Peter Gansevoort
Encyclopedia
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He is best known for leading the resistance to Barry St. Leger
Barry St. Leger
Barrimore Matthew "Barry" St. Leger was a British colonel who led an invasion force during the American Revolutionary War.Barry St. Leger was baptised on May 1, 1733, in County Kildare, Ireland. He was the son of Sir John St...
's Siege of Fort Stanwix
Siege of Fort Stanwix
The Siege of Fort Stanwix began on August 2, 1777, and ended August 22. Fort Stanwix, in the Mohawk River Valley, was then the primary defense point for the Continental Army against British and Indian forces aligned against them in the American Revolutionary War...
in 1777. Gansevoort was also the maternal grandfather of Moby-Dick
Moby-Dick
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, was written by American author Herman Melville and first published in 1851. It is considered by some to be a Great American Novel and a treasure of world literature. The story tells the adventures of wandering sailor Ishmael, and his voyage on the whaleship Pequod,...
author Herman Melville
Herman Melville
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
.
Early life
He was born into the Dutch aristocracy of Albany, New YorkAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. His father Harman (1712–1801) represented the third generation in America, while his mother, Magdalena Douw Gansevoort (1718–1796) was connected with the Van Rensselaer family {Her mother was a granddaughter of Jeremias Van Rensselaer
Jeremias van Rensselaer
Jeremias van Rensselaer was the third son of Kiliaen van Rensselear and the fourth patroon of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck.-Life:...
}. His family had been in Albany since 1660, when it was the Dutch colony of Fort Orange, and Harmen owned a brewery and farms. His younger brother Leonard
Leonard Gansevoort
Leonard Gansevoort was an American political leader from New York who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1788....
was more active politically, serving in the state assembly and senate, as well as the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
. His son Herman Gansevoort (1779–1862) built the Gansevoort Mansion
Gansevoort Mansion
Gansevoort Mansion is a historic home located at Gansevoort in Saratoga County, New York. It was built in 1813 and is two story, five bay rectangular building with a gable roof and central entrance. It features a front verandah with fluted Doric order columns. It was one used as a Masonic Lodge...
in 1813 on his father's 1500 acres (6.1 km²) tract at Gansevoort
Gansevoort, New York
Gansevoort is a hamlet in the town of Northumberland in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The hamlet of Gansevoort draws its name from Peter Gansevoort, a hero in the Siege of Fort Stanwix which contributed to the downfall of Burgoyne's army at the Battle of Saratoga during the...
in Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1976.
As the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
grew closer, Peter joined the Albany militia. While he lacked the experience of many older officers, he was a tactful and persuasive leader. Even at his young age, he was over six feet tall, and had a commanding presence. This, along with his family connections, earned him a Lieutenant's rank.
Invasion of Quebec
He joined the Continental Army and was made a Major on June 30, 1775 and served as a field commander in the 2nd New York Regiment2nd New York Regiment
The 2nd New York Regiment was authorized on May 25, 1775, and formed at Albany from June 28 to August 4 for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Goose Van Schaick...
. Goose Van Schaick
Goose Van Schaick
Colonel Goose Van Schaick was a Continental Army officer during the American Revolutionary War.He was born September 5, 1736, the son of Sybrant Van Schaick, mayor of Albany New York, and Alida Rosebloom. In 1758, he was a captain of a New York regiment that participated in the attack on Fort...
was nominally Colonel, he had raised the regiment and served as its commander from Albany. Lt. Colonel Peter W. Yates
Peter W. Yates
Peter Waldron Yates was a lawyer and statesman from Albany, New York. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1786....
was the primary field commander, but remained as post commander of Fort George when Major Gansevoort led much of the regiment north with Montgomery
Richard Montgomery
Richard Montgomery was an Irish-born soldier who first served in the British Army. He later became a brigadier-general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and he is most famous for leading the failed 1775 invasion of Canada.Montgomery was born and raised in Ireland...
's forces for the invasion of Quebec
Invasion of Canada (1775)
The Invasion of Canada in 1775 was the first major military initiative by the newly formed Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The objective of the campaign was to gain military control of the British Province of Quebec, and convince the French-speaking Canadiens to join the...
.
Peter led his men during the siege of Fort St. Johns, today known by its French name of Fort Saint-Jean
Fort Saint-Jean (Quebec)
Fort Saint-Jean is a fort in the Canadian La Vallée-du-Richelieu Regional County Municipality, Quebec located on the Richelieu River. The fort was first built in 1666 by soldiers of the Carignan-Salières Regiment and was part of a series of forts built along the Richelieu River...
. In late October, to improve the effect of the siege, Montgomery sent Gansevoort down the river to seize Fort Chambly
Chambly, Quebec
Chambly is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada, about to the south east of Montreal.- Geography :It sits on the Richelieu River in the Regional County Municipality of La-Vallée-du-Richelieu, at .-History:...
. At Chambly, they captured over 120 barrels of needed gunpowder and a huge mortar which they nicknamed the Old Sow. They also took about 100 prisoners of the Welch Fusilier garrison and their young Captain, John André
John André
John André was a British army officer hanged as a spy during the American War of Independence. This was due to an incident in which he attempted to assist Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point, New York to the British.-Early life:André was born on May 2, 1750 in London to...
