The Life and Times of Aaron Guild –The Archetype for South Dedham’s Patriotism

We hope you enjoy this written version of the talk presented at the Norwood Historical Society on April 19, 2025. It was written and delivered by Laurie Kearney.

Introduction:

I want to thank you all for coming out tonight. To recognize the 250th Anniversary of the battle of Lexington and Concord, we thought it would not only be a great time to learn more about Aaron Guild, but also to look at how the people of South Dedham responded to the events of the day.

Over the years, Aaron Guild has become somewhat of a local folk hero. He has been honored so many times for his contribution to the Revolutionary War. His image appears on the town seal, and a memorial stone honoring him sits in front of our library. We have all heard the story that Aaron was out plowing his field, and when he heard the news about the skirmish in Lexington, he left his plow, grabbed his gun, and headed off to fight. This story is etched on the memorial stone. The only problem is that Aaron did not go to Lexington.

My objective is to not only share Aaron Guild’s life story but also to acknowledge the men and women of South Dedham who also took part in America’s revolution for freedom, and to ultimately set the record straight by separating fact from fiction.

The Guild Family:

The Guild family has deep roots in Dedham. John Guild arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636. He was in Dedham in 1640 when he bought a 12-acre parcel of land, this was followed by several more land grants and purchases. He built a house that remained in the family for approximately 200 years.[1]

John Guild would have likely originally been given a house lot in Dedham Village, and tillage land further away from the center of town. This way, the villagers would live in town to be near each other….safety in numbers, but they would have a parcel of land to farm. Over time, folks built a small house on this land to be near their crops, making it easier to tend them. Although I do not know where the Guild tillage land was, I do believe it was likely in South Dedham.

When the parish of South Dedham was established in 1734, the family of Nathaniel Guild, John Guild’s grandson, was living in the part of Dedham that is today Norwood. He was one of the men who supported the creation of a new town, often offering his house for town meetings and church services. His name appears in Church records as one of the original members of the church.[2]

He married sometime around 1705 to Mehitable. Her surname is unconfirmed; some say she was a Hartshorn, and others believe she was a Farrington. They had ten children[3], all of whom were born in South Dedham but were baptized in the Dedham church, as they were all born before the South Parish was established. Their youngest child was Aaron, born in 1728, and it is his likeness that is on the Norwood Town Seal.

The family of Aaron Guild:

Aaron was a farmer, but was very involved in church and town issues. He married three times

He married first to Sarah Coney (25 Nov 1751), and together they had two children.

• Aaron bpt. 11 Feb 1753; d. 20 Mar 1832; m Lydia Bacon
• Oliver bpt. 2 Feb 1755 d. 14 Feb 1814; m Anna Bullard

Sarah (Coney) Guild, the wife of Aaron Guild, died Feb. 18^th, 1755 @ 22 years[4]

Aaron married a second time to Anna Coney, (about 1756). She was the half-aunt of Aaron’s first wife, Sarah. Aaron and Anna became the parents of eight children:

• Sarah, b 27 Aug 1757; d 10 Feb 1831 m Abiather Fales of Walpole (buried Templeton, MA)
• Jacob, b 23 Apr 1760; d 6 Apr 1839; m Chloe May
• Anna, b 19 Mar 1762; d 28 Dec 1843; m Jonathan Fuller
• Joel Guild, b 20 Jan 1765; d. 14 Jan 1842; m Hannah Weatherbee
• Abner Guild, b 28 May 1767; d 15 Mar 1819; m Sarah Dean
• Priscilla Guild, b 23 Apr 1770; d 5 Apr 1841; m David Lewis (buried Maple Grove)
• John Guild, b 5 Aug 1772; d 2 Dec 1847; m Rebecca Eaton (buried in Dedham)
• Nathaniel, b 23 Jun 1775;[5] d 25 Aug 1845; m Hannah Tyler of Attleboro

Anna (Coney) Guild, 2^nd wife of Aaron Guild, died 24 Aug 1776

On 11 Dec 1777, Aaron Guild married a third time to Sarah (May) Blackman (1734-1812). She was the widow of Nathaniel May of Stoughton. She came with three daughters (Chloe, Martha & Lydia) and one son (George) all of whom are mentioned in Aaron’s will. An interesting note is that Sarah’s daughter, Chloe, married Aaron’s son, Jacob.

