This muster roll records the names and accoutrements of the members of the Deerfield, Massachusetts, militia company commanded by Captain John Wells. The United States did not originally rely upon a standing army for defense. Instead, Massachusetts law required every able-bodied man between the ages of sixteen and sixty to be a member of the local militia. Militia companies were the precursors of today’s National Guard. Annual spring and fall “training days” were intended to keep these citizen soldiers trained and prepared to march at a moment’s notice to meet any military emergency. Note that all of the men were expected to bring their own weapons. Only one came with a rifle; the rest carried smoothbore muskets. The law also required that each man also bring additional equipment including a bayonet, extra gun flints, blank ammunition cartridges, and “wires and brushes” to keep their guns clean and operable.
Wells, John. Captain John Wells’ Company Muster Roll. May 6, 1794. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l00-030/. Accessed on October 18, 2026.
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