. Montgomery used Old Sow to open fire on St. Johns, which was compelled to surrender on November 2, 1775. He took part in the capture of Montreal, although he became ill during that attack. He started on the advance to Quebec
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, but by the time the force reached Three Rivers
Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Trois-Rivières is a city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada, located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence Rivers. It is situated in the Mauricie administrative region, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of Bécancour...
, he was being carried on a stretcher.
Gansevoort returned to Montreal and spent the winter as one of the sick with the occupation force. By the spring of 1776, the invasion fell apart at Quebec; Montgomery had been killed, and Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
was wounded. Major Gansevoort had recovered to the point where he led the remaining New York forces south in a fighting withdrawal that stopped the British advance at Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
. As recognition, in June 1776, he was put in command at Fort George
Fort George, New York
Fort George, New York was the name of five forts in the state of New York.The first Fort George was built in 1626 in New Amsterdam and named Fort Amsterdam. The British Army occupied it as Fort James from 1664 to 1687. Briefly re-occupied by the Dutch from 1673-1674 as Fort Willem Hendrick, it was...
.
Siege of Fort Stanwix
In November he was made a full Colonel and given command of the 3rd New York Regiment3rd New York Regiment
The 3rd New York Regiment was authorized May 25, 1775 and organized from June 28 to August 4 from the counties of Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, and Suffolk under the command of Colonel James Clinton for five months service in Canada. The enlistments of the first establishment ended on December 31,...
. which he recruited and trained in early 1777. Lt. Colonel Marinus Willett
Marinus Willett
Marinus Willett was an American soldier and political leader from New York. He was characterized by historian Mark M. Boatner as "one of the truly outstanding American leaders of the Revolution."...
became his second in command. His area of responsibility was extended from the Hudson River valley and Fort Edward and Fort George, along the Mohawk River Valley
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
to Fort Oswego
Fort Oswego
Fort Oswego was an important frontier post for British traders in the 18th century. A trading post was established in 1722 with a log palisade, and New York governor William Burnet ordered a fort built at the site in 1727. The log palisade fort established a British presence on the Great Lakes....
in the northwest. This was to be the axis of Colonel Barry St. Leger's attack during the Saratoga Campaign
Saratoga campaign
The Saratoga Campaign was an attempt by Great Britain to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War...
.
The 3rd New York did not have the men and equipment to extend that far, even with the support of local militia units. He conceded Fort Oswego to the British, and elected to defend Fort Stanwix (near modern Rome, New York
Rome, New York
Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix at this strategic location, but...
). The fort had been abandoned after the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
and was in ruins. Gansevoort and Willett restored the fort and strengthened its defenses. They hurriedly set up a garrison, getting the last boatload of supplies into the fort under fire from St. Leger's advance force on August 2.
He and his more than 700-strong garrison withstood the three-week-long siege, making a sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
on August 6, while much of St. Leger's force was occupied in the Battle of Oriskany
Battle of Oriskany
The Battle of Oriskany, fought on August 6, 1777, was one of the bloodiest battles in the North American theater of the American Revolutionary War and a significant engagement of the Saratoga campaign...
. The siege was lifted on August 22, after word arrived that Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
was leading a large relief force up the Mohawk valley
Mohawk Valley
The Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains....
.
He received the grateful thanks of the Congress, as John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
noted that "Gansevoort has proven that it is possible to hold a fort."
Onondaga Salt Springs reservation
After the culmination of the Revolutionary War, in 1778, the State of New York stepped in and purchased the land around Onondaga LakeOnondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake is a lake in Central New York located northwest of Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern end border a series of parks and museums. Although it is near the Finger...
outside of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
from the Onondaga Indians. The treaty, by which the purchase was made, was signed by 23 Indian chiefs and by Governor DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton was an early American politician and naturalist who served as United States Senator and the sixth Governor of New York. In this last capacity he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal...
, William Floyd
William Floyd
William Floyd was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a U.S. Representative from New York.-Biography:...
(Lieutenant Governor of New York), Ezra L'Hommedieu
Ezra L'Hommedieu
Ezra L'Hommedieu was an American lawyer and statesman from Southold, New York. He was a delegate for New York to the Continental Congress from 1779 to 1783 and again in 1788...
(State Assembly), Richard Varick
Richard Varick
Richard Varick was an American lawyer and politician. He was born on 15 March 1753 at Hackensack in Bergen County, New Jersey, and he died on 30 July 1831 at Jersey City in Hudson County, New Jersey....
(Attorney General), Samuel Jones
Samuel Jones (chancellor)
Samuel Jones Samuel Jones Samuel Jones (May 26, 1769 New York City - August 9, 1853 Cold Spring Harbor, New York was an American lawyer and politician.-Biography:He was the son of Samuel Jones (1734–1819). He graduated from Columbia University in 1790. He then studied law in his father's office and...
