USA > New York > Ulster County > Kingston > The history of Kingston, New York : from its early settlement to the year 1820 > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56
Articles of association as above were transmitted to the conven- tion from the several towns and precincts in the county, bearing the signatures of nearly all the male inhabitants and only a few re- fusals were recorded. The one circulated in the town of Kingston bore five hundred and sixty-five signatures, with thirty-three re- fusals recorded. A full copy of the return from Kingston, with the names of signers and refusals attached, will be found in the Appendix. For the convenience of the reader, and to facilitate the search for particular names, the signatures have been arranged in alphabetical order, which is not the case in the original. In other respects, it is a true copy.
The Continental Congress in deliberating upon the conduct of the war, which was now fully inaugurated, concluded it would be a wise stroke of policy to make the contest in a measure aggressive on their part, and not continue it wholly on the defensive. At that time Canada was in a poor situation to resist an invading army, as many of her citizens were favorably inclined to the col- onies, and a large portion of her population being of French descent, were consequently supposed not to entertain any particular parti- ality for Great Britain. The English garrisons within her bor- ders had been greatly weakened and depleted by transfers made to Boston. The time was therefore considered auspicious for the invasion.
It was also well understood that General Carlton, the English Governor of Canada, was a man of great energy and force, and was greatly distinguished as a military officer, and that he was dili- gently exerting all his powers to stir up not only the Canadians, but the Indians as well, in hostility to the Americans, and neither gold nor promises were spared to attain this object. It was there- fore considered that if the invasion should be postponed for an- other year, the prejudicial seeds of Carlton's sowing might take root, and besides, England would by that time have placed the country in a perfect state of defence, and in condition to be used as a base from which to attack the colonies in the rear.
The Continental Congress, therefore, determined on an immedi- ate invasion of the Canadas, and called upon the province of New York to furnish four regiments of troops, to be enlisted in the Continental service for the term of six months, to constitute a part
170
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
of the invading forces. Measures were at once taken to comply with the requirements, and the regiments were soon enlisted.
The Provincial. Congress then, by resolution, on the 30th day of June, 1775, fixed the order and relative rank of the several New York regiments, and appointed a committee to determine the rank and order of the captains and inferior officers of the several companies composing the respective regiments.
The order and relative rank of the several regiments, and also of the captains and inferior officers of the Ulster County regiment, were settled and arranged, as follows :
FIRST New York Regiment, Alexander McDougall, Colonel ; Rudolphus Ritzema, Lieutenant-Colonel ; Herman Zedtz- witz, Major.
SECOND Albany Regiment, Goose Van Schaick, Colonel ; Peter Yates, Lieutenant-Colonel ; Peter Gansevoort, Jr., Major.
THIRD (Ulster Regiment), James Clinton, Colonel ; Cornelius D. Wynkoop, Lieutenant-Colonel ; Henry Livingston, Jr., Major ; George L. Schruter, Adjutant ; James Hamilton, Quartermaster.
FOURTH, James Holmes, Colonel ; Philip Van Cortlandt, Lieuten- ant-Colonel ; Barnabas Tuthill, Major; Job Mulford, Adjutant ; Benjamin Chapman, Quartermaster.
The Third or Ulster County Regiment, as it was called, was en- listed in Ulster and Orange counties, and was composed of ten companies, arranged and officered as follows :
FIRST Company, Daniel Griffen, Captain ; Benjamin Marvin, First Lieutenant ; Nathaniel Horton, Second Lieutenant.
SECOND Company, John Nicholson, Captain ; David Du Bois, First Lieutenant ; James Grieg, Second Lieutenant.
THIRD Company, John Hulbert, Captain ; John Davis, First Lieu- tenant ; William Havner, Second Lieutenant.
FOURTH Company, Lewis Du Bois, Captain ; Elias Van Benschoten, Jr., First Lieutenant, and Andrew T. Lawrence, Second Lieutenant.
FIFTH Company, John Grinnell, Captain ; Samuel Smith, First Lieutenant ; Alexander Ketchem, Second Lieutenant.
SIXTH Company, Andrew Billings, Captain ; Ezekiel Cooper, First Lieutenant ; John Langdon, Second Lieutenant.
SEVENTH Company, Jacobus Bruyn, Captain ; Thomas De Witt, First Lieutenant ; Albert Pawling, Second Lieutenant.
EIGHTHI Company, Daniel Denton, Captain ; Balthazar Dehart, First Lieutenant ; George Hamilton Jackson, Second Lieutenant.
