Mr Lemuel Cook

lemuelcook

• General Notes
  • Found on the 1810 US Census living in Pompey, NY
    
    Mr. Cook was born in Northbury, Litchfield county, Connecticut, September 10, 1759. He enlisted at Cheshire, in that state, when only sixteen years old. He was mustered in "at Northampton, in the Bay State, 2nd Regiment, Light Dragoons, Sheldon, Col.; Stanton, Capt." He served through the war, and was discharged in Danbury, June 12, 1784. The circumstances of his enlistment and early service he relates as follows: 'When I applied to enlist, Captain Hallibud told me I was so small he couldn't take me unless I would enlist for the war. The first time I smelt gunpowder was at Valentine's Hill (West Chester, New York). A troop of British horse were coming. 'Mount your horses in a minute,' cried the colonel. I was on mine as quick as a squirrel. There were two fires - crash! Up came Darrow, good old soul! and said, 'Lem, what do you think of gunpowder? SmelI good to you?'
    "The first time I was ordered on sentry was at Dobbs' Ferry. A man came out of a barn and leveled his piece and fired. I felt the wind of the ball. A soldier near me said, 'Lem, they mean you; go on the other side of the road.' So I went over; and pretty soon another man came out of the barn and aimed and fired. He didn't come near me. Soon another came out and fired. His ball lodged in my hat. By this time the firing had roused the camp; and a company of our troops came on one side, and a party of the French on the other; and they took the men in the barn prisoners, and brought them in. They were Cow Boys. This was the was the first time I saw the French in operation. They stepped as though on edge. They were a dreadful proud nation! When they brought the men in, one of them had the impudence to ask, 'Is the man here we fired at just now?' 'Yes,' said Major Tallmadge, 'there he is, that boy.' Then he told how they had each laid out a crown, and agreed that the one who brought me down should have the three. When he got through with his story, I stepped to my holster and took out my pistol, and walked up to him and said, 'If I've been a mark to you for money, I'll take my turn now. So, deliver your money, or your life!' He handed over four crowns, and I got three more from the other two."
    
    Mr. Cook was at the battle of Brandywine and at Cornwallis' surrender. Of the latter he gives the following account: "It was reported Washington was going to storm New York. We had made a by-law in our regiment that every man should stick to his horse: if his horse went, he should go with him. I was waiter for the quartermaster; and so had a chance to keep my horse in good condition. Baron Steuben was mustermaster. He had us called out to select men and horses fit for service. When he came to me he said, 'Young man, how old are you?' I told him. 'Be on the ground to-morrow morning at nine o'clock,' said he. My colonel didn't like to have me go. 'You'll see,' said he 'they'll call for him to-morrow morning.' But they said if we had a law, we must abide by it. Next morning, old Steuben had got my name. There were eighteen out of the regiment. 'Be on the ground,' said he, 'to-morrow morning with two days' provisions.' 'You're a fool,' said the rest; 'they're going to storm New York.' No more idea of it than of going to Flanders. My horse was a bay, and pretty. Next morning I was the second on parade. We marched off towards White Plains, Then, 'left wheel,' and struck right north. Got to King's Ferry, below Tarrytown. There were boats, scows, &c. We went right across into the Jerseys. That night I stood with my back to a tree. Then we went on to the head of Elk. There the French were. It was dusty; 'peared to me I should have choked to death. One of 'em handed me his canteen; 'Lem,' said he, take a good horn - we're going to march all night. I didn't know what it was, so I took a full drink. It Iiked to have strangled me. Then we were in Virginia. There wasn't much fighting. Cornwallis tried to force his way north to New York; but fell into the arms of Lafayette, and he drove him back. Old Rochambeau told 'em, 'I'll land five hundred from the fleet, against your eight hundred.' But they darsn't. We were on a kind of a side hill. We had plaguey little to eat and nothing to drink under heaven. We hove up some brush to keep the flies off. Washington ordered that there should be no laughing at the British; said it was bad enough to have to surrender without being insulted. The army came out with guns clubbed on their backs. They were paraded on a great smooth lot, and there they stacked their arms. Then came the devil - old women, and all (camp followers). One said, 'I wonder if the d----d Yankees will give me any bread.' The horses were starved out. Washington turned out with his horses and helped 'em up the hill. When they see the artillery, they said, 'There, them's the very artillery that belonged to Burgoyne.' Greene come from the southard: the awfullest set you ever see. Some, I should presume, had a pint of lice on 'em. No boots nor shoes."
    
