Johannes DOPP

                   Bapt. sponsors were John Akkert and his wife.  He became a DAR Patriot Ancestor in April 1983.  Also listed in the SAR.
John Dopp was born at Staatsburg in the southern portion of Rheinbeck Precinct.  In this year, the British captured Quebec from the French, Voltaire's "Candid" was first published, and Haydn composed his "Symphony No. 1".
When John was age six, James Watt perfected the steam engine that became the power of choice for the Industrial Revolution.  In 1765, also, Britain imposed the Stamp Act on the American Colonies, which added fuel to the flame that ultimately became the American Revolution.
By age 12, in 1771, John had moved with his family to Stone Arabia.  History shows that this family was divided in its loyalty to the cause of the colonies and the British Crown.
Late in the summer of 1776, while living in Johnstown, John volunteered for service in the Continental Army.  He served four years and six months.  Much of his service was at Fort Stanwix.  During this time he served under Col. Ganzevoort and Col. Willetts.   He fought the Indians, the British and the Loyalists.  In April 1779 he contracted small pox and while recuperating he was listed as a deserter.  While recovering from the pox, he helped with repairs at the fort and worked on the bridge at Ticonderoga.  When his health was restored, he went to Albany, remaining there until he was discharged.
At the close of the war, he returned to Rheinbeck and here he met and married Anna Weist, daughter of Jacob and Catherine Wolff Weist.  Anna was a widow with two sons, Hendrich Behr, born 11 Oct 1785 and Jacob Behr, born 5 May 1787.  Their father was killed in the Revolutionary War.  John and Anna made their home in Rheinbeck where three daughters were born.  Margaretha, Catharina and Rachel were all christened in the local Dutch Reformed Church.

Being adventurers at heart, John and Anna with their three little girls journeyed south to Lebanon, Berks Co., PA where there was a German settlement.  This must not have been to their liking for they moved on to Poughkeepsie, NY where three sons and another daughter were born.  These four children were christened at the local Dutch Reformed Church on the following dates; John on 4 Jan 1797, Charles on 13 Aug 1798, Maria on 16 Jul 1800 and Peter on 29 May 1802.  Sometime after 1802 the family, now numbering eleven persons, moved to Shorham, VT, then to Newport, NY and finally to Kinderhook, Columbia County, NY.  In Kinderhook, Catharina Dopp married John Haver in 1811 and Rachel Dopp married Benjamin Franklin Look in 1815.

The year 1830 finds John residing in Pern Township, Clinton Co., NY but in 1832 he is a resident of Westport, Essex Co., NY.  There, at age 74, he went to court to clear his name of the Army's deserter charge made 53 years previously.  He was successful.  "Court of Common Pleas, Essex Co., State of New York, 27 Sept 1832 ... does hereby declare their opinion after investigation of the matter and hearing interrogations that the above named John Dop was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states - and the court further certifies that it appears to them that Samuel Pangborn of Westport and Joseph Cripher of Elizabeth signed the first preceding certificate and are credible persons."


Copyrighted by D.C.Dopp.  Permission granted for free distribution only.  Data from this GEDCOM not to be used in commercial data base or CD compilations.  If you find this on a commercial database, please notify ddopp@prodigy.net.