Moses Nichols (June 28, 1740 – May 23, 1790) was an American physician, soldier, and leading citizen of

Amherst, New Hampshire Amherst is a town in Hillsborough County in the state of New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,753 at the 2020 census. Amherst is home to Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, Hodgman State Forest, the Joe English Reservation and Baboos ...

. Nichols was born in

Reading, Massachusetts Reading ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, north of central Boston. The population was 25,518 at the 2020 census. History Settlement and American independence Many of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's original settle ...

, to Timothy Nichols and his wife Hannah Perkins. On July 7, 1761, Moses Nichols married Hannah Eaton of

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by E ...

. He was appointed

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

of a regiment of

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 ...

( 5th NH Militia Regt.) in 1776. In 1777 he led them to the

Battle of Bennington The Battle of Bennington was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, part of the Saratoga campaign, that took place on August 16, 1777, on a farm owned by John Green in Walloomsac, New York, about from its namesake, Bennington, Vermont. A r ...

and in 1778 the Battle of Rhode Island. In 1780 he led his regiment to

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

where it formed part of the garrison. He attained the rank of

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. Moses Nichols was often moderator at Amherst's town meetings and was five times 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. ...

References

*''A List of The Revolutionary Soldiers of Dublin, N.H.'' by Samuel Carroll Derby Press of Spahr & Glenn, Columbus, Ohio 1901 *
Provincial and State Papers of New Hampshire
1740 births 1790 deaths New Hampshire militiamen in the American Revolution American militia generals Physicians from Massachusetts People of colonial New Hampshire People of New Hampshire in the American Revolution People from Amherst, New Hampshire Physicians from New Hampshire People from Reading, Massachusetts Military personnel from Massachusetts {{NewHampshire-politician-stub