Settled 1st in Mansfield, where his 2 elder children were born. Feb 1791, he removed to Otsego, then Montgomery County, NY, and was one of the early settlers of Burlington, where he remained until Sept 1823, when he removed to Ellicott, Chautauqua County, NY, where he continued to reside until his death. In 1802, made profession of religion, united with the Congregational church at Burlington. In 1867 had 7 children, 2 died in infancy, a son and a daughter. Two eldest daughters living and widows. Two youngest daughters died several years earlier, each leaving a number of children.
from JANA WELLMAN ULRICH, his descendant: Nathaniel and Rachel are two of my "favorite" ancestor finds; stories of his exploits in the Revolutionary war abound, he was an officer in the militia, an active politician and having lived to a ripe old age his last public act was to read the Declaration of Independence at the Jamestown NY Independence Day festivities in 1843 at the age of 80.
The Mansfield CT records record his birth and his marriage to Rachel who's family were also Windham County pioneers. He fought in the Revolutionary War having joined the Continental Army at age 17. Most of his first enlistment was spent in the state of New York. He went home in April of 1781 and promptly reenlisted and was stationed on the lines in Connecticut and New York. He enlisted a third time through the war's conclusion and was with the army at West Point where it was disbanded. He later noted that he received Settlement Notes for his service and managed to sell them for a grand total of $19. He was pensioned late in life (Revolutionary Pension Application #S13014) and his grave bears a US Service Memorial as a Private in Connecticut militia. The Statement of service certified by Commissioner of Pensions is all but unreadable. It does indicate that Nathaniel was credited with 2 months service in 1779 (as a substitute for Jacob Eaton), 8 months in 1780, 1 year in 1781 and 9 months in 1782, all three for enlistments. As a result, he was awarded a pension of "80 Dollars per Annum" on 21 October 1833 and received $240 for current and retroactive payment. He returned to Mansfield at the close of the war and lived there about 9 years, until 1791 when he moved to Otsego County NY. There he was active in politics and the local militia serving various local offices including Supervisor of Burlington (1815 - 1817) and attaining the rank of Colonel in the local militia. He was elected to the New York legislature from Burlington in 1815 (with Lemuel Fitch, Arunah Metcalf and Robert Roseboom) and again in 1818 (with Joshua Babcock, Stukeley Ellsworth, John Moore and David Tripp). In addition to politics and the military, the couple were active in the 1st Congregational Church at Burlington where Mrs. Rachel Fenton was one of the original members at its organization on 22 Feb 1797. Nathaniel joined in 1802 when he made a Profession of Faith. The Fenton genealogy, published in 1867 includes a story about Nathaniel that I can only assume was one he related. It seems he was out hunting in the winter and had brought along nothing but his dog and a gun. A blizzard hit and he was lost in the snow storm for three days. He "never fully recovered from the ordeal having suffered fifty hours in the woods". In 1823 the Fentons followed some of their children to what was then Ellicott, Chautauqua County NY. The 1875 History of that area describes how Poland Township, an area of "hilly upland" with "clay and sandy loam soil fed by Connewango and Cassadaga Creeks", was created from Ellicott in 1832. The history describes Nathaniel as follows: "Colonel Nathaniel Fenton, from Otsego County, about 1823, settled on lot 58. He was born in New England in 1763, married to Rachel Fletcher, and had 5 children: 1) Orilla, wife of William Smith, an early settler of Ellery; both deceased. 2.) Fanny, wife of General Horace Allen. 3.) Elsie, wife of Cyrus Coe, of Ellicott; both deceased. 4.) Richard F. who married Sally Ann Tew, of Otsego County; and after her death, a second wife. 5.) Fluvanna, who m. Sumner Allen, of Poland, and is deceased."
His obituary, published in the Jamestown newspapers at the time of his death in 1746 had much to say about Nathaniel: "Eulogy to a Revolutionary Soldier Nathaniel Fenton died in Jamestown January 25, 1846. He was 83 years old. He was born in Mansfield Connecticut on March 26, 1763. At the early age of six years, he left the parental roof and was subject to those ills which often fall to the unprotected. In his 17th year, he entered the Continental Army and spent the first period of his enlistment in the State of New York. He was part of several skirmishes and returned home at the end of his enlistment. He reenlisted in April and was stationed on the lines in Connecticut and New York. The most noted battle in which he took part was at Frog's Neck where the Americans suffered losses and were forced to retreat.. Fenton, assisting the wounded, was delayed in this retreat and hotly pursued by a mounted British officer. He shot the Brit's horse and escaped to return the following July where the Americans were this time victorious. He enlisted for a third time until the close of the war and was with the army at West point when it was disbanded. Through a misapprehension of a statement that he made, that he had never been in a general engagement with the enemy, it was stated at his funeral that he was not in any battle. It is true that while he was not in any of those distinguished contests which the pen of history records; yet he was in many, very many of those unnoted battles, which were so frequent in those times. To show the distress of the times, and how poorly the soldiers of the Revolution were paid for their sufferings and perils, it is only necessary to know all he obtained for his services was what were called "settlement notes", which availed him the meager sum of nineteen dollars. After his discharge, he returned to Connecticut, where he was married in 1790. The following year, he moved to Otsego ... which then was Montgomery County. While residing there, he was twice a member of the Legislature from that county. His children removed to Chautauqua county, which induced him to follow them in 1823. In 1826, Chautauqua sent him to the Assembly as one of her Representatives." (Note that dates in the obituary differ from official records of Mansfield and Otsego)
Nathaniel and Rachel are buried in Allen Cemetery, near daughter Elsie COE and her family. The gravestones are barely readable though a DAR Cemetery compilation say that they read "Fenton Col. Nathaniel Jan 25 1846 ae 83 yrs; Rachel Fenton Sept 1 1842 ae 76 years". They lie side by side and Nathaniel's grave is decorated with a DAR Revolutionary Plaque which says "Nathaniel Fenton d. 25 Jan 1846 Pvt - Conn Militia";