Benjamin Hinman
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Benjamin Hinman (22 January 1719 – 22 March 1810) was a surveyor, soldier and legislator. He participated in the Colonial and Revolutionary Wars and took part in the
Constitutional Convention of 1787 The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. While the convention was initially intended to revise the league of states and devise the first system of federal government under the Articles of Conf ...
. Notably, he was present at Bernetz Brook where
General Howe William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, (10 August 1729 – 12 July 1814), was a British Army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British land forces in the Colonies during the American War of Independence. Howe was one of three broth ...
was killed in 1758. He was also one of the first American officers of the revolutionary war and led a regiment into the field to secure the Hudson corridor from the British a year before the declaration of independence. In later life, he was involved in the exploration and surveying of portions of
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...
. In modern times, he is known for his often misrepresented confrontations with
Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...
and New York General
Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler (; November 20, 1733 - November 18, 1804) was an American general in the American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War and a United States Senate, United States Senator from New York (state), New York. He is usually known as ...
.


Biography

Hinman was born in the town of
Woodbury, Connecticut Woodbury is a New England town, town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut, Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. The population was 9,72 ...
. His family was among the original settlers of that community in the 1670s. His parents were Benjamin Hinman II (b. 1692) and Sarah Sherman. His grandfather, Captain John Sherman, served in the
Connecticut legislature The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. Ther ...
and was
Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...
of Representatives. Colonel Hinman's parents perished of sickness in 1727 leaving young Benjamin and his siblings orphans. The children were taken in by relatives and raised in the family of Judge Noah Hinman. Colonel Hinman rose to prominence as a military officer during the era of the
French and Indian Wars The French and Indian Wars were a series of conflicts that occurred in North America between 1688 and 1763, some of which indirectly were related to the European dynastic wars. The title ''French and Indian War'' in the singular is used in the U ...
; first serving as quartermaster in a contingent of Connecticut horse in 1745. In 1751, he served in a troop under General Roger Wolcott in the invasion of Canada. Then in 1753, he received a commission as
cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...
(a cavalry second lieutenant) in the 13th Connecticut Regiment of foot and horse. Next, he was promoted to Captain of the 6th company of foot and assigned to the regiment of Colonel Elizur Goodrich in 1755. This unit was involved in defending
Fort Crown Point Fort Crown Point was built by the combined efforts of British and Colonial troops from New York and the New England Colonies in 1759 at a narrows on Lake Champlain on the border between New York and Vermont. It was erected to secure the region ag ...
near Lake Champlain from the French army. Hinman's company took part in the battle between the forces of
Sir William Johnson Major-General Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet ( – 11 July 1774), was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Ireland known for his military and governance work in British colonial America. As a young man, Johnson moved to t ...
and Baron Dieskau in September of that year. Promoted to Major of the 4th regiment in 1756, he participated in the invasion of Canada in Colonel Whiting's Regiment. In 1757, he was in the field by commission of Governor Fitch and involved in the campaigns around lakes George and Champlain. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the third regiment of Foot by Governor Pitken in 1758. The famous
Israel Putnam Israel Putnam (January 7, 1718 – May 29, 1790), popularly known as "Old Put", was an American military officer and landowner who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). He als ...
was assigned as a Major under him. Hinman was present in the action at Bernitz Brook when Lord Howe was killed and his unit took part in the abortive battle at Ticonderoga under General James Abercrombie shortly thereafter. A great many losses were sustained by the British and Provincial Army at this time and most of the soldiers from Woodbury never returned home again. In 1759, Col. Hinman was again in service in the successful campaign that all but ended the war in North America. In that year, he fought at
Fort Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga (), formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century star fort built by the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in northern New York. It was constructed between October 1755 and 1757 by French-Canadian ...
, Crown point and Quebec. As hostilities declined, Colonel Hinman was elected to serve as a representative (deputy) in the Connecticut Colonial Legislature serving in sessions from 1760 -1762 and again in 1767 – 1768. From 1767-1771 he held a commission as Lieutenant Colonel of a regiment of Horse and Foot. He became Colonel of the same regiment (the 13th) in 1771 and held this commission through the beginning of the revolutionary war.


