This article appeared in the ORANGE COUNTY POST on Thursday, August 27, 1970, Page 8

Robert Reid Burnet, 1762-1854, was the oldest son of James and Mary Nicholson Burnet. He attended school at Moffat Academy, still standing on Station Road in Little Britainappearance was in a scuffle with . His first public Alexander Clinton, son of James Clinton. A Company of boy soldiers had been organized for a home guard at the beginning of the Revolution. Robert R. Burnet and Alexander Clinton, teenagers, neighbors, friends, both wanted to be in charge of the company, and were fighting it out. Some one separated them and doubtless mentioned the need for united action in such a time of stressThey . were given joint command of the company. When Hessian soldiers were encamped at Major Telford’s tavern after BurgoyneSaratoga, the boy soldiers guarded ’s defeat at them while the officers had a night’s sleep. It is pleasing to know that Robert Rson . Burnet named his oldest Alexander Clinton.

Quoting from Ruttenber’s HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR, "In June 1781, then nineteen years of age, Robert R. Burnet received from Gov. Clinton a commission as second lieutenant in Colonel Lamb’s regiment of artillery, then stationed at West Point, and was with his regiment at the capture of Cornwallis at Yorktown. Returning with the regiment to West Point, he remained there until the disbandment of the army. While stationed at West Point, he was one of the delegates appointed to meet Washington at the Temple March 1783. He was also present at the meeting of officers for the organization of the Society of the Cincinnati. At the time of his death he was the last surviving original member of the Society as well as the last surviving officer of the revolution. He commanded the rear guard in the march into the city of New York as the British evacuated it in November 1783, where he bade Washington farewell at Fraunces Tavern." His epaulet is on display in Washington’s Headquarters Museum, Newburgh.

His family Bible, in the possession of E.J. McLaughlin of Washingtonville, records the marriage of Robert Burnet and Rachel DeWitt June 9, 1784. It is also entered in the records of the New Windsor Presbyterian Church. Her dates are 1763-1830. She was a niece of Mrs. James Clinton, whom she often visited, sometimes for long periods because of Indian unrest around her home. The Clinton and Burnet farms joined.

On May 23, 1785 he bought twenty-five acres from his Uncle John in the southeast corner of his farm, and started housekeeping in the log cabin of his grandfather. Then he fought from his father twenty-five acres in the southwest corner of his farm, and thus had fifty acres in one piece. In a801 he bought the rest of his father’s farm, and in a804 he bought the rest of his Uncle John’s farm, and built the large house with gambrel roof, a show place for these many years. Mr. Anthony Congelosi is the present owner. Thus he put together again his grandfather’s two hundred acres. At the end of his life he divided it again between his two oldest sons. He did much more than farm. He was justice of the peace, town clerk, and served two terms in the state Assembly. He is described as being tall, erect, pleasant, and his integrity was highly respected.

New Windsor Cantonment has several documents relating to his service as justice of the peace. One tells that in 1805 William Telford, Innkeeper, was convicted before him for selling one gill of rum on Sunday. He confessed and paid a fine of $2.50 plus costs of $.37.

Robert Reid and Rachel DeWitt Burnet had six children. They were Alexander Clinton 1785-1846, Charles 1787-1869, Jane 1789-1857, Moses DeWitt 1791-1876, Mary DeWitt 1795-1841, and Robert 1803-1804. A number of their descendants are still in or near Little Britain.Alexander Clinton Burnet married Anna Curtiss 1787-1870 in 1807. Their children, thirteen of them, were Robert 1809-1897, Josiah Curtiss 1810-1831, Moses DeWitt 1812-1888, Sylvester 1813-1886, Jacob Rutzen 1815-1893, Alexander who died in infancy, Charles 1819-1882, Rachel Ann 1820-1823, Sarah 1822-1824, Mary Jane 1825-1892, Anna who was born and died in 1826, Ann Eliza 1828-1891, and James Alexander 18309-1865 who died at the battle of Gettysberg.

Robert married Mary Elliott 1813-1884 in 1837. They had six children of whom the oldest was David Alexander 1839-1901. In 1838 they bought land in the town of Crawford and transferred their church membership from the Little Britain Associate Reformed church to Graham Associate Reformed church. They returned to Little Britain and brought their membership back to the Little Britain church in 1844, and he was made an elder in the church in 1845. In 1848 they bought a farm in the western part of the township near the Elliots.

There were too many Burnets to trace them all in this article. Just a few notes can be made. Sylvester married Mary Ann Milliken 1815-1886 in 1843. They had eight children. George B. Overhiser is a son of their daughter Mary Ophelia. Arthur C. Burnett, formerly principal of Newburgh Free Academy was a son of their son Sylvester Curtiss.

David A. Burnett of Middletown, who had given much of the genealogical record of all the Burnetts, is a grandson of Jacob Rutzen Burnet.

Clarence Hawkins and his son Jonathan of Montgomery are descendants of their daughter Mary Jane.

In 1830 Robert R. Burnet sold the eastern half of his farm to his oldest son Alexander Clinton Burnet, and on the same day, the western half to his son Charles. Alexander’s farm came into the possession of his daughter Ann Eliza who married Granville C. Terwilliger. So much for the Alexander Clinton Burnets.

