Caleb Bentley

Although Caleb Bentley died in 1827 before he was eligible for a Revolutionary War pension, his wife survived him and obtained a widow's pension in 1838. From her application and the supporting documents in the file we learn:

Caleb moved from Connecticut to Little Hoosick, New York in 1775. While there he was appointed 20 Feb 1776 as Captain of the Fifth Company in Colonel Stephen J. Schuyler's Sixth Regiment of Albany Co., New York Militia. Caleb was on active service at various times, wounded in the leg at the Battle of Bennington and witnessed the surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga. Total service was six months.

He may have even more involvement, but the widow only needed to provide evidence of six months service. From the documents in the file it appears she was hard pressed to do that at age 78, having to rely on friends and the few surviving fellow soldiers she could find.

He was born on 20 May 1742 and married Mary Gardner on 18 Apr 1779. He married Mary Hewitt, daughter of Joseph Hewitt and Sarah Babcock, on 27 Nov 1782 at Little Hoosick, Rensselaer County, New York. He left a will dated in Apr 1826 and died 5 Mar 1827 at Berlin, Rensselaer County, New York, at age 84.