Elijah Churchill
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Elijah Churchill, was a soldier for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Born in Enfield, Connecticut, a carpenter, he entered the 8th Connecticut Regiment as a private on July 7, 1775. On May 7, 1777, he re-enlisted for the duration of the war as a corporal in the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons, later the 2nd Legionary Corps, and was promoted to sergeant on October 2, 1780. He was cited for gallantry in action at Fort St. George near Brookhaven, New York on Long Island, in November 1780, and at Tarrytown, New York, in July 1781. He was awarded the Badge of Military Merit for the 1780 action, one of only three soldiers to receive the medal that later became the Purple Heart.
