Alexander Oliver

Alexander Oliver (November 30, 1744 – September 2, 1828) was an American soldier who fought during the Revolutionary War.

Background and the American Revolution

Oliver was born in Sherborn, Massachusetts, to Launcelot Oliver and Mary Walker. Before the war he married Mary Warner, third cousin of Seth Warner and seventh cousin of George Washington. His decision to fight against the British was very much disliked by part of his family, mainly because his second cousin was Andrew Oliver, a Massachusetts politician who was commissioned to enforce the Stamp Act in Massachusetts, and another cousin more distant this time Thomas Oliver would become Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. He was made a corporal of 13th Massachusetts Regiment raised by Colonel Samuel Brewer, while in the 13th he fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill, Battle of Valcour Island and Battle of Saratoga where he led a group of men to capture general John Burgoyne. Then he was Regimental Quartermaster of Jeduthan Baldwin's Artillery Artificer Regiment, then an Ensign or Second lieutenant in the 5th Massachusetts Regiment, then a Lieutenant, and then a Colonel for Massachusetts. Alexander Oliver was in charge of recruiting men to fight all around Massachusetts. Oliver was a participant in the Boston Tea Party. Alexander was also in George Washington's staff at Dorchester Heights and was near him as they marched into Boston.