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Colonel Kiliaen van Rensselaer (December 27, 1717 – December 28, 1781) was the youngest of eleven children of Hendrick van Rensselaer and Catharina daughter of merchant Johannes Pieterse Van Brugh. He was commissioned as a colonel of the 4th Regiment, Albany County Militia, Rensselaerswyck battalion on October 20, 1775 during the American Revolution. Kiliaen van Rensselaer was chairman of the Committee of Correspondence. He was born and died in Albany County, New York.

Military career

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; Colonel Hendrick van Rensselaer, acting on orders from General 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; and
• Assist Colonel Pierse 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 Colonel William 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.

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.

Their stay was only short. They were looking forward to a 14 mile - seven-hour journey, munitions were nearly depleted, rain was on its way and food was in short supply. As they left they were determined in preventing the British from making use Fort Anne, it was set ablaze.

Later life

He was wounded during the Battles of Saratoga against Burgoyne. General George Washington paid the highest of compliments about his courage.

References

1. New York State Museum - Stefan Bielinski
2. New York In The Revolution as Colony and State by James A. Roberts, Comptroller. Compiled by Frederic G. Mather Second Edition 1898
3. New York State Museum - Stefan Bielinski
4. schenectadyhistory.org - Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Van Rensselaer

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