By Jonathan Anderson
Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office
When Onondaga County was formed in 1794, its boundaries incorporated a 1.75 million-acre territory previously known as “The Military Tract,” a tract of land made available as bounty to veterans of the Continental Army for service during the War for Independence. Hence, there were many early settlers to Onondaga County that served the American cause during that great conflict. Early records indicated that about 2,000 people settled in the newly formed county, not including the indigenous native population. Interestingly, there were two Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) reservation territories located in the new county — an Onondaga and Cayuga reservation. Both the Onondaga and Cayuga nations allied with the British during the war.
In the early 1820s, pensions became available to these veterans or their surviving families. Statements of service were recorded in local courthouses testifying as to their service. In Onondaga County those statements were recorded at the Onondaga County Courthouse on Onondaga Hill. That building also housed the county jail. Those records revealed that the Onondaga County veterans served as minutemen, militiamen, line infantry, artillery men, boatmen, privates, officers of varied rank, light dragoons, wagon masters and quartermasters, and were taken as prisoners of war aboard British prison ships or in Canadian chains. Further, they served in nearly every theater of the war from the Lexington Alarm to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.
In 1912 William Martin Beauchamp of the Onondaga Historical Association presented an 1895 research account by local historian Franklin Henry Chase listing American veterans of the Revolution from Onondaga County. That research appears to have been compiled from what was Onondaga County post 1846. By that time, the county was reduced to the 800 square mile territory that exists today. Hence, the record was incomplete by 1794 standard. However, the account revealed the identity of about 620 Onondaga County veterans.
Thirty-four veterans were listed as residing in Lysander:
- Parmenio Adams – Marched on the Lexington alarm in 1775. Died in 1809, age 61.
- Nathan Betts – Served as a private in the 2d, and 4th Regt., New York Died in 1844, age of 91.
- Nathan Borden – Died in 1851, age of 85.
- Benajah Bowen – Settled in Lysander in 1817.
- Daniel Chase – Enlisted in the 16th Albany Regt. He died in 1838, age 85.
- Reuben Clark – Appears to have died in 1816.
- Rev. John Davenport – Held a pastoral charge since 1775. Settled in Lysander in 1810, and served as a Presbyterian Paster until his death in 1821, at the age of 69.
- Joseph De Long – Listed age 59 when his 1820 pension statement was submitted.
- Benjamin De Puy – Enlisted in the 2d and 3d Ulster Regt.
- Isaac Dolsen – Died in 1843, age 76.
- Adam Emerick – Served in the 8th Albany Co. Regt.
- William Fleming – Served as a private in the 2d. New York He died in 1838, age 83.
- William Foster – This name appears in several Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York rolls. Believed to have served as sergeant at the Lexington alarm.
- George Fravor – Enrolled in the 6th Dutchess Co. Regt. Died in 1858, age 102.
- Stiles Freeman – Died in 1853, age 75.
- Joseph Gordon – Mustered out of New Hampshire, was listed as a corporal, and possibly served in the 2d. Albany Regt. New York He died in 1829.
- John Grey – A frequent name in Revolutionary rolls.
- Israel Hooker – Listed as 62 years of age on 1820 pension records.
- William Johnson – Mustered out of Massachusetts, known as “Uncle Bill Johnson.”
- Nathan Kellogg – Believed to have served at West Point. Died in 1838, age 72.
- John Mastin – Enlisted in the 4th Ulster Regt. Died in 1834, age 74.
- Jacob Northrop – Name appears on Connecticut, and Massachusetts rolls.
- Timothy Olmsted – Marched at the Lexington alarm, and was a fifer in the 7th and 9th Connecticut Regt. He also served in the War of 1812. He died in 1848, age 89.
- Jonathan Palmer – Enrolled in the 14th Regt. Albany Co.
- Nathaniel Palmer – Enrolled in the 14th Regt. Albany Co. Died in 1826, age 73
- Shubael Preston – Served as a private in the Connecticut Line. He died in 1846, age 88.
- Nathaniel Root – Enlisted in the Connecticut Militia in 1782.
- Joel Rose – Mustered out of Vermont Died in 1819, age 72.
- Silas Scofield – Enrolled in the 4th Regt. New York Line. He died in 1837, age 78.
- John Slauson – Served in the 2d. New York Artillery.
- Austin Smith – Mustered out of Connecticut, wounded at the battle of Monmouth, listed in Sergeant in 1777. He died in 1846, age 92.
