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Rensselaer County Loyalist Soldiers This page was last updated 4 April 2006. |
Bernard C. Young has kindly contributed this Loyalist muster roll. It is dated 20 December 1777 and was written at Chateauguay, Quebec. The muster list is that of Captain Samuel McKay, who assumed command of Colonel Francis Pfister's Corps of Loyal Volunteers when Pfister was killed at the Battle of Bennington, which was fought in Hoosick, future Rensselaer County, NY on 16 August 1777 and ended in an American victory. Most of the 362 listed men were simply farmers from the East Manor of Rensselaer and from the Hoosick River valley, including Pownal, in southwestern Vermont, and western Massachusetts. Over 30 percent of the men listed belonged to the Gilead Lutheran Church of Brunswick, future Rensselaer County, NY and were second- and third-generation Palatine Germans. Bernard has cross-referenced the names listed with the register of that church and writes, "Many of these surnames were spelled phonetically, 'as heard' by the lister. I have attempted to interpret the probable correct spelling in some cases where the correct version was known from church records and elsewhere." Bernard adds that this muster roll is "one of the most complete (in my opinion) accountings of those men who volunteered to fight on the British side on 16 August 1777." By 22 August 1777, many of the men who had been taken prisoner had been paroled by the Americans, having taken an oath not to resume hostile activity. They promptly rejoined other units, notably James Rogers's King's Rangers and Robert Leake's Independent Company. Many others chose to join Captain Hugh Munro's Company of Batteau Men.
To learn more about your Loyalist ancestors, you are invited to visit the United Empire Loyalists (UEL) website.
Loyalist Muster Roll of 1777
being the
"ROLL OF THE OFFICERS, NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS & PRIVATES
OF ROYALISTS WHO HAVE SERVED UNDER GENERAL BURGOYNE'S LAST CAMPAIGN;
AND THOSE WHO CAME IN FOR PROTECTION;
AND THOSE WHO WERE TAKEN PRISONER AT BENNINGTON AND AT DIFFERENT PLACES;
AND KILLED;
BELONGING TO THE CORPS UNDER MY COMMAND.
DATED AT CHATEAUGUAY, 20TH DECEMBER 1777."
| CAPTAIN COMMANDANT | SAMUEL MC KAY |
| CAPTAINS | John Ruiter, Robert Leake, Henry Ruiter |
| LIEUTENANTS | Peter LeGrasse, William McKay, Anthony Sinnott, William Fraser, Edward Carscallen, Henry Young, John Lampman, Harmanus Best |
| ENSIGNS | John Wilson, Duncan Cameron, Henry Best, Jacob VanAernam |
| SERGEANTS | John Carscallen, David Dulmage, Adam Best, Henry Deal, Robert Simpson, John Hopp, Jacob Wagar, John Dunn, Nicholas Brown, Cornelius Letcher, Daniel McGillivray, John Dulmage, John Hogle, Paul Haynes, Thomas Jones |
| CORPORALS | Jacob Corpnian, Andrew Emery, William Bustard, John Litcher, James Carscallen, Alexander McDougal, Luke Carscallen, Peter Deal, Peter Detler, James Benninger, William Shaw, Jacob Detler, Valentine Detler |
| PRIVATES | In Cantonment |
|---|---|
| John Gardner | Jacob Coen |
| David Coen | William Cronkhite |
| Jacob Smith | Michael Smith |
| Philip Smith | Philip Sipperly |
| Jacob Haner | Henry Derick |
| James Munson | Lodowick Snyder |
| Hercules Cronkhite | (unreadable) |
| Augustine Power | John Lenhardt |
| Daniel Lenhardt | Jacob Snyder |
| Frederick Cronkhite | David Forbes |
| David Fordice | Thomas Parks |
| Pero Fischer | Christopher Schellner |
| John Sullivan | Alexander (?) |
| James Rankin | John Mock |
| Frederick Varin | Matthias Campbell |
| John Cronkhite | Gilbert Ostrum |
| John Doyle | Jacob Coen, jr. |
| Henry Johnson | John Cornelius |
| Jacob Luke | James Bowles |
| Isaac Quackenbush | Henry Clum |
| William Coenradt | Frederick Haner |
| John Smith | John Ham |
| Frederick Swartfeger | Frederick Hogle |
| Jacob Best | John Rice |
| Lodowick Bonestiel | John Simmons |
| Christopher Brusie | Gabriel Brusie |
| Peter Phillips | Thomas Comer |
| John Schultheis | Simon Coen |
| John Bockus | John Calder |
| Michael Phillips | John Bockus, jr. |
| Jacob Cole (Colehammer?) | John Hart |
| Frederick Smith | Stephen Smith |
| Robert Clark | Peter Miller |
| Silas Childs | Nicholas Weaver |
| Samuel Docks (Doxstader?) | William Burns |
| John Haner | . |
| PRIVATES | Under Convention in Cantonment |
|---|---|
| Jesse Wright | James Mc_______ |
| John Lawrence | Edward Gainer |
| William Nicholson | James McConnell |
| Philip Pemberton | Daniel Streit |
| Amos Dunning | Eberhardt Wagar |
| Jacobus Benn | John Near |
| George Finkle | David Hartman |
| John Ibey | Peter Ploss |
| Henry Dick | John Benn |
| Frederick Haner | John Mock |
