Peter Gansevoort

For his son, seePeter Gansevoort (politician).

Peter Gansevoort
Portrait of Gansevoort byGilbert Stuart,1794
Sheriff of Albany County
In office 1790
Personal details
Born	(1749-07-17)July 17, 1749 Albany,Province of New York,British America
Died	July 2, 1812(1812-07-02)(aged 62) Albany,State of New York,United States
Resting place	Albany Rural Cemetery,Menands, New York
Spouse	Catherine Van Schaick ​ ​ (m.1778)​
Relations	Leonard Gansevoort(brother)
Children	6, includingPeter
Parent(s)	Harman Gansevoort Magdalena Douw
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	Albany County militia Continental Army United States Army
Years of service	1775-1809
Rank	Major general(Militia) Colonel(Continental Army) Brigadier general(US Army)
Commands	2nd New York Regiment 3rd New York Regiment
Battles/wars	Revolutionary War: •Invasion of Quebec •Siege of Fort St. Jean • Seizure ofFort Chambly • Capture ofMontreal •Battle of Oriskany •Sullivan Expedition

Peter Gansevoort(July 17, 1749 – July 2, 1812) was a Colonel in theContinental Armyduring theAmerican Revolutionary War.He is best known for leading the resistance toBarry St. Leger'sSiege of Fort Stanwixin 1777. Gansevoort was also the maternal grandfather ofMoby-DickauthorHerman Melville.

Early life

Peter Gansevoort was born into the Dutch aristocracy ofAlbany, New York.His parents were Harman Gansevoort (1712–1801), the third generation of his family to live in America, and Magdalena Douw (1718–1796).His younger brother wasLeonard Gansevoort,who was more active politically, serving in the state assembly and senate, as well as theContinental Congress.

Gansevoort's paternal ancestors had been in Albany since 1660, when it was the Dutch colony ofFort Orange,andHarmen Harmense Gansevoortowned a brewery and farms.Through his mother, he was related to New York'sVan Rensselaer familyas her mother, and Gansevoort's maternal grandmother, was Anna Van Rensselaer (1696–1756), a daughter ofHendrick van Rensselaer,the director of the Eastern patent of theRensselaerswyckmanor.In addition, his first cousin, Leonard Gansevoort (1754–1834),an Albany lawyer and alderman, was married to Maria Van Rensselaer (1760–1841), the daughter of Col.Kiliaen van Rensselaer(1717–1781), the granddaughter ofHendrick van Rensselaerand the sister ofHenry Van Rensselaer(1744–1816),Philip Kiliaen van Rensselaer(1747–1798), andKillian K. Van Rensselaer(1763–1845).

Career

American Revolution

As theAmerican Revolutiongrew closer, Peter Gansevoort joined theAlbany County militia.While he lacked the experience of many older officers, he was a tactful and persuasive leader. Even at his young age, he was over six feet tall, and had a commanding presence. This, along with his family connections, caused Gen.Philip Schuylerto give him a commission.

Invasion of Quebec

Main article:Invasion of Quebec (1775)

At the start of theAmerican Revolution,Gansevoort joined the Continental Army. He was commissioned as a Major on June 30, 1775, and served as a field commander in the2nd New York Regiment.Goose Van Schaickwas the regiment's Colonel; he had raised it, and served as its nominal commander. Lieutenant ColonelPeter W. Yateshad been the regiment's primary field commander, but remained as commander of Fort George when Major Gansevoort led much of the regiment north withRichard Montgomery's forces for theinvasion of Quebec (1775).

Gansevoort led the regiment during thesiege of Fort St. Jean,today known by its French name ofFort Saint-Jean.In late October, to improve the effect of the siege, Montgomery sent Gansevoort and his men down the river to seizeFort Chambly.At Chambly, they captured over 120 barrels of needed gunpowder and a huge mortar which they nicknamedthe Old Sow.They also took about 100 prisoners of the Welch Fusilier garrison and their young Captain,John André.

Montgomery used the Old Sow to open fire on St. Johns, which was compelled to surrender on November 2, 1775.Gansevoort took part in the capture ofMontreal,although he became ill during that attack. He started on the advance toQuebec City,but by the time the force reachedTrois-Rivières,he was being carried on a stretcher.

He returned to Montreal and spent the winter as one of the sick with the occupation force. By the spring of 1776, the invasion had fallen apart at Quebec. Montgomery had been killed, andBenedict Arnoldhad been wounded.Gansevoort had recovered to the point where he led the remaining New York forces south in a fighting withdrawal that stopped the British advance atLake Champlain.As recognition for his accomplishment, in June 1776, he was assigned to commandFort George.

Statue of Peter Gansevoort, Rome, NY

Siege of Fort Stanwix

Main article:Siege of Fort Stanwix

In November, Gansevoort was promoted to Colonel and given command of the3rd New York Regiment.which he recruited and trained in early 1777. Lt. ColonelMarinus Willettbecame his second in command. His area of responsibility was extended from the Hudson River valley and Fort Edward and Fort George, along theMohawk River ValleytoFort Oswegoin the northwest. This was to be the axis of Colonel Barry St. Leger's attack during theSaratoga campaign.

