Peter Gansevoort | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Gansevoort byGilbert Stuart, 1794 | |
| Sheriff of Albany County | |
| In office 1790 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1749-07-17)July 17, 1749 Albany,New York,British America |
| Died | July 2, 1812(1812-07-02) (aged 62) Albany,New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Albany Rural Cemetery,Menands, New York |
| Spouse | |
| Relations | Leonard Gansevoort (brother) |
| Children | 6, includingPeter |
| Parent(s) | Harman Gansevoort Magdalena Douw |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch/service | Albany County militia Continental Army United States Army |
| Years of service | 1775-1809 |
| Rank | Major general (Militia) Colonel (Continental Army) Brigadier general (US Army) |
| Commands | 2nd New York Regiment 3rd New York Regiment |
| Battles/wars | |
Peter Gansevoort (July 17, 1749 – July 2, 1812) was a Colonel in theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolutionary War. He is best known for leading the resistance toBarry St. Leger'sSiege of Fort Stanwix in 1777. Gansevoort was also the maternal grandfather ofMoby-Dick authorHerman Melville.[1]
Peter Gansevoort was born into the Dutch aristocracy ofAlbany in theProvince of New York. His parents were Harman Gansevoort (1712–1801), the third generation of his family to live in America, and Magdalena Douw (1718–1796).[2] His younger brother wasLeonard Gansevoort, who was more active politically, serving in the state assembly and senate, as well as theContinental Congress.[3][4]
Gansevoort's paternal ancestors had been in Albany since 1660, when it was the Dutch colony ofFort Orange, andHarmen Harmense Gansevoort owned a brewery and farms.[5] Through his mother, he was related to New York'sVan Rensselaer family as her mother, and Gansevoort's maternal grandmother, was Anna Van Rensselaer (1696–1756), a daughter ofHendrick van Rensselaer, the director of the Eastern patent of theRensselaerswyck manor.[6] In addition, his first cousin, Leonard Gansevoort (1754–1834),[7] an Albany lawyer and alderman, was married to Maria Van Rensselaer (1760–1841), the daughter of Col.Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1717–1781), the granddaughter ofHendrick van Rensselaer and the sister ofHenry Van Rensselaer (1744–1816),Philip Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1747–1798), andKillian K. Van Rensselaer (1763–1845).[8][3]
As theAmerican Revolution grew closer, Peter Gansevoort joined theAlbany County 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, caused Gen.Philip Schuyler to give him a commission.[9]
At the start of theAmerican Revolution, Gansevoort joined the Continental Army. He was commissioned as a Major on June 30, 1775, and served as a field commander in the2nd New York Regiment.Goose Van Schaick was the regiment's Colonel; he had raised it, and served as its nominal commander. Lieutenant ColonelPeter W. Yates had been the regiment's primary field commander, but remained as commander of Fort George when Major Gansevoort led much of the regiment north withRichard Montgomery's forces for theinvasion of Quebec (1775).[2]
Gansevoort led the regiment during thesiege of Fort St. Jean, today known by its French name ofFort Saint-Jean. In late October, to improve the effect of the siege, Montgomery sent Gansevoort and his men down the river to seizeFort Chambly. At Chambly, they captured over 120 barrels of needed gunpowder and a huge mortar which they nicknamedthe Old Sow. They also took about 100 prisoners of the Welch Fusilier garrison and their young Captain,John André.[6]
Montgomery used the Old Sow to open fire on St. Johns, which was compelled to surrender on November 2, 1775.[9] Gansevoort took part in the capture ofMontreal, although he became ill during that attack. He started on the advance toQuebec City, but by the time the force reachedTrois-Rivières, he was being carried on a stretcher.[2]
He returned to Montreal and spent the winter as one of the sick with the occupation force. By the spring of 1776, the invasion had fallen apart at Quebec. Montgomery had been killed, andBenedict Arnold had been wounded.[9] Gansevoort had recovered to the point where he led the remaining New York forces south in a fighting withdrawal that stopped the British advance atLake Champlain. As recognition for his accomplishment, in June 1776, he was assigned to commandFort George.[6]
In November, Gansevoort was promoted to Colonel and given command of the3rd New York Regiment. which he recruited and trained in early 1777. Lt. ColonelMarinus Willett became his second in command. His area of responsibility was extended from the Hudson River valley and Fort Edward and Fort George, along theMohawk River Valley toFort Oswego in the northwest. This was to be the axis of Colonel Barry St. Leger's attack during theSaratoga campaign.[2]
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 defendFort Stanwix (near modernRome, New York). The fort had been abandoned after theFrench and Indian War and was in ruins. He 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.[2]
He and his more than 700-strong garrison withstood the three-week-long siege, making asortie on August 6, while much of St. Leger's force was occupied in theBattle of Oriskany.[10] The siege was lifted on August 22, after word arrived thatBenedict Arnold was leading a large relief force up theMohawk Valley.[6]
He received the grateful thanks of the Congress, asJohn Adams noted that "Gansevoort has proven that it is possible to hold a fort."[9]
Gansevoort eventually turned Fort Stanwix over to a garrison of the1st New York Regiment. He moved his headquarters to his new command at Fort Saratoga (near modernSchuylerville, New York). He led his regiment in theSullivan Expedition 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 atWest Point. He was assigned to command the New York Brigade, and reestablished his headquarters at Fort Saratoga.[2]
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.[2]
In 1783 he became an Original Member of the New YorkSociety of the Cincinnati.
After the war, Gansevoort 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 becameGansevoort, New York. In 1790,[2] he served for a while as sheriff ofAlbany County, as a commissioner of Indian affairs, and continued his support of the military in the militia and as a quartermaster.[9] In1800, he ran forUS Senator from New York but was defeated byGouverneur Morris of theFederalist Party.[6]
In 1809, he was made a Brigadier General in theUnited States Army and commanded the Army's Northern Department.[6] In 1811, he was called on to preside over the court-martial of GeneralJames Wilkinson.[10] Wilkinson was found not guilty, and the court adjourned on Christmas Day. Hurrying back to his family, he suffered a recurrence of his old illness, and he never recovered, dying the next Summer.[6]
.jpg)
On January 12, 1778, he had married Catherine "Katy" Van Schaick (1752–1830) in her family's home onVan Schaick Island,Cohoes, New York.[6] She was the daughter of Wessel and Maria Van Schaik, and her cousinGoose Van Schaick had been Peter's commander and Colonel in 1775. Over the years, they had five children, five of whom lived past infancy, including:[10]
He died at home in Albany on July 2, 1812.[11] he is buried atAlbany Rural Cemetery.[12]
His grandson through his son Leonard wasGuert Gansevoort, who had a distinguished naval career that spanned 45 years. Through his daughter Maria, he was the maternal grandfather of authorHerman Melville (1819–1891).[2]
His eldest son, Herman, built theGansevoort Mansion in 1813 on his father's 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) tract atGansevoort inSaratoga County, New York.[13] The house was added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 1976.[14]
{{cite book}}:|last2= has generic name (help)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
