Namock arrived in America as a private in the Lt.
Colonel’s Coy at Philadelphia on 11 July 1767. He remained with the Lt.
Colonel’s Coy for the trip overland to Ft. Pitt in the spring of 1768 and then
down the Ohio to Ft. Chartres. He was most likely stationed at Kaskaskia with
the Lt. Colonel’s Coy during at least part of 1769. On 25 October 1770, he was
transferred to the General’s Coy as a corporal. So, at least at the time, he
would have been in the good graces of Lt. Col. Wilkins who would have approved
of the promotion. He remained a corporal of the General’s Coy until reduced to
private on 7 March 1773.
He was transferred to the Grenadier Coy on 24
September 1773 and was present in Philadelphia with that company when it was
mustered on 21 January 1774. When the regiment was reorganized in October 1774
prior to leaving Philadelphia, Namock remained in the Grenadier Coy. Soon after
arrival in Boston, however, Namock got himself into some significant trouble.
He was arrested for robbery and tried on 18 November 1774. He was found guilty
of “disguising himself in colour’d
Cloaths. Absenting himself from Quarters & biding Guilty of Robbery.”[1]
For this he was to receive 800 lashes. However, he
deserted prior to being punished. His desertion date is listed as 25 January
1775. It is possible that he did receive some of his lashes and his desertion
made entering the rest of the sentence in the punishment book a moot issue.
