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DANIEL McALPIN

       After serving 40 years in the service of the British Army, Captain  Daniel 
McAlpin decided to make America his home. With his wife Mary and three 
children, James Murray, Isabella and Mary, he settled at Saratoga Lake, then the 
Town of Stillwater. In May of 1774 he purchased on the west side of Saratoga 
Lake in the present Town of Malta between 900 and 1000 acres of land and 
immediately proceeded to improve it. His first house was built in 1775 and he 
managed to cultivate between 50 and 60 acres.His second house was built in 1776 
and he made it his primary residence.  Both houses were timber log plankered and 
floored. The houses were valued at £100 and £200 respectively. A value of £1
Sterling per acre unimproved and £2.10 Sterling improved was placed on the 
land.

       Captain McAlpin had 20-25 servants in constant employ on his farm. By the 
summer of 1777 there were at least 170 acres in high cultivation. James Campbell 
a fellow Loyalist lived 25 miles from McAlpin. In March 1777 he was walking the 
farm with McAlpin. He attests to "at least" 170 acres in high cultivation and states 
that McAlpins farm was well stocked.  He places a value of £250 Sterling on the 
stock. Mr Campbell also tells us that McAlpin had a great deal of furniture which 
he assumes to be worth about £125 Sterling. Mr Campbell also remembers that 
there were "many hundreds of Bushels of wheat in the barn" and a "large quantity 
of farm utensils."

       Captain McAlpin purchased a large portion of his land at Saratoga Lake from 
"one Palmer" according to testimony from his wife Mary McAlpin. One can 
assume that this is Beriah Palmer who at the time was acting as an agent for 
absentee land owners. McAlpin also purchased 125 acres from Edward and 
Ebeneezer Jessup in 1775. The name Clarke has been associated with the 
purchase and a claim of a mortgage was later placed against the estate by Thomas 
Barry and Joshua Bloore. Barry and Bloore were Merchants of Albany NY. They 
are listed as suppliers for the Continental army as well as their apparent business 
of making loans against real estate. They also acted as bondsmen. Each were 
members of St. Peter's Anglican Church of Albany. Captain McAlpin also was 
granted 3000 acres of land in Gloucester which was then in the province of New 
York but now in the state of Vermont. He received this by grant from Governor 
Tyron in 1773. McAlpin also purchased 3000 acres from a Mr.Kelly and others 
the same year. Mary McAlpin states that her husband owned "6000 acres on the 
White River at a place called Sun Castle." All these acres as well as his estate at 
Saratoga would be eventually seized by the New American Government. His 
property at Saratoga was seized by order of the Albany Committee dated 
9 October 1777.  Michael Dunning of Malta, George Palmer of Stillwater and 
James Gordon of Ballston as "Commisssioners Appointed by The State for the 
Purpose of Securing Tory Effects" seized all McAlpin's land and effects. 

       Captain McAlpin was a staunch Loyalist and soon to find himself persecuted 
by what he considered to be "a pack of Rebels". In August of 1775 Captain 
McAlpin was summoned by the Committee of Albany to join the Rebel cause and 
attend training with all his servants. Although the summons was repeated McAlpin 
managed to avoid the order until  May 1776. On the 18th of May McAlpin was 
brought before the Albany Committee with Lt. Thomas Swords and John and 
Thomas Mann. McAlpin refused to join the Rebels and it was ordered "Captain 
McAlpin and Lieut. Swords to their lodgings with a sentry at their door." The 
Manns were dismissed and released. 

       On the 5th of June 1776 it was ordered by the Committee that Captain 
McAlpin, Lt. Swords and James Munro be "removed from the place where they 
are now confined and confine them in the room prepared for them at the fort." 
McAlpin and Swords with John Munro were put in the Tory Goal at the Fort in 
Albany. McAlpin remained there until 19 July 1776 when he was liberated on 
parole as long as he did not leave the City of Albany without the permission of 
the Committee. It was ordered  July 1776 that Daniel McAlpin, Thomas Swords, 
John Munro and 26 others be removed to Connecticut to be "disposed of as 
Governer Turnbull shall order and direct." They were directed to leave on the 
following Monday under guard of Coll.VanSchaick. McAlpin and Swords "with 
others" sent a letter dated 27 July 1776 asking for a delay in their departure. This 
was granted and it ordered they "Depart from this place for Connecticut on 
Friday next."

