🔨 On this Memorial Day
Reflections on the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution
Good evening, Framingham.
This morning Framingham gathered at cemeteries around the city and in the Memorial Building to honor its sons and daughters who gave their lives in service to our country.
Every Memorial Day and Veterans Day, I share the story of one or more individuals from our past.
As this year Massachusetts continues to mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, it is a particularly meaningful time to remember local heroes like Captain Micajah Gleason, whose sacrifice helped forge the nation we know today.
As a student of Framingham history, I know about the legendary roles of the Nixons, Hemenways, Buckminster, Maynard, and Peter Salem in the Revolution. It wasn’t until I found a digital copy on the Framingham History Center’s website of the Five Framingham Heroes of the American Revolution by John Merriam published a 100 years ago that I first read Micajah Gleason’s name.
His section begins, “The first name, I imagine, is almost unknown today.”
Micajah was born in Framingham in October 1740. Gleason Pond on Concord Street is named for his great-grandfather Thomas Gleason, who purchased land on the banks of the pond in 1673 when it was still part of Sherborn. Four generations of Gleasons lived on that land, until Micajah’s father Ebenezer moved up Concord Street to Saxonville.
When he was 17, he enlisted in a militia under the command of Captain Henry Eames during the French and Indian War.
In 1774 Captain John Nixon and then Lt. Gleason organized a company of sixty Framingham men. Gleason led this company to Concord on April 19, 1775. There they engaged British forces at Merriam's Corner as they retreated toward Boston.
Gleason's dedication to the cause of independence continued through several pivotal battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, where his company distinguished itself by being among the last to leave the field.
Leading another company in Col. Thomas Nixon’s 4th Massachusetts Regiment, Gleason found himself in New York.
Tragically, he was killed at the Battle of White Plains on October 28, 1776. He was 36 years old.
The Battle of White Plains was a hard loss for the colonists and General George Washington. The British gained control over Forts Washington and Lee on the Hudson River.
As we commemorate this Memorial Day during Massachusetts' Revolutionary War anniversary year, Captain Micajah Gleason's story serves as a reminder of the personal bravery and dedication that secured our freedoms.
His legacy, woven into the very fabric of our history, encourages us to appreciate not only those who served in our nation's founding but all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of liberty throughout our country's history.
May we never forget Captain Gleason, no longer an unknown in Framingham’s history.
The Civic Week Ahead
Tuesday, May 27
Wednesday, May 28
2:00pm: Edgell Grove Cemetery Trustees Agenda
3:30pm: MRECC Board of Directors Joint Meeting with the Operations Committee and the Finance Advisory Committee Agenda
6:00pm: Composting Task Force Agenda
7:00pm: Sustainability Committee Agenda
7:00pm: Disability Commission Agenda
7:00pm: SIFOC Finance Subcommittee Agenda
Thursday, May 29
6:00pm: Council Finance Subcommittee Agenda
In Closing…
Stay tuned for later this week for my annual issue about all the events and activities coming up in June! If you have an event you wish to add, please email me before 5pm on Wednesday, May 28.
Believe in Framingham,
Just Plain Great.... The story of the American Revolution members.