Person:John Vanderburgh (3)

BIOGRAPHY: JOHN W.5 VANDERBURGH (William4, Henry3, Dirck2, Lucas1), son of William Vanderburgh and Margaret Gay, was born on 15 Mar 1762 in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York. John served in the Revolutionary War, and was living in the town of Norway, Herkimer Co., NY when on 9 Oct 1832 he stated his claim for a Revolutionary War pension. He was residing in Poughkeepsie when he voluntarily enlisted at age 14 to serve in the war. He enlisted into the New York Line in the Spring of 1776 to serve for nine months. He mustered at Fishkill where he joined a company commanded by Captain John McKinister. Joel Wix was Lieutenant, Harry Dodge was adjutant, and Colonel Wiesenault was the regimental commander. John's first move with the regiment was to West Point, where it remained for some time. Next, it went to White Plains where he met members of the Continental Army commanded by George Washington. From White Plains, they went directly to Fort Plain in Montgomery County, NY. Here, Col. Dubois commanded the regiment, and Captain Andrew White replaced Capt. McKinister as company commander. The regiment, or part thereof, including the company to which John belonged, pursued Indians and Tories northerly of the Mohawk River. There was a battle during this time a short distance from Fort Plain on the north side of the Mohawk. John participated in that battle and helped capture 30 or 36 prisoners and three pieces of cannon. From this battle, he went as one of the guard to take all the prisoners to Poughkeepsie. He took from one of the captured Indians, the scalp of Colonel Brown who had been killed and scalped at Stone Arabia. At Poughkeepsie, John's company disbanded. In the Spring of 1777, John again enlisted as a volunteer for six months and went again to Fishkill where they mustered. Col. Dubois was the regimental commander, and Capt. Andrew White once again headed his company. The regiment went to West Point and then to Saratoga. John was one of the detachment sent out to destroy the bridges between Fort Edward and Saratoga to prevent the approach of Gen. Burgoyne and his Army. His detachment took a spy named Thomas Loveless from Burgoyne's Army. Loveless was afterward tried, condemned, and hung. John's company and several others were drawn off from Saratoga a short time before the battle at Saratoga. They went to West Point to maintain the prison. He remained there until his company disbanded again in the winter of 1777/78. He received his discharge from Capt. White. When making his pension claim, John said that his discharge paper was lost or with some of the descendants of John Klock, who was deceased. After the war, John resided in Poughkeepsie for about 10 years. On Friday, 18 Jun 1789, John appeared before the Dutchess County Oyer and Terminer Court in Poughkeepsie. The Grand Jury indicited him "for an assault on Margaret Rynders with an intent to ravish her." The next day, John appeared and was "recognized in the sum of 400 pounds." His next court appearance occurred on Saturday, 10 Jul 1790. The court "Ordered that he be discharged from his Recognizance and that he be bound with surety for his appearance at the next Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol delivery to be held for the County of Dutchess." "Thereupon the said John W. Vandeberg and John Chamberlain of Poughkeepsie Phisician respectively appeared in Court and acknowledged themselves to be indebted to the people of the State of New York in the sum of fifty pounds ..." if John did not "personally appear at the next Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol delivery to be held in and for the County of Dutchess and then and there answer all such matters and things as shall be objected against him ..." On Thursday, 24 Feb 1791, John returned to court. "On motion of Mr. Attorney General on behalf of the people ordered that the Indictment against the defendant be quashed." Evidently the wording of the original indictment was inappropriate, so during this same court session, the Grand Jury delivered several bills, one of which stated "An Indictment against the defendant for an assault with an intent to commit a Rape." "On motion of Mr. Attorney General on behalf of the people the defendant the prisoner was set to the bar to be arrained and being arrained he did plead ..." not guilty. According to the court records, that temporarily ended the matter. It wasn't until four months later that John resumed his court appearances. On Wednesday, 15 Jun 1791 John appeared, was recognized, and ordered to appear the following day, which he did. He was told to appear again on Friday which he did once again. This time the court "ordered that he be discharged from his recognizance." No further action is found in the court records regarding the charges against him. In the Fall of 1792, John left Dutchess County for the Mohawk River Valley. Accompanying John were his sister and her husband, William H. Cook. Also in the migrating party were William Cook's brother, George W., and sister, Temperance Cook. John made his permanent home at Norway in Herkimer County. Probably here, or in Dutchess County, he married JANE ______ and worked as a farmer. On 16 May 1798, he purchased 101 1/4 acres of land from his brother-in-law William H. Cook for 50 cents. He sold this same acreage on 22 Nov 1833 to Arphaxed Loomis for $1,600. By 1825, John had a considerable household comprised of 10 people. When the residents of Norway decided to build a nondenominational meeting house in town, John contributed four dollars toward its construction on 8 Nov 1813. In the early 1800s, the farmers of Norway were fortunate to have an abundance of cattle which they could sell to drovers for market in Canada and northern New York counties. On one occasion, John became a victim of some dishonest drovers. "About the year 1815 Stodard & Sherman bought a drove in town and vicinity, and after selling them `on the lines' returned and bought another large lot on credit, promising to pay for them when sold. They did not return when expected; a meeting of their creditors was called and Mr. William Comstock was dispatched to go and find them and if possible collect the amount due." Comstock found the drovers but returned without the payments. John had been caught up in the scheme when he sold the drovers "a fine yoke of oxen for $60, in the unpaid for lot." On 8 Dec 1840, John died in Norway and was buried there. John's wife, Jane, was still living in Nov 1833.