Asselstine, John

  • From : https://www.uelac.org/Kingston-Branch/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/John_Eselstine_by_Jim_Long.pdf
  • Profile notes:
    • John Eselstine U.E. was the son of Isaac Esselstein and his wife Elizabeth Kelder. He was baptized on January 31st, 1748 in the German Reform Church at Germantown, Columbia County, New York. John stated in his army discharge of 1783 that he was born in the Parish of Livingston in the County of Albany. This Parish of Livingston owned by Captain Robert Livingston was a large parcel of land from the Hudson River almost to Massachusetts.
    • John married a local girl by the name of Catherine Cole or Cool and they had a small farm. They had two children, both boys. Abraham was baptized July 10th, 1771; the sponsors were Abraham Esselstein and Margaret Weis. Isak was baptized April 1, 1777 child of Johannes Esselstein and Catharina. Sponsors for Isak were Andries Cool and his wife Christina. These were recorded in the Dutch Reform Church, Hillsdale, New York.
    • At the beginning of the American Revolution the Loyalists considered the rebels as traitors, and at first tried ways to quell them. In 1777 the Test Law came into force and the loyalists then became the targets for charges of treason. Even so, John and his brother Peter decided to side with the British. They joined up with a local resident by the name of Henry Simmons. In total there were twenty-eight men who went with Simmons to Canada on August 17, 1777. When Lieut. Simmons and his men made it to the British camp they joined the King’s Loyal (Jessup) American Regiment commanded by Lt-Col. Ebenezer Jessup.
    • This regiment fought under General Burgoyne at the battle of Freeman’s Farm. John Eselstine stayed in this regiment for five and a half years before being discharged from his Majesty’s Provincial Regiment Loyal Rangers on December 24, 1783 at Riviere du Chene, Quebec by Edward Jessup, Major Commandant Loyal Rangers. He was in the 7th company under the command of Captain John Jones. In Captain Jones’ records John’s age is 28 years, height to be 5 feet 10 inches, and time of service as 5 years 4 months. The General Haldimand papers at Quebec City 1784 lists Number 1989 as John Eselstine from New York Province who was a farmer and leased his land.
  • Proven United Empire Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=239
  • Find a GRAVE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144021337/john-asselstine