Kiliaen van Rensselaer (colonel)

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Col. Kiliaen van Rensselaer (Dec 27, 1717 – Dec 28, 1781) The youngest of eleven children to Hendrick van Rensselaer and Catharina, daughter of merchant Johannes Pieterse Van Brugh. He was commissioned Colonel of the 4th Regiment, Albany County Militia, Rensselaerswyck battalion on Oct 20, 1775 during the American Revolution. Kiliaen van Rensselaer was chairman of the Committee of Correspondence. He was born and died in Albany County, NY.

Military

Author; George W. Schuyler wrote of the van Rensselaers in Colonial New York - ...eighteen males, sixteen belonged to Hendrick van Rensselaer's branch, and of these, five were of Kiliaen van Rensselaer's family. Some of Kiliaen's nephews are Brigadier General Robert Van Rensselaer, his brother James Van Rensselaer founded Rensselaer, Indiana.

Killian van Rensselaer named his eldest son after his own father according to Dutch tradition. This younger; Col. Hendrick van Rensselaer, acting on orders from Gen. Philip Schuyler giving him at least two objectives:

Hold the enemy at Fort Anne in order to facilitate the removal of cannon and armaments at Fort Amsterdam, to a place of safety.
Assist Col. Long with his retreat from the 1777 Battle of Ticonderoga

After a series of retreats and advances by both the Patriots and the British, culminated into a no holds barred bombardment when Hill and his British troops pursued the Rebels of the Crown from Lake Champlain up Wood creek to a point North East of Fort Ann

Colonel Pierse Long and his men from New Hampshire, during their retreat had met with van Rensselaer's troops They, assessed a numerical advantage over the British not only were they able to hold back the British after launching a decisive assault, spanning 2 hours of the late morning of July 8, 1777. Nearly all munitions from both Patriots and British alike, exhausted on their opposing forces. The British were so overwhelmed, when the battle ended, the British were left little choice - but to retreat and abandon several of their wounded on the field to be taken prisoner, not knowing supplies were also running low for the Patriots.

The Colonial Rebels took retreat in the stockade style Fort Anne to mend the wounds of two men, and tend to two others who gave the ultimate sacrifice - Sgt. Isaac Davis and Ens. Christopher Walcutt

Their stay was not long. They were looking forward to a 14 mile - 7 hour journey, munitions were nearly depleted, rain was on its way and food was in short supply. The more serious of the wounded was Kiliaen van Rensselaer, taking a shot to the hip. AS they left they were determined in preventing the British from making use Fort Anne, it was set ablaze.

Writing on a Roster

Possibly written by Captain Gray, Titled: The 3rd New Hampshire Regiment of Foot, in the service of the United States, commanded by Col. Alexander Scammell, Ticonderoga, June 28, 1777.

Sunday, 6th July 1777, - Retreated from Sheensboro' & lost all my money, Baggage, &c. Lodged in the woods at Night.;
Monday, 7th, - Got into Fort Ann at 6 in ye morning; everything in the utmost confusion; nothing to eat.;
At 11 o'clock A.M. was ordered to take the Command of a party upon a scout and marched with 150 men besides 17 Rangers; had not marched from Garrison into the woods more than half a mile, after detaching my front, Rear and flanking Guards, when we met with a party of Regulars and gave them fire, which was Returned by the enemy, who then gave back. I then pursued them with close fire till they betook themselves to the top of a mountain. At the foot of this mountain we posted our selves and continued our fire until 6 P.M., when a reinforcement of 150 more joined me; but night approaching obliged me to return with my party to Garrison, after finding one of my party killed and 3 wounded, and three of the enemy killed by our first fire.
Tuesday Morning, 8th, - Myself, with Capt. Hutchins, with the same number of men, marched to the aforesaid mountain and attacked the enemy very warmly. The engagement lasted about 2 hours, at which time the Commander of yo Garrison sent Colo. Ransleur with a small party of militia to reinforce us. We then advanced (firing) up the hill, where we found the enemy's surgeon dressing a Capts Leg. Those, with two of their wounded soldiers, we took and sent in, and a number of our own people, men & women, who were the day before cut off by the enemy, we retook.

At last, finding out ammunition gone and none to be had in Garrison, ordered off my wounded and some of the dead, and formed a retreat. Much fatigued when I returned and found no refreshments, neither meat or drink; immediately a Council was called and the prisoners who were retaken brot upon examination, who gave information that an express just arrived before we made this second attack and gave the enemy intelligence that a reinforcement of 2000, with Indians, were near at hand to join them, at which time they were to make a general attack upon us.

It was then determined upon to retreat to fort Edward, after setting fire the Garrison. Accordingly, the wounded were sent off, except one, who was one of my own Company; him the Surgeon thot proper not to order off, that he would soon expire, or that if he was likely to live, the enemy, when they took possession, would take care of him. This I knew not of till we were ordered to march, at which time I turned back alone (my Company being gone) to the rear of the Army, where I found him. I then picked up a tent & fastened it between two poles, laid him upon it, and hired four soldiers to carry him. I took their four guns with my own and carried them to fort Edward; this was about 3 o'clock P.M.; rained very hard; distance from fort Ann to Fort Edward, 14 miles; arrived at Fort Edward at 10 in the Evening; no Barracks nor Tents to go into; therefore laid down in the rain and slept upon the ground; the fatigue of this day I believe I shall always remember; Colo Ransleur, wounded; Capt Weare, wounded; Ensign Walcutt, killed; Isaac Davis, a sergeant in my company, killed. Our loss in the two skirmishes about 15; the Enemy's unknown.

Death

So seriously wounded in battle by a shot in the hip, Killiaen Van Rensselaer was forced to discontinue further service. General Washington paid the highest of compliments about his courage.

Thirty years had passed until his death, when the calcified ball that agonized his thigh for the remainder of his life, was extracted from Kiliaen van Rensselaer's hip by the coroner, its description: was flattened to about 1-inch 'round. The van Rensselaer family kept that ball and handed it down through some generations, though possibly it is in the care of a museum at the present day.

References

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