Schenectady County, New York: After the Revolution - Close of the Century - Austin A. Yates

[This information is derived from Chapter IX (pp. 109-119) of Austin A. Yates' Schenectady County, New York: Its History to the Close of the Nineteenth Century (1902). Thanks to Carol Di Crosta for data entry help with this page.]

The Revolution had dealt far more gently with Schenectady than the Colonial Wars. She had her dead to mourn, sorrows for which the only compensation was the honorable names that left their fragrance as the grass grew greener over the graves in the old Dutch graveyard in Green Street, or on their unknown little homes unmarked but not far away.

The survivors came back to rejoice in the independence of this infant land, but to suffer also in the poverty and depression that settled down heavily on a country with no money but rags, but little experienced in self-government. Not one of those infant industries that we have been of late so generously fostering till they have been nurtured into gigantic dimensions, existed. New names with no Holland gutteral or Dutch melody in them, began to be known and honored.

Gallant soldiers, officers and men, were in these regiments. Col. Abram Wemple did magnificent service. Cornelius Van Dyke, lieutenant colonel of the First New York Continental, Gen. Philip Schuyler's veteran regiment. John Graham, father of the late Mrs. Sarah and Deborah Graham of Washington Avenue, and Major Thornton, were men who achieved high renown.

These officers were all brave, rigid disciplinarians, and brought their regiment to such perfection of drill and soldierly bearing, that the First Veteran New York had not superior in the American army. It is not my intention to follow this old regiment through the early incidents of the Revolution; to speak of their brilliant gallantry at Saratoga and on the plains of Monmouth; but, as derived from actors in the events, such was the estimate of their steadiness and valor, that, on the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga, Nicholas Van Rensselaer, one of its captains, a grandson of old Patroon Hendrick was deputed by General Gates to carry a captured flag and the news of the surrender to the anxious citizens of Albany. A regiment so brave, that at the storming of Stony Point, July 16th, 1779, General Wayne placed this regiment in the front; and on the storming of the two redoubts a Yorktown, late in the afternoon of the 14th of October, 1781, where, to excite a spirit of emulation, the reduction of the one was committed to the French under the Baron deViomesnil, and the other to the Americans under the Marquis Lafayette. Colonel Hamilton himself, of New York, led the advanced corps of the Americans, selecting for a part of his column a detachment of Van Schaick's veteran regiment, (First New York, under Major Graham). These troops rushed to the charge without firing a gun, and, passing over the abattis and palisades, assaulted the works on all sides, and entered with such rapidity that the redoubt was immediately carried with inconsiderable loss. The redoubt attacked by the French was defended by a greater number of men and therefore occupied more time in its reduction.

Then, too, Major John Thornton of Schenectady was an officer in the Revolutionary struggle, full of daring, a hero at Saratoga, and a veteran. This was the father of the late Mrs. Volney Freeman of our place and of the late Col. William A. Thornton of the regular army.

It must be borne in mind that the militia in the day of the Revolution was not like the militia of any more modern days. They were fighters, and did as much in battle as any troop. The following is the Controller's report. (New York in the Revolution page 9)

The extensive fighting done within our borders, brought into active and honorable service branches of military, which, in colonies where no fighting was done, were relieved. Our militia were the heroes of many hotly contested fields. The battle of Oriskany, in its percentages of killed and wounded, the bloodiest battle of the war, was won by the militia, and Burgoyne's surrender thereby made sure. The militia bore a highly honorable part in the ever memorable battle of Saratoga. But many men undoubtedly performed splendid service in the emergencies which called out the militia, and then retired quietly to their homes, leaving no record of their service which can now be found.

Again, the portions of New York occupied by the whites were surrounded on almost all sides by tribes of hostile Indians, who were incited and led by still more savage whites. Brant was sometimes humane, but Butler never. The Hurons had inherited from many preceding generations the disposition to make hostile raids upon the territory of their ancient foes, the Iroquois. At the breaking out of the war the influence of Sir William Johnson over the tribes of the Iroquois was almost boundless. His position as Indian agent had brought him into close relations with these tribes, and this position he seems to have honorably used and to have succeeded in convincing them that he was their friend. His mantle, at his death, fell upon his son, Sir John, and his son-in-law, Col. Guy Johnson, and that they used their influence to the fullest extent to stir up Indian hostility to the patriotic citizens west of Albany, is a sad page in the history of the war. It required something more or less than patriotism to induce the frontiersman, to leave his family with the prospects before them of that most horrible of frontier experiences, an Indian raid.

