Alexander Ramsey Thompson

Memorial to the battle and A.R. Thompson, Okeechobee, Florida, 2015, dff.

Alexander Ramsay Thompson, b. 19 February, 1793, New York to Alexander Thompson and Abigail DeHart.

He died at the battle of Okeechobee, Okeechobee county, Florida, 25 December, 1837.

He married at New York City, 29 Apr 1816, Maria Waldron Nexsen (1790–1858) daughter of ___

Biography

Colonel Alexander Ramsay Thompson (1793-1837) was born in New York and was the youngest son of Captain Alexander Thompson and Abigail DeHart. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1812, and was commissioned 1st lieutenant in the 6th Infantry. During the War of 1812, Thompson fought in Canada under General James Wilkinson, and participated in the Battle of Plattsburg. After the war, Thompson served as captain at Fort Niagara, and in 1816 he married Mary Waldron Nexsen (1790-1858). They had one son who died in infancy.

Over the next 20 years, Thompson rose to the rank of colonel and served at forts in New York, Michigan, Kansas, Louisiana, and Florida. He was killed in the Battle of Okeechobee during the Seminole War in 1837.

Their nephew, Rev. Alexander Ramsey Thompson

Reverend Alexander Ramsey Thompson (1822-1895) was born to Janette Nexsen and William Robert Thompson, brother of Colonel Alexander R. Thompson. He graduated from New York University in 1842 and soon after entered the seminary at Princeton. In 1846, he was ordained a Presbyterian minister, and later that year married Mary Carpenter. They had eight children. For the next 15 years, Thompson preached at various churches in New York and New Jersey before settling in Bridgeport, Connecticut. During the Civil War, Thompson served as chaplain of the 17th Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers. In 1862 he moved his family to New York City and took up a ministry at the 21st Street Dutch Reformed Church. There, he devoted much of his energies to supporting the New England Soldiers' Relief Association. At the end of the war, Thompson was awarded a Doctorate of Divinity from New York University, and in 1871 became the chaplain of the Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. Thompson died in 1895.

• https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/clementsead/umich-wcl-M-4024tho?id=navbarbrowselink;view=text

Alexander Thompson

Alexander Thompson, RWPA #W18128/BLWt #2191-200-Lieut. He married in the home of William DeHart in Morristown, New Jersey on March 4, 1784, Amelia DeHart, a sister of Colonel William DeHart and Jesse (DeHart) Baldwin. He died at West Point in Orange County, New York in September of 1809.

Career

He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Second Regiment of New York Artillery [Colonel John Lamb’s Regiment of Artilleryman] on May 31, 1779, & in 1793, was re-commissioned as a captain in the United States Army and was still in serving within the Army at the time of his death. He fought in the Battles of Springfield, Brandywine, and Yorktown, and took part in Lieutenant Colonel Marinus Willett’s failed Oswego Expedition of February, 1783. His widow states that both of his feet were frozen in Willet’s Expedition... and were near being amputated, but were finally saved there from by the kind attention of an Indian __.

In the spring of 1783, he carried news of the Cessation of Hostilities to Fort Oswego and presented the news to Major John Ross. A detailed account of his encounter with Major Ross and his travels to and from Fort Oswego are found within the Library of the Society of the Cincinnati in Washington, D.C. and which he states that he had been placed in charge of the artillery units at Fort Plank, Rensselaer, and others. Hereafter follows Thompson's statement on Lieutenant Colonel Marinus Wilett's failed Oswego Expedition

