Description:

Revolutionary War

New York Provincial Assembly Encourages Schoonmaker to Raise Troops

 

ROBERT BENSON, Autograph Document Signed, Copy of Resolutions, July 16, 19, 1777, [Albany, New York. 1 p., 8.25" x 12.5." Expected folds; some browning; fire damage to center affecting eight lines of text; reinforced. From the Library of Charles I. Forbes, off the market for 60 years!

 

Complete Transcript

State of New York.                                          In Council of Safety July 16th 1777   

Resolved that Captain Fredrick Schoonmaker be and he is hereby appointed to raise of Company of Men, similar to the Company, he lately raised and commanded, pursuant to the Resolutions of the late Convention passed the 29th of April last to be under the like Regulations as to Service Pay and Subsistence & to continue in service untill the first Day of Decem[ber next unless sooner discharged

July 19th

Resolved That Captain Schoonmaker do enlist the Company [(which were directed to be raised, by the Resolution [of the 16th Instant, to serve till the first Day [of December) to serve till the first Day of October next unless sooner discharged.

extract from the Minutes

                                                                        Robt Benson Secry

[Bracketed text missing; supplied from another source.

 

Historical Background

On April 29, 1777, the New York Provincial Congress adopted a set of resolutions for raising two hundred men in Ulster County to serve in the county until July 15. Captains would not be paid until they had enlisted at least twenty-nine men, each armed with a good musket and a sword or tomahawk. The three companies were to be one corps, and the Congress appointed as captains Evert Bogardus, Isaac Belknap, and Frederick Schoonmaker.

 

On July 19, Schoonmaker attended the meeting of the New York Committee of Safety and reported that he had enlisted twenty-three men for two months before becoming aware of the resolution of July 16 that enlistments should be until December 1. He did not know whether the men would consent to serve so long, or whether he could enlist many for that term. The Committee passed the second resolution, reducing the enlistment period, so that it would expire on October 1. The Committee also ordered that Schoonmaker assemble the men he had raised at the courthouse in Kingston to relieve the militia there guarding prisoners.

 

 

Robert Benson (1739-1823) inherited his father’s brewery in 1762 and continued as a brewer for a few years before selling the business. He served as secretary of the New York Provincial Congress in 1775 and 1776, as secretary of the New York Senate from 1777 to 1784, and as aide-de-camp to New York Governor George Clinton. After the war, Benson bought farmland in Brooklyn and settled there. He was the older brother of Founding Father Egbert Benson (1746-1833).

 

Fredrick Schoonmaker (1738-1819) was born in Kingston, New York. He served as a captain in Colonel Johannes Snyder’s New York Regiment (Ulster County Militia) during the Revolutionary War.

 

 

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!
Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000