Captain Jacob Conklin's Company in the Ulster 4th Regiment of Militia

In a prior post, I puzzled at the absence of Joel Campbell in the 1779 Tax Assessment for Hanover Precinct. Joel's presence in that area before and after that date is known through the 1767 Coldenham Store records, 1770 New Hurley Church records, the 1790 Montgomery Census, and the 1779 list of Exempts from Jacob Conklin's company of militia.  Perhaps if I could trace the whereabouts of Captain Conklin, I could make some guesses as to the whereabouts of Joel and his family during the war.

At the start of the Revolutionary War, Jacob Conklin was 34 years old and had 6 small children.  His house appears on a 1780 map drawn by Simeon DeWitt. It appears to be located at the north side of the intersection of Quaker St and Church St in what is now the Town of Plattekill.(41.604984, -74.093930).  That location is on the current border of Ulster and Orange Counties and on the borders of Plattekill and Newburgh towns.  Plattekill was created from the Town of Marlborough in 1800. His residence in 1779 might have been considered to be in Newburgh or Marlborough. It was about 4 miles NNE of Samuel Campbell’s original farm, where Levi and Nathan appear in the 1779 tax assessment of Hanover.

Conklin's militia was known as the "Western Newburgh Company" and was said to be "recruited in Wallkill." [see Article in New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Journal, Vol 59 Issue 4 p223.]  As I have discussed before, "Wallkill" had many geographical meanings. In this case I believe it meant the enlistees lived closer to the Wallkill River than to the Hudson River.  The use of the term "recruitment" suggests this was a special company, as militias were typically not recruited, but obligatory if you lived within the geographical boundaries. What it might be referring to is the company that Conklin led to New York in 1776. It was recruited out of other militia companies for this out-of-county duty. (Usually, militias were formed to protect their locality and had no obligation outside of the county).

Jacob was commissioned a Captain on October 11, 1775 in Colonel Jonathan Hasbrouck's regiment of the Ulster County Militia.  His wealth and education likely qualified him for such a commission as there is no evidence of prior military experience. 

In late 1775, New Yorkers led by General Montgomery invaded Canada. According to the pension deposition of Ephraim Oakes, Jacob Conklin was a fellow soldier in the company of Daniel Denton and Robert Johnson in the regiment of Colonel James Clinton. This service is not mentioned in other family records, but such experience may have qualified him to lead a company of 4-month Ulster levies to "New York" in the fall of 1776.

The siege of Boston ended in March of 1776 with the British evacuation.  One month later, in April 1776, the first surviving muster of Captain Conklin's militia company was created (see Fernow.)  Joel is not in this list. On August 9, 1776, Conklin marched a company of Ulster recruits to the "defence of New York" in anticipation of the invasion of New York City by the British. Indeed, the British landed in Brooklyn on August 27th. The surviving muster is shown below.  Conklin's company was in the regiment of Levi Pawling (spelled 'Paldens' on the muster). Pawling's (and Conklin's) role in the Battle for New York is not known, but it appears that Conklin's company was assigned to Fort Montgomery for this period and did not experience any action.  Josiah Terwilliger stated he was in Conklin's company on a 4-month enlistment, and that they were at Fort Montgomery from September until December 1776 and saw no action. Interestingly, Terwilleger does not appear on the muster, indicating that additional recruits may have been enlisted at a later date than August.

August 9, 1776 muster of Conklin company of levies in the regiment of Levi Pawling. Click here to view larger image.

With the fall of New York City in 1776, improvement of the Highland Forts (Constitution, Clinton, Montgomery) proceeded with urgency. Conklin's militia company was drafted for much of this work in the Spring and Fall of 1777.  On "last of April or first of May", Abraham Masten enlisted for four months as corporal under Captain Conklin and was "employed in erecting that fort [Montgomery]" under the command of Colonel Dubois [of the 5th New York] and Lt Col Jacobus Brown [Bruyn?] with Colonel James Clinton in command.  He thought his term expired "first of September." This agrees with the pension deposition of Harmanus Terwilliger who was at Fort Montgomery for 5 months in "Conklin's regt" then two at Fort Clinton with Captain Rose. Robert Aldrich (Aldredge), from Marlborough, was also at Fort Montgomery in Conklin's company for a two-week stint and then "drafted" for four months where he "worked hard at drawing stones, cutting sod, and facines."  He was drafted for another 3 months "but Ft Montgomery was taken and he did not go."

Conklin's whereabouts on the tragic loss of the Highland Forts on October 6, 1777 is presumed to have been with the bulk of Colonel Jonathan Hasbrouck's regiment deployed on Constitution Island. Constitution Island was not attacked on October 6th but was soon thereafter abandoned. [Only 11 of 277 prisoners of war from the battle were attributed to Hasbrouck's regiment. Two names match members of Conklin's company including 'John Snyder', who appeared in the May 4, 1778 muster and the April 1779 List of Exempts, and 'John Stephenson', who appeared in the August 1776 muster, but he was levied out of Smith's company.  Other surnames of prisoners from Hasbrouck's match common names in Conklin's regiment, but the given names do not match:  Ostrander, Lawrence, Terwilliger.]

