Rensselaer County
Loyalist Soldiers

This page was last updated 4 Aprl 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 COMMANDANTSAMUEL 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
ENSIGNSJohn 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

PRIVATESIn Cantonment
John GardnerJacob Coen
David CoenWilliam Cronkhite
Jacob SmithMichael Smith
Philip SmithPhilip Sipperly
Jacob HanerHenry Derick
James MunsonLodowick Snyder
Hercules Cronkhite(unreadable)
Augustine PowerJohn Lenhardt
Daniel LenhardtJacob Snyder
Frederick CronkhiteDavid Forbes
David FordiceThomas Parks
Pero FischerChristopher Schellner
John SullivanAlexander (?)
James RankinJohn Mock
Frederick VarinMatthias Campbell
John CronkhiteGilbert Ostrum
John DoyleJacob Coen, jr.
Henry JohnsonJohn Cornelius
Jacob LukeJames Bowles
Isaac QuackenbushHenry Clum
William CoenradtFrederick Haner
John SmithJohn Ham
Frederick SwartfegerFrederick Hogle
Jacob BestJohn Rice
Lodowick BonestielJohn Simmons
Christopher BrusieGabriel Brusie
Peter PhillipsThomas Comer
John SchultheisSimon Coen
John BockusJohn Calder
Michael PhillipsJohn Bockus, jr.
Jacob Cole (Colehammer?)John Hart
Frederick SmithStephen Smith
Robert ClarkPeter Miller
Silas ChildsNicholas Weaver
Samuel Docks (Doxstader?)William Burns
John Haner.

PRIVATESUnder Convention in Cantonment
Jesse WrightJames Mc_______
John LawrenceEdward Gainer
William NicholsonJames McConnell
Philip PembertonDaniel Streit
Amos DunningEberhardt Wagar
Jacobus BennJohn Near
George FinkleDavid Hartman
John IbeyPeter Ploss
Henry DickJohn Benn
Frederick HanerJohn Mock
Henry PlossWilliam Coenradt
John CorneliusJacob Luke
Pero LeakeDavid Haner

For ProtectionJohn 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 HanerJohn Meyer
Jacob CorpnianAndrew Gardner
William MorrisHugh Dryer
William CarrNicholas Dick
Henry MorrisonChristian Snyder
Lawrence SnyderJacob Carncross
Henry HufnagelSamuel Sager
Isaac OwensJohn Sager
John OuthoutAdam Hagedorn
Frederick WagerPeter Ostrander
Peter HicksWilliam Moore
Jacob WilliamsonWilliam Holland
PRISONERS, (cont.).
Charles CorlissMatthew Bovie
Henry BarnhardtNicholas Croye
John FergusonAurent Cronkhite
Gilbert SiscoGeorge Reichert
Abraham HogleJoseph Hodge
Barent HarmonNicholas Snyder
Christopher SnyderDaniel Hallenbeck
Daniel Hallenbeck, jr.Isaac Quackenbush
John VansandtJohn Bovie
Francis CarmanJohn Walsh
Philip Bovie, jr.Peter Proper
Francis CronkhiteJohn Reichert
Abraham CoenIsaac Hogle
John DortJohn Bradt
Abraham OstranderFrancis Barnhart
George BarnhartDavid Barnhart
John OstranderIchabod Cook
Obadiah WilkinsonEzra Nicholson
Adam SchoolcraftChristopher Schoolcraft
Howard GainesSamuel Wilson
George CarscallenGeorge Lawrence
Jacob SchoolcraftJacob Hoffman
John EmeryJohn Jepson
James HartStephen Scott
Lawrence StearnsZadock Hart
John Hart_____ McLeod
John SteeleWilliam Hunsinger
John HunsingerPeter Young
John MatthewsonStephen Young
Beloved CarpenterBenjamin Reynolds
William DouglasWilliam Hooper
Anthony StaatsNathan Walker
George GarnerJohn Sweet
Garrett KeatingBeriah Shillson
Peter PaynePaul Garner
Jonathan HuddlestonFrederick Philips
John GoffJohn Johnson
John McKeanNathan Walker
Richard TurnerStephen Stillwell
Samuel StillwellJohn Stillwell
Daniel YoungBenjamin Smith
Benjamin Smith, jr.Joseph Friot
Benjamin QuackenbushJacob Litcher
William SanfordEbenezer Arnold
John MyerDaniel Moon
Abraham DafoeJohn Dafoe
PRISONERS, (cont.).
John Dafoe, jr.Peter Grant
Nicholas HicksDavid Garner
Isaac BullAbraham Garner
John GarnerJonathan Card
Elisha CardSamuel Hutchison
William CardPhilo Card
Stephen CardPeter Bohannon
Daniel RossWilliam Rogers
Benjamin RogersWilliam Rogers, jr.
John FalknerJohn McDonald
Amos SweetJohn Miller
John HutchisonDonald Munro
Samuel MunroJohn Munro
Adam FischerHenry Young, jr.
John HunsingerJacob Rosenberg
Peter HogleEleazor Larrabee
Christopher RileyEphraim Durham
Jacob CronkJames Aiken
John AikenFrancis Burns
Peter Creller(unreadable)
Philip CrellerJacob Martin
Jacob BrimmerJames Reynolds
George ParkerIsaac Reynolds
Ludger CollinsL____ Dewey
Ludger ReynoldsAngus Fraser
Benjamin CameronFrederick Haner, jr.
Jacob Haner, jr.Henry Hallenbeck
Christian Young CrothersPeter J. Lampman
John AikenPeter Lampman
Michael LampmanJacob Lampman
William CalderIsaac Moon
Henry CroyeJohn Bennett
Jacob GiffordBenjamin Gifford
Frederick Hoffman.

KILLED.
Henry Dought, EnsignBarent Bullock
Jacob PhilipsChristian Croye
Barent BakerGeorge Bright
Philip BoviePeabody Standard
Sybrant CronkhiteBenjamin Ruggles
Adrian QuackenbushAnthony Ostrander
Jacob CronkhiteHenry Hillson
Peter BockusFrederick Bockus
KILLED (cont.).
John CalderJacob Calder
William SeveranceGeorge Dafoe
William KreiggerJames Mallory
Jacob Timmerman.

(signed) SAM'L MACKAY

TOTALS:
Officers & Non-Coms41
Privates in Cantonment95
In for Protection2
Joined KRRNY10
Prisoners with Enemy190
Killed24
TOTAL362
Source: National Archives of Canada, WO 28/10, Reel B-2867, pp. 17-18.

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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