Aaron Guild died Feb 3, 1818. He outlived all three of his wives and his son Oliver, and is buried in the Old Parish Cemetery, here in Norwood, along with his wives and five of his ten children.

Aaron Guild’s Farm: the family homestead

Aaron Guild had a farm that was located on today’s Walpole Street. His house was located approximately across the street from where the Morrill Library stands today. And it should further be noted that the land the First Church of Norwood and the Baptist Church sit on today, at one time, was owned by Aaron’s brother Moses, making the brothers neighbors. Aaron owned approximately 60 acres of land that was basically hemmed in by Walpole Street, Hoyle Street, Lenox Street, and Guild Street. Like most subsistence farms of the time, they had parcels of land earmarked for different uses. Aaron had pastureland, mowing (hay) land, an orchard, and a house lot. It is likely he had a wood lot somewhere in town. When Aaron Guild died, he left a will, and in it, he notes he had a cider-house, with a cider mill, that he left to his sons. By the time Guild died, he had sold off or given away the bulk of his property, mostly to his children.

As you can see, his house is a basic center-entry colonial with an attached shed. There is also a barn and a well. This picture was drawn from a description given to the artist by Clara (Hoyle) Everett, who grew up in the house. She was the daughter of Mark Hoyle.

French and Indian War

The French and Indian War lasted for seven years, from 1754 to 1763. The events that led up to this war began some ten years earlier with King George’s War (1744-1748), which was fought primarily in New England, New York State, and parts of Canada. The war was basically about who owned the North American territory. Although some boundaries were settled, the issue as a whole was not. British and French governments continued to claim that their North American Territory included parts of Pennsylvania and extended into parts of Ohio. From 1752 to 1754, the French built a series of forts that extended from Lake Erie to Pittsburgh to protect their claim.

The territory was originally claimed by the colony of Virginia, which dispatched a military company to demand that the French withdraw from the region. The French refused, and the British interpreted this defiance as a hostile act. In response, the British began constructing forts of their own.

Both powers sought to win the allegiance of local Indigenous nations, hoping to secure allies against their rivals. By July 1754, British and French militias had begun open conflict, marking the start of a brutal seven‑year struggle across the contested frontier.

The war effectively ended in September 1760, when the British captured Detroit, signaling their control over the disputed territory.

The French and Indian War marked a decisive turning point in American history. The conflict proved enormously costly for Britain, and to recover its expenses, Parliament imposed new taxes on the American colonies. These measures stirred deep resentment toward the Crown and fueled unrest that would, in time, ignite the War of Independence.

In 1758, Aaron Guild received a commission from Governor Thomas Pownall as an Ensign in Captain Eliphalet Fales’s company, part of Colonel Nichols’s regiment of foot. He was later promoted to Captain within the same unit.

That year, Guild was stationed at Lake George. When his service ended, he began the long journey home on foot but soon grew too weak to continue. He paid for passage on a wagon as far as New Marlborough, Massachusetts, where illness forced him to stop. He remained six days in the home of John Thompson, bedridden with fever under a doctor’s care. Once able to travel, he hired “a horse and man” to carry him back to South Dedham, where he spent more than a month recovering and unable to work his farm.

In 1760, Guild petitioned the Great and General Court for reimbursement of his travel and medical expenses. In his petition, he noted that his servant, Isaac Little, had enlisted alongside him and served in the same company. Isaac was captured by the enemy, and his musket—loaned to him by Aaron—was confiscated. Guild requested compensation for the loss of both Isaac’s service and the “valuable gun.”

Some have asked whether Aaron Guild was an enslaver. A story claims he brought an enslaved man with him to the Revolutionary War, but this likely stems from confusion surrounding Isaac Little. The Little family settled in South Dedham and joined the church in the 1740s. Records describe Isaac as white—any other racial identity would have been noted in the documents of the time. It is more plausible that Isaac was Guild’s apprentice, learning the trade of husbandry. He enlisted voluntarily, and the Guild merely supplied his weapon for service in the French and Indian War.

