Benjamin Pond was a United States Representative from New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

.

Early life

He was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,947 at the 2010 census...

 in 1768. He attended the common school

Common school

A common school was a public school in the United States or Canada in the nineteenth century. The term 'common school' was coined by Horace Mann, and refers to the fact that they were meant to serve individuals of all social classes and religions....

s and in 1800 moved to Poultney, Vermont

Poultney, Vermont

Poultney is a village in Rutland County of the U.S. state of Vermont. The village is entirely within the town of Poultney. The population was 1,612 at the 2010 census...

, and still later to the town of Crown Point (later Schroon), which is now comprised in the town of North Hudson, New York

North Hudson, New York

North Hudson is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 266 at the 2000 census. The town derives its name by being by the north end of the Hudson River....

. He pursued a career in farming.

Political career

His political career began when he became justice of the peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

 and supervisor in 1804. Later be became a judge

Judge

A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...

 of the court of common pleas of Essex County

Essex County, New York

Essex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,370. Its name is from the English county of Essex. Its county seat is Elizabethtown...

 in 1808, with residence in Schroon, then a member of the State Assembly

New York Legislature

The New York State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together...

 1808-1810.

He was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Twelfth Congress (March 4, 1811-March 3, 1813). He also served in the War of 1812

War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

 and participated in the siege and Battle of Plattsburgh

Battle of Plattsburgh

The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812...

 in September 1814 as a volunteer in Capt. Russell Walker’s company of the Thirty-seventh Regiment, New York Militia.

Death

After being elected to the Fourteenth Congress, he died of disease, incurred through exposure at the siege of Plattsburg, in Schroon, October 6, 1814, before the beginning of the congressional term.

He was buried in Pine Ridge Cemetery, North Hudson, Essex County, New York, and was later re-interred in Riverside Cemetery, Elizabethtown, Essex County, New York, on September 3, 1923.

Resources