Ceremony honoring Revolutionary War veteran Ebenezer Annable to take place in Bridgewater Township
Ebenezer Annable’s headstone, Bridgewater Center Cemetery. Photo courtesy of Denise Frost. The spelling on the headstone differs from the spelling in the headline of this article, which is how it was spelled in records. It was common at the time to spell names phonetically instead of in a standardized way.
by Sara Swanson
The community is invited to a ceremony honoring veteran Ebenezer Annable (also spelled Annabil) from the American Revolutionary War on October 11, 2025, at 11am, at Bridgewater Center Cemetery, 10990 Clinton Rd, Manchester, hosted by the Ypsilanti Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR); Sarah Caswell Angell Chapter, NSDAR; and Huron Valley Chapter, NSDAR. They are also celebrating the National DAR Day of Service honoring the anniversary of the National Society’s founding on October 11, 1890, and are collecting non-perishable food items to help meet their 250-item goal in honor of the 250th birthday of our nation. The food collected will be donated to Faith in Action in Chelsea.
Denise Frost of the Sarah Caswell Angell Chapter, NSDAR, states, “Manchester takes pride in its rich historical legacy and will commemorate a significant chapter in American history with the dedication of an American Revolution Patriot Marker for Ebenezer Annable (Annibil). The ceremony will recognize Annable’s service during the Revolutionary War in 1776, including his enlistment in Colonel Swift’s Connecticut Regiment in 1776 and later service as a marine aboard the Connecticut State Ship Defence.”
The event will feature guest speakers, historians, and local officials, including participants from the Manchester High School National Honor Society, Manchester High School Band, Manchester’s Men’s Club, Reverend Susan Hitts from the Manchester United Methodist Church, and the State President of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Frost states, “Ebenezer Annable was born July 16, 1756, in Fairfield County, Conn. He enlisted at age 20, helping to construct Black Rock Fort in New Haven and serving as a lookout from the Fairfield Meeting House steeple. In 1778, he re-enlisted as a marine aboard the Connecticut State Ship Defence, capturing a British ship in the Caribbean and two privateers from the coast of Charleston, S.C. Ebenezer married Ann Merriman in Watertown, Conn., and had eight children together. In late 1832 or early 1833, Ebenezer and Ann moved from New York to Michigan to join two of their sons and a son-in-law and purchased land in Sharon Township.”
She concludes, “Join us as we honor American Revolution Patriots and reaffirm our dedication to the ideals they fought for.”
Defence, a Connecticut ship, captures British ship Cyprus on April 20, 1778. Pen-and-ink sketch by L. F. Middlebrook, copied from his book Exploits of the Connecticut ship DEFENSE, 1922. Ebenezer Annable, buried in Bridgewater Township, served on the Defence during the capture of the British ship. Image courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command.
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