• Supposedly went to Colebrook, Conn., but in Census of 1790 he could not be found in New England states, Pennsylvania or New York. Loyalist died in either Rev. or Bennington, VT area; family received land grant Prescott, Ontario (handwritten note).1440, p 34

• Adonijah d. before 1788. Family res. near Bennington Vt., moved to Augusta twp, Grenville Co., Upper Canada (handwritten note).1440, p 34, copy 2

• The father, and husband, Adonijah Bass, had been killed, it is assumed, during an early battle of the American Revolutionary War.1329, p 1

• Their father, Adonijah Bass, had been a medical doctor and a “staunch Loyalist.” He died perhaps as early as 1776, serving in the War on the British side.1346, p 9

• I am indebted to Mr. Fred P. Smith, of Kingston, for the history of the Bass family in the dim misty past. They were natives of the island of Islay and the original name was MacBeth. They crossed over and located in different parts of Scotland and became hereditary physicians to the MacDonalds. They came to the Mohawk Valley with Sir William Johnston’s Highlanders and, spreading out, entered Vermont before the Revolutionary War. At this time they were still physicians and Dr. Adonijah MacBass, (pronounced MacBase) located in the vicinity of Bennington. He died before the Revolutionary War was over, presumably killed while serving with the British Army. At the time of the battle of Bennington the Dr. MacBase home was close to the battlefield and as stray bullets were striking their house the mother and her three children hid in the cellar for safety. Joseph, the oldest, was eight years of age at this time.
The brothers, Joseph Church Bass, aged 18 and John Bass, aged 16, sons of Dr. Adonijah MacBass, and his wife, Lydia Draper, came to Canada on foot and direct to Lots No. 10 and 11 in the fourth Concession of Augusta township in the early summer of 1789, camping the first night beside a large rock on the part of lot No. 11 now owned by Mr. H. O. Bass.
Hannah Bass, sister of Joseph and John, married James Martin and their home was the farm now owned by John Durant.1408

• Dr. Adonijah Bass resided at Bunker Hill where the celebrated battle was fought. His family, consisting of 2 sons and 1 daughter, witnessed the engagement. They were all staunch loyalists, and determined to remove to Canada. Dr. Bass dying, one son, Joseph, made his way to Augusta, and having examined the country, returned to this native place, and with his mother and the rest of the family, started for Canada. They had disposed of their farm for stock, which was driven the entire distance by the boys. They settled on the 4th and 5th concessions of Augusta.1401, p 160

• He, it is thought, settled in Colebrook, or somewhere in the western part of this State, and was the ancestor of the Basses of Litchfield county.1439, p 91

• I do not have any information on Adonijah between his birth in Scotland, Windham County, CT and the statements by the family in Canada. I do not know even what it took to be called a doctor at that time.1447

• I would guess that Adonijah Bass died 1776-1778 since there are only three children. It seems most likely, despite the wishes of his descendants, he did not die defending the British cause. I think the act would have come down to us. Adonijah Bass is not listed as buried in the Shaftsbury cemetery.1444, p 1

• I have been in contact with <http://www.peterscorps.org/home.html#then>; and Fraser Carr, a UEL, and have been told that because Adonijah was doctor, he would have been assigned to the regimental level. He doesn’t appear on the muster rolls.1448

• About Adonijah Bass. In 1796 the earliest Augusta Census I find Lydia Bass Widow, John Bass and Joseph Bass both single. James Martin appears with a woman and a boy. In some of Mildred’s notes I find that a Mr. J. B. Scott of Brockville wrote in 1937 about the Bass family. He claimed that Adonijah was a native of Islay Scotland and came to the Mohawk Valley as a Physician to the MacDonalds. He hinted that the name was originally MacBeth/MacBass. He said that Adonijah moved to near Bennington, Vermont and that during the Battle some of the shot hit their house while Lydia, John, Joseph and Hannah hid in the cellar. He claimed that Adonijah died before the Rev. War was over, and that the family came to Augusta in 1789 and settled on Lots 10 and 11 in the Fourth Concession. I wonder about the Scottish part of this story as I find the Bass name in New York Province as early as 1710. A Jeremiah was quite prominent. Adonijah b. 1744 - d. ----, Lydia Draper b. 1751 - d. 1830.1449

