Photo courtesy of Bill Jameson.

Hannah was the daughter of Samuel and Mary Brown Choate. She married Nathan Burnham on November 22, 1744 in Chebacco, Ipswich, Essex Co., MA. She died in Dunbarton, NH.

The following is from the History of Essex County, Massachusetts, edited by Duane Hamilton Hurd.

This letter was directed "To Nathan Burnham, of Chebacco, in Ipswich". One month after Lieutenant Nathan Burnham left for war, his wife received the following letter:

"Mrs. Burnham: I send you these lines to let you know the heavy news that you have to hear from the camp and I pray God give you grace and strength to hold up under such heavy tidings. The truth is, your husband, our lieutenant, Nathan Burnham, being in the fight at the narrows of Ticonderoga, July the 8th, 1758, received a ball in the bowels, which proved mortal. He came to me and told me that he was wounded and that he would soon be in eternity. I desired him to retreat down the hill. I followed him and found some help to carry him off the ground, namely, James Andrews, John Foster and Jeremiah Burnham. We carried him that night four miles to our boats. The doctor did what he could but vain was the help of man. Next day, being the ninth day upon our passage up the lake, about eleven o'clock, after many heavenly expressions and prayers, he departed this life and I believe, made a good exchange. Please tell Mrs. Low the same heavy news. Stephen Low, being in the same fight, was, without doubt, shot dead on the spot. We had not the opportunity to bring off our dead". NEHEMIA BURNHAM.

"Lieutenant Burnham desired me to take care of some things that he had with him, which I will do in the best manner I can. Our Captain Whipple is wounded in his left thigh. I hope he will soon be out again."

This Lieutenant Nathan Burnham was a son of Thomas, grandson of John and Great-grandson of Thomas, the second of the three Burnham brothers, early settlers. His wife's name was Hannah Choate.

The following is from Roderick H. Burnham's notice of Nathan Burnham's army service, in his "Burnham's Genealogy", published in 1879:
"Tradition has it that before leaving for the war he took his sword on his hand to try the metal and it broke. Turning to his wife, he said, ‘I shall never come back.' He went on but returned to pray with his family before taking final leave."

Chaplain Cleaveland, in his army journal, under date of July 9th, says: "This evening Lieut. Burnham (Nathan) was buried, having died upon the water, of his wound. I understood he inquired much for me, and desired to see me before he died, but I was in another bateau and could not be found, the lake being full of them."