Captian Isaac Conklin captained the sloop Clinton and enlisted himself and his ship in the Continental Army.

Revolutionary war pension records include Isaac Conklin in Cortlandt which included Peekskill at that time

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ISAAC CONKLIN, RWPA #S23176. b.1753. He served in Colonel Samuel Drake's Regiment.

Dutchess County Militia-4th Regiment[NYR-141]

Freer's Regiment NY Militia

Captain Barnardous Swartwouts Company

Col. Frayer's Regiment in the State of New York

taken June 6, 1778

NOTE: TO satisfy the Revolutionary DAR adherents

Rank(s): PRIVATE

Birth: 1-8-1753 GREENSBURG WESTCHESTER CO NEW YORK

Death: 9-13-1840 PEEKSKILL NEW YORK

Pension Number: *S23176 Service Description: 1) CAPTS.KRONKHITE,BOYD,CANADA,HALL,VARNE 2) COL. DRAKE,

Thank you for this clarification of his military rank as opposed to his ship captain title to

Regina Pinto

:

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The 4th Regiment with Pvt Isaac Conklin's role in Revolutionary war was substantial

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It has been said to have had the most eventful history of any of the New York Regiments.

It was called to the defense of Peekskill on March 23, 1777, and by August 1777, joined General Gates in preparation for what would be the Battles of Saratoga.

The Battles of Saratoga consisted of two main engagements, the first of these being the Battle of Freeman's Farm and the second being the Battle of Bemis Heights. The 4th Regiment fought with distinction in both engagements.

The British were past Saratoga and advancing on their destination of Albany, when on September 19, 1777, they ran into American forces in a clearing in the woods at Freeman's Farm, 10 miles south of Saratoga.

General Benedict Arnold, commanding the left wing of the American forces, ordered Colonel Daniel Morgan and his 400 sharpshooters to assault and harass the British while they were still advancing through the woods in separate columns. Morgan charged aggressively into British General Simon Fraser's column and inflicted severe casualties before being forced back across the field.

Arnold then sent forward the brigades of Generals Enoch Poor and Ebenezer Learned to support Morgan. The 4th New York Regiment was fighting under Ebenezer Learned's Brigade. Although they had to relinquish the field, the Americans halted Burgoyne's advance and inflicted disproportionate losses on the British.

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By Christmas, the 4th Regiment was at Valley Forge Pennsylvania, under conditions so intolerable that Colonel Livingston was suggesting the Regiment be disbanded if supplies could not quickly be found. None the less, they remained at Valley Forge at least until May 14, 1778, when General Washington ordered its commanding officer to apply for tents and "remove the men from their huts" as they were sickly.

On June 28, 1778, the 4th Regiment took part in the battle of Monmouth. They next appear in White Plains, New York from where they were sent under the Marquis de Lafayette to Rhode Island.

The 4th Regiment rejoined the main army in Morristown for the winter of 1779-80. It returned to the Highlands of the Hudson in the following summer, and then proceeded to Fort Schuyler, where it was incorporated with the 2d New York Regiment on the 1st January, 1781.

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"...deliverer from a disgraceful defeat"

General Gates

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excerpted obituary

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From the Westchester and Putnam Republican;

Peekskill Tues Sept 15, 1840

Died on Saturday last the 12 th inst, in the 90th year of his age Capt Isaac Conklin an old and highly respected inhabitant of this village. He has for many years received a pension from Government as an honorable reward for his meritorious services in assisting to establish the liberties of his country which as a citizen he has uniformily exerted his best endevors to strengthn and perpetuate.he has been permitted to live to a good old age, and to have enjoyed the pleasing consolation of having realized the blessings which a free government imparts to it's citizens, to see it's towering enterprise unfolding its usefulness and it's character and advantages aknowledged by the civilized world.

The remains of this old patriot and respected fellow citizen was interred with military honors and was attended to the grave by Capt. Hawese's Company of Jefferson Guards and the largest concourse of citizens ever before witnessed in this village on a like occasion, where his ashes will mingle with those of his friends and relatives....

At the commencement of the Revolution Captian Conklin entered the continental service, being at the time about 19 years of age.

All that he posessed was a small sloop called the Clinton, of about 20 tons burthen, which he enlisted also and in conveying ammunition and provisions on the Hudson during the greater part of the war, to such places as the wants and movements of the army required,he rendered his country essential service.

He held from the commencement the confidence of those in command and in no instance was that confidence abused. One of his most remarkable achievements and which would have been related er this in story and song, if performed by one of a more exalted station, occured in the latter part of August 1777. he received orders

[the paper is torn in blank spots]

_______ing at Dobbs Ferry to repair with his ship to West point to take on board a quanity of powder and convey it to Albany without __________at Saratoga were destitute and unless resupply was afforded soon General Gates army would be compelled to_______________________

_______________.

For several hours he beat from one shore to the other endevoring to stem the gale without making any headway and was on the eve of running in shore, when the wind suddenly changed blowing equally as strong from the South, which enabled him to reach Albany in the remarkable short period of twelve hours.

Three cheers greeted the Captian from the soldiery stationed at Albany when it was announced that the needful was on board the little Clinton.

No time was lost in landing and conveying the powder to General Gates who on learning the circumstances , exclaimed "the country may regard that youth as our deliverer from a disgraceful defeat"

[Character described in his obituary]

"...He at one time accompanied an expidition into the interior of this county, for the purpose of obtaining provisions for the army, but becoming disgusted with their conduct he left them and privately and returned to camp. When asked by general Putnam why he returned, he replied " for my country I am willing to toil,but to take the propertuy of our friends by stealth, which would be of no service to us, without rendering an equivalent, I will not."

He continued in the service until the close of the war and settled in this village where he continued to reside living a life of industry and usefulness until his death.

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Thus Time one after another, sweeps away the last living vestiges of the American Revolution; and who so lost to all grateful reflections, that does not on such an occasion feel constrained to drop a tear to their memory/

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His first wife was Ann, Anne or Anna

Isaac & Ann had 5 children:

1-Gilbert Conklin(1779-1849) died in Wayne, NY

2-Mary W Conklin b1772 - no other info

3-Charles A Conklin b1781 - no other info

4-Sarah Ann (or Fanny) Conklin b1790 - no other info

5-Isaac Conklin, Jr (1791 - 1845), burial in Peekskill

Biography Compiled By:Gene Baumwoll CSW