NINTH Company, Elias Hasbrouck, Captain ; Cornelius T. Jansen, First Lieutenant ; Petrus Roggen, Second Lieutenant.
-
171
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
TENTH Company, Robert Johnson, Captain ; Philip Du Bois Bevier, First Lieutenant ; William Martin, Second Lieutenant.
Samuel Cooke, Surgeon ; John Stephenson, Mate.
These regiments were well armed and equipped, and each had its own peculiar uniform. The uniform of the Third or Ulster Regiment consisted of a gray coat with green cuffs and facings. The waistcoat was of Russia drilling, long, and reaching to the hips ; the breeches were also of drilling and short to the knee ; the stockings were long, reaching to the knee, were woollen, and of home knitting ; the shoes were low ; they wore linen cravats, and a low-crowned felt hat with a very broad brim. The regi- ments were distinguished from each other by the color of the coat and facings.
On the 11th day of August, the Provincial Congress passed a resolution directing Colonels McDougall, Clinton, and Holmes, re- spectively, to march to Albany with all convenient speed, with their respective commands, and there await the directions of their general officer or officers.
The aforesaid regiments were brigaded under General Mont- gomery, and were with him in all his movements, and were follow- ing him to the assault at Quebec, when he fell mortally wounded. The New York regiments continued there until the expiration of the term of their enlistment, enduring the terrible trials and hard- ships of a winter campaign in that severe latitude. About the time the term of their enlistment expired, an effort was made to have them re-enlist, but most of them declined to do so. Out of the entire brigade, only a sufficient number re-enlisted to form a single regiment.
Most of the officers, on their return home, continued in the service of their country with other commands, and many of them received well-earned promotion, as will appear in subsequent parts of this narrative.
On the Sth day of July, 1775, the Provincial Congress, after transacting the particular business that was pressing before them, determined to take a recess for a fortnight. In order that nothing essential for the public weal should be neglected, they appointed a committee to sit and act during the recess, with comprehensive powers equal almost to their own, and it was styled the " Com- mittee of Safety." It consisted of three members from the city of New York, and one member from each of the other counties-New York to have two votes, and the other counties each one vote. Such other members of the Congress as might be in attendance might join in the vote of their respective counties, or give such vote in the absence of the member appointed. Such practice was continued in subsequent Congresses and conventions of New York,
1
172
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
until the adoption of the Constitution, so that there was no inter- regnum in executive power, although there was no governor.
The resolution of the Congress in regard to the powers of the committee, was as follows : " Resolved that all the said votes, or a major part thereof, shall constitute such committee. And that the said committee, when met, shall be empowered to open all let- ters directed to the said Congress and to answer the same ; that · they be further empowered to take such measures, as they shall think proper, to carry into execution all orders of the Continental Congress, and all resolutions and recommendations of this Congress, and to comply with any requisitions made by the generals of the Continental army, or any of them as far as they shall think proper."
In August, 1775, the Provincial Congress made arrangements for the reorganization of the militia throughout the province. And by that arrangement four regiments of Ulster County and five regi- ments of Orange County were to form a brigade. On the 2d day of September, 1775, the Provincial Congress, by resolution, desig- nated as field officers of the four Ulster County regiments the fol- lowing :
First. Colonel Johannis Hardenbergh, Lieutenant - Colonel Abraham Hasbrouck, Major Johannis Snyder, Major Jonathan Elmendorf, Adjutant Petrus J. Elmendorf, Quartermaster Abra- ham A. Hasbrouck.
Second. Colonel James Clinton, Lieutenant-Colonel James Claughry, Major Jacob Newkirk, Major Moses Phillips, Adjutant George Denniston, Quartermaster Alexander Trimble.
Third. Colonel Levi Pawling, Lieutenant-Colonel Jacob Hoorn- beek, Major Johannis Cantine, Major Joseph Hasbrouck, Adjutant David Bevier, Quartermaster Jacobus Bruyn, Jr.
Fourth. Colonel Jonathan Hasbrouck, Lieutenant - Colonel Johannis Hardenbergh, Jr., Major Johannis Garisen, Jr., Major Lewis Du Bois, Adjutant Abraham Schoonmaker, Quartermaster Isaac Belknap.
The commissions were afterward duly issued to the officers above named, and were respectively dated October 25th, 1775.
The following is the return of officers for the town of Kingston company organizations :
BEAT No. 1. Evert Bogardus, Captain ; Daniel Graham, First Lieutenant ; Anthony Freer, Second Lieutenant ; Johannis Persen, Ensign.
