Ichabod Bennet Crane (July 18, 1787 – October 5, 1857) was an American career

military officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

for 48 years and the probable namesake of the protagonist in

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

's ''

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a gothic story by American author Washington Irving, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled ''The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.'' Written while Irving was living abroad in Birm ...

''.

Early life and education

Crane was born in Elizabethtown (now

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. He was the son of Gen. William Crane. He enlisted in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

in 1809 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, assigned to the USS ''United States'', a 44-gun

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

commanded by

Stephen Decatur Stephen Decatur Jr. (; January 5, 1779 – March 22, 1820) was an American naval officer and commodore. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County. His father, Stephen Decatur Sr., was a commodore in the Unite ...

. He served aboard the ''United States'' for two years. Crane resigned from the Marines in April 1812, to accept a commission in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

as a captain in command of Company B, 3rd Artillery; the unit designation would later be Battery B, 1st Artillery (today's 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery). USSUnitedStates1797

Career

During the War of 1812, Crane served on the

Niagara Frontier The Niagara Frontier refers to the stretch of land in the United States that is south of Lake Ontario and north of Lake Erie, and extends westward to Cleveland, Ohio. The term dates to the War of 1812, when the northern border was in contention b ...

. He was assigned command of an artillery battery at

Fort Pike Fort Pike State Historic Site is a decommissioned 19th-century United States fort, named after Brigadier General Zebulon Pike. It was built following the War of 1812 to guard the Rigolets pass in Louisiana, a strait from the Gulf of Mexico, via L ...

, which he helped construct, in

Sackets Harbor, New York Sackets Harbor (earlier spelled Sacketts Harbor) is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States, on Lake Ontario. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census. The village was named after land developer and owner Augustus Sackett, who ...

, and was involved with the capture on April 27, 1813, of

Fort York Fort York (french: Fort-York) is an early 19th-century military fortification in the Fort York neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The fort was used to house members of the British and Canadian militaries, and to defend the entrance of t ...

, and at the end of May 1813 the capture of Fort George in Canada. While Crane and the Americans were capturing Fort George a joint British-Canadian force attacked the American positions at Sacket's Harbor in the

Second Battle of Sacket's Harbor The Second Battle of Sacket's Harbor or simply the Battle of Sacket's Harbor, took place on 29 May 1813, during the War of 1812. A British force was transported across Lake Ontario and attempted to capture the town, which was the principal docky ...

. Crane continued to serve in the Northern Department after the war. In 1820 his company was transferred to

Fort Wolcott Fort Wolcott was a fortification on the small Goat Island in Newport Harbor of Narragansett Bay less than 1 mile west of the city of Newport, Rhode Island. The attacks on and occurred near the fort. Fort Anne An earthen Fort Anne, built on Goat ...

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

where Crane served as the fort's commander. While stationed at Fort Wolcott his son Charles was born. In 1825 he was

brevetted In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

to major in the 4th Artillery and was transferred to

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. In 1832 Crane led five companies of troops from Fort Monroe in the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", crosse ...

. He received a promotion to lieutenant colonel in the 2nd Artillery in November 1832, and was transferred to the Buffalo Barracks in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

. He commanded the 2nd Artillery unit in the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...

(1835–1842) and acted as Commander of the U.S. Army District of Northeast

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, serving under Col.

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

, who commanded the 1st Infantry Regiment. Ft. Crane, south of Rochelle in Alachua County, was named after Crane. Built in January 1837, the fort was commanded by Lt. John H. Winder. After service in Florida, Crane and his unit were transferred back to the Buffalo Barracks. During the "Patriot War" in 1838, an insurrection against British rule in Canada he was tasked with the responsibility of preventing U.S. involvement by preventing the smuggling of arms across the border. In mid-1843 he received his final promotion to colonel and was given command of the 1st Artillery. Two companies of the 1st Artillery, Co. L and Co. M were assigned to

Fort Umpqua Fort Umpqua was a trading post built by the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District (or Oregon Country), in what is now the U.S. state of Oregon. It was first established in 1832 and moved and rebuilt in 1836.; online aGoogle Books ...

in southwest

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. During a visit there Crane employed a young Umpqua Indian named Juan as a personal valet. Juan died on December 27, 1856, in Staten Island, and is buried with Crane and his wife Charlotte. Crane was stationed in Washington D.C. in 1851 and was given an additional assignment as acting governor of the Military Asylum at Washington, D.C., a position he held until November 1853. He also served a post commander of

Governors Island Governors Island is a island in New York Harbor, within the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located approximately south of Manhattan Island, and is separated from Brooklyn to the east by the Buttermilk Channel. The National Park ...

, an island in

New York Harbor New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in t ...

approximately one-half mile south of lower

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. Crane and his wife Charlotte (May 25, 1798 – September 25, 1878) had a house built in the

New Springville New Springville is a neighborhood in Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, USA. History Located near the island's geographical center, the neighborhood was founded in 1680 in Karle's Neck, so it was later named Karle's Neck V ...

section of

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

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 * '' ...

in 1853, while he was still on active duty. The house was located at 3525 Victory Blvd; it was demolished in the 1990s. The owner had offered it to

Historic Richmond Town Historic Richmond Town is an authentic town and farm museum complex in the neighborhood of Richmondtown, Staten Island, in New York City. It is located near the geographical center of the island, at the junction of Richmond Road and Arthur Kill ...