Col. Abraham Wemple was the most prominent commander connected with the Schenectady regiment, and from "Archives of New York, The Revolution, in the Adjutant General's office, the following roll of the regiment is taken as given below. In this regiment only the Schenectady names are given:

Col. Abraham Wemple
Lieut. Col. Christopher Yates
Major Abraham Swits
Major Myndert M. Wemple
Adjutant John Van Drussen
Quartermaster Gerrit G. Lansing
Quartermaster Myndert Wemple

CAPTAINS

Thomas B. Bancker
Jellis Fonda
John Mynderse
Abraham Oothout
Jacob Schermerhorn
Abraham Van Eps
John Van Patten
Jesse Van Slyck
Gerrit S. Veeder
Thomas Wasson

LIEUTENANTS

Nicholas Barhydt
Jellis A. Fonda
William Moore
Jacobus Peek
John Roseboom
Jacob Sullivan
John Thornton
Daniel Toll
Andries Van Patten
Cornelius A. Van Slyck
Philip D. Van Vorst
Arent S. Vedder
Francis Vedder
Philip Vedder
Gerrit S. Veeder Jr.
Walter Vrooman
Lawrence Vrooman
Myndert A. Wemple
Jellis Yates

ENSIGNS

Teunis Swart
Abraham J. Truax
Cornelius Z. Van Sanford
Myndert R. Wemple

Additional names on State Treasurer's pay books

Lieut. Robert Alexander
Lieut. Robert McMichael
Lieut. John B. Vrooman
Ensign Alexander Crawford
Ensign Fram'r Schermerhorn

