Stephentown in the Military

World War I; World War II; Korean War

Stephentown, like most other small towns in the United States, has had its share of residents who have participated in the various wars and conflicts in our struggle to preserve our freedoms. My family has had its share of soldiers as well. This page lists all of the names I can find of those participants.

Nathaniel Bartlett Sylvester in "The History of Rensselaer County" tell us the following about those Stephentown residents who participated in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars:

"The military record of the town is highly creditable. During the war of the Revolution the inhabitants were eminently self-sacrificing and patriotic, and the most unrelenting hostility was manifested towards the Tory element in the neighborhood. A large number of the inhabitants served in the army and did practical service for their country. It has proven a difficult task to gather up the names of all of these patriots, but among them were:

Capt. Isreal Platt; Abel Tanner; Major Daniel Brown (who participated in the Battle of Bennington), Capt. William Douglas, Nathan Williams, Justus Brockway and John Warren. One additional participant was my fifth great-grandfather, Stephen Wheeler, who was but a sixteen year old boy when he enlisted. In the war of 1812, a regiment was raised in the vicinity, and commanded by Col. Carr of Stephentown. Among the citizens of the town who joined the army were Capt. Leonard Ross, Ichabod and Eleazer Morton, William B. Douglas, Samuel Babcock, Peleg Kittle, Warren Swan and John Cranston.

In the late war (Civil War) the town rendered the national bovernment earnest support and raised the several quotas called for with patriotic promptitude. A special meeting of the town was held on Sept. 11, 1862, for the purpose of taking measures for raising money to pay volunteers who might enlist in the service of the national government in behalf of the town. A series of resolutions were adopted, breathing the spirit of true patriotism, and a bounty of $50 was voted by the town to each volunteer who might enlist. A committee of six was also chosen to memorialize the Legislature to pass an act enabling the supervisor to collect a suitable tax from the inhabitants of the town. This is but one example of the conduct of the town during the war. The list of soldiers who served in the army from the town is as follows:

ARMY LIST OF 1861-62

Wm. H. Atwater, enl. Feb. 23, 1864; 104th Regt. Harvey Wooden, enl. Nov. 9, 1861, 34th Mass. Regt.

Shadric Allen, enl. Jan. 7, 1865, 169th Regt. Daniel Nye, enl. Jan 2, 1864, 99th Regt. James H. Williams, enl. Jan. 2, 1864, 99th Regt. Stephen Hunt, enl. Aug. 15, 1862, 125th Regt. Henry Van DerBogart, enl. Sept. 3, 1864, 99th Regt.; wounded