Brig. General Peter Harmense Gansevoort, Jr.

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• Peter Gansevoort Find A Grave Memorial# 378
• Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, Albany County, New York, USA

General Peter Gansevoort Jr., son of Harme and Magdalena (Douw) Gansevoort, was born in Albany, in 1749, where Stanwix Hall now stands, and died in his native city, July 2, 1812, at the age of sixty-three years. On July 2, 1775; he was appointed by congress a major in the Second New York regiment. In August of that year he joined the army which invaded Canada under Montgomery. In March, 1776, he was made lieutenant-colonel, and on November 21 following became colonel of the regiment. In July, 1776, he was colonel commanding at Fort George, on Lake George. In April, 1777, he took command of Fort Stanwix (afterward called Fort Schuyler), on the present site of the city of Rome, and made a gallant defence of the post against the British under St. Leger, which was the first blow to their great scheme to sever New York from the residue of the confederacy, and by thus preventing the cooperation of that officer with Burgoyne, contributed most essentially to the great and decisive victory at Saratoga. For this gallant defence the thanks of congress were voted to Colonel Gansevoort. In the spring of 1779 Colonel Gansevoort was ordered to join General Sullivan in an expedition against the Indians in the western part of New York. At the head of a chosen party from the army he distinguished himself by surprising, by the celerity of his movements, the lower Mohawk castle, and capturing all the Indian inhabitants of the vicinity. In 1781 the state of New York appointed him brigadier-general, and afterwards he filled a number of important offices, among which was that of commissioner of Indian affairs and for fortifying the frontiers. He also was military agent and a brigadier-general in the United States army in 1809, sheriff of Albany county from 1790 to 1792, a regent of the University of the State of New York from 1808 until the time of his death, and one of the first board of directors of the New York State bank in 1803.

The foregoing account is hardly more than a very brief outline of the career of one of the bravest and most determined soldiers and patriots of the revolution, an officer whose courage never was doubted, whose achievements as a commanding officer were fully appreciated, but whose splendid service never was more than half rewarded. And it has remained for one of his descendants, a granddaughter, to cause to be erected an appropriate memorial of his noble record and unselfish patriotism; and all honor is due Mrs. Catherine Gansevoort Lansing for the gift which marks the place of old Fort Stanwix — "a fort which never surrendered," and the fort from which the first American flag was unfurled in the face of the enemy. The "General Peter Gansevoort Statue," in bronze, stands in the circle in the East Park, Rome, New York, facing the west. The figure is in full uniform, heroic in size, seven feet two inches tall, standing at ease in military position, the left foot slightly forward. In the right hand is held the letter of St. Leger demanding the surrender of the fort, while the left hand rests on the hilt of the sword. The pedestal weighs nearly three tons and stands on a base weighing twenty tons, and the whole rests on a solid concrete foundation nearly four feet thick. On the outer edge of the flag walk around the monument is a stone coping of Barre granite, rock finish, the same material on which the statue rests, the coping being a foot wide and a foot thick. On the front tablet of the monument appears this inscription:

Brigadier-General Peter Gansevoort, Jr., Colonel in the Continental Army. He served under Montgomery in Canada in the campaign against Quebec in 1775, and in 1777 he successfully defended Fort Stanwix against the British forces and their Indian allies under St. Leger, thus preventing their junction with Burgoyne at Saratoga. He took part in the campaign of 1779 under General Sullivan. He was in active command at the outbreak of the War of 1812, and died on the second day of July of that year at the age of 63.

On the rear tablet this inscription appears

Erected near the site of FORT STANWIX at the request of Peter Gansevoort, Henry S. Gansevoort, U. S. A., and Abraham Lansing, all of Albany, N. Y. Presented to the City of Rome by Catherine Gansevoort Lansing A. D. 1906.

The designer of the statue was Edward L. Henry, N. A., the sculptor E. F. Piatti, and the architect D. N. B. Sturgis, all of New York City. The ceremony of unveiling was held on Thursday, November 8, 1906. The principal orator of the occasion was Hon. Hugh Hastings, then state historian, who said, in concluding his address:

"In these days an heroic defense of such conspicuous character would have met with the reward of a brigadier-general's commission at least. Upon the intrepid commander of Fort Schuyler, however, congress conferred the anomalous rank and empty honor 'Colonel Commandant of Fort Schuyler,' an absurd compliment of the record, for Gansevoort had held the rank of colonel since November, 1776, and been in command of the fort since April, 1777. General Gansevoort blocked the way of the triumphant invader like a wall of granite. His achievement is all the more creditable when we consider the delinquency of his superiors in estimating the true situation and the refusal of Tryon county to protect itself or to support him with reinforcements. The fall of Fort Schuyler would have been followed by the certain defeat of Gates, whose left and rear would have been absolutely unprotected before the New England troops could reinforce him. The defeat of Gates would have given the enemy complete control of the valley of the Hudson, would have meant the severance of New England from the rest of the confederacy, led to a cessation of hostilities and the restoration of the colonies to the mother country. The victory at Fort Schuyler paved the way for the final triumph on the heights at Saratoga, or, as it has been so aptly expressed, 'Without Fort Schuyler there would have been no Saratoga.'"

