Hercules Mooney (1715–1800) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

veteran of the French and Indian and American Revolutionary wars. Born to a catholic family from present day Co.Offaly, in 1733 he emigrated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and settled in

Dover, New Hampshire Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 32,741 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city in the New Hampshire Seacoast region and the fifth largest municipality in the state. It is the county se ...

. In 1738 he married Elizabeth Evans, also of Dover. Having been a tutor back in Ireland, Mooney became a teacher and schoolmaster at Dover and after 1750 in

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

. In 1757 Mooney joined the

New Hampshire Provincial Regiment The New Hampshire Provincial Regiment was a provincial military regiment made up of men from the New Hampshire Militia during the French and Indian War for service with the British Army in North America. It was first formed in 1754 with the sta ...

to fight in the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

as a captain in command of a company of soldiers. Capt. Mooney was at the

Siege of Fort William Henry The siege of Fort William Henry (3–9 August 1757, french: Bataille de Fort William Henry) was conducted by a French and Indian force led by Louis-Joseph de Montcalm against the British-held Fort William Henry. The fort, located at the sout ...

that ended in the fall of the fort and attack by the Native Americans. After the end of the war Mooney returned to Durham to teach and was elected selectman in 1765. In 1775 he was a delegate to the provincial congress at

Exeter, New Hampshire Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,049 at the 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood. ...

and in 1776 was appointed lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army. Lt. Col. Mooney served in Col. Pierse Long's regiment ( Long's Regiment) and fought at the Battle of Fort Anne during the Saratoga campaign. During 1778 and 1779 Col. Mooney served on New Hampshire's Committee of Safety. In June 1779 he was given command of a

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

of the

New Hampshire Militia The New Hampshire Militia was first organized in 1631 and lasted until 1641, when the area came under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. After New Hampshire became an separate colony again in 1679, New Hampshire Colonial Governor John Cutt reorgan ...

that was sent to

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...

to keep watch on the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

at Newport. After the end of the Revolutionary War Col. Mooney moved to

Holderness, New Hampshire Holderness is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,004 at the 2020 census. An agricultural and resort area, Holderness is home to the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center and is located on Squam Lake. Holderne ...

and served as a justice of the peace for Grafton County and in the

New Hampshire General Court The General Court of New Hampshire is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The lower house is the New Hampshire House of Representatives with 400 members. The upper house is the New Hampshire Senate with 24 mem ...

. He died at his home in April 1800.

Sources

*''A List of The Revolutionary Soldiers of Dublin, N.H.'' by Samuel Carroll Derby, Press of Spahr & Glenn, Columbus, Ohio 1901
State Builders: An Illustrated Historical and Biographical Record of the State of New Hampshire. State Builders Publishing Manchester, N.H., 1903
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mooney, Hercules 1715 births 1800 deaths 18th-century Irish people Irish soldiers in the Continental Army People from County Offaly Continental Army officers from Ireland Continental Army officers from New Hampshire New Hampshire militiamen in the American Revolution People from Grafton County, New Hampshire People from Durham, New Hampshire People of New Hampshire in the French and Indian War Kingdom of Ireland emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies Schoolteachers from New Hampshire People of colonial New Hampshire Members of the New Hampshire General Court People from Dover, New Hampshire People from Holderness, New Hampshire 18th-century American politicians