ENLISTED MEN

Cornelius Barhout
Cornelius Barhydt
Jacob Barhydt
James Barhydt
John Barhydt
Lewis Barhydt
Tunes Barhydt
Andrew Barope
John Barope
Thomas Barope
Lewis Berherdt
Tunes Berherdt
Aaron A. Bradt
Anthony A. Bradt
Aphrieam Bradt
Arent A. Bradt
Arent S. Bradt (twice)
Aron Bradt
Chas. Bradt
Cornelius Bradt
Elias Bradt
Ephraim Bradt
Gerret Bradt
Jacobus A. Bradt
Jacobus S. Bradt
John Bradt
John S. Bradt
Mindart Bradt
Samuel Bradt
Samuel S. Bradt (twice)
John Brougham
Symon Brougham
Hendrick Brouwen
Richard Brower
Abraham Buys
James Buys
Barrett Cain
Peter William Caine
Warrant Caine
Daniel Campbell
Henry Caurl
John Caurl
Asswerus Christianse
Isaac Christianse
Arent Clement
Eldert Clement
Johannes Clement
John Clement
Peter Clement
Bartholomew Clute
Daniel Clute
Frederick Clute
Isaac Clute
Jacob Clute (twice)
Jacob P. Clute
John Clute
John B. Clute
John Curtis Clute
John F. Clute
Peter Clute
Petrus Clute
Adam Conde (twice)
Simon Connor
Manuel Consale
David Consalus
David Consaul
John Corl
John Crawford
Joseph Crawford
Isaac Criesteionse
James DeGollie
James DeGollier
Joseph DeGollier
Abraham DeGraff
Andrew DeGraff
Connels DeGraff
Jesse DeGraff
John DeGraff
John N. DeGraff
Simon DeGraff
William DeGraff
Abraham Dorne
John Dorne
Abraham Douw
John Duncan Jr.
Caleb Farly
Jelles P. Fonda
John Fort
John D. Forte
William Gerdner
Isaac Glen
Jacob Glen
John Glen
John S. Glen
Charles Gorden
Robert Gorden
Joseph Gordon
William Gordon
Abraham Gregg
Andrew Gregg (twice)
James Gregg
Abraham C. Groat
Amos Groat
Andrew Groat
Cornelius Groat
Simon Groat
Abraham Groot
Abraham A. Groot
Simon C. Groot
Abraham C. Grot
Cornelius Grot
Harmanus Hagadorn
Alexander Hanna
Alexander Hannon
Peter Hare
Henyost Helmer
Abraham Josling
John Kennedy
John Kennedy Jr.
Samuel Kennedy
Daniel Kittle
David Kittle
John Kittle
William Kittle
John Lambert
Abraham G. Lansing
Cornelius Lansing
Gerrit Lansing
John Lansing
John C. Lansing
John G. Lansing
Abraham Lighthall
Abraham W. Lighthall
George Lighthall
Nicholas Lighthall
David Little
Thomas Little
Abraham Lythall
Abraham W. Lythall
David Lythall
William Lythall
Albert Mabee
Arent Mabee
Cornelius Mabee (twice)
John Mabee
John Mabee Jr.
Peter Mabee
John J. Mabie
Aront Mabie
Patrick Mabie
Peter Mabie
Cornelius Maby
Alexander McMichael
Daniel McMichael
James McMichael
Peter McMichael
James McQuean
Ahasweras Marselis
John Marselis
John Marselus
Gilrt Marselus
Charles Martin
John Maseles
Albert Mebie
Juiter Mebie
Arent Merseles
Egsbert Merseles
Gysbert Merseles
Henry Merseles
Alexander Mersilus
John Mersilus
Harmen Mynderse
John Mynderse
John R. Mynderse
Laurence Mynderse
Arent Ouderkerk
George Passage
George Passage Jr.
Oliver Patterson
Thomas Patterson
Jess Peak
Arect Peck
Cornelius Peck
Daniel Peck
Henry Peck
Jacobus Peck
Jacobus Vedder Peck
James J. Peck (twice)
Jesse Peck
Joseph Peck
John Peck
Lewes Peck
Lewis Peck
Arent Peeck
Christopher Peeck (twice)
Cornelius Peeck
Cornelius C. Peeck
Harmanus Peeck
Harmanus H. Peeck
Harmanus J. Peeck
Henry H. Peeck
Jacobus Peeck
Jacobus H. Peeck
John Peeck
John J. Peeck
Joseph Peeck
Lewis Peeck
Christopher Peeck
Daniel Peeck
John J. Peeke
Harmanus Peterson
Herman Peterson
Charles Petterson
Oliver Petterson
Thomas Petterson
Thomas Phillips
Samuel Pruyne
Aaron Putman
Arent Putman
Arent L. Putman
Aron L. Putman
Cornelius Putman
Cornelius L. Putman
John Putman
Gradus Quack
Generadous Quackenbos
John Quackenbos
John Reises
Cornelius Ryckerman
Cornelius Rykman
Jacobus Ryley
John Robison
Elias Rosa
Isaac Rosa
John Rosa
John T. Rosa
Jacobus Rylie
Philip Rylie
Andro Rynex
Andrew Rynex
John Rynex
Richard Rynex
David Sacie
John Sanders
Andrew Schermerhorn
Andris Schermerhorn
Aurent Schermerhorn