The 3rd New York did not have the men and equipment to extend that far, even with the support of local militia units. He conceded Fort Oswego to the British, and elected to defendFort Stanwix(near modernRome, New York). The fort had been abandoned after theFrench and Indian Warand was in ruins. He and Willett restored the fort and strengthened its defenses. They hurriedly set up a garrison, getting the last boatload of supplies into the fort under fire from St. Leger's advance force on August 2.

He and his more than 700-strong garrison withstood the three-week-long siege, making asortieon August 6, while much of St. Leger's force was occupied in theBattle of Oriskany.The siege was lifted on August 22, after word arrived thatBenedict Arnoldwas leading a large relief force up theMohawk Valley.

He received the grateful thanks of the Congress, asJohn Adamsnoted that "Gansevoort has proven that it is possible to hold a fort."

1778–1781

Gansevoort eventually turned Fort Stanwix over to a garrison of the1st New York Regiment.He moved his headquarters to his new command at Fort Saratoga (near modernSchuylerville, New York). He led his regiment in theSullivan Expeditionof 1779. He had another bout of illness that winter (1779–1780) and returned home for a while, but, by July 1780, he was back with the 3rd atWest Point.He was assigned to command the New York Brigade, and reestablished his headquarters at Fort Saratoga.

In the reorganization and downsizing of the New York Line in 1781, Gansevoort was left with no assignment in the Continental Army. He returned home and became Brigadier General of the Albany County Militia.

In 1783 he became an Original Member of the New YorkSociety of the Cincinnati.

Post-Revolution

After the war, Gansevoort continued to make his home in Albany where he operated the family brewery. He expanded his farms, adding grist mills and a lumber mill, in the area that eventually becameGansevoort, New York.In 1790,he served for a while as sheriff ofAlbany County,as a commissioner of Indian affairs, and continued his support of the military in the militia and as a quartermaster.In1800,he ran forUS Senator from New Yorkbut was defeated byGouverneur Morrisof theFederalist Party.

In 1809, he was made a Brigadier General in theUnited States Armyand commanded the Army's Northern Department.In 1811, he was called on to preside over the court-martial of GeneralJames Wilkinson.Wilkinson was found not guilty, and the court adjourned on Christmas Day. Hurrying back to his family, he suffered a recurrence of his old illness, and he never recovered, dying the next Summer.

Personal life

Catherine Van Schaick Gansevoort, portrait byEzra Ames

On January 12, 1778, he had married Catherine "Katy" Van Schaick (1752–1830) in her family's home onVan Schaick Island,Cohoes, New York.She was the daughter of Wessel and Maria Van Schaik, and her cousinGoose Van Schaickhad been Peter's commander and Colonel in 1775. Over the years, they had five children, five of whom lived past infancy, including:

• Herman Gansevoort (1779–1862), who married Catherine S. Quackenbush (1774–1855) in 1813.
• Wessel Gansevoort (1781–1862), who never married.
• Leonard Herman Gansevoort (1783–1821), who married Mary Ann Chandonette (1789–1851)
• Peter Gansevoort(1788–1876), who married Mary Sanford (1814–1841), a daughter of ChancellorNathan Sandford.After her death, he married Susan Lansing (1804–1874), great-niece ofJohn Lansing Jr.,in 1843.
• Maria Gansevoort (1791–1872), who married Allan Melvill (1782–1832), son ofThomas Melvill,in 1814.

He died at home in Albany on July 2, 1812.he is buried atAlbany Rural Cemetery.

Descendants

His grandson through his son Leonard wasGuert Gansevoort,who had a distinguished naval career that spanned 45 years. Through his daughter Maria, he was the maternal grandfather of authorHerman Melville(1819–1891).

His eldest son, Herman, built theGansevoort Mansionin 1813 on his father's 1,500 acres (6.1 km²) tract atGansevoortinSaratoga County, New York.The house was added to theNational Register of Historic Placesin 1976.

Further reading

• Alice P. Kenney;The Gansevoorts of Albany: Dutch Patricians in the Upper Hudson Valley;1969,Syracuse University Press,Syracuse, New York,ISBN0-8156-2137-X.
• Alice P. Kenney;Stubborn for Liberty: The Dutch in New York;1975,Syracuse University Press,ISBN0-8156-0113-1.(1989 Paperback:ISBN0-8156-2482-4)
• David A. Ranzan and Matthew J. Hollis, eds.;Hero of Fort Schuyler: Selected Revolutionary War Correspondence of Brigadier General Peter Gansevoort, Jr.;2014, McFarland and Company,Jefferson, NC,ISBN0-7864-7948-5.

External links

• Peter GansevoortatFind a Grave