       Mary McAlpin was frantic for the safety of her husband. She appeared 
before the Committee and asked for her husband to be Liberated upon his 
entering into parole. Her request was denied. On 2 August 1776 the board 
reversed itself and ordered Daniel McAlpin held over until the next General 
meeting due to his offer to "Sign a Parole of the Tenor."  McAlpin was released 
on Parole and it was resolved to appoint a committee to send to General Schuyler 
to ask him whether "he conceives it proper that Capt. McAlpin should be 
liberated from confinement, upon certain restrictions and what those restrictions 
should be."  The appointees were John Taylor and Philip P. Schuyler. The 
General determined that due to his advanced age that little or no harm might be 
expected from McAlpin and he had no objections to his release. Mary McAlpin 
states that "Due to his ill state of health he was permitted to return to his estate on 
his parole." The Committee ordered he be released and permitted to go home 
under restrictions.  Mary McAlpin states her husband was confined for a total of 
15 weeks.

       Still refusing to join the Rebel cause McAlpin was active in recruiting men for 
the King from his Saratoga Lake home. It is later noted that McAlpin brought 
over 300 men to the ranks of the King's Army. Six weeks after his release his 
house was surrounded by a party of the American Forces and he was made 
prisoner and detained while his  house, barns, outbuildings and the area were 
searched. It was well known of McAlpins attachment to the King's cause and he 
was constantly harassed by his neighbors and the American Rebels as he called. 
It was also well known that there was a large body of  Loyalists in the area both at 
Ballston and Newtown (Smith Corners, Town of Halfmoon). Joseph Bettys the 
spy was from Ballston and Stephen Hooper of the Round Lake was a spy 
operating in the area. Many Loyalists suffered greatly at the hand of their 
neighbors.  The following extract from the "Andover Review" for May, 1889, is 
taken from the "Montreal Star" of June, 1889, it gives us some idea of  the ill-
treatment the Loyalists received from the Rebels, and the provocation which led 
the former to inflict such heavy punishment upon their persecutors: 


"There was naturally persecution of Loyalists during the eight years 
of strife. Measures were adopted in citizens' private committees and 
Acts in Legislative bodies for punishment of the adherents of the 
Crown. Tar and feathers were the usual decree of the mob, and the 
committees varied it by house-breaking, smoking out, cattle 
maiming, and poisoning, way-laying, insulting, plundering, and 
driving the owner from his estate, or shutting him up-a prisoner in his 
neighbor's house, or even in gaol. Legislative penalties were more 
dignified, but also more severe. Prescription, confiscation, 
banishment, imprisonment, transportation with prohibition of 
returning, attaining of treason, were the usual awards." 

McAlpin was soon to experience such treatment.

       In February 1777 Captain McAlpin received information that he was to be 
arrested again. He gathered all his male servants and according to Mary McAlpin 
"betook himself to the woods" where he remained for a fortnight waiting to join 
with a party of Loyalists and flee to Canada there to join Burgoyne. McAlpin and 
41 others made a break for Canada . Here we have conflicting information. Mary 
McAlpin states that it was February and Captain McAlpin remained in the woods 
for a "Fortnight" which is two weeks. Mary tells us that due to his being closely 
watched by the Rebels the Loyalists are immediately pursued by a large body of 
their militia and the party of Loyalists are captured. Captain McAlpin escaped and 
hid in the hollow of a tree for a week. No small feat for a man of advanced age in 
an Adirondack Winter. At that time some local Loyalists found a place for him to 
hide until he could joined Burgoyne at Ft. Edward which he did.

       The Committee of Saratoga reported that a dangerous Combination was 
carried on against the United States of America at one "Captain McAlpins" in 
April. The Committee ordered McAlpin's estate searched and all of McAlpin's 
papers to be seized and brought before the board. On 9 April 1777 the 
Committee is informed that "Daniel McAlpin, John Morrel, Thomas Swords and 
others the principal Ringleaders in a dangerous Conspiracy" had made their 
escape. It is not until the 17th April 1777 that Col. VanSchaick is called for and 
told that McAlpin and a number of Torys are gone to Canada by way of Jessup's 
Patent and through the woods to Crown Point. It is ordered that parties be sent 
out from Ft. George and Ticonderoga to intercept them and a reward of 100 
dollars be given for the capture of each person. We do know that 
Col.VanSchaick was successful but was it February or April? Were all captured 
or did others escape with McAlpin?

