MILITARY HISTORY

GREENPORT,

COLUMBIA COUNTY,

NEW YORK

By Captain Franklin Ellis²⁰⁷

1878

    No complete list can be easily obtained of those who belonged to the Revolutionary army and resided within the present town of Greenport.  The full company muster-rolls, given elsewhere, doubtless include several names from the present territory of this town.  In 1840, according to the official pension lists, there were two pensioners at that time living in Greenport,--John Elindorf, aged eighty-eight, and Nicholas Stickles, aged eighty-five.

     As to the War of 1812, we have little or no account of those from Greenport who were in the military service.

     The War of 1861-65 called out certain official action by the town, as follows:  At a special meeting held at the house of Jacob R. Hollenbeck, Sept. 1, 1962, Henry A. Dubois was elected chairman, and James A. Farrill secretary.  A committee of six on resolutions was appointed, consisting of Frederick D. Gardner, James A. Farrill, Jacob R. Hollenbeck, Samuel T. Dubois, Cornelius Esselstyne, and Philip Van Tassell.  Resolutions were reported and passed providing one hundred dollars bounty to each volunteer.  An executive committee of ten was authorized to borrow $4000 to pay the bounty offered, and to petition the Legislature for a law ratifying this action.  The committee were Frederick A. Gardner, Cornelius Esselstyne, Henry A. Dubois, Harmon Hollenbeck, Richard Becker, James T. Dubois, Jonas R. Delamater, James A Farrill, Philip H. Lambert, Jacob R. Hollenbeck.

     At a special town-meeting, held July 30, 1864, Richard A. Becker, chairman, Jacob Hollenbeck, clerk, such bounty was authorized as the committee to be appointed might agree upon.  The committee named were Richard Becker, James A. Farrill, Richard P. Groat, Cornelius Esselstyne, and Jonas R. Delamater.  The committee thus intrusted with this responsible duty executed the duty assigned faithfully.  They filled the quota, paying whatever was necessary, and yet avoided the bounty-brokers and their enormous exactions, saved the town from a draft, and satisfied the people.  Still further authority was given at subsequent meetings, and an additional committee appointed, consisting of Henry A. Dubois, Wm. J. Miller, Richard Hollenbeck, Aaron Van Vleck, and Matthias Hollenbeck.

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