Who is Richard Edgerton Buell? {by Darlene K. Buell, March 1998}
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/3237/FAMILY.HTM

That is an interesting question that has me puzzled.  Unfortunately, he is the one person 
that my 'history' relies on.  

According to my line's Buell family history:

Richard "Edgarton" was married and had a little boy and girl.  He then went to the 
Revolutionary War.  However, when he returned, his wife and children could not be 
found.  He moved around New York looking for work, and came upon a farm owned 
by a man with the name Buell.  He became romantically involved with the farmer's only 
daughter, name unknown, under one condition set by the father: if the two were to marry, 
Richard must take the surname Buell in order to keep the property in the family name.  
With this new wife, Richard had 3 sons: Richard II born in 1790 (my ancestor), David in 1791, 
and Bonaparte in 1793.

According to Edgerton family history:

Richard Edgerton is the son of Jonathan Edgerton and Freedom Buell.  He went to the 
Revolutionary War.  After the war, he married Judith Graves and had a son, Henry, 
in 1788.  He left his wife in 1791, and is then seen with a new wife, Mary Wilford, 
and 3 sons.  These sons names were Richard, David, and Napolean Bonaparte.  
He may have also had a daughter.  


There are many similarities between the Richard Edgarton of my family's history and the 
Richard Edgerton of Edgerton family history: dates, names, places.  (It is
very possible my Great-Great Uncle's version of the story, the story that
was passed on through generations, is not completely true.  Richard took
his family to another county not long after the boys became old enough.
So, why would he have needed to take the name Buell from the farmer?  I
am also learning that many details of this document are not completely
true, but that can be expected from family stories!  See the file on corrections.)
  
However, there are some areas of discrepancy that lead to questions yet unanswered:

-	Did he leave his family during or after the war?  Henry's birth date of 1788 
would lead one to believe he really did not leave until after.

-	How could he have left his family in 1791, and had a son by his other wife 
in 1790?  Who knows the answer to that one!  It could be either family record 
is off by a little, or....  

-	Why did Richard leave his first family?  (If he didn't, I wouldn't be here!)

-	Why did Richard change his name, apparently to his mother's maiden name?  
Obviously not to keep the "Buell" property under that name. 

I am continuing to investigate Richard Edgerton Buell when possible.  I just wanted to clear up
some confusion that had been expressed to me.  I hope this helps, but if you have a question, 
please e-mail me.  I would love to hear from you! darlene.buell@frucon.com