Rensselaer County, NY GenWeb site - Soldiers and Sailors - Loyalist muster list 1778 - Pfister
Rensselaer County
Loyalist Soldiers

This page was last updated 29 Apr 2005

Bernard C. Young has kindly contributed this Loyalist muster roll. It is dated 14 April 1778 and was written at Chateauguay, Quebec, Canada. To learn more about your Loyalist ancestors, you are invited to visit the United Empire Loyalists (UEL) website.

Loyalist Muster Roll of 1778
being the
"LOYALISTS OF RENSSELAER MANOR AT BENNINGTON, 16 AUGUST, 1777"

Lieutenant [later Colonel] Francis Pfister recruited 318 men from the
East Manor of Rensselaer, New York and Pownal, Vermont
who fought as Loyalists with Baum's German troops
at Walloomsac on 16 August 1777.

Of that number, 106 either were killed or were taken prisoner,
according to the petition of John Macomb, who was Pfister's father-in-law.
The survivors were then put under the command of Captain Samuel McKay and
later were adjudged to Major Leake.
Some of these men requested transfers to James Rogers's Corps of King's Rangers
from Leake's unit, viz:
Henry Young, jr., a. k. a. John Henry Young, and brothers Peter Young and Stephen Young.
Finally, on 12 November 1781, the men were absorbed into
the 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rangers of New York, by order of
General Frederick Haldimand.

The following muster lists detail the men from the districts surrounding the battle site
who took part in this historic event, many of whom never returned to their homes again.

Haldimand Papers - Reel 85, page 21,827

"We the Subscribers do by these presents
Acknowledge to have been engaged in the
Corps of Volunteers raised by the
Late Colonel Francis Phister of Hosack, and now
Commanded by Cap't. Samuel McKay for the
Purpose of Restoring Constitutional Government in America;
and to serve until we can
Return to our Habitations with Safety;
as witness our Hands at Chataugaye 14th April 1778."

James Brown Phillip Sipperli
Hercules Cronkhite Michael Smith
John Haner Jacob Haner
Paulus James Jacob Brust
Jacob Coons John File
James Morrison Jacob Snyder
Henry Dick Lodowyck Snyder
Christoper Catcheback Jacob Coons, jr.
David Coons John Gardinier
David Forbes Martinus Cammel
Christopher Kellnor Frederick Wearing
David Hartman David Haner
Joshua Eibe George Finkle, jr.
John Cornelius John Benn
Henry Ploss William Coonradt
Matthew Brust Samuel Friot
Henry Johnston Samuel Dox
Robert Smith Jonathan Hart
Robert Clark Timothy Coons
Peter Phillips Adam Best
Henry Deal Peter Deal
Jacob Best Jonas Simmons
John Wust John Bockus, jr.
Johannes Schildis Thomas Comer
John Calder Gabriel Brusie
Robert Simson John Letcher
Ludwyck Bonestil Daniel Streit
Cornelius Letcher Jacob Wager
Nicholas Brown John ______
John Selfredge John Ham
Frederick Swartfeger Christopher Brusie
Adam Deal Jacob Cole
John Bockus .

(Rank listed but erased)
John Ruiter
Henry Young
Conradt Best
Harmanus Best

"This is a True Copy examined with the Original this 14th Day of May, 1778, by me,"

Isaac Mann, Jr.

"Sworn to the same being a true copy of the original by the said Isaac Mann
this 14th of May, 1778, before me,"

Edw. Porthious



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