    The old man's talk is very broken and fragmentary. He recalls the past slowly, and with difficulty; but when he has fixed his mind upon it, all seems to come up clear. His articulation, also, is very imperfect; so that it is with difficuIty that his story can be made out. Much of his experience in the war seems gone from him; and in conversation with him he' has to be left to the course of his own thoughts, inquiries and suggestions appearing to confuse him. At the close of the war, he married Hannah Curtis, of Cheshire, Connecticut; and lived a while in that vicinity; after which he removed to Utica, New York. There he had frequent encounters with the Indians who still infested the region. One with whom he had some difficulty about cattle, at one time assailed him at a public house, as he was on his way home, comlng at him with great fury, with a drawn knife. Mr. Cook was unarmed; but catching up a chair he presented it as a shield against the Indian's thrusts, till help appeared. He says he never knew what fear was, and always declared that no man should take him prisoner alive. His frame is large, his presence commanding; and in his prime he must have possessed prodigious strength. He has evidently been a man of most resolute spirit; the old determination still manifesting itself in his look and words. His voice, the full power of which he still retains, is marvellous for its volume and strength. Speaking of the present war, he said, in his strong tones, at the same time bringing down his cane with force upon the floor, "it is terrible; but, terrible as it is, the rebellion must be put down!" He still walks comfortably with the help of a cane; and with the aid of glasses reads his "book," as he calls the Bible. He is fond of company, loves a joke, and is good-natured in a rough sort of way. He likes to relate his experiences in the army and among the indians. He has voted the Democratic ticket since the organization of the government, supposing that it still represents the same party that it did in Jefferson's time. His pension, before its increase, was one hundred dollars. It is now two hundred dollars. The old man's health is comfortably good; and he enjoys life as much as could be expected at his great age. His home, at present, is with a son, whose wife, especially, seems to take kind and tender care of him. Altogether, he is a noble old man; and long may it yet be before his name shall be missed from the roll of his country's deliverers.
    
    
    Confirmed in DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) records that he held the rank of Private in the American army during the revolutionary war.
    
    This By Frank W. Cook as told to him by Lemuel Cook.   
    
    Lemuel Remembers Washington
    
    As a young lad I had an opportunity none will have again. We, the Cook kids who grew up at Clarendon were told about the Revolutionary War by it's last soldier, our Great Grandfather, Lemuel Cook, who we more affectionately called grampa Lem. He would delight in telling us about his life and we were glad to listen. We'd watch for Lemuel to come out and sit in his rocker either on his front porch or under the big old elm tree in the front yard, as he always did on warm summer afternoons. We would watch for him to motion us to come over with his cane, he always knew we were watching and would run to see who would get there first for the best seat. It would usually start with a question. Tell us about George Washington, what did he look like? He would say "let me think on it", a gleam would come to his eye and he would begin to speak slowly and deliberately.
    