After the war, Aaron returned home to farm his land and raise his family, while continuing to serve in local militias. By 1766, he was Second Lieutenant in the Suffolk County Militia, and by 1771, he had risen to Captain in the same command.

Dedham in the years leading up to the War

After the French and Indian War, the British government sought new ways to raise revenue and repay the enormous costs of the conflict. For decades, the Molasses Act of 1733 had gone largely unenforced, but now the Crown insisted on collecting the full tax. This hit New England especially hard. The region was deeply tied to what historians call the Triangle Trade: New England exported rum; rum required molasses; molasses came from Caribbean sugar plantations that relied on enslaved labor; and those plantations, in turn, received enslaved Africans—many of whom were transported on ships carrying New England rum.

With the molasses tax now enforced—and with additional taxes imposed, including the Stamp Act of 1765 (on printed materials) and the Townshend Acts of 1767 (taxing glass, lead, tea, paper, and paint)—colonial anger intensified. These measures sparked widespread unrest, prompting the British to occupy Boston, a move that directly contributed to the Boston Massacre of 1770.

Tensions escalated further with the Tea Act of 1773, which placed a tax on tea and led to the famous protest in which colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. Parliament responded with even stricter laws designed to tighten control over the colonies.

In reaction, colonists began stockpiling weapons and gunpowder. One such cache was located in Concord, and on April 19, 1775, British troops marched out to seize it—only to be confronted by Massachusetts Minutemen. The clashes at Lexington and Concord ignited open warfare.

The fighting continued for eight long years, much of it outside New England. Finally, in November 1783, Great Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States, bringing the conflict to a close.[8]

Things Dedhamites specifically did to protest English Taxes:

1. 1765 Sent letter to Parliament protesting the Stamp Act
2. 1766 The Dedham branch of the Sons of Liberty erected the Pillar of Liberty on Dedham town green. On it, the Pillar says:

An inscription stated on the base’s north face:

The Pillar of Liberty. To the Honor of William Pitt Esq. & other Patriots who saved America from impending slavery and confirmed our most loyal Affections to King George III by procuring the repeal of the Stamp Act, 18th March 1766

On the West face, it says:

Praise to God, the King, and the exceptional work of Pitt, the greatest benefactor,

who plucked the republic from the jaws of Hell. (inscribed in Latin)

And on the base: “saved America from impending slavery, and confirmed our most loyal affection to King George III by procuring a repeal of the Stamp Act.

• 1767- Townsend Act, decided not to purchase imported clothing for funerals (items made in the colonies were ok)
• 1768- Nathaniel Sumner (of South Dedham) was a chosen delegate to attend a convention at Faneuil Hall. Convention was called after it was announced that British Troops were going to occupy Boston.
• 1770- the town voted not to purchase imports for England…and not drink tea (George Talbot was one of the men “in charge” of this meeting.)
• 1772- Dedham agreed with other Mass towns not to allow ships (carrying tea) to be unloaded…..(there’s more here, then this bullet point notes!)
• 1773- Established a Correspondence Committee. On it was Nathaniel Sumner
• 1774- town meetings were outlawed, but county meetings were not. Dedham voted to participate in county meetings
• 1774/1775- Dedham voted NOT to supply British troops with provisions
• 1775- Dedham decides to raise a group of Minutemen
• April 19, 1775. A messenger arrives from Needham to inform Dedham that the British troops had marched to Concord.

Aaron Guild in the Revolutionary War:

In the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, Aaron was actively preparing for war. We know he continued participating in the Suffolk County Militia. Documents tell us that in 1774, Aaron was on Dedham’s committee of safety, and in 1775 was muster master for South Dedham. Local militias of minutemen relied on men who had served during the French and Indian War. These men likely assisted with training troops in line tactics and drills. Most (if not all) of the men from South Dedham were farmers, not military men. They would have known how to handle a gun, as hunting was a necessity for providing food, but farmers were not trained militiamen.