No. 2. Moses Cantine, Jr., Captain ; Philip Swart, First Lieu- tenant ; Abraham G. Van Aken, Second Lieutenant ; Hendricus Teerpenning, Ensign.
No. 3. Matthew Dederick, Captain ; Evert Wynkoop, Jr., First
173
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
Lieutenant ; Petrus Eygenaer, Second Lieutenant ; Hendrick Myer, Ensign.
No. 4. John L. De Witt, Captain ; Petrus Osterhoudt, First Lieutenant ; Tobias Myer, Second Lieutenant ; Petrus Brink, Ensign.
No. 5. Hendrick Schoonmaker, Captain ; Edward Schoon- maker, First Lieutenant ; Edward Whitaker, Second Lieutenant ; Isaac Burham, Ensign.
Return of a company of horse for the town of Kingston :
Philip Houghteling, Captain ; Silvester Salisbury, First Lieu- tenant ; Petrus Mynderse, Second Lieutenant ; Cornelius C. New- kirk, Cornet ; Cornelius J. Du Bois, First Quartermaster ; James Roe, Second Quartermaster.
The letter of which the following is a copy was written by Daniel Graham to the Hon. Charles De Witt, and contains an in- teresting account of some occurrences in the city of New York :
" KINGSTON Aug 27, 1775.
" SIR
" Rec'd yours of yesterday date and observe the contents. Mr Wm. Eltinge's Son John has come home from New York, which. place he left Thursday at five in the evening, by whom we have an exact account of what happened between the King's ship in the harbor and the citizens there The congress it seems had agreed that the cannon on the battery should be removed, which they agreed to do with the greatest secrecy, but such is the unhappy situation of that city, that there is nothing can be kept a secret, even the Congress itself. However on Wednesday, at 10 or 11 o'clock at night, the People went in order to move the cannon, but soon were discovered and fired on by the Asia's barge, which was immediately returned by our People briskly, soon after the man- of-war began to play upon them. One man in the barge was killed, three of our People wounded, but likely to do well. After a considerable firing, upon the city and battery, and doing a great deal of damages to sundry houses, the firing ceased till morning, when the Captain of the Asia sent a letter ashore, to the Mayor of the City, to know whether it was the sense of the Congress that the Cannon should be moved, or only a party of men without the direction of the Congress ; but received no answer. He sent a sec- ond letter and had no answer. He sent a third, and declared if he was not answered, he would on Friday morning set fire to the city. We have no account since that time. Capt John Elmendorf was to set out for home from New York yesterday, by whom I expect we shall have further accounts of the matter. Eltinge says the city was in the utmost confusion, women and children moving out with
1
174 .
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
all speed. The People, however, moved the cannon from the bat- tery, and have secured them.
" It is thought the Rev Auchmooty's son and Sheriff Roberts' son acquainted the man-of-war of the removing of the cannon from the battery, as those young gentlemen are missing, since that time and not to be found.
"Sir, your very humble Serv't
" DANIEL GRAHAM."
To Charles Dewitt Esq
At a meeting of the committee of the town of Kingston, on the 5th of September, 1775, Egbert Dumond informed the committee that the sloop of Christian Bergen, Jr., of Dutchess County, lying near the east shore of Hudson River, was taking freight on board to supply the king's troops or the men-of-war now lying at New York. Captain John Elmendorf was thereupon ordered to pro- ceed with a detachment and seize the sloop and bring her to Kings- ton landing in the Rondout Creek.
Captain John Elmendorf subsequently reported that he had seized the sloop as commanded, and brought her safe to Kingston landing.
At a meeting held on the 17th of November, 1775, the following gentlemen were elected delegates to the Provincial Congress, to serve until the 10th day of May next ensuing :
Henry Wisner, Matthew Rae, Dirck Wynkoop, Jr., Matthew Cantine, Andries De Witt, Andries Lefever, Thomas Palmer, and Samuel Brewster. The meeting resolved that three of the deputies, appearing in Congress at one time, shall be entitled to act and give their votes for the county.
On the 8th of November, 1775, the Continental Congress re- solved that a commander with the rank of colonel be appointed to take command of the fortifications in the Highlands on Hudson River, and that the convention of New York be recommended to empower such commander to call together two hundred men of the militia of Orange, Ulster, and Dutchess counties, and one company of artillery from the city of New York, to be stationed in the Highlands until relieved. They further resolved that a number of the militia of the counties of Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster, be formed into independent companies under the direction of the commander of said fortresses, and in case of alarm be directed to repair to the several stations in the Highlands, which, in order to prevent confusion, should be immediately assigned to them.
