Richard Falley Jr.

Richard Falley Jr. (January 31, 1740 – September 3, 1808) was a soldier who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Early life Falley was born on January 31, 1740, in St. George, Maine. He was the son of Richard and Anna (Lamb) Falley. His father was born on Guernsey, but was reputedly kidnapped as a boy and brought to Nova Scotia.

Career At age 16, Falley joined the Provincial Army and was among those captured by Native Americans at the surrender of Fort Edward. He was taken to Montreal and adopted into the tribe. Later he was ransomed from the tribe by a woman He later joined Captain Park’s company as an ensign and commanded a company at the Battle of Bunker Hill where his 14-year-old son, Frederick, served there as a drummer,

On May 27, 1775 after the Battles of Lexington and Concord Falley was appointed as Massachusetts Armorer on order of the Provincial Congress . In 1777 George Washington with the suggestion of Henry Knox established an arsenal in Springfield, Massachusetts to store muskets, cannon, and other weapons. Falley witnessed the surrender of British General John Burgoynea and Hessian General Friedrich von Adolf Riedesel Continental Army to American General Horatio Gates after The Battles of Saratoga on October 17, 1777. On December 8, 1798 Falley was awarded a contract to produce 1,000 Charleville type pattern muskets for the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts

Personal life On December 24, 1761, Falley married Margaret Hitchcock (b. May 25, 1741, Westfield, MA - d. February 11 or 18, 1820, Volney (now Fulton), NY) in Westfield, Massachusetts. Together they had 11 children, 10 of whom survived.

Falley Drive in Westfield, Massachusetts, is named for him.