Men were drilled to compensate for the limitations of the inaccurate muskets of the time. Men were concentrated in close ranks, shoulder to shoulder, to fire in unison and only upon command, and to reload as rapidly as possible. With bayonets fixed, the attacking force would advance to the beat of a drum until they reached a point of eighty yards away from their enemy. After a volley, the force would advance to fifty yards. A second and perhaps a third volley would be fired. At the moment of impact, the attacking force turned to the bayonet. In this manner of warfare, rate of fire became more valuable than accuracy; speed and precision had to be combined with discipline, factors necessary for the soldiers to continue loading and firing despite casualties around them.

The history of Dedham tells us a messenger came from Needham about 9 am with the news of the attack. He went straight to the minister’s home and told him. It is indeed possible that messengers left Dedham Village to tell those who lived in the outer parishes of Dedham, but as for Aaron, he likely heard the news from Philip Robbins, Jeremiah Smith, and John Boyden, all of whom were officers in Walpole’s militia. In the early hours of April 19, 1775, the Walpole men had been on their way to Boston with a load of firewood for the struggling city. They got as far as Roxbury when they heard the news about the attack in Lexington. They borrowed horses and hurried back to Walpole. They would have passed right in front of Aaron Guild’s house on (today’s) Walpole Street when he was plowing his field.  Aaron would not have gone to Lexington. He went to Dedham Village and mustered there along with 60 men from South Dedham.

In Dedham, six companies of militia were quickly raised, which included men from all the parishes in their town. As soon as enough companies had assembled to form a platoon (more than 300 men), they began their march to (today’s) Arlington. A prayer was offered from the steps of the Dedham Village Church, before the men marched off.[10]

South Dedham Minutemen:

Aaron was not alone when he mustered in Dedham; 60 men from South Dedham Village also marched off to answer the call of April 19, 1775. The men from South Dedham were under the command of Captain William Bullard. They likely had been practicing for some time when the alarm came. They mustered in Dedham Village. Most served over a week in this first call, but most went on to re-enlist several times over the next seven years, serving in New England, New York, and Rhode Island. By war’s end, over 100 men from South Dedham served in the Continental Army.

This chart shows the names of the men who answered the alarm of April 19, 1775. Names highlighted in yellow are men who show up in South Parish Church records, and those that are highlighted in green are buried in the Old Parish Cemetery. For a Village of about 400 men, women, and children, having 100 men fight in the American Revolution indicates that all the South Dedham men who were old enough to fight…did.

The March to Menotomy (Arlington) and the Battle there:

We have all heard the Longfellow poem that starts out “Listen, my children, and you shall hear to the midnight ride of Paul Revere.” This poem transformed Revere into a folk hero; however, the poem fails to mention any other riders that night, and one might wrongly assume Revere was the only rider. In actuality, there were four other riders who started out in Charlestown, and as the news spread that the British Redcoats were on their way to Concord, about 40 other riders joined in and fanned out to warn other Massachusetts towns outside of Boston.

The British knew the Massachusetts Provincial Congress had been meeting in Concord, and they also knew the Colonists had been stock piling weapons and gunpowder in preparation for a possible military attack. Their plan was to capture the Provincial Congress leaders and to confiscate the colonists’ stockpiles, and ultimately to suppress any rebellion.

A timeline of the night of April 18^th and the Day of April 19^th can help illustrate how and where Dedham became involved with the events of the day. Word was out in Boston that the British were planning on marching to Concord to break up the Congress and confiscate the stash of weapons. When this was to happen was unknown….but the Colonials knew it was soon, and plans were made.

April 18^th

We know the Sexton of the Old North Church would signal when and how the British were on the move…One if by land, and two if by sea. The British could have marched across Boston Neck and on to Concord, or they could have crossed the Charles River (by boat) to Leachmere Point in Cambridge and begun their march from there.

About 10 pm   

• The British Navy helps to transport the Redcoats across the Charles.
  • Paul Revere rows across the Charles, managing to be unnoticed by the British. Revere is given a horse and begins his ride to Lexington. Along the way, he stops at taverns and farms to warn colonists about the British movement.   NOTE: he did not yell “the British are coming,” as he needed to be quiet in order to safely complete his mission, plus New Englanders considered themselves British!