Robert R. Burnet’s son Charles married first Elizabeth Brown 1791-1814 in 1810. Their children were Rachel DeWitt 1810-1889, who did not marry, and James 1812-1891. Charles married his second wife, Mary Ann Barber 1794-1875 in 1817. Their children were Joseph Barber 1817-1895, Jane Ann 1820-1902, Charles Fowler 1823-1900, Helen Eliza 1825-1851 who did not marry, and Robert who died in infancy.

James Burnet, son of Charles, was married in 1837 to Mary Stewart 1812-1858, In 1838 they bought the fifty-acre farm that Col. James McClaughry willed to his namesake James McClaughry Telford. It is just west of Kenneth Shaw’s lane on Shaw Road, and he owns it now. There, their six children were born, of whom were Robert R., the grandfather of William Brown of Newburgh Free Academy, and Margaret Elizabeth, grandmother of Kenneth Shaw of Little Britain. In 1858 James and Mary Stewart Burnet sold the small farm and bought the hundred twenty two acre farm on Drury Lane where the Tenneys live now. She died a few months after they bought, but he lived there till his death. His children sold it to William H Morrison in 1892.

Joseph Barber Burnet bought his father’s farm in 1857 for $2000. He was the last Burnet to live on the place. He married Elizabeth Scott 1830-1915, daughter of David and Isabella Falls Scott of the "Scotts on the hill." They had no children. After his death she went to live with her sisters on the hill, and the farm was sold. Kenneth Shaw has Robert R. Burnet’s desk, which was in the house when it was cleared out for sale.

Jane Ann married George Cleland and went to Wisconsin.

Charles Fowler married Mary Jane Coleman 1820-18909. In 1857 he bought the farm on the east side of Toleman Road, partly in New Windsor and partly in Blooming Grove. Their only child was Helen Mary 1861-1947. She married Edward Jaques McLaughlin. Their daughter is Mrs. Jessie M. Nicoll who just celebrated her eightieth birthday. E. J. McLaughlin III is their grandson.

Jane Burnet, the third child of Robert R. Burnet married first Samuel Crawford. They had one child, Eunice Watkins, who married Dr. James Van Keuren. Samuel Crawford died in 1810 at the age of twenty-five. Her second marriage was to Capt. John Finley 1772-1839. Their children were James 1814-1886, Robert 1815-1873, John 1819-01883, Samuel Alexander 1820-1833 and Mary Elizabeth 1822-1869. Robert bought what is now known as the Finley farm on Drury Lane. He married Mary Ann Drury 1825-1863 in 1848. Mabel Finley of Newburgh is the daughter of their son Moses DeWitt Burnet. Robert S. Finley is a son of their son Robert. The second marriage of Robert, son of John and Jane Finley was to Margaret Scott 1824-1901. They had no children.

Mary Elizabeth Finley married Erasmus Darwin Drury 1823-1872. Kenneth Vance Morrison is descended from them.

Moses DeWitt 1791-1876, the fourth child of Robert R. Burnet married Margaret Barber 1792-01818, daughter of John Barber. They had one child, John Barber DeWitt. Moses DeWitt’s second marriage was to Mrs. Helen Creed of Syracuse. They had no children. Moses Dewitt Burnet fought in the war of 1812, was sheriff of Orange county. He moved to Syracuse and there made quite a name for himself.

Mary DeWitt, the fifth child of Robert R. Burnet married Samuel Hall 1789-1864. They had six children and lived in the house that has just been torn down on the west corner of Little Britain Road and Maple Ave., on Peter Mulliner property, and built by his grandson William. Their daughter Mary Katherine married George S. Burnet, son of James and Mary Stewart Burnet. They lived on the Ridge Road on the farm they sold to Dr. William Shearer.

Robert R. Burnet made his will in 1847. He showed concern for his daughter Jane Finley. She was already twice a widow. Also for his brother Charles and sister Mary Bellew who evidently needed help. His son Alexander Clinton and Daughter Mary DeWitt Hall had died. Their children had special mention in his will.

Lieut. Robert R. Burnet was one of the great ones of early Little Britain.

It is noted that he was the last surviving member of the original Society of the Cincinnati. The Society continues with membership available to the oldest son of a Revolutionary officer, then to his oldest son, and so on thru succeeding generations. Lieut. Robert R. Burnet was followed by his grandson Robert, who was the oldest son of Alexander Clinton Burnet, who died before his father. Robert’s oldest son was David Alexander Burnet. Next was William Elliott Burnet, then Thomas Albert Burnett, and now Robert Thomas Burnett who lives in Erie, Pa. They have kept this membership line unbroken.

As these early families are traced, some solemn thoughts come to mind. It is good to belong to a family whose members have been loyal to God and country. But every one’s ancestry goes all the way back to Adam. He disobeyed God’s command and so he handed down a heritage of sin and condemnation. But the Lord Jesus Christ had pity for us, and paid our penalty for sin inherited plus since committed by dying for us on the cross. Now there is escape offered from Adam’s family, whose destiny is eternal punishment, and acceptance into the family of Jesus Christ, who destiny is eternal peace and joy in Heaven, by receiving Christ as Savior. It is important to belong to the best family, that which there can be no better, the family of Jesus Christ. What about you?

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Created by Elizabeth Finley Frasier

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Created August 31, 2002