Dr. Charles Clinton of Hanover, NY

The Clinton Family of Little Britain, NY raised many notable citizens.  George Clinton was the first governor of New York and Vice President to Jefferson and Madison. His older brother, James, was a general in the Revolutionary War.  Two other older brothers, Alexander and Charles, were physicians.  A nephew, Dewitt, was also governor and father of the Erie Canal.

The legacy of the Clinton's is now a distant history unknown to most New Yorkers, let alone Americans.  The "Clintons" now refers to Bill and Hillary and not to the family that shaped New York and the Nation at their birth.

Dr. Charles Clinton was born on July 20, 1734.  He was about the same age as Joel Campbell.  Charles was one of four boys born to Irish emigrants, Charles and Elizabeth Clinton.  Their home was Little Britain, a small hamlet a few miles west of the Hudson River near current Newburgh, NY.

Charles and his brother, Alexander, received their medical training in New York City from one of the best physicians of the day, Dr. Peter Middleton.  The History of New York State (Sullivan) states that "the first attempt at the formal teaching of medicine in this country was the private course in human anatomy offered in New York by Dr. John Bard and Dr. Peter Middleton, probably before 1750."

In 1762, Charles served as a surgeon's mate in the British Army at the capture of Havana.  He celebrated his 28th birthday aboard a ship bound for the Cuban capital that was already under siege.  Arriving in the heat of early August, he witnessed the remnant of British regulars who had experienced malaria, yellow fever, and intestinal disorders since the siege began almost two months earlier.  The "fresh" provincial troops assisted in the final storming of the city.  The formal surrender occurred on August 14.  The troops that returned to New York were about half in number.   Ninety percent of those casualties had been due to disease.  If Clinton's experience was anything like that of fellow doctor, Samuel Adams, he would have been weak and underweight.  Samuel had enlisted on March 29th of that year as a 17 year-old in the Infantry Levies.  On May 19th he received his bounty and marched to join his regiment on May 23rd.  He returned to his father's house on December 7, 1762 at a sickly 88 pounds.  He still had bouts of diarrhea, but by February he was recovering and up to 100 pounds.  (see Diary of Dr. Samuel Adams)  Perhaps Charles' health had also been adversely affected by this adventure?

From 1764 to 1785, Dr. Clinton kept a record of his medical practice.  He used it both as a medical record and a financial record, but primarily the former.  The "Daybook" is in the collections of the George Washington Headquarters Museum in Newburgh, NY.   The book is in ledger-style with pages about 14" tall and 6" wide.  It contains about 400 pages.

Dr. Clinton's Daybook begins in 1764.  His patients for the next 27 years would be his neighbors in the areas of Hanover (now Montgomery), New Windsor, and Shawangunk.   The book appears to have been originally organized alphabetically by family, like a Rolodex.  The first several pages are an alphabetical index.  However, in 1778 Dr. Clinton appears to switch to a chronological approach (or perhaps a mixture of approaches?) filling vacant pages between his old alphabetical groupings.

His entries are very medical in nature, but occasionally reveal family structure or property location.  Hopefully a few digital images will appear here if I can get permission from the museum.

Charles moved to Hanover at least by 1775.  In that year he was the Chairman of Hanover Precinct, Ulster County, NY in which role he signed the returns of the local militia.

By 1779 we can say for certain that Dr. Clinton was living in his home on the current Route 208 as he appears in the 1779 tax assessment right in line with Colonel William Malcolm (Nicholson home), John Blake, and John Morrison.  He is assessed for 200 acres of land valued at £400 and with personal property valued at £271. (In comparison Daniel Campbell is 0 acres/£0/£12, Nathan and Levi are both 25/30/9, Nathaniel Campbell is 0/0/20, and Samuel is 96/144/56.)

1779 Tax Assessment for Hanover Precinct, Ulster County, New York showing "Doct Charles Clinton."

Similarly, in the 1790 census (the town changed its name from Hanover to Montgomery) he appeared in-line with Nicholson, Blake, and Morrison.  The Nicholson and Blake homes still stand as of 2014.

1790 Census for Town of Montgomery, Ulster County, New York.

This agrees with the location of his home in the 1798 map by David Galatian and rendered recently by Joe Devine.  The road that Clinton, Nicholson, and Blake lived on is the current Route 208.  It leads up to the Goodwill Church.  The road to the east to Newburgh is the current Route 17K.

Map of Town of Montgomery showing Dr. Clinton home in relation to Campbell farms and homes.

 Dr. Clinton died of consumption at the age of 56 in this home on April 3, 1791.  If this map was truly created in 1798, seven years after the death of Dr. Clinton, it is worth noting that the doctor's former residence was still known for its most well-known and respected inhabitant.
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The question I have been asking for three years since I heard about this Daybook (it is a long story about it getting lost in the remodeling of the GWHQ) is "did the Doctor treat any of our Campbell relatives?"  The short answer is "Yes!!"  See next post.