Seth Burgess was born May 31, 1745 in Canterbury, Windham, Connecticut.  He died January 24, 1814 in Sempronius, Cayuga, New York. He was buried in the Kellogsville Cemetery in Sempronius in February 1814. He married Selinda Olive Cady about 1767. She was born November 16, 1748 in Windham County, Connecticut. She died August 20, 1837 in Sempronius, Cayuga, New York.

Seth Burgess served in the Revolutionary War from Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The early history of Berkshire County parallels the history of the Revolution. In its earliest days there were stirrings of rebellion and the residents of Berkshire were very involved. In 1777 it was voted that in order to encourage enlistment in the Continental Army, a bounty of $10 would be assessed to anyone refusing to serve. Later, in August 1777, it was voted that if any one drafted to serve should refuse to march or to get a substitute, he would be fined $40. This money was to help pay the soldiers. Seth Burgess apparently took the option to serve in the Army.

According to the application made by Jonathan Burgess for a Pension for his father’s service (Pension File # W 16875), Seth was living in the town of Dalton (now called Hinsdale), Berkshire County when the war began. He served as a Lieutenant until the end of the war. He was at the Battle of Bunker Hill and Stillwater at the taking of Burgoyne. He was with Gen. Sullivan through the Northern Country. Official records indicated that he was a Lieutenant in the Company commanded by Captain Heeler of the Reg. Commanded by Col. Simond in the Massachusetts line for 12 months 16 days. “Seth Burgess is born upon a payroll of Capt David Wheeler’s Company in Col. Benjamin Simond’s Reg. For service at Ticonderoga as a Lieutenant from Dec. 16, 1776 to March 22, 1777, 97 days. Said roll was sworn to in Berkshire County September 8, 1777. Upon a payroll of Capt Peter Porter’s Company in Col. John Brown’s Reg of militia from the County of Berkshire as a Lieutenant from September 22 to October 8, 1777 16 days. Upon a payroll of Capt Enoch Noble’s Company in Col. Ezra Wood’s Regt. as a Lieutenant from May 20, 1778 to February 7, 1779 8 months & 23 days. Said roll was sworn to in Berkshire County May 15, 1777. And the above is all the evidence of service which can be identified as that of the individual described in the annexed application.”

While Seth was away serving in the Revolutionary war, his wife Olive was alone with small children for months at a time. There was a family record, probably taken from a Bible, in the Revolutionary War Pension File. It listed the family:

After the War, Seth moved his family from Massachusetts to Stillwater, Saratoga County, New York where he had served.

(This information was taken from The Joseph Eggleston Family: Seven Generations from Joseph (d. 1767) of Stonington, Connecticut to Joseph (1885-1965) of Utah & Wyoming, Including Maternal Lines: Hill, Burgess, Titus, Sammis & Johnson, by Karen Eggleston Stark)

From Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files: Burgess, Seth, Olive W16875, MA Line, sol’s son Jonathan Burgess aged 75 in 1846 a res of Sempronius in Cayuga Cty NY states sol d in Jan 1814 leaving a wid Olive who d 20 Aug 1837 & they had m in 1768, wid d leaving children: Jonathan, Selinda Calwell of Saratoga NY, Olive Carrol of Sempronius NY & Harvey Burges of Perry in Wyoming Cty, NY, family records; sol was b 31 May 1745, wife Olive was b 16 Nov 1747, children were: Joel b 5 Apr 1769, Jonathan b 24 Oct 1770, Selinda b 25 Dec 1771, Seth b 28 Jul 1774, Olive b 25 Dec 1775, Henery (Harvey) b 31 May 1778 & Reuben b 19 Apr 1780, also shown were: Erastus Burgess b 23 mar 1798, Usina Burgess b 7 Jan 1800, Norton Burgess b 25 Sep 1801 (their relationship to sol not stated)

This was also posted on Golden Spike Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution