Benjamin Hinman
Encyclopedia
Colonel Benjamin Hinman was a US soldier and member of the Connecticut Legislature.
, Litchfield County
, Connecticut
and died in Southbury
, New Haven County
, Connecticut.
He served as quartermaster
of a troop in the French and Indian War
in 1751 under General Roger Wolcott
. He received his commission as captain in 1755 in the regiment of Colonel Elizur Goodrich
. There he was charged with defending Crown Point
and the surrounding area. He was again promoted in 1767 to lieutenant-colonel, and in 1771 to colonel in the 13th regiment.
With the outbreak of the Revolutionary War
, he was commissioned in May 1775 as a captain of the 4th Connecticut Regiment
. In May of 1775 Benedict Arnold
had stabilized Fort Ticonderoga which had been captured by the Americans. On June 17, 1775 Hinman arrived with a thousand troops from Connecticut to rebuild the fort. Because of his rank he claimed authority but Benedict Arnold objected until the three man committee of inspection including Silas Deane from Congress told him he must allow Hinman to command. Benedict Arnold later disbanded his troops and returned home.
Benjamin Hinman retired from service as a colonel in 1777 due to poor health. He represented his home town of Woodbury for 20 sessions of the Connecticut legislature, followed by Southbury (due to its incorporation) for eight more sessions. He also participated in the Connecticut convention to ratify the United States Constitution
.
His nephew was Yale
graduate Royal Ralph Hinman who served as Connecticut Secretary of State. His grandson was Joel Hinman
who served with distinction on the Connecticut Supreme Court
for many years.
His cousin, Capt. David Hinman served with him as Col. of the 4th Regiment. David Hinman was the son of Andrew Hinman and Mable Stiles.
"Fourth Reginment-This Assembly do appoint Benajamin Hinman, Esqr, to be Colonel of the Fourth Regiment, and Captain, David Hinman, 1st Lieutenant...." [The public records of the colony of Connecticut Date of Publication: 1850-1890]
Biography
He was born to Benjamin Hinman (b. 1692) and Sarah Sherman in WoodburyWoodbury, Connecticut
Woodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
, Litchfield County
Litchfield County, Connecticut
Litchfield County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. Litchfield County has the lowest population density of any county in Connecticut but is geographically the state's largest county. As of 2010 the population was 189,927...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and died in Southbury
Southbury, Connecticut
Southbury is a town located in western New Haven County, Connecticut, USA. Southbury is located north of Oxford and Newtown; it also is east of Brookfield. Southbury's population was 18,567 at the 2000 census....
, New Haven County
New Haven County, Connecticut
New Haven County is a county located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2010 Census, the county population is 862,477 making it the third most populated county in Connecticut. There are 1,340 people per square mile...
, Connecticut.
He served as quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
of a troop in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
in 1751 under General Roger Wolcott
Roger Wolcott (Connecticut)
Roger Wolcott was an American weaver and statesman from Windsor, Connecticut. He served as colonial governor of Connecticut from 1751 to 1754.Roger was born to Simon and Martha Wolcott in Windsor, Connecticut...
. He received his commission as captain in 1755 in the regiment of Colonel Elizur Goodrich
Elizur Goodrich
Elizur Goodrich was an American lawyer and politician from Connecticut.-Biography:Born in Durham, Connecticut, he was the son of Elizur Goodrich. He graduated from Yale in 1779, was a tutor there from 1781 to 1783, and studied law. After his admission to the bar in 1783, he practiced in New Haven...
. There he was charged with defending Crown Point
Crown Point
Crown Point is the name of several towns or cities, and geographic features:United States*Crown Point, Alaska*Crown Point, Indiana - Lake County*Crown Point, New York**Fort Crown Point, built in 1759 on Lake Champlain by the British...
and the surrounding area. He was again promoted in 1767 to lieutenant-colonel, and in 1771 to colonel in the 13th regiment.
With the outbreak of the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, he was commissioned in May 1775 as a captain of the 4th Connecticut Regiment
4th Connecticut Regiment
The 4th Connecticut Regiment was raised on April 27, 1775 at Hartford, Connecticut. The regiment would see action in the Invasion of Canada. After which the regiment was disbanded on December 20, 1775 and reformed on September 16, 1776 to fight in the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown and...
. In May of 1775 Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
had stabilized Fort Ticonderoga which had been captured by the Americans. On June 17, 1775 Hinman arrived with a thousand troops from Connecticut to rebuild the fort. Because of his rank he claimed authority but Benedict Arnold objected until the three man committee of inspection including Silas Deane from Congress told him he must allow Hinman to command. Benedict Arnold later disbanded his troops and returned home.
Benjamin Hinman retired from service as a colonel in 1777 due to poor health. He represented his home town of Woodbury for 20 sessions of the Connecticut legislature, followed by Southbury (due to its incorporation) for eight more sessions. He also participated in the Connecticut convention to ratify the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
.
Family
He was married to Mary Stiles.His nephew was Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
graduate Royal Ralph Hinman who served as Connecticut Secretary of State. His grandson was Joel Hinman
Joel Hinman
Chief Justice Joel Hinman was born in to Colonel Joel Hinman in Southbury, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, grandson of Benjamin Hinman.- Connecticut Supreme Court :...
who served with distinction on the Connecticut Supreme Court
Connecticut Supreme Court
The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, across the street from the Connecticut State Capitol...
for many years.
His cousin, Capt. David Hinman served with him as Col. of the 4th Regiment. David Hinman was the son of Andrew Hinman and Mable Stiles.
"Fourth Reginment-This Assembly do appoint Benajamin Hinman, Esqr, to be Colonel of the Fourth Regiment, and Captain, David Hinman, 1st Lieutenant...." [The public records of the colony of Connecticut Date of Publication: 1850-1890]