These resolutions arriving during the recess, the Committee of Safety forwarded instructions to said counties for each county to raise sixty-seven men to fulfil the requirement.
175
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
On the 19th day of December, 1775, it was ordered that George Clinton be appointed brigadier-general of the militia of Orange and Ulster counties formed into one brigade, and that a commission issue accordingly.
On the 21st day of December, 1775, the following appointments were made of officers of the minute men in Ulster County :
Of the Southern regiment :
Thomas Palmer, Colonel ; Thomas Johnson, Jr., Lieutenant- Colonel ; Arthur Parks, First Major ; Samuel Logan, Second Major ; Sovereign Bruyn, Adjutant ; Isaac Belknap, Quarter- master.
Of the Northern regiment :
Charles De Witt, Colonel ; Andrius De Witt, Jr., Lieutenant- Colonel ; Christopher Tappen, First Major ; Cornelius E. Wyn- koop, Second Major; Oke Sudam, Adjutant; Cornelius I. Elinen- dorf, Quartermaster.
February 5th, Sovereign Bruyn declined the appointment of adjutant in the Southern regiment of minute men.
On the 13th of February, the field officers of the Northern regi- ment of militia for Ulster County were appointed as follows :
Abraham Hasbrouck, Colonel ; Johannis Snyder, Lientenant- Colonel ; Jonathan Elmendorf and Adrian Wynkoop, Majors ; Abraham A. Hasbrouck, Adjutant, and" John Van Dusen, Jr., Quartermaster.
Under date of March 13th, 1776, the following memorandum appears upon the legislative minutes : " A long letter from Colo. Abraham Hasbrouck, at Kingston, in Ulster County, alleging that he is superseded in his rank as an officer in the militia, was read and filed."
Immediately following the above-mentioned memorandum, appears another, as follows :
" Another very long letter from said Colo Abraham Has- brouck, Johannis Snyder, and the other gentlemen lately appointed to be field and staff officers of that regiment was also read and filed.
"The gentlemen who wrote the last above-mentioned letters, amongst many other childish reasons therein contained, for return- ing their commissions, have assigned the two following. First as they are called officers of the Northern Regiment of Ulster County, and secondly, that their commissions bear test on the date pos- terior to the date of many inferior officers of their regiment."
The Provincial Congress, the next day, the 14th of February, had the aforesaid letters under consideration, and adopted a com- munication addressed to Jacobus Bruyn, Esq., Chairman of the Committee of Ulster County, in which, among other things, is
176
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
stated : " There appears to be a great dissatisfaction among the field officers, and the Colonel declines serving by reason of your altering the name of his regiment, and our appointing George Clinton, Esquire brigadier-general of the Militia of Ulster and Orange Counties.
" We enclose you six blank commissions, which you will fill up for such persons as you conceive best qualified, being previously as- sured, that the persons you appoint will serve, and that their poli- tical sentiments are friendly to American Liberty."
At a meeting of the Ulster County Committee, held at New Paltz on the 19th of January, 1776, in reference to a dispute and difficulty in regard to the field officers of the Northern regiment of Ulster County, the committee, having taken into consideration . the matters referred to them by a majority of voices, ordered the following persons to be recommended : Abraham Hasbrouck, Colonel ; Johannis Snyder, Lieutenant-Colonel ; Jonathan Elmen- dorf and Adrian Wynkoop, Majors ; Abraham A. Hasbrouck, Adjutant ; John Van Dusen, Quartermaster.
Mr. Abraham Hasbrouck continuing to feel aggrieved at the appointment of George Clinton as brigadier-general in preference to himself, persisted in his refusal to serve as colonel. The regiment was finally officered in the manner indicated by the following return :
Kingston, May 1, 1776 .- The following return was made of the First Regiment of militia of foot in Ulster County :
Colonel Johannis Snyder,
Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Elmendorf,
1st Major Andrieaen Wynkoop,
- 2nd Major Philipus Houghteling, Adjutant Abraham Hasbrouck, Quartermaster John Van Dusen, Jr.
Lieut.
Ensign. Non Com'd. Privates.
1st Captain Evert Bogardus
2
1
8
68
2d
Jan L. De Witt.
2
1
8
50
3d
66 Hendrick Schoonmaker.
2
1
8
.50
·4th
66 Mattys Dederick
1
0
8
48
5th Lucas De Witt 66
2
1
8
59
6th
66 Moses Cantyn
2
1
8
60
7th 66
Gerardus Hardenbergh.
