Hosea Moffitt (November 17, 1757August 31, 1825) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Biography

Moffitt was born in

Killingly Killingly is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 17,752 at the 2020 census. It consists of the borough of Danielson and the villages of Attawaugan, Ballouville, Dayville, East Killingly, Rogers, and South ...

in the

Connecticut Colony The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...

on November 17, 1757. During the Revolutionary War he served in the Albany County Militia as an

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

and later

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

of the 4th Regiment (

Van Rensselaer's Regiment Van Rensselaer's 4th Regiment of Militia was a regiment of Militia (United States), militia raised in Albany County, New York, during the American Revolutionary War. Raised by Colonel Kiliaen van Rensselaer (colonel), Kiliaen van Rensselaer in 17 ...

), also called the 2nd Rensselaerwyck Battalion. Moffitt studied law and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

. In addition to practicing as an attorney, he was the Stephentown agent for

Stephen Van Rensselaer Stephen Van Rensselaer III (; November 1, 1764January 26, 1839) was an American landowner, businessman, militia officer, and politician. A graduate of Harvard College, at age 21, Van Rensselaer took control of Rensselaerswyck, his family's mano ...

, whose

Manor of Rensselaerswyck The Manor of Rensselaerswyck, Manor Rensselaerswyck, Van Rensselaer Manor, or just simply Rensselaerswyck ( nl, Rensselaerswijck ), was the name of a colonial estate—specifically, a Dutch patroonship and later an English manor—owned by the va ...

included Stephentown. Moffitt was also an active businessman and banker. He served on the local school board, was named a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

in 1791, and he was Town Clerk in 1791 and 1797. He served as member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

from 1794 to 1798, and again from 1800 to 1801. He remained in the militia after the Revolution, and attained command of a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

and the rank of

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. He was elected

Town Supervisor The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the State of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, townships called "towns", and villages. (The only borou ...

and served from 1806 to 1809. From 1810 to 1811 he was

Sheriff of Rensselaer County, New York Rensselaer County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 161,130. Its county seat is Troy, New York, Troy. The county is named in ...

. Moffitt was elected as a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

to the

Thirteenth In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The interval can be also described as a compound sixth, spanning an octa ...

and Fourteenth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1813, to March 3, 1817. He was a trustee of the Stephentown Presbyterian Church, and was appointed to the board of managers of the Rensselaer County Bible Society in 1815. He died in Stephentown on August 31, 1825 and was interred at the Old Presbyterian Cemetery on "Presbyterian Hill" in the Stephentown hamlet of Garfield.Thomas E. Spencer
Where They're Buried
1998, page 246

Sources

External links

*

a
''The Political Graveyard''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moffitt, Hosea 1757 births 1825 deaths New York (state) militiamen in the American Revolution Members of the New York State Assembly Sheriffs of Rensselaer County, New York American militia generals People from Stephentown, New York Burials in New York (state) Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People from Killingly, Connecticut