General Gansevoort married, January 12, 1778, Catherine (Catrina) Van Schaick, baptized August 16, 1752, died December 30, 1830, daughter of Wessel Van Schaick, who was baptized February 10, 1712 and married, November 3, 1743, Maria Gerritse, who died January 31, 1797. Wessel Van Schaick was son of Anthony (or Antony) Van Schaick, Sybrant, filius, glazier, born 1681, married, October 19, 1707, Anna Catherine Ten Broeck, who died in December, 1756. In 1704 Anthony Van Schaick's house lot was at the south corner of State and Pearl streets, Albany. He was a son of Sybrant Van Schaick, born 1653, who married Elizabeth Van Der Poel, and died about 1785. In 1678 his stepmother agreed to sell him her half of the brewery on the easterly half of the Exchange block for one hundred beavers. He was a son of Captain Goosen Gerritse Van Schaick, brewer of Albany. In 1664 he and Philip Pieterse Schuyler were granted permission to purchase Halve Maan of the Indians, to prevent "those of Connecticut" from purchasing it. In 1664 also he bought of his stepfather, Ryner Elbertse, a lot on the north corner of Columbia street and Broadway, and in 1675 he and Pieter Lassingh bought Harmen (or Harme) Rutger's brewery on the Exchange block. "In 1657, being about to marry his second wife, he made a contract in which he reserved from his estate 6,000 guilders for his four eldest children by the first wife, that being her separate estate; and in 1668 he and his second wife made a joint will, he being about to depart for Holland." Captain Van Schaick married (first) in 1649, Geertie Brantse Van Nieuwkerk, who died about 1656; married (second), 1657, Annatie Lievens, or Lievense.

[Editorial note: His first wife is referred to below as Peelen rather than Van Nieuwkerk.]

General Gansevoort's children:

Herman, born 1779, died 1862; married, 1813, Catherine Quackenboss, born 1774, died 1855. Wessel, born 1781, died 1862. Leonard, born 1783, died 1821; married, 1809, Mary A. Chandonette, born 1789, died 1851. Peter, born 1786, died 1788. Peter, born December 22, 1788, (see post). Maria, born 1791, married, 1814, Allan Melville, born 1782, died 1832.

http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/families/hmgfm/gansevoort.html

(IV) General Peter Gansevoort Jr. [Portrait with signature: original size (21K) | 4x enlarged (117K)], son of Harme and Magdalena (Douw) Gansevoort, was born in Albany, in 1749, where Stanwix Hall now stands, and died in his native city, July 2, 1812, at the age of sixty-three years. On July 2, 1775; he was appointed by congress a major in the Second New York regiment. In August of that year he joined the army which invaded Canada under Montgomery. In March, 1776, he was made lieutenant-colonel, and on November 21 following became colonel of the regiment. In July, 1776, he was colonel commanding at Fort George, on Lake George. In April, 1777, he took command of Fort Stanwix (afterward called Fort Schuyler), on the present site of the city of Rome, and made a gallant defence of the post against the British under St. Leger, which was the first blow to their great scheme to sever New York from the residue of the confederacy, and by thus preventing the cooperation of that officer with Burgoyne, contributed most essentially to the great and decisive victory at Saratoga. For this gallant defence the thanks of congress were voted to Colonel Gansevoort. In the spring of 1779 Colonel Gansevoort was ordered to join General Sullivan in an expedition against the Indians in the western part of New York. At the head of a chosen party from the army he distinguished himself by surprising, by the celerity of his movements, the lower Mohawk castle, and capturing all the Indian inhabitants of the vicinity. In 1781 the state of New York appointed him brigadier-general, and afterwards he filled a number of important offices, among which was that of commissioner of Indian affairs and for fortifying the frontiers. He also was military agent and a brigadier-general in the United States army in 1809, sheriff of Albany county from 1790 to 1792, a regent of the University of the State of New York from 1808 until the time of his death, and one of the first board of directors of the New York State bank in 1803.

The foregoing account is hardly more than a very brief outline of the career of one of the bravest and most determined soldiers and patriots of the revolution, an officer whose courage never was doubted, whose achievements as a commanding officer were fully appreciated, but whose splendid service never was more than half rewarded. And it has remained for one of his descendants, a granddaughter, to cause to be erected an appropriate memorial of his noble record and unselfish patriotism; and all honor is due Mrs. Catherine Gansevoort Lansing for the gift which marks the place of old Fort Stanwix — "a fort which never surrendered," and the fort from which the first American flag was unfurled in the face of the enemy. The "General Peter Gansevoort Statue," in bronze, stands in the circle in the East Park, Rome, New York, facing the west. The figure is in full uniform, heroic in size, seven feet two inches tall, standing at ease in military position, the left foot slightly forward. In the right hand is held the letter of St. Leger demanding the surrender of the fort, while the left hand rests on the hilt of the sword. The pedestal weighs nearly three tons and stands on a base weighing twenty tons, and the whole rests on a solid concrete foundation nearly four feet thick. On the outer edge of the flag walk around the monument is a stone coping of Barre granite, rock finish, the same material on which the statue rests, the coping being a foot wide and a foot thick. On the front tablet of the monument appears this inscription:

