NEWS
MUSINGS OF A LOCAL By Iris Mead - The Unveiling of A New Stone for a Revolutionary War Soldier
A few of the many descendents of Sylvenus Kelly. Left to right: Iris Mead, Joyce Kelly Martin, Linda Kelly Armour Rear: Joe Todd, Marilee Todd Asher, Randy Kelly, Adrian Todd
A few of the many descendants of Sylvenus Kelly braved a raw and rainy Sunday afternoon to honor a Revolutionary War soldier who was buried in the Bedell Cemetery around 1825. He proved himself as a Patriot when he joined the local Dutchess County militia to fight against the British. As a native of that area, unlike many in Dutchess County who sided with the British, Militiamen like Kelly defended civilians in Dutchess and Westchester Counties from Loyalist raiders who looted farms to help equip the British forces. After serving two short terms as a soldier during this period of the war, he enlisted in the 3rd Regiment of the Dutchess County Militia and marched to Peekskill to keep British forces from advancing further north until George Washington could arrive with the Continental Army. Later Kelly was drafted into the Continental Army and served as a Private for six months until his discharge on December 12, 1782.
He and three cousins, also veterans, and their families left the Hudson Valley for the wild Catskills. They arrived sometime before 1803. Historical records list Sylvenus as a juror in Middletown in 1803 and later as a resident of Stratton Falls, Roxbury in 1810 and 1820. He died around 1825. It is thought that he may have spent his last years in a house built by his son, Sniffin, near the Bedell Cemetery where he is buried.
His tombstone, long missing, has now been replaced by funding from a grant provided by the Delaware County Historical Association (DCHA). The new stone was carved by Michael A. Angelicola of Connecticut. After the dedication with remarks by Diane Galusha, Middletown Town Historian, and Dr. Samantha Misa of the DCHA, there was a reception in the old Advent Christian Church near the cemetery.
This was the first celebration in our area of the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War and the first event in our area of the Patriot Recognition Project that will document the lives and legacies of the early soldiers who fought for freedom from Britain. If you would like to help with this project and are familiar with online sources to research veterans’ lives, their families, if they migrated beyond Middletown or what happened to them, contact Diane Galusha of the Historical Society of Middletown (HSM) There are at least 26 Revolutionary War veterans confirmed to have lived in Middletown whose lives HSM would like to research.
HSM telephone: 845-586-2400
historicalsocietyofmiddletown@gmail.com