April 19^th

Midnight.

• Revere had arrived in Lexington…and the British had fully crossed the Charles and had begun their march to Concord. (Google maps says a walk from Cambridge to Lexington would take approximately 3 ½ hours….and a full 6 hours to Concord.) (NOTE: it is 2 ½ hours to walk from Lexington to Concord)

5:30 am (sunrise)       

• The British arrive on Lexington Green. A shot is fired (history has failed to identify by whom), and the British exchange a volley with 77 Minutemen. 8 Colonists were killed and 10 wounded. The British continue on to Concord.

8:30 am

• The British reach Concord. They break into companies and begin to search for hidden weapons.

9:00 am

• A messenger arrives from Needham to warn Dedham.
• Robbins, Smith & Boyden hear the news in Roxbury and quickly head home to Walpole. Likely telling the news to Aaron Guild as they pass his field.

By 10:30am

• The British are actively searching Concord for the cache of weapons. Little do they know the colonists knew the British had been planning to confiscate their weapons, and relocated their stash away from Concord. In frustration, the British began to burn Concord.
  • Minutemen from nearby towns have been filtering into the Concord area
  • Dedham’s Minutemen had been mustering on Dedham’s Town Green. And shortly thereafter, started the 5-hour walk from Dedham to Arlington. Knowing the main road from Cambridge to Lexington was “the Concord Road” (today, Massachusetts Avenue), the Colonial militia knew this would be the route the Redcoats would take.

Around 11:00 am

• Three British companies of about 100 soldiers (total) arrive at the North Bridge over the Concord River and are met by 400 Minutemen. Another skirmish occurred here. 2 colonists were killed and 4 wounded. 3 Redcoats were killed and 9 wounded. (The shot heard ‘round the world). Outnumbered, the British fell back and rejoined the other companies in Concord.

Around 12:00pm

• After a four-hour search that turned up nothing, the British began their 6-hour walk, retreating back to Boston. During their retreat, they were chased and harassed by the Minutemen (more than 1000 men had assembled to Concord by then), who took shots at them from behind stonewalls and from behind buildings.

4:00 pm

              The British are marching through Menotomy.

“The road to Boston sloped down to the village of Menotomy. A crossroads town, it was a logical gathering place for arriving minutemen and militia from eastern Middlesex County and southern Essex County. They had been pouring into the village for hours. In addition to the minutemen, fresh from fighting in Lexington/Concord, no fewer than 34 more companies, each numbering some 150 men and all carrying full ammunition pouches, were waiting for the British in the mile-long stretch of houses between the base of the hill, called the Foot of the Rocks, and Spy Pond.”[11]

By the time the British reached the outskirts of Menotomy, some 79 companies of minutemen from 16 towns, a total of approximately 3,800 men in all, had arrived in Menotomy and had taken up positions in preparation of attacking the British. The men from Dedham had taken up a position behind a stonewall that ran along an orchard, joining companies from Danvers, Lynn, and Needham in this position. The minuteman militia had ordered all the buildings along the road to be vacated of civilians and fortified by Minutemen (snipers). As the Redcoats marched through Menotomy, what is considered the bloodiest and longest battle of the day began. The British were able to overrun the fortified buildings, entering them and facing the Colonials in hand-to-hand combat. The minutemen were untrained in this type of combat, plus British had bayonets on their guns. In the streets, fighting raged on all afternoon. The British were frustrated that they could not get a good shot in because the Minutemen had taken cover. The British looted the homes of the town and set them on fire.

The fighting continued all along the Concord Road, through Menotomy and into Cambridge. Minutemen attempted to block the road to Charlestown, the quickest way to Boston, but the British had more firepower. Firing their cannons dispersed the Americans. By nightfall, the British had returned to Boston. The British lost 40 soldiers, and 25 Americans died.

John Adams would argue before the Continental Congress that the battle of Menotomy was proof that the colonies were at war with the British.

