Monday, September 4, 2017

Private Martin B. Van Buren, Revolutionary War Patriot

I've been away from my blog for a long time, it seems!  Selling a house, buying a house, and getting moved has taken up all of my time lately.  Here, at last, is a new one!

My ancestor, Martin Benjamin Van Buren was born in about 1759 in Schodack, Rensselaer Co., New York.  He lived in his father's household until after his service in the Revolutionary War.  I believe he died after 6 November 1852 when the last document in his attempt to get a military pension was filed.  So he was probably in his 90's when he died.  His last known residence to Maryland, Otsego Co., New York.

Martin was a son of Benjamin Van Buren and Cornelia Salisbury/Salsbergen.  He was married on 5 January 1782 in Kinderhook, Columbia Co., New York to Martha "Mattie" Chesie/Chasie/Kesie (which, I believe, are Dutch phonetic spellings of the French Huguenot name Cassier).  After their marriage, they lived in Schoharie, Delaware, and Otsego Cos. in New York.  Their children were:  Cornelia, John, Benjamin, Martha, Jobje "Dollie", Maria, Peter, and Elizabeth "Betsy".  (And, yes, he was a cousin of President Martin Van Buren.)

Martin B. Van Buren served as a Private in the 4th Regiment of the New York State Militia under the command of General Van Rensselaer.  He applied for a pension 8 October 1833.  His pension application file gives a detailed report of his service.  A summary follows.

He volunteered for service on 1 May 1777 in Schodack, Rensselaer Co., New York.  He served in the Company of Lt. Phillip Staats, under the command of Col. Jacob Schermerhorn.  They marched to Stillwater, New York and then to Fishkill, New York and continued there for five months, until after the surrender of General Burgoyne and his army.  Then he returned to his father's house in Schodack.  In May of 1778, he again volunteered to serve under the same officers.  They marched to Halfmoon Point on the Hudson River.  From there they marched to Schenectady and then returned to Schodack.  This took about one month.  In July of 1778, he again served under the same officers for two months.  They marched up to Schenectady and then up the Mohawk River to Fort Herkimer at a place called German Flatts.  They stayed there a few days and then returned to Schenectady for about six weeks before returning home again.  He volunteered again in October of 1778 to serve in Capt. Staats Company which was now under the command of Col. Schuyler.  They went scouting on the Middle Fork of Schoharie Creek for about two months.  In May of 1779, he volunteered again for Capt. Staats Company which was them under the command of Major Van Buren.  They marched from Schodack to Halfmoon and then to the State of Vermont.  They did not remain in Vermont but returned to Saratoga and then to Schenectady in New York.  At the end of two months, he returned to his father's house in Schodack once again.  His last service was in October of 1779.  He volunteered for a company of light infantry commanded by Capt. James McKown.  Other officers were Lieut. Lansing and Ensign Ostrander.  They were stationed in the Middle Fork of Schoharie Creek for a month and a half before returning home to Schodack.

In his pension application, Martin B. Van Buren declared that he was born in 1759 in Schodack, Rensselaer Co., New York.  After the war, he lived in Jefferson, Schoharie Co. and Maryland, Otsego Co.  (However, I also found him on the census in Delaware Co.)  He said he was known to Green Bliven, Silas Miller, and Stephen R. Olmstead in his present neighborhood who could testify for him.  He signed the document himself.  It appears that he never received his pension.  There are documents that show his daughter, Betsy, and grandson Stephen S. Olmstead, tried to get the pension on his behalf when he was very elderly and still hadn't received it.

I have other ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War but chose to share Martin B. Van Buren because I have a lot of detail on his service and find it interesting.  I joined the DAR on his service.