Benjamin Radford was a Revolutionary War Soldier, and his service is verified by a letter in his pension file from commanding officer, William Lee: “…I was a Major of Colonel Glover's Continental Regiment in the Massachusetts line… and I have no doubt that Benjamin Radford, now of Portland, then of Marblehead… served as a non-commissioned officer in Captain Grant's Company in that Regiment all that year as well as the 8 months previous….” He also said Radford served in New York, New Jersey (NJ), and at the capture of the Hessians that was Washington's landmark victory on December 26, 1776, at Trenton, NJ.
At that time, Washington's army was on the verge of defeat. Morale was low, and the war was all but lost. Making matters worse, enlistments for many of Washington's regiments were soon to expire. From his camp on the west bank of the Delaware River, Washington devised a plan to launch a surprise attack on the Hessian garrison and selected Colonel John Glover and his 14th Regiment from Marblehead to ferry the Continental Army across the Delaware. Washington ordered the operation for Christmas night during a howling snowstorm. In spite of this, Glover's men prevailed and ferried the heavy boats across the river, setting the stage for victory. They played a key role in the successful attack and led the return trip across the Delaware for Washington's army and approximately 900 Hessian prisoners.
He is interred in a family tomb (Tomb 29) in Eastern Cemetery. It is decorated with an enormous marble monument, and several other family members (29 are recorded to be interred) are inscribed on its sides:
