Minuteman Minute | A Massachusetts Militiaman's Saber

Abel Chapin retired from the Massachusetts Militia in 1794 as a lieutenant colonel, but in the crucial summer of 1776, he served as a Pvt. at Fort Ticonderoga. Today, his saber is on display in our museum.

To learn more about Abel Chapin, click here.

Hi, I’m Will Roulett, director of the National Guard Memorial Museum here in D.C., and this is YOUR Minuteman Minute! This saber belonged to Abel Chapin of Springfield, Massachusetts. It is engraved with his date of birth, the date he was commissioned in the Massachusetts Militia by Gov. John Hancock, and his dates of rank. Thanks to the Massachusetts National Guard Museum and Archives, we can confirm Abel’s militia service. And thanks to the 1841 pension application of his widow Dorcas Chapin, we can add context to the inscription, “Ticonderoga 1776.” Abel’s military service, like many Guardsmen, began with an enlistment in the federal service. In the summer of 1776, Abel enlisted at Springfield, Massachusetts for a term of six months, which took him to Fort Ticonderoga, New York. During that summer, Fort Ticonderoga was being reinforced in anticipation of a British attack in response to the failed American invasion of Canada. The recapture of the fort by the British and the American victory at Saratoga came the following year, after Abel had returned to Springfield. Following his service at Ticonderoga, Abel served in the Massachusetts Militia from 1781 to 1794, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He passed away in 1831, but his widow’s pension application was approved, and she received $100 in 1841, shortly before her death. Come learn about this – and a whole lot more – at the National Guard Memorial Museum. I’m Will Roulett, and that’s been your Minuteman Minute, brought to you by the National Guard Educational Foundation.