    
    I saw General Washington a few times, said a few words to him and he back to me. I'll not forget. First time I set eyes on him was at White Plains or thereabouts. I'd joined up at the first call and those first couple of years were hard ones. Our company was resting near White Plains after being pushed off the Island and out of New York City and. up River. My job was with Major Tallmadge, being in the Light Dragoons we had horses to take care of. Mine was a good ole Bay I'd brought from home. I was caring for my horse and a couple of others that needed rubbing down and heard a commotion a ways down the road. I could see by the uniforms it was officers leading several company's of Foot. One fellow sat in the saddle head and shoulders above the others. I knew he must be the General, we had heard how large a man he was. As they came closer all I could do was stand there with my mouth open. An officer in front gave me a dirty look like to be saying, "How Come you don't salute?" I whipped off a good fancy one. The officers dismounted and went to talk with the Major I suppose. I went back to my horse, a while later the General came around the headquarters where I was, to stretch his legs I suppose and said, "Is that your horse soldier?" "Yes, Sir", said I coming to attention. He put me at ease and asked my name, "Lemuel Cook, from Connecticut, Sir". "That's a right smart mount you have there Lemuel Cook from Connecticut". "He's done good by me, General" said I. "Well, you take care of him, you will be glad you did", with that the General went about his business. That's all there was to it, I'll never forget though, all the things that must have been pressing on him he took time for a kind word. He had the kindest look in the eyes I've ever seen. Got the chance to see him a few times more being in the quartermasters, they called us artificers in them days. Didn't see him again until some two, maybe three years later. We were going down thru the Head of Elk, things were better, we had been winning we knew we had a big battle coming up somewhere to the south. Scuttle butt was that the General had gone on ahead and would meet us along the way. Ws had stopped and I was minding my own business paying' no mind to no one when I heard a rich full voice say, "Lem Cook, is that you?" "I thought that might be you with that Bay." I had whirled around with my eyes bugging out and mouth wide open again, amazed that he had remembered me. I finally managed a "Yes Sir", "It's very good to see you Sir". "I admire the lines of your Bay, Lem, I have one like it at Mount Vernon," "Yes Sir, he's a little worse for wear but I've been keeping.' your advice, my brothers made me promise to bring him back to the farm when the ~r was done." 11That's what we are about, Private" and with that the General was gone as quickly as he appeared. I'd grow~ six inches since last time we'd met, he must have recognized the horse than me. It seems as though he still towered a foot over me. But I was ten. feet tall after that, they all asked "How come the General knows you?" they all asked. I didn't tell 'them. We saw him again at Yorktown, which turned out to be the big one where we was heading. Last time I spoke to him was at Danbury when he gave me my discharge, I was standing there with my brother, still have my' discharge here someplace, but will have to tell you about that another time. The General had a look about him you don't forget, there's hardly any words to describe him. Those were hard days for the most part but there was some good things about them too.
    
    LEMUEL COOK Was born at his Father1s farm in Northbury the eighth of nine children. Only five survived due to an epidemic that hit the family, the year Lemuel was born. It is not known but it is thought that his father received a part of the real estate that Henry III held at Northbury. It is known that they jointly owned a hundred acre section. In any event the family remained in the Thomaston - Plymouth vicinity and that the family were members of the First Congregational Church of Plymouth, which had been founded by Lemuel's grandfather, which was then called the Northbury Society. When Henry 4 died the family was left in depressed circumstances, but through it all the family remained together. Hannah became the guardian for True, Lemuel and Mary. Selah was only 16 but was apparently able to take care of himself and to contribute to the well being of the family. At the outbreak of the Revolution in 1775 Lemuel was the first of the Cook sons to enlist, Selah the second in 1776 and served for six months and returned to Northbury and then reenlisted in 1782 for 3 years, Trueworthy enlisted in 1777 and served for 3 years returning to Northbury to care for his mother while the other two fulfilled their service to their country. Seleh also remained at the farm during the period that True and Lemuel were fighting so that there was someone always at home to assure that the family was well looked after.
    Lemuel served for the entire war and he was wounded several times but never seriously enough to keep him out of the thick of it for any length of time. Having received his discharge at the close of the war, Lemuel returned to Northbury where he married Hannah Curtis in 1783. They remained in Connecticut for several years and about 1788 the family came to Clinton, Oneida County, New York, where Lem later received 100 acres of Bounty Land for his service during the war. His brothers also came to Clinton, it is known they were first settlers of the town in 1788, their mother was also among the group that came with the Plymouth Congregational Society, as they are all mentioned in the early church records at Clinton during the first year of settlement. Lemuel and his family, for some reason returned to Plymouth before 1795 as he was one of the incorporators of the Village of Plymouth that year, changing the name from Northbury. He remained in Connecticut until 1804 when he re­turned to New York. The family settled at Pompey in Onondaga County. Both True and Selah had also emigrated there with their families before 1795, and here again they were first settlers of the town where they both purchased large tracts of land. True later went north to Granby Center, N.Y. where he died in 1822, nothing further is known of Selah it is thought that he remained at Pompey.
    