• The Bass family were not from Scotland originally but from England via the Boston area, Scotland Conn., and Walloomsac just near North Hoosick.1450

• The N.Y. Tax Act passed Oct 23, 1779. This lists Dr. A. Bass as owning property at Walloomsac.
Looking at the map of the battle and the advances of British and American troops and after reading about the skirmishes recorded by the Hoosick Township Historical Society and material by Lion G. Miles and considering that at Bennington there were only 50 British soldiers but there were 10 times the loyalists who fought with the British, I conclude that Dr. A. did not die until during or after the Battle. The Loyalists were banished from their homes. Some supposedly were to receive their property back or go to Canada. In fact  most loyalists who fought really lost all their lands their homes  etc. I believe that Dr A. received wounds at Walloomsac probably as he was attending the wounded British or US troops. Lydia retained her home which was beside the battle.1406

• The Battle of Bennington, 16 August 1777
The Continental Army stored their military equipment and artillery at Bennington, New York, which is known today as Walloomsac, New York. Bennington, Vermont is a few miles east of Walloomsac.
The Battle of Bennington took place on August 16, 1777 between a British raiding party and colonialist militiamen. General John Burgoyne was the Commander of the British Army and he needed supplies. He sent a regiment of 800 soldiers, including British, Germans, Loyalists, and Indians, under Colonel Friedrich Baum, a German Hessian, to capture Bennington and bring back the supplies for the British Army.
At the same time, about 1600 New England militiamen and Green Mountain Boys led by General John Stark were going to Bennington to get more supplies. This group of men had been recruited by Ethan Allen and Seth Warner. When they met the British on the outskirts of town, the militiamen ambushed the British soldiers.
The Hessians were surrounded by troops from New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. They fought until they ran out of ammunition and then surrendered to the Continental forces.
Both sides had called for reinforcements. Hessian Lieutenant Colonel Breymann came with 642 men and began to take control of the battle. Just when it looked like the Americans would lose, Lieutenant Colonel Seth Warner arrived with reinforcements. When Lieutenant Colonel Breymann had lost over one-third of this men, he retreated.
There were 207 British killed and 700 more taken as prisoners. Colonel Baum was killed in the battle. Only thirty Americans were killed and wounded.
The Continental victory at the Battle of Bennington spread through the colonies and the morale of the Continentals was increased.1451, p 1

• On August 16, 1777, British general John Burgoyne, on his march south from Canada to join the British forces in New York City, sent 800 Hessian dragoons and Indians, under the German colonel Friedrich Baum, to capture the American supply base at Bennington, Vermont. Hearing that a raid was planned, John Stark, a veteran soldier, was given command of the 1500-man New Hampshire Brigade. Stark marched his men to Bennington, where they were joined by militia regiments from Vermont and western Massachusetts.
While on the march, Baum’s men were under constant harassment from small bands of militia. The commander sent for reinforcements and stopped to await them a few miles from Bennington. With the enemy force position on and around a large hill, General Stark decided to use his 2000 militiamen to surround them.
Small bands of militiamen, pretending to be loyal Tories, worked their way behind enemy positions. When firing began, these men turned on the Hessians and Tories around them. Other Americans surged up the hill to the Hessian breastworks, and for two hours the battled raged. When the battle was at its height, reinforcements arrived from Burgoyne. At about the same time the Vermont militia came up to reinforce Stark, and again the fighting raged. American victory was assured when the militiamen drove off the Hessian reinforcements.
By the time the battle was over, British casualties were 207 killed and wounded -- including Baum, who died two days later -- and 600 men taken prisoner; American casualities were 14 killed and 12 wounded.1451, pp 2-3