Conklin's company was active in the recovery from the defeat of the Highland Forts, which included building structures at West Point and New Windsor (Nicoll's Point Redoubt near the Chevaux de Frise).  Private Andrew Willson stated in his pension deposition that he was on duty "between New Windsor and the highlands building forts" between November 1777 and January 1778. 

Conklin's officers were "certified" on March 9, 1778 "In the district or beat on the South east side of the Paltz [Wallkill] River."  They were enumerated as Jacob Conklin - Captain, Jacob Lawrence -1st Lieutenant, David Gue [Guion] - 2nd Lieutenant, and John Crowel - Ensign. These are the same officers named in a surviving muster of May 4th, 1778.  That muster includes Joshua Cammell, who is Joshua Campbell, Joel's son.

Members of Conklin's company served in 1778 "on the frontiers" protecting farms against marauding Indians. Joshua and Robert Aldredge (both enumerated in the May 1778 muster) served on the frontiers in 1778 under Captain William Cross. Typically, one third of a company would be required to march on one of these expeditions.  The captains in Hasbrouck's regiment would rotate leadership of these expeditions in a similar fashion.

In 1779, several of the members of Conklin's company served on the frontiers, sometimes under Conklin, sometimes under other regimental officers. Simon Terwilliger stated he was drafted for three months to serve on the frontiers under Captain Conklin. David Winfield stated that he served at "Peenpack near the Delaware River" in November 1779 as did Henry Crans (Croutz). Aaron Terwileger said he served "at Peenpack and other places served two or three months" in the fall of 1779. 1779 is also the year when Conklin included his own name on a List of Exempts in April.

1780 brought more service on the frontiers.  In March, a detachment was ordered to Mombaccus under command of Lt. Wygant that included members of Conklin's company.  Private Martin Wygant stated that he was also "on temporary duty" with another captain James Denton near Dewitts. David Winfield served at Shandaken in June.

The lore around Jacob Conklin was passed down through his family.  The stories below are from The Van Benochouten Family in America by William Henry Van Benochouten, State Library, Lansing, Michigan, p246 - 254, transcribed by Betty Kinzie.  Jacob was married to Catrina Van Benschoten

According to family lore, Jacob "... sat on many courts martials; and also served as Judge Advocate. He is said to have enjoyed the favor of Washington and to have dined with him on several occasions during the war."

One story is told that... "Once during the Revolutionary war when returning to his regiment after a short furlough his route led him through Newburgh. Reaching an inn on the outskirts of the village after dark he notice a number of horses tied to the fence surrounding it, and upon reconnoitering found that there was a gathering of Tories of that neighborhood within. Although alone he dashed into their midst with drawn sward, calling out to an imaginary squad, "Come on, come on, arrest these -------- Tories!" and had the satisfaction of seeing them all rush out at a rear door, and as he sheathed his sword heard the clatter of their horses' feet as they dashed away at breakneck speed. He then went to bed and enjoyed a good night's rest." 

It is family tradition that ... "one day when Capt. Conklin was out on a scout with his company, as they approached a bluff of land overlooking some stream on the western frontier, they suddenly came on a large force of Indians down below intent on torturing a white prisoner. They had stripped him naked, pierced him full of fat-pine splinter, and were in the act of leading him around a great fire preparing to burn him at the stake. The situation was critical, for the Indians outnumbered his force five to one; but the captain's spirit rose higher and higher as he gazed at the cruel sight. Finally, motioning his men to retire quietly, he ordered them to examine their priming with care, and on advancing to aim with exactness and fire at a sign from him. The Indians were startled, many wounded, some killed. To be brief, these tactics were followed for three volleys, withdrawing to load and advancing to the brink of the bluff to fire. Then the whites charged down upon the savages. It was thenceforth a terrific hand-to-hand encounter. It ended by the Indians breaking and fleeing. Conklin had torn off his lace and finery, thrown away his hat, tied a handkerchief about his head to as to conceal his rank, and came off unscathed. As soon as the Indians fled the captain ordered their canoes, which they had buried in the sand for concealment, dug up and launched that his party may might get away as early as possible. Waiting for three of his missing men took time, - precious time; finally they appeared, two supporting a wounded third. Instantly these were aboard they shoved off and made downstream, - and none too soon, for in a few moments Indians swarmed on the late battleground and vented their rage in yell after yell at the escape of the white men."

Sadly, there are no tales of Conklin's exploits in the Canada expedition of 1775, the Battle for New York of 1776, or the Battle of the Highlands in 1777.

Supposedly, the well-educated Captain moved to New York City after his wife died where he taught school. In 1805, he purchased two hundred acres of land at Sempronius, Cayuga County, where he died in 1813.