Jacobus Van Steenbergen was born December 3, 1759 in New Hackensack, Dutchess County, Province of New York.  He was the first born son of Jacobus “Jacob” Steenbergen / Steenberg and his wife Mallie “Maria” Schouten.  He was baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church as “Jacobus Steenberg” with Jacobus Steenberg and Margariet Duitrer as sponsors. 

At the age of 17 as “James Steenbergh” he entered service in Col. Jacobus Van Schoonhoven’s Regiment of Militia, also known as the 12th Albany County Militia Regiment under Capt. Joshua Taylor and Capt. Tyrannis Collins of the 5^th Company.  His uncle, Elias Steenbergh (A118973), was also a Capt. In this Regiment.  The Regiment was called up in July 1777 at Halfmoon, Dutchess County, to reinforce Gen. Horatio Gate’s Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign.  The Regiment served as part of Brig. Gen. Abraham Ten Broeck’s Brigade, New York Militia.  The Saratoga Campaign was an attempt by the British to gain military control on the strategically important Hudson River valley.  With the defeat of Gen. John Burgoyne’s on October 17, 1777 the Regiment stood down. 

According to a statement in the Pension file (# W25168) of James Steenbergh, he married Rebecca Lake ” .. at a placed called Still Water in the State of New York by the Revd Robert Campbell a Minister of the gospel of the Congregational Order on the 20th Day of Febr 1779 but have no documentary evidence of her marriage that her name previous to said Marriage was Rebecca Lake..”

Little is known of her origins, except what is contained in this file:  “Rebecah Steenbargh was born August 30th in the year of our Lord 1763.”  James and Rebecca had nine known children, all born in Halfmoon, Saratoga County:  Mary (m. Oliver Wiley), Benjamin (m. Phoebe Hudson and Julia Maria Doty), Jane, Derick (m. Elizabeth Masten), Catharine (m. Thomas Gibbs), Stephen G. (m. Nancy Ann Mills), Elsa (m. Nathan Chilson), Rebecca (m. George Darby), James (m. Jane Eddy and Marcelia Woodward), and Ana.  The names of these children and their birth dates are also found in the Pension file. 

By 1802 the family was living in Alburgh, Grand Isle County, Vermont.  Per the Pension file:  “.. James Steenbarge died at said Alburgh on the 31^st day of March Ad 1838 ..” He is buried in Bush Cemetery in Alburgh.  Rebecca’s headstone in Bush Cemetery read “REBECCA / wife of / JAMES STEENBURGE / DIED / May 2, 1843, / AE. 81. / Blessed are the dead / which lie in the Lord.”

References:

James Steenbergh, Revolutionary War Records, www.Fold3.com

New York in the Revolution, Bertold Fernow, Clearfield Company, Inc., 1999

Pension File # W25168