Timothy Wells Rossiter

Timothy Wells Rossiter (March 28, 1751 – August 27, 1845) was a physician and later an American Revolutionary War surgeon under General George Washington. Timothy Wells Rossiter was born March 28, 1751, in New London, Connecticut, and died at the age of 95 on August 27, 1845, in Hancock County, Sparta, Georgia. Dr. Timothy Wells Rossiter, the son of a Presbyterian Congregational minister is descended from Bray (Bryan) Rossiter who arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 1630 aboard the Mary & John from England. Bray Rossiter settled in Windsor, Connecticut, where he practiced as a physician, became a landed proprietor of the settlement, its first town clerk and registrar, and later moved to Guilford, Connecticut in 1652. He performed the first post-mortem in the colony. One of his children was also named Timothy, which became a common family name among several branches of the family. American Revolution Timothy W. Rosseter is listed as serving as a Surgeon's Mate of Fellow's Massachusetts Regiment from May to December 1775 and as a Surgeon's Mate in the 19th Continental Infantry from January 1 to December 31, 1776. He is also noted in Georgia's Roster of the Revolution as being a Surgeon's mate and Surgeon as well. Dr. Rossiter served in the Continental Troops, Second Regiment, Light Dragoons. The Second Regiment Light Dragoons was commissioned by Congress at General Washington's request on December 12, 1776. Washington directed the Regiment's commander, Elisha Sheldon of Litchfield, Conn. to choose "gentlemen of true spirits and of good character." In the next five months, the Regiment was mustered and trained at Wethersfield, Conn. by Major Benjamin Tallmadge. On the 6th of June 1777, after hearing local pastor Judah Champion exhort them "to be the avenging angels of destiny", they rode to support Washington's New Jersey campaign.