Eighth Generation

484. Sergeant William Bille "Billa" ROOT (=) was born on 1 July 1756 in Coventry, Tolland County, CT.^45,62 He served in the military before 1776 in Delaware.^17,79,80 He served in the Revolutionary War and is depicted in the famous oil painting by Emanual Gottlieb Luetz of General George Washington crossing the Delaware River on 25 December 1776. Billa was Washington's close friend, advisor and confidant. He died on 5 February 1851 at the age of 94 in Farmersville, Cattaraugus County, NY.^11,45,62,81

"He served in the Revolutionary War. he first enlisted as 3rd Sergeant may 14, 1776 for one year in a militia company under Capt. James Dana, Lieutenants Wells and Stanley and Ensign Joseph Hale of Coventry. The company was mustered at Mansfield and proceeded to New London where they embarked for NY on June 1, 1776 to join Col. Andrew Ward's Regt. In August 1776, Root volunteered to join a party of Scouts to be sent over to Long Island, where they served until the day before the battle of Long Island. He rejoined Ward's Regt. at Kingsbridge and was at Westchester and White Plains, NY in General George Washington's army. Root was involved in several skirmishes during the battle of White Plains.

After the war, he went back to Coventry until about 1791, when he migrated to Oneida Co., NY with his father, brothers, sister, uncle, cousins, wife and children. He moved on to Denmark, Lewis Co. in 1811, to Farmersville, Cattaraugus Co. in 1831 and to Bushford, Allegany Co. in 1832, where he applied for a pension. See also: Richard Brenneman, Billa Root of Coventry, CT., "The American Genealogist" (Jan. 1983), 59:62."

Sergeant William Bille "Billa" ROOT (=) and Rebecca HAWKINS were married on 8 January 1778 in Coventry, Tolland County, CT.^11,45,62,79 Rebecca HAWKINS, daughter of Joseph HAWKINS and Sarah SOUTHWORTH, was born on 30 March 1758 in Coventry, Tolland County, CT.^11,62 She died on 29 June 1826 at the age of 68 in Denmark, Lewis County, NY.⁶²

Sergeant William Bille "Billa" ROOT (=) and Rebecca HAWKINS had the following children:

639	i.	Jerusha ROOT was born about October 1778 in Whitesboro, Oneida County, NY.^11,62
640	ii.	William "Billy" ROOT was born on 1 October 1780 in Coventry, Tolland County, CT.^11,62 He died on 4 April 1868 at the age of 87 in Chicago, Cook County, IL.⁶²
+641	iii.	Nehemiah ROOT (=).
642	iv.	Alpheus ROOT was born on 4 April 1785 in Coventry, Tolland County, CT.^11,62 He died on 16 April 1879 at the age of 94 in Carthage, Champion Township, Jefferson County, NY.⁶²
643	v.	Joseph ROOT was born about May 1787 in Coventry, Tolland County, CT.⁶² He died in May 1787 at the age of 0 in Coventry, Tolland County, CT.^11,62
644	vi.	Isabella ROOT was born about February 1791 in Coventry, Tolland County, CT.^11,62
645	vii.	George ROOT was born (date unknown).

Sergeant William Bille "Billa" ROOT (=) and Mary PROCTOR were married on 25 September 1826 in Denmark, Lewis County, NY.¹¹ Mary PROCTOR was born on 20 October 1770.¹¹ She died on 4 September 1853 at the age of 82.¹¹