Fort Rensselaer on Mohawk River, January, [sic: February] 24th 1783

My Dear Brother—The day after I wrote you by Mr. Lee, a wounded officer, I left Albany for my station on this river, which I assure you far exceeds my expectation. The idea I entertained of the country, was here & there at some very considerable distance, to find a little cleared land & a small log house; to be destitute of all society & entirely confined to the walls of the garrison, but to my satisfaction my expectations are exceeded. This fort is situated on a height about half a mile from the river, which affords a beautiful prospect of the country around & showes you at one view as far as the eye will carry, fine fields like those of Bottle Hill [now known as Madison, New Jersey] and likewise of the ruins of buildings and improvements you would little expect, to find in this supposed hidden country, which has been destroyed by the fury of the savages -- all the settlements from Caughnawaga twenty miles below this place, until yon get to old Fort Stanwix, fifty miles above are destroyed except a few houses which the inhabitants by their great exertions have secured with stockades, and cut loop holes through the walls to prevent their coming near to set fire -- Six & seven families are crouded in one of these houses, it would really cause a tender feeling from you to visit & see tine sufferings of these unhappy people, among the whole you will find but three or four men to help them through their difficulties—The savages made it an invariable rule to put every man to death they took which they lave exercised to a great amount. -- The widow and daughter to stop the cries of the Hungry infants have taken up the fatigues of the farm. You will see the poor creatures cutting of wood, thrashing of grain, and performing the other laborious kinds of work. The people of this country are of the High Dutch all together, which affords us but little society among them -- they seem so much attached to their own language that few of them will speak to you in any offer. The produce of this country has been very great, and I am induced to believe this country will soon flourish again if the savages remain quiet. On the morning of the 8th inst. just before the sable curtain was drawn, I left this post with a detachment of four hundred troops, in one hundred & twenty sleighs, on an expedition against Oswego a British Garrison about one hundred and eighty miles north west from this place, which we intended to surprise. We passed by Old Fort Stanwix and arrived at the Onieda Lake, the evening of the twelfth, and for fear of being discovered we crossed the same night on the ice, which is abort thirty miles over -- We left our sleighs at the lake and marched along the Onieda river for Oswego. After we got below Oswego falls we took the ice but were frequently obliged to take the land for fear of being discovered by the enemies Indians that were out on hunting parties -- We found but one track during the march, which was of one Indian who had killed a deer a little in front of us, he left the skin on the snow which was warm when we came to the spat -- When we got within nine miles of the enemy we halted & made our ladders to execute our business -- We carried them with us, & when within three mies of the garrison our guide took a circuit in the woods with an intention he said of advancing on the works the lake side, we were led on over hill and through swamps to a considerable distance from our object, until the day began to break which advanced so fast as to make it impossible to arrive at the works before broad day light—our guide confessed he was Lost -- & Here the glorious persuite was given over : the orders we had from the Commander in chief were positive, that if we did not attack before day to return -- Colonel Willet was under the necessity of ordering us to the right about. You may be assured we are sensibly mortified at the disappointment to be within three miles of the important object entirely undiscovered, and then to be led a most tedious way by an Indian -- On our return we immediately took the ice, because the marching was better.

I am fully persuaded the enemy were not apprized of our approach, when we got within two miles of Oswego Falls -- On our return, we discovered a party of Indians on the other shore -- three of them came immediately to us -- supposing we were their own troops going down the country to commit depredations -- When they found they were among other troops they appeared a good deal alarmed -- we told them we intended to surprise the Garrison, but losing our way -- were on our return -- that we did not want to hurt them -that they where at liberty -- which last expression altered their countenance much -- they left us with a seeming satisfaction, and I believe this treatment prevented their harassing our rear, which we momently expected -- The Garrison consisted of three hundred regular troops & two hundred Indians. The snow was very deep and we found much difficulty breaking the road -- We had two days a most severe storm, and the whole of the time exceeding cold weather -- we had three men perish before we could return to the lake—and we dare not make fire for fear of being discovered when advancing -- we had one hundred and thirty bit with the frost, some very dangerously—I am myself one of the unfortunate number, but by the frequent applications I have made, my feet are much better, and I flatter myself will soon be well—I have not heard from you since by Mr ____ think of me often -- I long to hear from you—I must conclude, with my love to each of the family your affectionate brother
Alexander Thompson

• The Historical Magazine, and notes and queries concerning the antiquites, History and Biography of America. Vol. III. New York: Charles B. Richardson, London, Turner & Co. 1859, p.?. Transcribed from a transcript by Fort Plank Historian Ken D. Johnson on December 8, 2009.
  The original manuscript is now located with the collections of the Washington Headquarters State Historical Site in Newburgh, New York. Multiple requests have been made to obtain a photocopy of the original manuscript have gone unanswered to date. The site's curator has assured this transcription of the authenticity of this letter and its presence within their vault.
  • We are indebted for this letter to Thomas J. Buckley, Esq., of Brooklyn, who married a granddaughter of Capt. Thompson.