| Henry Ploss | William Coenradt |
| John Cornelius | Jacob Luke |
| Pero Leake | David Haner |
| For Protection | John Rogers & Family John Adams & Family |
|
Joined Sir John Johnson (without leave at Ticonderoga) |
Capt. Samuel Anderson, James Perigo, Caleb Reynolds, Conrad Dafoe, Abraham Hunsinger, John Hunsinger |
|
Joined Sir John Johnson (agreeable to General Orders) |
Ensign Bush, Evan Rice, Evan Rice, jr. |
| PRISONERS WITH THE REBELS | . |
|---|---|
| Matthew Howard, Ensign | Frederick Cronkhite, Serg't. |
| David Goff, Serg't. | Philip Dater |
| Peter Haner | John Meyer |
| Jacob Corpnian | Andrew Gardner |
| William Morris | Hugh Dryer |
| William Carr | Nicholas Dick |
| Henry Morrison | Christian Snyder |
| Lawrence Snyder | Jacob Carncross |
| Henry Hufnagel | Samuel Sager |
| Isaac Owens | John Sager |
| John Outhout | Adam Hagedorn |
| Frederick Wager | Peter Ostrander |
| Peter Hicks | William Moore |
| Jacob Williamson | William Holland |
| PRISONERS, (cont.) | . |
| Charles Corliss | Matthew Bovie |
| Henry Barnhardt | Nicholas Croye |
| John Ferguson | Aurent Cronkhite |
| Gilbert Sisco | George Reichert |
| Abraham Hogle | Joseph Hodge |
| Barent Harmon | Nicholas Snyder |
| Christopher Snyder | Daniel Hallenbeck |
| Daniel Hallenbeck, jr. | Isaac Quackenbush |
| John Vansandt | John Bovie |
| Francis Carman | John Walsh |
| Philip Bovie, jr. | Peter Proper |
| Francis Cronkhite | John Reichert |
| Abraham Coen | Isaac Hogle |
| John Dort | John Bradt |
| Abraham Ostrander | Francis Barnhart |
| George Barnhart | David Barnhart |
| John Ostrander | Ichabod Cook |
| Obadiah Wilkinson | Ezra Nicholson |
| Adam Schoolcraft | Christopher Schoolcraft |
| Howard Gaines | Samuel Wilson |
| George Carscallen | George Lawrence |
| Jacob Schoolcraft | Jacob Hoffman |
| John Emery | John Jepson |
| James Hart | Stephen Scott |
| Lawrence Stearns | Zadock Hart |
| John Hart | _____ McLeod |
| John Steele | William Hunsinger |
| John Hunsinger | Peter Young |
| John Matthewson | Stephen Young |
| Beloved Carpenter | Benjamin Reynolds |
| William Douglas | William Hooper |
| Anthony Staats | Nathan Walker |
| George Garner | John Sweet |
| Garrett Keating | Beriah Shillson |
| Peter Payne | Paul Garner |
| Jonathan Huddleston | Frederick Philips |
| John Goff | John Johnson |
| John McKean | Nathan Walker |
| Richard Turner | Stephen Stillwell |
| Samuel Stillwell | John Stillwell |
| Daniel Young | Benjamin Smith |
| Benjamin Smith, jr. | Joseph Friot |
| Benjamin Quackenbush | Jacob Litcher |
| William Sanford | Ebenezer Arnold |
| John Myer | Daniel Moon |
| Abraham Dafoe | John Dafoe |
| PRISONERS, (cont.) | . |
| John Dafoe, jr. | Peter Grant |
| Nicholas Hicks | David Garner |
| Isaac Bull | Abraham Garner |
| John Garner | Jonathan Card |
| Elisha Card | Samuel Hutchison |
| William Card | Philo Card |
| Stephen Card | Peter Bohannon |
| Daniel Ross | William Rogers |
| Benjamin Rogers | William Rogers, jr. |
| John Falkner | John McDonald |
| Amos Sweet | John Miller |
| John Hutchison | Donald Munro |
| Samuel Munro | John Munro |
| Adam Fischer | Henry Young, jr. |
| John Hunsinger | Jacob Rosenberg |
| Peter Hogle | Eleazor Larrabee |
| Christopher Riley | Ephraim Durham |
| Jacob Cronk | James Aiken |
| John Aiken | Francis Burns |
| Peter Creller | (unreadable) |
| Philip Creller | Jacob Martin |
| Jacob Brimmer | James Reynolds |
| George Parker | Isaac Reynolds |
| Ludger Collins | L____ Dewey |
| Ludger Reynolds | Angus Fraser |
| Benjamin Cameron | Frederick Haner, jr. |
| Jacob Haner, jr. | Henry Hallenbeck |
| Christian Young Crothers | Peter J. Lampman |
| John Aiken | Peter Lampman |
| Michael Lampman | Jacob Lampman |
| William Calder | Isaac Moon |
| Henry Croye | John Bennett |
| Jacob Gifford | Benjamin Gifford |
| Frederick Hoffman | . |
| KILLED | . |
|---|---|
| Henry Dought, Ensign | Barent Bullock |
| Jacob Philips | Christian Croye |
| Barent Baker | George Bright |
| Philip Bovie | Peabody Standard |
| Sybrant Cronkhite | Benjamin Ruggles |
| Adrian Quackenbush | Anthony Ostrander |
| Jacob Cronkhite | Henry Hillson |
| Peter Bockus | Frederick Bockus |
| KILLED (cont.) | . |
| John Calder | Jacob Calder |
| William Severance | George Dafoe |
| William Kreigger | James Mallory |
| Jacob Timmerman | . |
(signed) SAM'L MACKAY
| TOTALS: | |
|---|---|
| Officers & Non-Coms | 41 |
| Privates in Cantonment | 95 |
| In for Protection | 2 |
| Joined KRRNY | 10 |
| Prisoners with Enemy | 190 |
| Killed | 24 |
| TOTAL | 362 |
NOTE from the compiler: Of the above total, 105 men were members of the Gilead Lutheran Church of Center Brunswick, NY.
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