Julius Tozer (Samuel-4 Richard-3 Thomas-2 Richard-1) was born in the Colchester area of Hartford (now New London)
County, Connecticut, on Saturday, 16 June 1764. He was the second son of Samuel Tozer and Dorothy Newton.
As a child he accompanied his family to the Wyoming Valley, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, along the Susquehanna River near
Wilkes-Barre. The Wyoming Valley was first settled by Connecticut farmers under grants from the Susquehanna Company,
though it was also claimed by Pennsylvania. In 1774, to strengthen its jurisdictional authority over the area, the Connecticut
assembly chartered a township called Westmoreland there and in the following year prohibited any further immigration into the
valley to prevent the further influx of New Yorkers. New settlers arrived, however, from New York's Hudson Valley and their
openly Loyalist sentiments provoked conflict with the earlier independence-minded inhabitants. Some of the Loyalists were
arrested by the rebels and sent to Connecticut.
These anti-Tory acts, coupled with a desire to punish the rebels and provide rich plunder, prompted the British under Col. John
Butler stationed at Niagara, to attack the valley. Butler's Tory Rangers and their Indian allies, a combined force of over 1,200
men, set out from Niagra in June 1778. On the march west to Pennsylvania they looted and murdered all in their path. In the
words of Hector St. John Crevecoeur, who lived near the plundered farms, "it was easy to surprise defenceless isolated families
who fell easy prey to their enemies . . . . Many families were locked up in their houses and consumed with their furniture.
Dreadful scenes were transacted which I know not how to trace."
The raiders took the settlements in the Wyoming Valley completely by surprise. The only defense provided was by Col.
Zebulon Butler, who with some 300 men and boys occupied Forty Fort, while some other rebel soldiers holed up in
Wintermont and Jenkins Forts. On the morning of June 28, the British attacked the forts. The latter two surrendered on the
condition that the women and children who had taken shelter there be spared from the depradations of the Indians.
Forty Fort, though, would not yield, and the body of the Tory army surrounded the last hold-out. On July 3, the British
commander ordered his men to set fire to the fort, and to feign a retreat. The ruse worked; the Americans took the bait and
came pouring out in pursuit of the fleeing Tories. The ran right into a trap, as Tory troops hiding on each of their flanks sprang
out of the woods to surround them. The Patriots fled, several jumping into the Susquehanna where Indians -- better swimmers
-- overtook and killed many. Crevecoeur wrote that "for a long time afterwards the carcasses became offensive, bloated and
infested the banks of the [river] as low as Shamokin." Other Patriots who had fled away from the river were also captured, and
"were tied to small trees and burnt the evening of the same day."
The entire Tozer family appears to have survived the massacre, and fled back to Connecticut where, accodring to Julius'
pension records, they all settled for a time in Horseneck, near Greenwich in Fairfield County. All, that is, except young Julius,
who volunteered to serve in the Continental Army. In July 1779, he joined Col. George Dennison's Regiment, Capt. Stephen
Harden's Company, where he served as a private in the artillery. He was stationed in the Wyoming Valley for the protection of
the frontier, and spent most of his enlistment helping to construct a fort there -- probably reconstructing one of the forts
damaged during the massacre. He served for several months before being discharged.
After his discharge he returned to Connecticut where he lived with his family in Horseneck. In June 1780, he reentered the
service as a substitute for John Breed in Capt. Allen's Company, Col. Mead's Regiment, Gen. Waterbury's Brigade. He was
discharged in September 1780.
He returned to live in Colchester, and in April 1781, enlisted in Capt. Roswell Ransom's Company. He served as a teamster for
nine months, and was in charge of several baggage and munitions waggons. Soon after enlisting he marched to White Plains,
Westchester County, New York, where his company took up its station. He was sent back to Hartford, Connecticut, for
another load of munitions with which he returned to White Plains. His company then marched south to participate in the
Yorktown Campaign; Ransom's company was then part of the Congress Regiment under Col. Antil. They marched through the
eastern part of New York, and on to New Jersey, passing through Princeton and Trenton. They continued through Philadelphia
and Wilmington, and on south through Elkton, Maryland. Julius took ill in Elkton, and "continued so for two months;" it is
unclear whether Julius marched on with his regiment or remained in Elkton to recuperate. The army moved south to Yorktown,
Virginia, where the Americans defeated Lord Cornwallis' army on 20 October 1781. After the British surrender, which
effectively ended the War, Julius' company retraced its steps north to White Plains, where Julius was discharged in December
1781. It is said in the family that he received an honorable discharge at Yorktown signed by George Washington himself,
although I have seen no documentary evidence to support that contention.
