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Glossary

This glossary can assist you in understanding the military terms and ranks mentioned in the biographies. We have also defined other important vocabulary words found thoughout the biographies.  

Captain: a rank in the military and maritime service, and the  highest-ranking company officer.

Colonel: colonel was traditionally the commanding officer    of a regiment or brigade.

Company: in military service, the smallest body of troops  that functions as a complete administrative and tactical unit. 


Continental Army: The first regular U.S. fighting force, the Continental Army, was organized by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1775. It comprised the 22,000 militia  troops then besieging Boston and an additional 5,000 militiamen in New York.

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Corporal: an officer in the army or marines with a rank  below sergeant

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Deacon: (from Greek diakonos, “helper”), a member of the lowest rank of the threefold Christian ministry (below the presbyter-priest and bishop) or, in various Protestant churches, a lay official, usually ordained, who shares in the ministry and sometimes in the governance of a congregation.

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Dropsy: is edema, in medicine, an abnormal accumulation  of watery fluid in the intercellular spaces of connective tissue.

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England: part of the United Kingdom

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Ensign: junior officer, generally the lowest commissioned  rank in military services where such a rank exists.

 

Fifer: a person who plays the fife.

 

Fife: small transverse (side-blown) flute with six finger holes  and a narrow cylindrical bore that produces a high pitch and shrill tone.

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Freemason: the teachings and practices of the  fraternal (men-only) order of Free and Accepted Masons, the largest worldwide secret society— an oath-bound society

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Lieutenant: company grade officer, the lowest rank of      commissioned officer in most amies of the world.

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Militia: military organization of citizens with limited military  training

 

Minutemen: in U.S. history, an American Revolution  militiaman who agreed to be ready for military duty “at a minute’s warning.”

 

Patriot: a soldier who served in the revolutionary war

 

Private: in most armies, the lowest grade of enlisted  personnel.

 

Regiment: in most armies, a body of troops headed by a  colonel and organized for tactical control into companies, battalions, or squadrons. 

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Spotted Fever: Bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, which causes meningococcal meningitis in humans, who are the only natural hosts in which it causes disease. 

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Vessel: a big ship that is used for moving equipment or  fighting of enemies 

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War: big battle between countries

 

Yeoman: is a military rank in the navy

Discover Amherst's Patriots:
Our town is rich in history, and we invite you to explore its fascinating stories. Enjoy this walking tour and immerse yourself in the heritage that shapes our community. Happy exploring!
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Girl Scout Troop 60162

Amherst, NH 03031

 

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