(Chancellor of the State), Egbert Benson
Egbert Benson
Egbert Benson was a lawyer, jurist, politician from Upper Red Hook, New York, and a Founding Father of the United States who represented New York in the Continental Congress, Annapolis Convention, and the United States House of Representatives, and who served as a member of the New York State...
(Attorney General) and Peter Gansevoort, Jr., all historic names in New York State. The Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1784)
Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1784)
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was a treaty signed in October 1784 at Fort Stanwix, located in present-day Rome, New York, between the United States and Native Americans...
transferred lands around Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake is a lake in Central New York located northwest of Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern end border a series of parks and museums. Although it is near the Finger...
from the Onondaga Nation to local salt producers with the stipulation that the land would be used to produce salt "for the common use of everyone." As a result of the treaty, the area was designated by the State as the Onondaga Salt Springs Reservation.
1778–1781
Gansevoort eventually turned Fort Stanwix over to a garrison of the 1st New York Regiment1st New York Regiment
The 1st New York Regiment was authorized on 25 May 1775 and organized at New York City from 28 June to 4 August, for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Alexander McDougall...
. He moved his headquarters to his new command at Fort Saratoga (near modern Schuylerville, New York
Schuylerville, New York
Schuylerville is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,197 at the 2000 census. The village is named after the Schuyler family....
). He led his regiment in the Sullivan Expedition
Sullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...
of 1779. He had another bout of illness that winter (1779–1780) and returned home for a while, but, by July 1780, he was back with the 3rd at West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
. He was assigned to command the New York Brigade, and reestablished his headquarters at Fort Saratoga.
In the reorganization and downsizing of the New York Line in 1781, Gansevoort was left with no assignment in the Continental Army. He returned home and became Brigadier General of the Albany County Militia.
After the revolution
Peter continued to make his home in Albany where he operated the family brewery. He expanded his farms, adding grist mills and a lumber mill, in the area that eventually became Gansevoort, New YorkGansevoort, New York
Gansevoort is a hamlet in the town of Northumberland in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The hamlet of Gansevoort draws its name from Peter Gansevoort, a hero in the Siege of Fort Stanwix which contributed to the downfall of Burgoyne's army at the Battle of Saratoga during the...
. He served for a while as sheriff of Albany County
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
, as a commissioner of Indian affairs, and continued his support of the military in the militia and as a quartermaster. In 1800
United States Senate special election in New York, April 1800
The first 1800 United States Senate special election in New York was held on April 3, 1800, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.-Background:...
, he ran for U.S. Senator from New York but was defeated by Federalist Gouverneur Morris
Gouverneur Morris
Gouverneur Morris , was an American statesman, a Founding Father of the United States, and a native of New York City who represented Pennsylvania in the Constitutional Convention of 1787. He was a signatory to the Articles of Confederation. Morris was also an author of large sections of the...
.
Peter had married Catherine (Katy) Van Schaik on January 12, 1778 in her family's home on Van Schaick Island, Cohoes, NY. She was the daughter of Wessel and Maria Van Schaik, and her cousin Goose Van Schaick
Goose Van Schaick
Colonel Goose Van Schaick was a Continental Army officer during the American Revolutionary War.He was born September 5, 1736, the son of Sybrant Van Schaick, mayor of Albany New York, and Alida Rosebloom. In 1758, he was a captain of a New York regiment that participated in the attack on Fort...
had been Peter's commander and Colonel in 1775. Over the years, they had at least three children; Peter Jr., Leonard, and Maria. Peter Jr. (22 Dec 1788 – 4 Jan 1876) married Mary Sanford, the daughter of Congressman Nathan Sandford. Peter Jr. and Mary were the parents of Brevet Major General/Colonel Henry Sanford Gansevoort (1835–1871) of the 13th New York Cavalry; Leonard's son Guert Gansevoort
Guert Gansevoort
Commodore Guert Gansevoort was an officer in the United States Navy during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.-Biography:...
had a distinguished naval career that spanned 45 years. Maria married Alan Melville in 1814, and their son was the author Herman Melville
Herman Melville
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
.
In 1809, he was made a Brigadier General in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and commanded the Northern Department
Departments of the Continental Army
In the American Revolutionary War units of the Continental Army were assigned to any one of seven regional or territorial departments to decentralize their command and administration. This was necessary because the regiment was the largest permanent unit in the Continental Army...
. In 1811, he was called on to preside over the court-martial of General James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson was an American soldier and statesman, who was associated with several scandals and controversies. He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, but was twice compelled to resign...
who was charged as an accomplice in Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
's western conspiracy. Wilkinson was found not guilty, and the court adjourned on Christmas Day. Hurrying back to his family, Peter's old illness returned, and he never recovered. He died at home in Albany on July 2, 1812.
Further reading
- Alice P. Kenney; The Gansevoorts of Albany: Dutch Patricians in the Upper Hudson Valley; 1969, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, New York, ISBN 081562137X.
- Alice P. Kenney; Stubborn for Liberty: The Dutch in New York; 1975, Syracuse University Press, ISBN 0-8156-0113-1. (1989 Paperback: ISBN 0-8156-2482-4)