Barnadus Schermerhorn
Garret Schermerhorn
Henry J. Schermerhorn
Jacob Schermerhorn
Jacob J. Scheremerhorn
John Schermerhorn
John J. Schermerhorn
Nicholas Schermerhorn
Reijer Schermerhorn
Richard Schermerhorn
Ryer Schermerhorn
Rykert Schermerhorn
Simen Schermerhorn
Simon Schermerhorn
Reuben Schuyler
John Shannon
William Shannon
Thomas Shennon
Christian Shutes
John Smealle
John Smilie
Gerrit Spitcher
Arent Spitser
Gerret Spitser
George Staley
Jacob Stayley
John Stevens
Daniel Steward
David Steward
George Steward
James Steward
Daniel Stewart
John Stewart (twice)
James Stuart
Jacobus Swart
James Swart
Nicholas Swart
Henry Swits
Jacob Swits
Jacob Swits Jr.
Jacob A. Swits
Jacob J. Swits
Ruben Symons
Jacobus Teller
John Teller
William Teller
Jacob Ten Eyck
Myndert S. Ten Eyck
Isaac Terwilliger
Jacobus Terwilliger
Solomon Terwilliger
James Thornton
Thomas Thornton
Charles Toll
John Toll
Abraham Truax
Abraham J. Truax
Abraham P. Truax
John Trumball
Garret Van Antwerp
Peter Van Antwerp
Peter A. Van Antwerp
Simon Van Antwerp
Simon J. Van Antwerp
John Van Antwerpe
Peter Van Benthuysen
Abraham N. Van DeGraff
Joseph Van Der Bogart
Nicholas Van Der Bogart
Daniel Van Derhyden
David Van Derhyden
Daniel Van Derhyder
David Van Derhyder
Cornelius Van Der Volgen
Petrus Van der Volgen
Cornelius Van Dyck
Cornelius H. Van Dyck
Cornelius N. Van Dyck
Henry Van Dyck
Henry H. Van Dyck
Henry I. Van Dyck
John Van Eps
John B. Van Eps
John J. Van Eps
Cornelius Van Guysling
Jacob Van Guysling
Peter Van Guysling
John Vischer Van Ingan
John Van Inge
Joseph Van Ingen
Frederick D. Van Patten
Adam Van Patten
Frederick Van Patten
Ian Van Patten
Nicholas Van Patten
Peter Van Slyck
Jellis Van Voast
John D. Van Voast
Peter Van Voast
Dirk Van Vranken
Maus Van Vranken
Maus M. Van Vranken
Nicholas Van Vranken
Nicholas N. Van Vranken
Richard Van Vranken
Rykert Van Vranken
Albert A. Vedder
Alexander Vedder
Arent Vedder
Arent A. Vedder
Arent T. Vedder
Barent Vedder
Cornelius Vedder
Francis Vedder
Frederick Vedder
Harmanis Vedder
John Vedder
John B. Vedder
Nicholas Vedder
Nicholaes Vedder
Peter Vedder
Peter H. Vedder
Seymon H. Vedder
Simon Vedder
Halimus Veder
Baret Veeder
Cornelius Veeder
Peter S. Veeder
Thelmes Veeder
Wilhilmus Veeder
Cornelius Veeder
Gerret Veeder
Gerret S. Veeder
Philip Van Patten
Frederick Van Pette
Frederick Van Petten
Frederick S. Van Petten
Henry Van Petten
Nicholas Van Petten
Nicholas A. Van Petten
Nicholas H. Van Petten
Nicholas R. Van Petten
Nicholas S. Van Petten
Philip Van Petten
Simon Van Petten
Simon F. Van Petten
Andrew Van Petten
Gerret Van Schaick
Aaron Van Sice
Abraham Van Sice
Cornelis Van Sice
Gysbert Van Sice
Isaac Van Sice
Jacobus Van Sice
John Van Sice
Adrian Van Slyck
Andrian Van Slyck
Andrew Van Slyck
Cornelius Van Slyck
Cornelius A. Van Slyck
Cornelius P. Van Slyck
Harmanus Van Slyck
Harmanus N. Van Slyck
Helmus S. Veeder
John Veeder
John B. Veeder
Nicholas Veeder
Peter H. Veeder
Peter S. Veeder
Peter T. Veeder
Simon B. Veeder
Simon H. Veeder
Wilhelmus Veeder
Phil Viele
John Vischer Jr.
John Visger
John Visger Jr.
Adam Vrooman
Adam H. Vrooman
Adam S. Vrooman
Arent Vrooman
Aron Vrooman
David Vrooman
Hendrick Vrooman
Henry Vrooman
Jacob A. Vrooman
Jacob I. Vrooman
Jacob J. Vrooman
John B. Vrooman
John J. Vrooman
John T. Vrooman
Simon Vrooman
Simon J. Vrooman
Nicholas Vrooman
Andrew Wagner
Michael Wagner
Jacob Walrat
Christopher Ward
Richard Warner
Frederick Weller
Robert Weller
John Wemple
John J. Wemple
John T. Wemple
Mindert R. Wemple
Myndert Wemple
Ahasuerus Wendell
John B. Wendell
Arent Wessel
Arent Wesselse
Aron Wesselse
Abraham Yates (twice)
Abraham J. Yates
John Yates
Nicholas Yates

Updated 12/30/99

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