Samuel Iles

Samuel Iles (or Iless, 1745-1842), Originally from near Bristol, England became a sailor at 16 years old. He sailed to Baltimore, Maryland at 18 years old. He remained in Maryland and enlisted there for nine months service in 1777 (when he was about 32 years old). He fought in the Battle of Germantown, and then reenlisted for the remainder of three years in the 4th Maryland Regiment. He took part in the storming of Stony Point in 1779. Samuel claimed to have received a discharge in 1780. He then worked as a waterman (boat pilot). In 1781, he ferried flour to the army besieging Yorktown. After the war, he lived for some time living in Virginia, Delaware, Kentucky, and eventually Indiana. In 1832, he applied for a pension for his service. This application was rejected because he seemed to have deserted (possibly more than once) in 1780, rather than being discharged or furloughed. Samuel signed his application with a mark (“x”), implying he was not able to write his name.