What is extremely interesting is that when we talk about this day, we only focus on Lexington and Concord, but this battle, the biggest of the day, is practically a footnote in history.

Aaron Guild in the war:

April 1775 served 14 days in Col. William Heath’s regiment on the alarm of April 19, 1775.

Jan. 26, 1776 served 17 days as Captain of a company in Col. Lemuel Robinson’s regiment (from Suffolk and York Counties), Roxbury & Dorchester Heights

April 1776, Captain for enlisting men to serve in a regiment to be raised to fortify town and harbor of Boston

June/July 1776 returns of effectives dated Camp at Hull

Sept 1776 Captain, in Col. Whitney’s regiment raised for the defense of Boston,  

1776 Guild was chosen 1st Major, in Col. William Mcintosh’s (1st Suffolk Co.) regiment of Massachusetts militia.[12]

In 1779, he was on a Dedham committee to make provisions for the families of non-commissioned officers and soldiers, and in 1780 and 1781, he was on the Dedham committee of correspondence and safety.”[13]

Aaron’s two oldest sons were Revolutionary War Soldiers.

Aaron Guild, Jr. was a Private, Capt. William Bullard’s Company in Col. William McIntosh’s regiment; service. He served for 4 days, on the alarm of March 4, 1776.

Oliver Guild was a Private in Capt. Joseph Guild’s Company of Minutemen, in Col. Greaton’s regiment, which assembled on the alarm of April 19, 1775; he served for 13 days. Oliver re-enlisted several times over the next five years, doing tours at Dorchester Heights, Ticonderoga, Roxbury, Boston, and Rhode Island.

After the War:

Aaron returned South Dedham and resumed farming his land. He served on several committees for the town, as his name comes up in minutes of village meetings.

Mar 1783      Selected Warden

Mar 1783      Selected on a committee for correspondence

Mar 1784      On a committee to consider what method will be best to repair highways

Jun 1784       Grand Jury for a year

May 1787     on a Committee in [regrade] the Road from Joseph Turner’s to near where Michael Bright’s house stood.

Apr 1788      On a committee to lay out a road from where Michael Bright’s house stood to Capt. Nathaniel Dean’s land

Apr 1792      Appointed to a committee to appear on behalf of the town at the Court of General Sessions to make a defense against any complaint that had or might come against the town.

Aaron died in 1818. Obit published in many newspapers in the greater Boston area. At a time when obituaries, as we know them today, were not a thing. In 1818, they were basically death notices that simply noted the name, date, town, and age. Aaron’s death notice says he had been a soldier in the Revolution.

Aaron Guild becomes a Norwood Folk Hero:

The story of Aaron Guild leaving his plow and oxen in the field, to grab his gun and head off to fight, has a certain patriotic romanticism ring to it. Over the next 160 years, Norwood has acknowledged Aaron Guild’s actions in several ways:

Guild Park and Square:

• Named because the land the square and park sit on was once owned by Aaron Guild. Established ca. 1905

Post Office Square/Guild Square Park

The Guild Square Area: A Walk Around this Historical Block

Aaron Guild Elementary School:

• Opened in 1974, replacing the Shattuck & Winslow Schools. It was the renovated South Junior High, which had been damaged by a fire. When the school closed, it became the Guild Medical building.

Memorial Rock placed in his honor:

• On July 30, 1903, the Guild Monument was unveiled during Old Home Week to honor Aaron Guild.

Norwood’s First Old Home Week Begins-This Day In Norwood History-July 28, 1903

Guild Monument Unveiled at Norwood-This Day in Norwood History-July 30, 1903

Guild’s likeness is on the town seal:

Aaron Guild DAR chapter was founded October 7, 1975

• Formed by 22 Norwood women. In 1975, America was preparing for its 200th anniversary. Capturing the excitement of the time, as well as people’s interest in their genealogy, this chapter was formed. Today, the chapter members hail from not only Norwood but also Westwood, Walpole, and Medfield. Today, the chapter supports programs and services.
  • In 1983, a bronze plaque was placed at Aaron Guild’s Grave.