After the war he returned to Colchester, where he married HANNAH-6 CONKLING in 1786. Hannah was born on Sunday,
7 October 1764, at Sag Harbor, Suffolk County, New York; she was the daughter of Ananias Conkling and Alice Leek. Julius
and Hannah had thirteen children, eleven of whom grew to adulthood:
i Hannah b. 4 October 1788 m. Hugh Alexander
ii Alice b. 5 March 1789 m. Daniel Pierce
iii Elizabeth R. b. 28 August 1791 m. Thomas
iv Samuel b. 1 August 1792 m.
v Julius, Jr. b. 14 March 1794 m. Meribah Tozier
vi Lucy S. b. 25 January 1796 m. Heathcoat Floyd Pierce
vii Dorothy b. 28 January 1798 d. young
viii Guy b. 7 March 1799 m. Welthia Kinney
ix Albert b. 30 May 1801/02 m. Hiley Bouvier
+ x Susan b. 1 March 1803 m. (1) William Rice
+ m. (2) Ezra Fairchild Weed
xi Joel Murray b. 11/14 Aug. 1805/06 m. Elizabeth Grey/Gross
xii Mary Ann b. 21 January 1807 d. young
xiii Cynthia b. 1 May 1809 m. James Griswold
Shortly after the marriage, they moved to New London, New London County, Connecticut, and then around 1791 to an area
called "Falling Springs" in the Wyoming Valley area near the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania; this was likely in the Exeter
area of Luzerne County. After a short stay, in 1794 they moved south to the Tioga District of Athens Township in present-day
Bradford County, Pennsylvania, settling on the Chemung River to the northwest of the town. They first settled on an outlet of the
Susquehanna known as Tozer's Cove, but later moved to the west side of the Tioga River near Tozer's Bridge — both bridge
and cove were named after Julius.
He purchased 150 acres of land, cleared a spot for a log house, and began building. Later, he purchased an additional 240
acres, and put up a "modern" frame house on the land out of hewed logs. He is listed as a taxable in the Tioga District in 1796
with property valued at $104. In 1797, he was appointed Appraiser of Damages for the Tioga District. He is listed as a taxable
on the 1808 Tioga Point tax list, and he voted in the first county election in October 1812 in Athens.
Julius continued his active interest in military affairs, and was chosen to be a colonel of a regiment in the state militia. During the
War of 1812, he enlisted in the militia on 1 May 1814, and subsequently raised a company of volunteers from Athens, of which
he was Captain, including his two sons Samuel and Guy. The subscription list, dated 17 May 1814, and signed by Julius and
several other, reads:
"We the subscribers agree to pay as a gratuity to the men who shall volunteer their services to join the militia of New York at
this time, agreeably to the request of Genl Porter and Genl. Swift thro' Capt. Micajah Harding & squire Wells the sum of money
annexed to our names respectively -- to be equally divided among those who may thus volunteer not however to exceed $5,
As the Captain of "Tozer's Company," Julius served with several neighbors from across the state border in Swift and Dobbins'
Regiment, New York Volunteers. At the Battle of Fort Erie (present day Ft. Erie, Ontario, Canada) on 15 August 1814, he
was hit by a shell in the hip and severely wounded. The wound rendered him unfit for further service, and he returned home.
According to one biographer, Julius was a man of commanding presence: he stood over six feet tall "and at his best weighed
250 pounds." He was an ardent Free Mason, and an early member of the Rural Amity Lodge. He later formed cataracts in both
eyes which left him totally blind.
Hannah died in Athens on Monday, 5 March 1832, at the age of sixty-eight. She was buried on the home farm, but her remains
may have been subsequently removed to the Tioga Point Cemetery.
On 15 November 1833, Julius married Elizabeth French in Chemung, Chemung County, New York. Chemung is just across
the New York-Pennsylvania border from Athens.
That same year, in September, he filed for a pension as a Revolutionary War veteran. A pension was later allowed for fifteen
months of service as a private in the Connecticut Line, and he was given $50 per year.
Towards the end of his life he lived with his son Albert, although he still owned about $10,000 worth of property in Bradford
County. He died at the age of eighty-eight on Tuesday, 7 December 1852, in Athens, and was buried at the Tioga Point
Cemetery. His short will, probated on 24 December 1852, stated:
" I Julius Tozer of Athens, Bradford County and State of Pennsylvania Do make and publish this my last Will and testament in
manner & form following to wit.
First, it is my will that my funeral shall be conducted without pomp or unnecessary [parade?] and that the expenses thereof
together with all my just debts be fully paid.
Second, I give and bequeath to my youngest daughter Cynthia Griswold, two hundred dollars.
Third, and as touching all the rest residue and remainder of my estate real and personal of what kind and nature whatsoever, the
same may be, in the County of Bradford or elsewhere, I give and devise the same with my three youngest sons Guy Tozer,
Albert Tozer and Joel M. Tozer and to their heirs and assigns forever to be equally divided among them. After the sale of my
property by my executors the money arising from such sale to be appropriated and divided as above directed.
And lastly I constitute and appoint my son Guy Tozer and my son in law James Griswold to be the executors of this my last will
hereby revoking all other wills, legacies, and bequests by me heretofore made and declaring this and no other to be my last will
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal on this the twenty ninth day of September AD one thousand eight
hundred and fifty two."
His widow Elizabeth was still alive in the late 1850's, and collected a pension from the federal government as the widow of a
Revolutionary War veteran.