       Captain McAlpin was given a command of the Corps he had raised by order 
of Sir William Howe. According to Neil Robertson, a Lt. in McAlpin's Corps of 
Volunteers, McAlpin began to raise this unit in September of 1776. I believe 
McAlpin's Corps was attached to Brig. Fraser's Brigade as was Captain Edward 
Jessup's Corps of Loyal Americans. Peter Drummond who lived with McAlpin at 
Saratoga Lake was commissioned a Lt. on 4 November 1776. Records indicate 
he was an officer in Jessup's Corp of Loyal American Rangers. I mention him 
because he lived with McAlpin and in 1781 he is listed as belonging to "Late 
Major McAlpin's Corps" I find it odd that he is not listed as an officer with 
McAlpin in a list of his officers in August 1777. 

       Mary McAlpin who remained at home in Malta was soon to suffer the fate of 
many Loyalists and their families. According to Mary McAlpin's testimony "From 
the day her husband left to the day she was forced from her home the Captain's 
house was never without parties of the Rebels present. They lived at their 
discretion and sometimes in very large numbers. They destroyed what they could 
not consume.Shortly after the capture of the fleeing Loyalists a group of armed 
Rebels with blackened faces broke into the McAlpin's dwelling house.  They 
threatened Mary and her children with violence and menace of instant death. They 
confined them to the kitchen while they stripped every valuable from the home. A 
few days after this, by an order of the Albany Committee, a detachment of Rebel 
Forces came and seized upon the remainder of McAlpin's estate both real and 
personal."  Mary McAlpin was taken with her children in a wagon to Stillwater. 
They were locked in a small cold hut "without fire, table, chairs or any other 
convenience." There they remained for a week before being taken to Albany.

       On the 9th of May 1777 an order  was issued by the Committee that the 
familys of Capt.McAlpin and Johnathan Jones be immediately removed and all 
such effects belonging to them seized. It was resolved that George Palmer, 
Dunning and Gordon effectually seize all the goods and Chattels belonging to 
McAlpin and Jones. It appears the leader of the Rebels with Blackened Faces was 
a Major Nicholson. A committee of Mr.Taylor and Mr.Cuyler discussed the 
complaint of George Palmer concerning the actions at McAlpin's with General 
Gates . On 27 May 1777 the committee reported that General Gates highly 
disapproved of the conduct of Nicholson and ordered him to deliver the effects 
taken from McAlpin to to Mr.George Palmer at once. On 28 May 1777 George 
Palmer reported that the families and effects of McAlpin and Jones were at 
Stillwater.He also reported that Mrs.Jones desired to go to Pittstown to her 
mother's house and Mrs.McAlpin desired to be removed to Albany.  They were 
ordered to be moved at their own expense and to take with them only the clothes 
they were wearing. At this time Chauncey Grahm jr and Charles Moore were 
instructed to join Palmer in disposing of the McAlpin and Jones effects.  On 25 
September 1777 George Palmer appeared before the committee and informed 
them that "some time since by order of this board" he had seized a Considerable 
Quantity of furniture,farming utensils and cattle formerly belonging to 
Capt.McAlpin. He asked that the cattle be sold due to the want of pasture and the 
advance of the British Troops. The cattle were sold the next day.

       McAlpin participated in the ill-fated Battles of Saratoga with Burgoyne. After 
the defeat he refused to surrender to General Gates. He and many of the Loyalists 
he commanded made their escape to Canada. McAlpin continued in the service of 
the Crown.  He was elevated to the rank of Major of a Corps of Older Loyalists 
and placed on Barrack duty. According to Mary McAlpin her husband continued 
to command until "Through long and severe fatigue his health was so impaired 
and his constitution so broken and worn out that he never recovered." After 
languishing five months he died. This was sometime after March 1780. At that 
time he had signed a statement for Issac Mann Jr. attesting to his service in the 
Revolution.

Richard Dorrough
1996

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Richard Dorrough and Heritage Hunters of Saratoga County
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