier in the old French and Indian War, and he was in the Battle of Bunker Hill and was soon after transferred to General Washington's army south of New England.  He was one of the army that crossed the Delaware at Trenton.
       My great uncle, Oliver and one or two of his bros. were in the Battle of Stillwater under Gates.  My great uncle Oliver gave me a list of the battles he was in, and also the battles my great-grandfather was engaged in, but I have lost the memoranda I took of his and his brother's military career.
       My great-grandfather was an officer, but what grade I disremember.
       My great uncle, Oliver Rice was a promnent business man 60 or 70 years ago and a woolen manufacturer at or near Johnstown.  He lived to be nearly 100 years and was blind for a number of years and I read a list of the last 20 survivors of the Rev. Army and he was one of the number.
       It must be 53 years since I read the above report of the last survivors.  He had with him all my Father's gold medals awarded him for deeds of honor while a military man.  He also was highly respected as a citizen and business man.
       My grandmother on my mother's side had brothers in the Army.  Their names were Cowen.  Cowen of Cowen's Law Reports was a relative of my mother.  Her grandfather, James Cowen lived in Cambridge, Wash. Co., NY.  When General Baum with a detachment of Burgoyne's army passed thru Cambridge, my great-grandfather, James Cowen had loaded his most valuable goods into his wagon and the team stood at the door while the family had prepared dinner, but before they sat down to dinner a courier came in great haste, notifying them General Baum's army was close at hand & they left their dinner and fled out of the track of the enemy and General Baum and his officers eat the dinner that was prepared for the family.
       These are the principal events of the Revolution.  I hope the above will be of service to you for you are a great-great-great granddaughter of the Revolution.  You will please excuse mistakes as I am not a historian.  My health has been poor for the past few months with dyspepsia and I have lost 30 lbs. in flesh.  Please remember me to all of your sisters and your mother, also to Mr. Reynolds.

                                                       Your affectionate Uncle,
                                                                 D. Rice

My grandson has an old bureau or desk that was my great-grandfather's handed down to my grandfather, my father, myself, my son, and now my grandson has it.  It is a nice piece of furniture.  Your mother will remember Father's desk.  He has seen it often full of money.  Banks were scarce in those days.

                                    ************************************

West Troy, Dec. 10, 1893

My very dear niece Cora A. Reynolds:

       In answer to your letter of Nov. 18th, asking for further information about the Rice Family, I have been looking uo the family record in the Genealogical Hist. of the Rie fam. printed in 1858.  I find Deacon Edmund Rice came to this country in 1638 from Berkhamstead, Eng. and settled in Sudbury, Mass in 1638 or 1639.
       There was a Rice family living 3 or 4 doors from where Norm lived when he and Mary commenced keeping house who had the book above mentioned & loaned it to me.  I think he is dead.  Ask Norm.  Perhaps you can get it or buy it.  Try and write me.  The book is quite valuable now.  The book don't bring our branch of the family down.  Nor I cannot tell which one of Edmund's sons was my immediate predecessor for there is a hitch I cannot straighten out.
       My great-great grandfather must have lived in Mass. at the outbreak of the Rev. as he was in the Battle of Bunker Hill & I think he must have moved to Wash. Co., NY soon after for I find that my grandfather, David Rice (b. 1752) was there when Burgoyne came thru from Canada and he was called out and was in the Battle of Bennington, Vt. under Stark.
       Had I felt well enough after receiving your letter I would have went to Johnson, Fulton Co., and tried to have found some of Oliver Rice's descendants.  He left 1 son who has since died.  He may have left other children.  I don't remember.
       My grandfather, David was killed in Cambridge, Wash. Co., 1814 by lightning.  My father (David Rice b. 1780) settled his estate.  He was quite well off for those days.  He left 9 children and my grandmother.  I think he was some over 50 years.  I find an inventory of his personal property.  He owned a number of farms I judge by deeds I find in his name.  I find deeds given to my father for all the real estate and release of all his brothers and sisters in the personal property.
       My father had 2 bros. and 6 sisters.  My father I think was the oldest.  My father was drafted in the War of 1812 and was near Burlington at the time of the Battle of Plattsburg & the battle on Lake Champlain were fought.  He told me he heard the guns very plain.  He reached Burlington the same evening after the battle was fought and went on board the British fleet taken by Commodore McDonald the next morning before the vessels were cleaned up and he often told me it was a terrible sight.  He said the vessels were covered with blood and brains.
       My father was born May 19, 1780, was md. to Mary Boyce, daughter of Peter Boyce, May 19th, 1801.  You will see that it was his 21st birthday.  My mother was b. in Feb. 1782 or 83.  they had 13 children.  Three were dead before my father died.  Julia died with croup.
       Abram and Samuel ** froze to death in a great blizzard Nov. 12, 1820, aged 16 and 18 years, when I was 6 months old.  They were on the East Mountain a hunting and died trying to get home in the greatest snowstorm ever known so early in the fall.  They were within a mile of home when they gave out.  There was another man older with them.  He got home by following his dog and was so exhausted he could not tell for a long time where he left . . . .my brothers.
       The whole neighborhood turned out and they found one of them before he was quite dead but he died before they reached home with him and they found the other the next day.
       My great-grandfather David Rice lived some time at my father's.  I have heard my father often say that he would go into the fields with him after he was 90 years old and take a hoe or scythe and work for a short time as resolutely as a young man.  He says he would sit for hours and tell of the battles he had passed thru both in the old French & Indian was and also in the Revolution.  He was in a great many battles.  He died at my father's house.
       I don't think of anything more to say and I have no doubt I have said a great many things that is not interesting to you but don't burn it up for if you don't want these letters send them to David S. Rice, Canton.  They will do to keep in the family of Rices.  Love to all.
                                                    Your Uncle,
                                                       David Rice

My father left over $40,000 at his death.

** Note: there is an error in the death date of his brothers who froze to death.  their gravestone states May 2, 1820 and that is the was it has been told in this section.  and that their bodies were found under a ledge on East Mountain locked in each other's arms.    Kay Stiles