Brigadier-General Peter Gansevoort, Jr., Colonel in the Continental Army. He served under Montgomery in Canada in the campaign against Quebec in 1775, and in 1777 he successfully defended Fort Stanwix against the British forces and their Indian allies under St. Leger, thus preventing their junction with Burgoyne at Saratoga. He took part in the campaign of 1779 under General Sullivan. He was in active command at the outbreak of the War of 1812, and died on the second day of July of that year at the age of 63.

On the rear tablet this inscription appears

Erected near the site of

FORT STANWIX

at the request of Peter Gansevoort,

Henry S. Gansevoort, U. S. A.,

and Abraham Lansing, all of

Albany, N. Y.

Presented to the City of Rome by

Catherine Gansevoort

Lansing

A. D. 1906.

The designer of the statue was Edward L. Henry, N. A., the sculptor E. F. Piatti, and the architect D. N. B. Sturgis, all of New York City. The ceremony of unveiling was held on Thursday, November 8, 1906. The principal orator of the occasion was Hon. Hugh Hastings, then state historian, who said, in concluding his address:

"In these days an heroic defense of such conspicuous character would have met with the reward of a brigadier-general's commission at least. Upon the intrepid commander of Fort Schuyler, however, congress conferred the anomalous rank and empty honor 'Colonel Commandant of Fort Schuyler,' an absurd compliment of the record, for Gansevoort had held the rank of colonel since November, 1776, and been in command of the fort since April, 1777. General Gansevoort blocked the way of the triumphant invader like a wall of granite. His achievement is all the more creditable when we consider the delinquency of his superiors in estimating the true situation and the refusal of Tryon county to protect itself or to support him with reinforcements. The fall of Fort Schuyler would have been followed by the certain defeat of Gates, whose left and rear would have been absolutely unprotected before the New England troops could reinforce him. The defeat of Gates would have given the enemy complete control of the valley of the Hudson, would have meant the severance of New England from the rest of the confederacy, led to a cessation of hostilities and the restoration of the colonies to the mother country. The victory at Fort Schuyler paved the way for the final triumph on the heights at Saratoga, or, as it has been so aptly expressed, 'Without Fort Schuyler there would have been no Saratoga.'"

General Gansevoort married, January 12, 1778, Catherine (Catrina) Van Schaick, baptized August 16, 1752, died December 30, 1830, daughter of Wessel Van Schaick, who was baptized February 10, 1712 and married, November 3, 1743, Maria Gerritse, who died January 31, 1797. Wessel Van Schaick was son of Anthony (or Antony) Van Schaick, Sybrant, filius, glazier, born 1681, married, October 19, 1707, Anna Catherine Ten Broeck, who died in December, 1756. In 1704 Anthony Van Schaick's house lot was at the south corner of State and Pearl streets, Albany. He was a son of Sybrant Van Schaick, born 1653, who married Elizabeth Van Der Poel, and died about 1785. In 1678 his stepmother agreed to sell him her half of the brewery on the easterly half of the Exchange block for one hundred beavers. He was a son of Captain Goosen Gerritse Van Schaick, brewer of Albany. In 1664 he and Philip Pieterse Schuyler were granted permission to purchase Halve Maan of the Indians, to prevent "those of Connecticut" from purchasing it. In 1664 also he bought of his stepfather, Ryner Elbertse, a lot on the north corner of Columbia street and Broadway, and in 1675 he and Pieter Lassingh bought Harmen (or Harme) Rutger's brewery on the Exchange block. "In 1657, being about to marry his second wife, he made a contract in which he reserved from his estate 6,000 guilders for his four eldest children by the first wife, that being her separate estate; and in 1668 he and his second wife made a joint will, he being about to depart for Holland." Captain Van Schaick married (first) in 1649, Geertie Brantse Van Nieuwkerk, who died about 1656; married (second), 1657, Annatie Lievens, or Lievense.

[Editorial note: His first wife is referred to below as Peelen rather than Van Nieuwkerk.]

General Gansevoort's children:

1. Herman, born 1779, died 1862; married, 1813, Catherine Quackenboss, born 1774, died 1855.
2. Wessel, born 1781, died 1862.
3. Leonard, born 1783, died 1821; married, 1809, Mary A. Chandonette, born 1789, died 1851.
4. Peter, born 1786, died 1788.
5. Peter, born December 22, 1788, (see post).
6. Maria, born 1791, married, 1814, Allan Melville, born 1782, died 1832.

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• Peter Gansevoort New Netherland Institute
• Peter Gansevoort From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Peter Gansevoort by Stefan Bielinski, The People of Colonial Albany, The New York State Museum
• Peter Gansevoort Find A Grave Memorial# 378
• Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, Albany County, New York, USA