Monday, September 7, 2015

Preserve Indian Field

The Bronx Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) are looking for female descendants of the Van Gilders from Berkshire County, Massachusetts to join its chapter. 

In 1778 an  Indian corp of light infantry was formed at the request of General George Washington.  That company had been suggested to General Horatio Gates by Abraham Nimham.  Abraham was the son of Daniel Nimham, the last Wappinger chief, and first cousin to the children of John Van Gilder and Mary Karner. 

This company was ambushed by a company of British and Hessian soldiers on 31 Aug 1778.  The Mohicans at Stockbridge lost a third of their men that day.  Daniel Nimham, the nephew of John Van Gilder, was killed when he shot a British officer.  There is a cairn memorializing the regiment in Van Cortlandt Park, the site of the ambush.




 A large portion of the battlefield, called Indian Field, has been preserved since then and currently is part of Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Now New York City wants to build a $500,000 dog park there.  I think this is disrespectful to the site.  So far it seems to be the only Revolutionary War memorial to the Native American men of New England. I believe the Bronx Chapter of the DAR will press for the creation of a state or national historic park at the site instead.  I know that’s what I’d like to see. I have already determined that in addition to the Mohicans and Wappingers, Tunix, Schaghticoke, Paguset, Mohegan, Pequot, Nipmuc and Wampanoag men served there that day.  The DAR would like descendants of the men of the Indian Corp and the Van Gilders and Winchells to join the DAR to help preserve Indian Field.

Below is a list I’ve compiled of Van Gilder descendants and their Mohican Winchell cousins who served in the American Revolution:

Continental Army:
Andrew Van Gilder
Benjamin Van Gilder
Daniel Van Gilder
David Van Gilder
Ebenezer Van Gilder
Isaac Van Gilder
Jacob Van Gilder
James Van Gilder
John Van Gilder
Joseph Van Gilder
Matthew Van Gilder Jr.
Nathaniel Van Gilder
Nicholas Van Gilder
Reuben Van Gilder
Stephen Van Gilder
David Winchell
Joel Winchell

Green Mountain Boys:
Henry Van Gilder
John Van Gilder Jr.
Jonathan Van Gilder

Service Details:
Daniel Van Gilder
Joseph Van Gilder
(Battle of Saratoga)
Matthew Van Gilder Sr
(Battles of Saratoga, Burgoyne’s Surrender)
Eliakim Winchell Sr.
(Battles of Saratoga, Burgoyne’s Surrender)
Hezekiah Winchell Jr.
(Battles of Saratoga, Burgoyne’s Surrender, Mount Independence)

Albany County Militia:
Andrew Van Gilder
Henry Van Gilder
Jacob Van Gilder
John Van Gilder Jr.


In the table below I list the men belonging to the Indian Corp as found on the Patriot's Blood web site and their tribes.


Massachusetts Men
Nation

Joseph Aaron


Hendrick Aupaumut (aka Lt. Solomon Hendrick)
Mohican

Amos Babcock
Wampanoag
from 5th mass.Mashpee
Joseph Cheenequan
Mohican
DAR
John Cheenquin
Mohican
DAR
Isaac Esop (Aesop)
Mohican
DAR
David Hatch
Wampanoag
from Mashpee
Isaac Johns

from Upton
Benjamin Jones

from Sandwich
James Keeter
Wampanoag
Mashpee
Jacob Keeter
Wampanoag
Mashpee
Abraham Konkpott
Mohican

Job Long

from Hanover
Ephraim Louden

from Milton
Joseph Mamanash
Mohegan/Pocumtuck

Ebenezer Maunauset
Mohican
DAR
Benjamin Metacaman
Mohican
DAR
Andres Mohhewch
Mohican
DAR
Moses Mole
Mohican

Eli Moses

from Sandwich
Pedro Murcock

from Pembroke or Plymouth
David Naunauneck
Mohican

Abraham Nimham
Wappinger

Daniel Nimham
Wappinger

John Nimham
Wappinger

Jacob Pautauwaupeet
Mohican
MSS
John Pearce

from Mashpee
Joseph Pegan, Jr.

from Bridgewater
John Peters

from Southwick
William Placy


Hosea Pocknet
Wampanoag
from Mashpee
James Quamhos
Mohican

James Rimmons

from Mashpee
Aaron Sausonkhok
Mohican

Jeffrey Sechemus

from Roxbury
George Shawn

from Mashpee
John Shepaubweenk
Mohican

David Shupaumwaunhun
Mohican

Samuel Squintoop
Mohican

Robert Sukkaumick
Mohican

Abel Supposon

12th Mass.
Isaac Swift


Job Tampum

from Mashpee
Timothy Taunkauwat
Mohican

Job Tobias

from Barnstable
Cornelius Touwohauunnuk
Mohican

Jacob Tusnuk
Mohican

Solomon Wamsquam

from Needham
Benjamin Waunehnauweet
Mohican

Samuel Wampee

Sandwich or Falmouth
Solomon Wamsquam

from Needham
Andrew Waumankey
Mohican

Isaac Waupeek
Mohican

Hendrick Wautaunkauwot
Mohican

Daniel Wauwaumpequunnaunt
Mohican

Francis Websquish
Mashpee
from Sandwich
Isaac Wnaumpey
Mohican
from Watertown
Jacob Yaunpohkhok
Mohican

Timothy Yokun
Mohican

Antony [ ]





Connecticut Men


John Chops
Paugussett?
from Fairfield,
Phillip Dorus

Middlesex, ct
Samuel Haney

from Hartford
Joseph Hannabal

from Groton
Simon Hobart

New London
Tom Indian


John Jeffords
Mohegan
East Haddam/Canterbury/Stonington
Joseph Johnson

CT
Peter Keyhole

from Woodbury, African American
John Meason

from Killingly or Enfield
Daniel Mossucks
Tunxis
Farmington
Eleazor Pegan
Nipmuc
from Woodstock
William Placey

from Windham
Josiah Poheague

from Stonington
Jabez Pottage

Windham, Pension account
Joseph Read

Fairfield, CT
Joshua Robins

from Windham
James Simon


Amos Temple

from Woodbury
Abimeleck Uncas
Mohegan
son of Ben Unca
Peter Warwehew

from Fairfield,
Thomas Worroups
Schaghticoke

Abel Washauks
Pequot

John Wompee
Pequot




Rhode Island Men


Toby Coys

from Charlestown
Caesar Finch

from Warwick or Coventry
Widsor Fry

Mustee, from E. Greenwich