John Langdon of Hempstead and Boston--Revolutionary Service--My 4G Grandfather

Revolutionary Soldier John Langdon of Hempstead, My 4G Grandfather

John Langdon was born about seven in the morning on 30 Sep 1754 in Hempstead on Long Island in NY. John was baptized at St. George's Episcopal Church in Hempstead on 30 Sep 1754. His father, also John Langdon, predeceased him sometime around 27 Feb 1754. His mother was Catherine Langdon nee Clowes; she had been baptized 8 Jan 1720 at Grace Episcopal Church in Jamaica, NY. She married second Samuel Rowland of Dutchess County, NY, [not the contemporary Samuel Rowland of Hempstead] in late November or early Dec 1761 at St. George's Episcopal Church in Hempstead.

John Langdon married Phebe Seaman sometime during the summer of 1778 in the Nine Partners Patent in Dutchess County, NY. Phebe had been born in North Castle, Westchester, NY, on 18 Nov 1760 to Charles and Esther Seaman. Since John and Phebe in some cases buried their children in Friends Burying Grounds, it is probable that Phebe was Quaker and possible that she may have been related to the large, predominantly Quaker, family of Captain John Seaman of Long Island.

John and Phebe had ten children, five girls and five boys, the first five before Phebe was 25. John and Phebe had their first three children while residing in the Ninepartners Patent; the family then moved to Long Island in 1783 where they had their next three children; and then they moved to New York [probably & more specifically Brooklyn] where they resided when they had the remainder of their children, although they were out of the city when their last child, William, was born due to illness abroad in the city.

According to his Revolutionary War pension application, during the American Revolutionary War, John Langdon, aged 22, volunteered, in Jun 1775, for a company from North Hempstead under the command of Captain Thomas Mitchill in the battalion commanded by Colonel Malcolm for a five month enlistment.

He served as a sergeant and was in New York City with the troops when a British force commanded by General Howe landed on Long Island. He served as a sergeant of the guard at DeLancy's old mansion in the Bowery guarding the “desperadoes” who had murdered General Parsons. He was ill with yellow fever in Aug 1776. He was aboard a sloop in September of that year that was captured and he was taken prisoner by the British, only to finally escape in Jun 1777.

In early July of 1777 he had reenlisted and was at Fort Howard to bring supplies from Lake George to General Schuyler who was under retreat from the forces of General Burgoyne. When he arrived at Saratoga, General Gates had taken command and John was there for the Battle of Bemis Heights and the surrender of the forces of General Burgoyne.

In 1778 while he was residing with his “father-in-law” [meaning his “step-father” in this case] Colonel Samuel Rowland, Rowland's regiment was called together and John was designated a second lieutenant under Captain Benjamin Hicks. This company was subsequently attached to Colonel Wood's regiment. John Langdon continued in service until sometime in 1780 while under the command of Captain Samuel Smith at Camp Highlands opposite West Point—being called out on alarms on several occasions. John never received any written confirmation of his commission and was subsequently deactivated and made supernumerary when his unit was reorganized.