- Elijah Snow – Enlisted in the 3d Regt. of Bristol Co. Continentals. Served as supervisor for Lysander in 1808. He died in 1841, age 81.
- Hezekiah Tuttle – Name appears in Connecticut rolls.
- Edward Tylee – Died in 1850, age 92.
Thirty-three veterans were listed as residing in Van Buren:
- Daniel Bennet – Mustered out of Connecticut.
- Miles Bennett – Served in the 3d Regt. in the Connecticut. Line. Died in 1852, age 90.
- John Brittin – Mustered out of New Jersey. Died in 1842, age 85.
- Sherebiah Evans – Mustered out of Massachusetts He died of fever in 1841, age 67.
- Thomas Farrington – Mustered out of Massachusetts in 1777. Died 1815, age 55.
- Eber Hart – Believed to have mustered out of R.I. Died in 1842, age 89.
- John Herrick – Served as Captain during his Massachusetts service. Died in 1826.
- Daniel Cornell – Served in the 6th Dutchess L.B.R. Regt.
- John Cunningham – Served as a bombardier in the New York artillery. Possibly served during the 1779 Onondaga raid. Died in 1820, age 76.
- Benjamen De Puy – Died in 1842, age 90.
- James Dunham – He enlisted in the 1778 in the Connecticut Line. Died in 1825, age 67.
- Sherebiah Evans – Died in 1821, age 65.
- Rynard House – Enlisted in the 2d Orange Co. New York Line. Died in 1828, age 75.
- David How – Mustered out of Connecticut, and was listed in the New York. Levies and the 12th Regt. New York. Died in 1834, age 76.
- John Ingalsbe – Marched at Lexington, and served in the Massachusetts Line. Died in 1836, age 83.
- William Lakin – Enlisted in 1777 in the 2d New Hampshire Line. Was disabled due to his wounds suffered at the battle of Bemis’ Heights. He fashioned and kept a wooden cane at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-78. Died in 1835, age 78.
- Thomas Marvin – Believed to have mustered out of Connecticut. Died in 1835, aged 72.
- John McHarie – Served in the Maryland Troops. Was said to be the earliest settler in Van Buren, and did a good business in taking boats over the rifts in the river at Baldwinsville. Died in 1807, age 55.
- Stephen Mead – Name appears in the Connecticut rolls.
- Phineas Meigs – Served in the Connecticut Line. Died in 1835, age 77.
- Atchinson Mellin – Mustered out of PA. Died in 1825, age 75.
- Ebenezer Morley – Enlisted ‘76, served in the Massachusetts troops. Died in 1832, age 77.
- Loami Nearing – Served in the 17th Regt. Connecticut. Line. Died in 1821, age 64.
- Thomas Rewey – Served with the 1st Berkshire Regt. Massachusetts. Died in 1836, age 84.
- Samuel Shead – Believed to have mustered out of Massachusetts. Died 1830, age 81.
- Dow Smith – Served in Connecticut. and for a stint served on guard boat duty. Died in 1841 at about 105 years of age.
- Jerremiah Steves – Was in the 1st Westchester Regt. Died in 1796, age 76.
- John Tappen – Mustered out of New Jersey. Died in 1818, age 62.
- Daniel Van Fleet – Enrolled in the 3d. Ulster Co. Regt. Died in 1840, age 88.
- Calvin Waterman – Served in the Connecticut. Line, was captured and later exchanged. Died in 1838, age 88.
- Ebenezer Wells – Mustered out of Connecticut. Died in 1833, age 75.
- Adonijah White – Marched in the Lexington alarm. Achieved the rank of corporal in Connecticut. Died in 1827, age 75.
- John Wygant – Served in the 4th Orange Co. Regt. New York.
Additional possible Lysander-Van Buren veterans were listed as:
- Moses How – Probably mustered out of Massachusetts. Died in 1848, age 85.
- Benjamin Jones – Probably mustered out of Massachusetts. Died in 1814, age 87.
- John Pelton – Died in 1839.
- John Robinson – Died in 1838.
The legacy of service of these veterans holds proud significance for their families, residencies and organizations they are associated with. That heritage rings true for the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office and its early members who gave service as Revolutionary War veterans, including those listed in the 1898 account — James Beebe, Jonathan Strong, Comfort Tyler (Onondaga), Elnathan Beach (Marcellus), Samuel Danforth (Salina) and Robert Earll (Skaneateles); for they fought and suffered during the conflict that manifested the very ideals of the oath that generations of officers have recited since the formation of the Office in 1794.
Anderson is the historian for the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office.