Benjamin Cole (alias Bennett Coleman)
A Revolutionary War veteran with ties to Cattaraugus County.
A notable figure with a unique military history, described as a member of the Irish nobility and a graduate of Trinity College.
Background: Born August 1, 1754, in Thurles, Ireland. He was reportedly the grandson of the Earl of Linster and a cousin to Lord Fitzgerald.
Military Service: Originally came to America in Lord Howe’s British Army but deserted after the Battle of White Plains to join the American cause.
American Service: Served in Col. Elisha Sheldon’s Second Light Dragoons. Due to his education, he served as a secretary at General Washington’s headquarters from the Battle of White Plains until the fall of Yorktown.
Life After War: Became a Baptist minister and helped organize the first church of that denomination in the county. He died on January 2, 1834, and is buried in the Cole Cemetery in Humphrey, NY.
Family: Married Rachel Salisbury; children included Mary, Beth, Stephen S., Benjamin, Betsey, Sarah, and Elijah.
Reference:
Pension Records: References the Law of March 18, 1818, and the Act of 1832.
Local Historians: Data provided by the County Historian at Humphrey and descendants (Maude Cole Gould and M.S. Cole).