Revolutionary War

An ardent patriot, Colonel Hinman was a member of the committee of correspondence for Woodbury in 1774. Immediately following the
battles of Lexington and Concord The Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 were the first major military actions of the American Revolutionary War between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot militias from America's Thirteen Co ...
in April 1775, he was drawn from the existing militia officers to command one of the 6 regiments raised for the “special defense” of the colony(s). Now, as Colonel of the 4th Connecticut Regiment, he was ordered with four companies to Greenwich and had one company at Boston. In May, he was ordered by Connecticut Governor
Jonathan Trumbull Jonathan Trumbull Sr. (October 12, 1710August 17, 1785) was an American politician and statesman who served as Governor of Connecticut during the American Revolution. Trumbull and Nicholas Cooke of Rhode Island were the only men to serve as go ...
to March with 10 companies (1000 men) to reinforce the small garrison at Fort Ticonderoga New York. There, Hinman was to “Command the forces of Crown Point and Ticonderoga”; and secure the area from counterattack of the British and their allies. When he arrived, Hinman became a witness to the first and least known of Benedict Arnold's acts of treason toward the budding democracy. Arnold, who joined Ethan Allen's expedition against Ticonderoga shortly before the fort was taken, was in the area of crown point aboard a captured Sloop when Hinman arrived at Fort Ticonderoga in June. However, unlike Colonels
Ethan Allen Ethan Allen ( – February 12, 1789) was an American farmer, writer, military officer and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of Vermont and for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolutionary War, and wa ...
and
Seth Warner Seth Warner (May 17, 1743 – December 26, 1784) was an American soldier. He was a Revolutionary War officer from Vermont who rose to the rank of Continental colonel and was often given the duties of a brigade commander. He is best known for ...
who relinquished their commands to Hinman upon his arrival, Benedict Arnold was tenacious of his authority. A Connecticut Captain, just two months prior, Arnold was now brandishing a Massachusetts colonelcy and styling himself as “Commander-in-Chief” of Crown Point. He had perhaps 250 men, the command of two ships, and absolutely no desire to relinquish any authority whatsoever. In his attempt to keep it, Arnold rapidly became a bottle neck to the preparations for war. He interfered with the command of the fort and refused access to it by the Connecticut soldiers except upon condition; and his behavior got progressively worse. Over the next few days, Arnold caused the attempted robbery, abduction and “firing on” of the committee sent by the Massachusetts Congress to investigate into Arnold's activities. Further, the menace of mutiny soon prevailed among his men and a threat was made that the two ships under Arnold's command would be sailed to the British post at Saint John's and surrendered to them. This act, if completed, may have had fatal consequences to the revolutionary cause at that early stage of the conflict. Hinman had been patient with Arnold and respectful of the interest of the three colonies represented at Ticonderoga to this point; however, upon hearing of the treacherous threat, he immediately sent a detachment to procure the ships and enlist all those of Arnold's men that were willing. The rest were disbanded. Thus, Hinman ended the 7 day dispute over who was in command at Crown Point by taking the last of Arnold's authority from him. The head of the Massachusetts committee, Walter Spooner, commented on the actions of Col Hinman in this difficult situation with the statement that “from the polite, generous, and manly disposition of Colonel Hinman, we may gather the most happy prospects of a campaign at the Northward replete with honor and interest to the Colonies”. Colonel Hinman continued in the northward, but, he was soon hampered by the lack of supplies tents and gunpowder for his troops; all items that the colony of New York had agreed to furnish but failed to provide. They did, however, send one of their leading citizens, Philip Schuyler, to take command of the Connecticut Troops. In late June, the Second Continental Congress had favored New York with the appointment of Schuyler as a Major General and assigned him to the command of the northward. Unfortunately, the displaced and disgruntled Benedict Arnold was aware of this and soon appeared before Schuyler to complain about his treatment. After their meeting, the sympathetic Schuyler traveled to Fort Ticonderoga, but he did not take significant troops or supplies with him. He did, however, immediately begin attacking the work and character of the New England troops. He also began agitating for the replacement of the existing key officers with substitutes from New York. A situation that prompted Hinman to comment in August that the province of New York abounds with officers, but he had yet to have his curiosity gratified by the sight of one private. Schuyler's habits and decisions soon created a general distrust of his motives among the New England troops and rumors that Schuyler was actually in league with the British abounded. These sentiments continued among the officers and men in the Northern Army until Schuyler was removed by Congress in 1777. Colonel Hinman continued in the northward into mid December 1775. Although ravaged by sickness, his regiment was the nucleus of the army led to Canada by
General Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and the ...
and was present at the battle of St. Johns, the reduction of Montreal, and siege of Quebec. They were adopted by the
Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...
in July and officially became members of the newly formed
Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...
in October of that year. Hinman was again in the field in 1776, and was present with the 13th regiment when
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
was invaded by the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
. Thereafter, as a Colonel of state troops, he was stationed in the Westchester area at Horse neck and the long island sound to support the main army in the late fall and early winter of 1776-1777. He was subsequently involved in repelling General William Tryon's invasion of Danbury Connecticut and took part in the
battle of Ridgefield The Battle of Ridgefield was a series of American Revolutionary War skirmishes in Danbury, Connecticut and Ridgefield, Connecticut. History On April 25, a British Army during the American Revolutionary War, British force under the command of th ...
in April, 1777. British military and news papers reported that he had been killed in this action. Hospital records indicate that he may indeed have been wounded at that time. Later in the same year, Col Hinman was at the head of a company of rangers scouting at Bennington and Saratoga. He was present at the surrender of General
John Burgoyne General (United Kingdom), General John "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British Army officer, playwright and politician who sat in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1761 to 1792. He first saw acti ...
at Saratoga in mid October 1777. Also in October of that year, Colonel Hinman was again elected to a seat in the legislature of Connecticut and continued to serve there in sessions through 1780 and again from 1785-1788. He was a member of the Connecticut Convention that adopted the U.S. Constitution in 1788. Here he voted to formally make Connecticut what it had always been - one of the original 13 states of the union. In his later years, he was involved with his family in the settlement and exploration of lands in the vicinity of
Derby, Vermont Derby is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,579 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous community in Orleans County. The town contains four unincorporated villages: Beebe Plain, Clyde Pond, Lake S ...
. His cousin Timothy Hinman saw to the construction of the Hinman Settler Road in that area. Benjamin Hinman died in Southbury,
New Haven County New Haven County is a county in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 864,835, making it the third-most populous county in Connecticut. Two of the state's five largest cities, New Ha ...
, Connecticut, in 1810.


Family

He was married to Mary Stiles and they had 5 children. His son Joel was wounded at Danbury in 1777. His nephew was
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
graduate Royal Ralph Hinman who served as Connecticut Secretary of State. His grandson Joel Hinman served with distinction on the
Connecticut Supreme Court The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the supreme court, highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit i ...
for many years. The Hinman family, in general, were taken with the patriotic spirit of those times and many represented Connecticut in the military during the war. Prominent among these were Captain Elisha Hinman, who was among the first American naval officers and served throughout the entire war. Major Benjamin Hinman who served on General Nathanael Greene's staff; and the Captain David Hinman, who served at Ticonderoga, Peekskill, Westchester, the battle at Danbury, repelled the British at New Haven and was a member of the company of rangers mentioned at Bennington and Saratoga.


References


External links


Oxford Past Genealogy Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hinman, Benjamin 1719 births 1810 deaths Continental Army officers from Connecticut People from colonial Connecticut People of Connecticut in the French and Indian War Military personnel from Connecticut People from Woodbury, Connecticut Patriots in the American Revolution Surveyors from the Thirteen Colonies