Conclusion:

Aaron Guild will certainly always be a favorite Norwood folk hero. He was likely chosen to represent ALL the patriotic South Dedham men who marched off to fight for American independence, as they too stopped what they were doing, grabbed their guns, and mustered in Dedham. Ultimately, participating in the bloodiest battle of April 19, 1775.

Thank you for coming out tonight.

Are there any questions?

Sixty men were in Capt. William Bullard Company, from the South Parish in Dedham that marched on the alarm of April 19, 1777

Andrews, David
Andrews, John
Bullard, Edward
Bullard, Luther
Bullard, William
Clarke, Archaleus (went to Francistown)
Clarke, James (went to Francistown)
Clarke, Nathan (went to Francistown)
Cleaveland, Jacob
Corbet, Philip
Colburn, David
Coney, William (1743-1816) (or 1753-1824)
Dean, Benjamin (1717-1810)
Dean, John, Jr
Dean, Jonathan (1730-1805)
Dean, Nathaniel
Everett, Abel (1756-1813)
Everett, Asa (1747-1827)
Everett, Ebenezer (1707-1776)
Everett, Josiah
Everett, William #1 (1730-1793)
Everett, William #2 (1757-1802)
Fales, Elephalet, Jr (Sergt)
Fairbanks, David (1731-1776)
Fairbanks, Ithamar
Farrington, Seth, Jr
Benjamin Felt
Fisher, Abner
Fisher, Benjamin
Fisher, Moses
Fuller, Eliphalet
Fuller, Jason
Fuller, Seth (went to Francistown)
Gay, Ichabod (went to Francistown)
Gay, Jesse
Guild, Aaron (Maj) (1728-1818)
Guild, Aaron, Jr (1753-1832)
Guild, Moses (1756-1829) (or 1725-1789)
Herring, Benjamin
Holmes, Jabez
Kendall, William
Kingsbury, James
Kingsbury, Jeremiah, Jr (173q-1788)
Lewis, Benjamin (1741-1789)
Lewis, Timothy
Little, Richard
Morse, John (1st Lieut) (1753-1825)
Morse, Seth (1753-1801)
Morse, Silas
Peniman, Jacob
Roads, Eleazer, Jr
Roads, Eliphalet (1755-1833)
Savil, William
Smith, Jacob
Smith, John
Sumner, Nathaniel
Talbot, Enoch (1758-1833)
Turner, Joseph
White, Thomas

More Sources:

Dedham and the Battles of Lexington & Concord

Lexington and Concord — Dedham Militia

A History of Dedham, by Frank Smith

https://archive.org/details/historyofdedhamm00smit/page/n435/mode/2up

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[1] Guild, Calvin. Genealogy and Descendants of John Guild of Dedham, Massachusetts.

[2] Records of the First Church of Norwood, book 1

[3] Nathaniel Guild, b Dedham 1679; d 28 Jan 1774. He married Mehitable Hartshorn/Farrington about 1705. Children: Mary 1709; Mehitable 1707; Nathaniel 1712; Susanna 1713-1714; Susanna 1717; Samuel 1719; Rebecca 1721; Sarah 1723; Moses 1725; and Aaron 1728.

[4] Records of the First Church of Norwood, Rev Thomas Balch, book 1

[5] Dedham Town Vital Records & Descendants of John Guild.

[6] This synopsis was written by Laurie, cemetery walking tour about soldiers. It boils down French & Indian War to a paragraph.

[7] Roberts, Walter C. “Reuben Aldridge Guild” Americana – American Historical Magazine, Vol XX, (New York, NY: American Historical Society, Inc., Jan 1926 – Dec 1926) p 96-104

[8] This synopsis was written by Laurie, cemetery walking tour about soldiers. It boils down Time line b/w French & Indian War and the Revolutionary War

[9] source for quote

[10] Bullet points from “Dedham and the Battles of Lexington & Concord” web page: and they wrote the bullet points from A History of Dedham, by Frank Smith.

[11] Flemming, Thomas. Battle of Menotomy – First Blood, 1775 (History.net)

[12] Massachusetts Soldiers & Sailors, Vol 6 p 937

[13] Guild, Descendents of John Guild