Abraham Van Vleckeren/Van Vlack in the Revolutionary War

Abraham Van Vleckeren, b. Feb. 2, 1755 in Fishkill, Dutchess County, NY, d. Nov. 19, 1836 in LaGrange, Dutchess County, NY.

At age 20 (in 1775), Abraham enlisted in the local volunteer militia when the Revolutionary War began. Abraham enlisted many times during a period of six years (1775-1781) and fathered three of his eleven children during this period. During and immediately following the war, he seems to have gone by the name of Van Vleck or Van Vlack, but at the baptisms of his first children, beginning with 1777, he is recorded as a Van Vleckeren. In the 1800 Census, however, when living in Beekman, Dutchess County, NY, he is listed under the name of Abraham Van Vleck. To further complicate the situation, New York in the Revolution as Colony and State by James A. Roberts, 1898, 2nd. edition, pg. 138, 149 spells his name "Van Vleckren"; when Abraham signed his sworn statement for the Pension Department, he signed his name as "Abraham Vanvlack"; and his gravestone says "Van Vlack".

Abraham enlisted at Fishkill, NY and served as a Private (according to Pension Dept. records). It is of interest that inscribed on Abraham's gravestone are the words: "In Memory of Capt. Abraham Van Vlack, a Soldier and Patriot of the Revolution of 1775". It seems that Abraham was appointed the rank of Captain of the local militia (comparable to the National Guard of today) after the Revolutionary War.

" Abraham enlisted in the local (Fishkill, Dutchess County, NY) volunteer militia when the Revolutionary War began. Enlistments were for special forays as the need arose to quell Tory uprisings, to patrol the roads for Tory spying and marauders, and engaging British troops, etc. Some were of short duration and when ended, the militia was discharged and they returned home until the next emergency. The early volunteer militia was organized and led by local prominent men, to defend the region, who mustered supplies whenever they could, but financed much themselves. Veterans of the French and Indian Wars trained them and became officers too. Later, the NY Provincial Congress and the Continental Congress took over."¹

"The following is an account of Abraham Van Vlack's enlistments taken from his first-hand statements that form a partial history of Dutchess County activity in the Revolutionary War."¹ These first-hand statements were extracted from a sworn statement made by Abraham Van Vlack on August 6, 1833 - statement used as proof of his enlistment in order to obtain a pension.²

1775 (Fall)- State Militia - 2 weeks - Col Dirck Brinckerhoff, Comm. 2nd Reg. Infantry - Company of Capt. Joseph Horton - Infantry

Marched to the town of Patterson and Pawling, NY in Dutchess County to apprehend and secure the disaffected to the cause of the United States. Returned after 2 weeks and was discharged.

1776 (Spring) - State Militia - 4 weeks - Col. Dirck Brinckerhoff, Comm. of 2nd Reg. - Infantry - Company of Capt. William Fowler - Infantry

Marched to County of Columbia for reason same as above. Returned to Fishkill and was discharged.

1776 (Summer) State Militia - 5 month - Company of Joshua Champlain - Infantry; Col. Dirck Brinckerhoff, Comm. of 2nd Reg. Infantry

Marched to Fort Montgomery on the Hudson near West Point, suppressing foraging raids by the British, guarding the roads and sentry duty. Returned to Fishkill and was discharged.

1776 (Winter) - State Militia - 6 weeks - Company of Capt. Jacob Griffin - Infantry

Went to White Plains in Westchester County for duty on the lines until term of service expired, and relieved by militia on the north. Stayed on as a substitute.

1776 (Winter) - State Militia - 6 weeks - Col. Morris Graham, Comm. of Reg. - Company of Capt. Gregory - Infantry

Took the place of one of the northern militia infantrymen. Returned to Fishkill and discharged.

1777 (Spring) - State Troops - 8 months - Col. Dubois, Comm. Regiment - Company of Capt. Henry Wyckoff - Infantry

Went to Fort Constitution until Oct. 6 guarding the district. Marched to Fort Montgomery shortly after its capture, then to Fishkill, then to Newburgh, then to Kingston, when that village was burned by the British. When learning of the capture of Burgoine's army, he returned with the company to Newburgh and was dismissed.

1778 (Winter) - State Militia - 2 weeks - Col. Abraham Brinckerhoff (spelled Brinkerhoff in Roberts'New York in the Revolution Comm. Regiment - Company of Capt. George Brinckerhoff

Went to the highlands on the Hudson River to suppress Tory activity.

"Years 1779 - 1781 - Abraham was engaged at other times and almost all the time in the Revolutionary War along with a period of more than one year in the service of the United States in the taking of Tories and in guarding the roads and keeping guard on the lines. Added together, Abraham had about 2 and 1/2 years total military service as a private in the Revolutionary War."¹

Roberts' " New York in the Revolution" lists Abraham as serving in two different regiments: Dutchess County Militia - Second Regiment and Dutchess County Militia - 6th Regiment. ³

As an explanation for the multiple enlistments which were usually for a short period of time: "The militia was called out when wanted; kept as long as wanted, and the soldiers then sent to their homes. Sometimes a regiment or a part of a regiment would be called out half a dozen times in the course of a year, and for half a dozen days at a time, and again it might not be needed in the entire year. Officers and men seem to have served in different organizations almost indiscriminately. At one call, they were in one regiment or company, and at another call, in another regiment or company."³

"After the War, Congress in 1792 passed an act 'to provide for the national defense by establishing a uniform militia throughout the states', now known as the state National Guard. Abraham was active in his state militia also. In the year 1796, Abraham Van Vlack was appointed Captain of the local militia (comparable to the National Guard of today). It is found in Vol. 1, page 328, Military Minutes 1783-1821 of the 'Council of Appointments of the State of New York'."¹

"The first Continental Congress enacted a disability pension for those who had served at least 9 months in the Revolutionary War and included dependents of those who were killed or died as a result of service. The pension was extended to those in need in 1818. Congress removed this requirement by Act of June 7, 1831, and it is at this point that Abraham became eligible - provided he could prove the 9 months' minimum service. Centralized enlistment records were sparse in backwoods New York during the war, so sworn statements of his enlistments by the veteran were the remedy for certification... Abraham was 78 and it was 50 years after the war when he made the sworn statements of his enlistments, time served, officers and where they went and why."^1,2

Abraham became certified for the pension in October of 1833 after his statements of September 1832 and August 1833. His pension was $55.75 yearly, paid semi-annually, and began September of 1833, plus arrears to March 1831, the date of beginning.

References
¹Abraham Van Vlack's Revolutionary War Pension Papers, Booklet III, Compiled by Walter W. Van Vlack, 1984
²National Archives and Records Service Records of Pension Office, Washington, DC
³New York in the Revolution as Colony and State by James A. Roberts, 2nd Edition, 1898, p. 10, 138, 149