From left are Rob Smith, Poland town supervisor; Karyn Okerlund, Allen Cemetery president; Jack Clark, Allen Cemetery superintendent; Paul Fardink and Jim White of the Sons of the American Revolution; Patty Warner, Allen Cemetery secretary; and Gayle Lyon, Allen Cemetery treasurer. Submitted photos

Revolutionary War soldiers interred in the Allen Cemetery were honored Saturday when the Allen Cemetery held its Memorial Day service led by Paul Fardink of the Sons of the American Revolution.

At the conclusion of the service, a dedication ceremony was held for the Patriot Burial marker that was granted to the cemetery by the Pomeroy Foundation for the four Revolutionary War veterans interred in the grounds. The four soldiers are Phineas Allen, Nathaniel Fenton, Elias Tracy, and Joshua Woodward.

Phineas Allen was born in 1758 and joined the Patriots in 1775 marching with the Connecticut forces and then later, enlisted again in 1777, for three more years. One of the battles he participated in was the battle of Monmouth in 1778 – a brutal day of intense heat, exhaustion and the limits of human strength and determination. Allen served quietly as a private soldier, one of many whose names are not always found in the history books but whose efforts made victory possible. He died in 1851, at the age of 93.

Born in 1763 in Connecticut, Nathaniel Fenton, at just 17 years old, enlisted in the Continental Army. He served as a private in multiple units during the war, narrowly escaping capture by British forces through quick thinking and bravery. After the war, he moved to New York and became a respected community leader, serving as a town supervisor, a member of the state Assembly and a militia colonel. He died at the age of 83 in 1846.

Elias Tracy was a young patriot whose service in the Revolution reflects both courage and quiet dedication. He was born in 1763 in Connecticut and in the summer of 1778 at just 15 years old, he answered the call of a nation struggling to define itself. He enlisted as a private and a drummer boy. The steady rhythm of a drum could mean the difference between unity and disorder, courage and retreat. After the war, he eventually settled in the town of Poland, New York and raised a family. He died in 1848 at the age of 85.

Joshua Woodward, a soldier whose courage helped shape the nation, was born in 1755 in Connecticut. In 1776, following the Battle of Lexington and Concord, he answered the alarm to march in defense of liberty. In 1776, he returned to fight with the Connecticut militia seeing action in the Battle of Long Island and the Battle of White Plains and later he answered the call during the British raid along the Connecticut coast. He returned for service again and again when his country needed him. After the war, he lived to the age of 89, passing away in 1844.

“These four Patriots reflect the spirit of the American Revolution, ordinary citizens rising to meet extraordinary challenges,” cemetery officials said in a news release. “Today, we stand in remembrance, we honor not only the service of these four men, but their sacrifice, perseverance and commitment to the cause of liberty. May we never forget the price that was paid for our independence, and may we always remember that these were four men of many who helped give birth to our nation. We are eternally grateful to the Pomeroy Foundation for donating this plaque in their honor and for everyone taking part in today’s ceremony to honor these four veterans. A special thank you to Paul Fardink, the Sons of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the American Revolution for participating in the dedication ceremony.”