Increase was there when the American Revolution started. At about 5 a.m., on April 19 1775, 700 British Troops, on a mission to capture Patriot leaders and seize a Patriot arsenal, marched into Lexington to find 77 armed minutemen under Capt. John Parker waiting for them on the town's common green. British Major John Pitcairn ordered the outnumbered Patriots to disperse, and after a moments hesitation the American began to drift off the green. Suddenly, the "shot" heard around the world" was fired from an undetermined gun. When the brief Battle of Lexington ended, eight Americans lay dead or dying and 10 others were wounded. Only one British soldier was injured, but the American Revolution had begun.
Much has been said about his unusual name "Increase" and family history mentions there was a ship named "Increase". Earliest records of the ship tells us it left London, England In April 1635 with her Master Robert Lea and arrived in Massachusetts
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Their son Increase Jr. also served per his pension application papers (Inv. file 37164) of May 11, 1818. "In January 1777 he signed shipping papers as a marine for one year on the Continental ship Boston, commanded by Captain Hector McNeal in the Naval service of the U.S. He sailed from Boston in April 1977. On June 17,1777 on the Banks of the Newfoundland, took the British sloop of war Fox and Leadbetter was put on board the prize until July 7,1777 when they were recaptured by the British frigate Flora and ordered to Halifax. Detained there in prison until January 1778 when he with other prisoners was placed on the cartel ship Royal Bounty bound for Newport or New York. The prisoners succeeded in getting possession of the ship and arrives with her at Marble head, Mass., the latter part of January or first of February. He reported to the board of war and obtained the balance of his pay, having served more than twelve