    
    Lemuel purchased a farm of 60 acres which had originally been part of True's holdings. The farm was in the Military Tract at Pompey at the southern edge of the Indian reservation and was located a short distance north of the village on the Henneberry Poad. He was successful in operation of the farm for a number of years. In 1818 he applied for his first pension, his wounds had begun to make it increasingly difficult for him to perform the hard labor required in the operation of the farm, particularly a farm as large as his and his younger sons then living with him were not yet old enough to be of much assistance to him. Both Lemuel Jr. and Miles were also residing at Pompey at this time, they undoubtedly were able to help their father to some extent, but they had farms and families of their own to take care of making it difficult to extend the extensive assistance which was obviously necessary. In 1821 Lemuel sold the farm at Pompey and came to North Bergen in Genesee County where Curtis had emigrated a few years before.
    
    
    Curtis was as yet unmarried and had come to western New York with Richard Brown and his family and had helped him carve out an existence in the wilderness, they were the first white settlers at Byron. With the help of Curtis as they apparently pooled their efforts until 1824, when Curtis married , Lemuel's youngest sons Gilbert and Saleh were then able to be of great assistance to their father in the operation of the farm and they did quite well and prospered. In 1828 Lem purchased a section of Curtis' first farm and he also owned other large sections at North Bergen. About 1832 the family removed to Clarendon a short distance north an west of the farm at North Bergen, where Lemuel was to remain the rest of his life. Gilbert married and Selah remained with his dad and between the two all did well at Clarendon. Elm's farm reached 100 acres and was located on the South Holley Road at the southeast corner of the Munger Road. The farms of his sons and grandsons were also located very near and abutted Lemuel's last farm. After the death of his first wife Lemuel married again, his wife Ruth was a former resident of Monroe County in the town of Sweden before her marriage.
    
    
    Lemuel and Selah worked the farm until 1851 when Selah decided to try his hand on his own in Michigan and removed to Flint in Genesee County. Lemuel retired from farming shortly thereafter and sold the farm to Rathburn Tousley his grandson, who helped Lem after Selah left and continued to operate the farm for a number of years before he emigrated to the Dakota Territory. Lemuel remained at the farm until 1860 when his wife died and abided by the wishes of his sons that he should take life easy after nearly 80 years of farming. He divided his time between Gilbert and True who took care of him during his declining years, and often walked to Clarendon with the help of a cane he was then obliged to use to pick up his pension, and to see that his grandsons and great grandsons held of his exploits in the war and among the Indians which he always enjoyed recalling.
    
    
    From 1818 until the day he died Lemuel remained on the pension rolls, in 1828 his stipend allowance was increased to $l00 per year, in 1855 he received an additional 60 acres of Bounty Land which he used for acreage at Clarendon. Under pension laws passed by Congress in 1864 and 1865 he re­ceived $200 and $500, which he received the last year of his life. There can be no doubt that he was on the pension rolls longer than any other veteran of the Revolutionary War. He remains the oldest resident ever to have lived in Orleans County. It has long been kown by the family and a generally accepted fact that he was the Oldest Survivor of the Revolution and that he was the Last of the survivors that were on the rolls with him, the closest being at least a year younger.
    
    
    By 1840 all of Lemuel's children had also emigrated to western New York and to Clarendon, the family can now be found all over the United States and several parts of the world. All of whom can trace their family line to a small country village in western New York to a proud determined individual who has left us an extremely rich heritage. The place where he rests is in the small family cemetery where the peace is broken only by the wind in the trees and an occasional visitor, time may obliterate the monument of stone marking his passing but can never diminish the monument to his memory which is in each of us.
    
    LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF LEMUEL COOK
    
    I Lemuel Cook, pf the Town of Clarendon in the County of Orleans and state of New York, considering the uncertainty of this mortal life, and being of sound mind and memory, do make publish this my last Will and Testament, in manner and form following: that is to say
    
    Firstly, I give and bequeath to my eldest son MILES COOK the sum of one hundred dollars, I also give and bequeath to my daughter ESTHER COLEMAN the sum of ten dollars, I also give and bequeath to my son LEMUEL COOK Junior the sum of two hundred dollars,  I also give and bequeath to my son WORTHY COOK the sum of one hundred dollars,  I also give and bequeath to my son LYMAN COOK the sum of two hundred dollars,  I also give and bequeath to my daughter ELECTA TOUSLEY the sum of ten dollars,  I also give and bequeath to my son CURTIS COOK the sum of two hundred dollars,  I also give and be­queath to my son GILBERT COOK the sum of four hundred dollars,  I also give and bequeath to my grandson EDGAR HOWE the sum of forty dollars,  and I do hereby enjoin upon my son Gilbert Cook and James M. Hollister, whom I do hereby appoint executors of this my Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all former wills by me made, and that I also give good and sufficient bail that my wife RUTH COOK shall be supported in a good and decent manner, with all the necessities of life so long as she shall remain my widow, her support and living to be amply secured to her before the above legacies shall be paid, unless in the opinion and judgment of the executors, by and with the advice of the Surrogate there is amply sufficient real and personal estate to pay the aforesaid legacy and secure to my wife Ruth Cook her support and living as aforesaid.   And lastly, as to all the rest, residue and remainder of my personal estate goods and chattels, lands, tensments of what soever kind and nature I give and bequeath to LEMUEL COOK Jr.,  WORTHY COOK, LYMAN COOK, CURTIS COOK, MILES COOK, GILBERT COOK and ESTHER COLEMAN and ELECTA TOUSLEY, to be equally divided between them.  And my Will is that the above legacies or bequeathments be paid to the above named persons as soon after my death as the goods and chattels, real and personal estate can be sold to good advantage by the executors.   Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 27th day of April in the year of our Lord Eighteen Hundred and Fifty Five.
    
    The petition of GILBERT COOK of the Town of Clarendon in the County of Orleans and state of New York, respectfully shows:  That Lemuel Cook Sr. late of the Town of Clarendon in the said County of Orleans, deceased, died in the said town of Clarendon on or about the Twentieth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, being at that time an inhabitant of the County of Orleans;  that he died leaving a Last Will and Testament, which is now produced in the Surrogate's Court of the said County of LEMUEL COOK       Orleans, before the said Surrogate, which bears the date 27th day of April in the year of our Lord 1855, and by which said Last Will and Testament the said deceased nominated and appointed Gilbert Cook and James M. Hollister executors thereof;  that the said deceased died possessed of Real and Personal Estate in the said County of Orleans;  and that the following named persons are all the heirs at law and next of kin of the said deceased, and their respective ages and places of residence are as follows:
    
    TRUE WORTHY COOK, MILES COOK, GILBERT COOK, CURTIS COOK all residing at Clarendon, Orleans Co., N.Y.
    
    ELECTA TOUSLEY, residing in Gaines, Orleans Co., N.Y. LYMAN COOK, residing in Buffalo, Wisconsin
    
    SELAH COOK, residing in Flint, Michigan All adult children of the said deceased
    
    MERRITT COOK, CHARLES COOK, and FANNY HAMMOND all residing in Clarendon, N.Y.  HOMER COOK residing in Lake Mills, Wisconsin grandchildren of the said deceased and children of LEMUEL COOK Jr. deceased, and EDGAR HOWE residing in Flint, Michigan grandchild of the said deceased and son of HANNAH HOWE deceased.
    
    The above are all of full age and the only heirs and next of kin of the said deceased.
    
    SPENCER COLEMAN, SIMEON D. COLEMAN, JOSHUA COLEMAN Jr., ELECTA RUYDER, and SALLY HOLMES, grandchildren of said deceased and children of ESTHER COLEMAN deceased, all of full age and residents of Clarendon, NY.
    
    and that the Real and Personal Estate of the said deceased will not exceed the sum of $2,000.00.
    
                      Dated July 14th 1866 GILBERT COOK
    
                      Witnessed by the Clerk of Surrogate Court.      LS.   Seal
    
    
    
    

Click here for details of Lemuel's family with Mrs Hannah Esther Curtis

¹ 1810 US Census

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