Elisha Horton

(February 11, 1757 – November 30, 1837) 

Elisha Horton’s presence at Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773, was mentioned in a death notice nearly 64 years after the Boston Tea Party in which he was described as “among the two or three survivors of those daring spirits who were engaged in throwing the tea.”  

A papermaker from Milton, Massachusetts, Horton’s dedication to the Revolutionary cause proved itself in his extensive military service. He may have served as a matross during the American Revolutionary War, assisting in loading, firing, and sponging guns, though he didn’t mention this service in his pension application. Elisha Horton signed up with the emerging Continental Army in the 6th Massachusetts Regiment for a three-year stint. Payroll accounts show Horton held the rank of Sergeant from January 1, 1777 ,through December 31, 1779.  

Horton enlisted again for the term of “during war,” this time with the rank of Sergeant Major. In that time, he was with the troops at Camp Totowa in New Jersey. Further, Horton served at West Point early in 1781, where his superior officers recommended on March 24 that Massachusetts Governor John Hancock commission him as Ensign, equivalent to a Second Lieutenant in current rankings. Elisha Horton finally returned to civilian life on April 16, 1783. 

Later in his life, Elisha and his wife, Hannah, moved to Litchfield, Connecticut, where they were instrumental in establishing the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1792. Elisha also established himself as a papermaker in Litchfield, working as foreman in the mill he co-owned with Julius Deming. However, within thirty years, the mill was “in a ruinous Condition,” and thus the province granted the owners £100 to rebuild. Elisha also became co-owner of a paper mill in Bantam, Connecticut, in 1806. It is possible that in his youth, Elisha apprenticed as a papermaker in Milton, Massachusetts, laying out the foundation for his future enterprise. Today, Litchfield, Connecticut, remains a center of paper manufacturing in New England. 

Elisha Horton died in Litchfield, Connecticut, on November 30, 1837. He is buried in Bantam Burying Ground in Bantam, Connecticut.