General Peter Gansevoort, who commanded Fort George at Lake George during the crucial year of 1776 and led a successful defense of Fort Stanwix in central New York the following year to help pave the way for the Continental Army’s ultimate defeat of General John Burgoyne at Saratoga, will be the subject of the presentation “Peter Gansevoort: A Hero and His Legacy,” on Saturday, April 27 at the Holiday Inn Resort Lake George, beginning at 11 am.
The featured speaker will be historian Michael P. Barrett, Vice President of the Board of Trustees for Albany Rural Cemetery, where General Gansevoort is buried. The program is sponsored by the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance and is free to the public. Attendees are asked to register prior the event at info@lakegeorgebattlefield.org with the number of seats needed.
A member of the Albany County militia as the American Revolution got underway, Peter Gansevoort’s Dutch family connections propelled General Philip Schuyler to commission him in the Continental Army.
Gansevoort participated in the 1775-76 invasion of Quebec prior to serving at Fort George. In 1777, he was the Colonel commanding Fort Stanwix who successfully defeated Burgoyne’s western flanking movement, greatly aiding the Continental forces’ ultimate success at the Battles of Saratoga.
Promoted to General as the Revolution wound down in 1781, Gansevoort is also remembered today as the grandfather of author Herman Melville.
American Revolution historian Bruce Venter, author of The Battle of Hubbardton and a Trustee of the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance, notes Gansevoort’s key role in the defeat of Burgoyne:
“If asked to name the most important personalities associated with the Saratoga campaign of 1777, many would suggest Schuyler, Gates or Burgoyne. It would be unusual to hear Peter Gansevoort’s name. But the Albany native played a crucial role in America’s victory.
“Colonel Gansevoort and the 3rd New York regiment valiantly defended Fort Stanwix against British general Barry St. Leger’s incursion into the Mohawk Valley. Gansevoort’s success was a key factor contributing to America’s turning point in 1777.”
Michael P. Barrett earned a B.S. in Criminal Science at Russell Sage College, while working as a police officer for the City of Troy, NY. He went on to earn a Juris Doctor degree from the Western New England University School of Law in Springfield, Massachusetts. He recently retired as Executive Director of the Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway and the Burden Iron Works Museum in Troy.
In addition to his leadership role at Albany Rural Cemetery, Michael is currently a Board member of the Lansingburgh Historical Society; a Past President and Editor of the Brunswick Historical Society; a Past Chairman and Editor of the Capital District Civil War Roundtable; a former member of the Board of Advisors at the N.Y.S. Military Heritage Museum; and a contributing author to The Encyclopedia of New York State and Walloomsack Review.
For those who can’t attend on April 27, the presentation will be recorded and made available afterward on the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance’s YouTube channel
The Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance is a volunteer-driven organization of individuals who have an abiding interest in the Lake George Region’s critical role in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. The Alliance manages the Battlefield Park’s Visitor Center and sponsors events throughout the year that educate the public about the site and its unique history. For more information, visit www.lakegeorgebattlefield.org.
Illustrations, from above: Detail from portrait of Gansevoort by Gilbert Stuart, 1794; Peter Gansevoort statue in Rome, NY; and Gansevoort’s grave site at Albany Rural Cemetery in October 2023 (provided).