2
1
8
50
-
13
6
56
385
On the 19th day of January, 1776, the Continental Congress called for four battalions of troops, of which Ulster County was required to furnish three companies. Those companies were speedily enlisted for short terms under the command, respectively, of Captains John Belknap, of New Windsor, William Jackson, of Montgomery, and Cornelius Hardenbergh, of Hurley. They were assigned to the Second Regiment, commanded by Colonel James Clinton. That regiment was assigned to the defence of New York, and participated in some of the battles connected with that service.
177
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
Thomas Colden, sheriff of the county of Ulster, having given public notice that he had received the king's proclamation, and intended reading it in public at St. Andrew's Church on the 2d of December, 1775, the commanding officer of the regiment in that precinct, at the request of the committee, ordered out four com- panies of his regiment to meet at the church at that time. All the officers, with most of their men, attended, except Captain Cad- wallader Colden, Jr. Three companies of minute men were also in attendance.
The sheriff, upon their demand, refrained from reading the proc- lamation, and publicly signed and read a declaration by which he declared, in substance, that he was sorry for his action, and would for the future act and behave as a friend to the measures adopted by the united colonies, and would thereafter, when required by the committee, aid and assist in carrying into execution the resolves of the Continental and Provincial Congresses. .
Governor Tryon, from his place of refuge on board a British war vessel, circulated the following address :
" To the Inhabitants of the Colony of New York
"I take this public manner to signify to the Inhabitants of this Province, that his Majesty has been graciously pleased to grant me his Royal permission to withdraw from the government ; and at the same time to assure them of my readiness to perform every service, in my power, to promote the common felicity. If I am ex- cluded from every hope of being in any ways instrumental toward the re-establishment of that harmony at present interrupted between Great Britain and her Colonies, I expect soon to be obliged to avail myself of his Majesty's indulgence.
" It has given me great pain to view the Colony committed to my care, in such a turbulent state as not to have afforded me since my arrival any prospect of being able to take the dispassionate and deliberate sense of its Inhabitants, in a constitutional manner, upon the resolution of Parliament for composing the present ferments in the Provinces. A resolution that was intended for the basis of an accommodation, and if candidly considered, in a way in which it will be most probably successful, and treated with that delicacy and decency requisite to the cultivation of a sincere reconciliation and friendship, might yet be improved for the purpose of restoring the general tranquillity and security of the Empire.
"I owe it to my affection to this Colony to declare my wish that some measure may be speedily adopted for this purpose ; as I feel an extreme degree of anxiety, in being witness to the grow- ing calamities of this country, without the power to alleviate them ; calamities that must increase, while so many of the inhab-
12
178
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
itants withhold their allegiance from their sovereign, and their obedi- ence to the parent country ; by whose power and patronage they have been hitherto sustained and protected
" WILLIAM TRYON
" SHIP DUCHESS OF GORDON HARBOUR OF NEW YORK, 4th Dec 1775."
It will be recollected that the last legislative Assembly of the province of New York, containing a majority of Tories, was pro- rogued from time to time after their last meeting, but not dis- solved. On the 4th of January, 1776. the Committee of Safety hav- ing ascertained that the governor had dissolved the Assembly, and issued writs for another election, but withheld the publication of the same, presumably to elect a Tory house by a kind of snap judgment, addressed the following communication to the chair- men of the respective county committees, and forwarded a copy to Dirck Wynkoop, Esq., at Kingston :
"NEW YORK January 2, 1776
" SIR-We are well informed that the late General Assembly of this Colony is dissolved, and that writs are already made out for the election of Representatives in the several counties, so early that they may meet in General Assembly at New York on the 14th of next month, and that they will be summoned to meet on that day. Government has thought proper, as yet, to delay the publica- tion of the dissolution of the late Assembly. We will not take upon ourselves to assign any reasons for this secrecy, you may easily conjecture the cause. We have thought it our indispensable duty, to give you the above intelligence, that you and the friends of Liberty in your county may not be taken unaware, and sur- prised into an election without time to consult and to prepare for it. We pray you to speak to the leading friends of Liberty in your county ; get some of them to meet and determine on men of real spirit and integrity, and friends to their country, to represent you in this perilous day. When you have fixed on proper men, let no time be lost in taking every necessary care and pains to secure their election."
Whether it was a false alarm or not the election was not held, but the legislative Assembly was, in fact, dissolved.
In 1775 Kingston and Ulster County had only heard the notes of war and bloodshed from afar. Some of her sons, it is true, had gone bravely forth to the battlefield to stay the progress of the invading forces, but her soil had not yet been trampled on. Now, closer quarters were approaching, and the character of the contest changing. Hitherto the contest had been that of resistance to the
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.