, on the condition they move it off its former site; it never transpired due to a lack of funding. Crane died in October 1857 while still on active duty, and is buried in Asbury Methodist Cemetery, in New Springville Staten Island, not far from his former home. His grave marker bears the inscription:

He served his country faithfully 48 years and was much beloved and respected by all who knew him.

Family

Stephen Crane Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism an ...

(1709 – July 1, 1780); grandfather, a delegate to the First

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

. Bayoneted by British troops passing through Elizabethtown on their way to

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

on June 23, 1780, died of his wounds on July 1, 1780. *Gen. William Crane, father; born 1748 in Elizabethtown, served as major of an

Essex County, New Jersey Essex County is located in the northeastern part of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 863,728, making it the state's second-most populous county, behind Bergen and Middlesex Counties.

regiment. Commissioned as a 1st lieutenant in the 4th New York Infantry Regiment in July 1775. Fought with Richard Montgomery in the Battle of Quebec, received a leg wound on November 2, 1775 that required amputation years later. Promoted to brigadier general in the New Jersey militia after the war. *Abigail (Miller) Crane; mother *Charlotte; wife (May 25, 1798 - September 25, 1878). *

William Montgomery Crane Commodore William Montgomery Crane (February 1, 1776 – March 18, 1846) was an officer in the United States Navy during the First Barbary War and the War of 1812. He was the son of General William Crane who was wounded at the Battle of Quebec ...

(February 1, 1776 - March 18, 1846) brother, naval officer, fought in War of 1812, born in Elizabethtown died in Washington. Middle name in honor of Richard Montgomery. *

Joseph Halsey Crane Joseph Halsey Crane (August 31, 1782 – November 13, 1851) was an attorney, soldier, jurist, and legislator. He was born in Elizabethtown, New Jersey He was the son of General Wiliam Crane and Abigail (Miller) Crane and the grandson of Stephen ...

, brother;

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

congressman. *Mariah Crane, sister *Joanna Crane (died about 1818), sister; married John Magie. *Phoebe Crane, sister *

Charles Henry Crane __NOTOC__ Charles Henry Crane B.A. M.A. M.D. (July 19, 1825 – October 10, 1883) was an American physician and the 13th Surgeon General of the United States Army (1882–1883). He was the son of Colonel Ichabod B. Crane Crane received his B.A ...

(19 July 1825 - October 10, 1883) son; Would rise through the ranks to become a Brigadier General and Surgeon General of the United States Army (1882–1883). He was one of the attending physicians of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

after he was

shot Shot may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Shot'' (album), by The Jesus Lizard *''Shot, Illusion, New God'', an EP by Gruntruck *'' Shot Rev 2.0'', a video album by The Sisters of Mercy * "Shot" (song), by The Rasmus * ''Shot'' (2017 f ...

. *Eliza Crane, daughter, disappeared on July 20, 1858 after taking a ferry from Staten Island to Manhattan. Her husband Captain (future Brevet Major General) John M. Brannan was in command of the Department of

Key West Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...

assigned to

Fort Zachary Taylor The Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, better known simply as Fort Taylor (or Fort Zach to locals), is a Florida State Park and National Historic Landmark centered on a Civil War-era fort located near the southern tip of Key West, Florida. ...

. She had been living at the fort with her husband but went to Staten Island to stay with her mother due to illness.

Legacy

''Sleepy Hollow''

The character of

's ''

'' is named

Ichabod Crane Ichabod Crane is a fictional character and the protagonist in Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Crane is portrayed, in the original work, as well as in most adaptations, as a tall, lanky individual with a scarecro ...

. While Washington Irving did not expressly admit that the character is named after Colonel Crane, the two men had met in 1814 at Fort Pike located on

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...

in Sackets Harbor, New York. Irving was an aide-de-camp to New York Gov.

Daniel D. Tompkins Daniel D. Tompkins (June 21, 1774 – June 11, 1825) was an American politician. He was the fifth governor of New York from 1807 to 1817, and the sixth vice president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. Born in Scarsdale, New York, Tompkins ...

, who was inspecting defenses in the Sackets Harbor area. Crane's somewhat unusual and memorable first name

Ichabod Ichabod ( he, אִיכָבוֹד ''ʼīyḵāḇōḏ'', – ''without glory'', or "''where is the glory?''") is mentioned in the first Book of Samuel as the son of Phinehas, a malicious priest at the biblical shrine of Shiloh, who was born on t ...

comes from the biblical name of the grandson of Eli the High Priest and son of Phinehas.

References

Bibliography

As we were: the story of old Elizabethtown Volume 13 of Collections of the New Jersey Historical Society New Jersey Historical Society Collections Author Theodore Thayer Publisher Published for the New Jersey Historical Society by the Grassmann Pub. Co., 1964 Original from the University of Michigan Digitized September 22, 2008

External links

Battery B, 1st U.S. Artillery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crane, Ichabod 1787 births 1857 deaths People from Elizabeth, New Jersey American people of the Seminole Wars People from Staten Island United States Marine Corps in the 18th and 19th centuries American people of the Black Hawk War United States Army personnel of the War of 1812 Washington Irving Burials in New York (state) Methodists from New York (state) Crane family of New Jersey Methodists from New Jersey