Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Event, Site

Location

353 Picard Rd, Voorheesville, NY 12186, USA

Lat/Long

42.649264, -73.980224

Grant Recipient

New Scotland Historical Association

Throughout the Revolutionary War, the Hellebergh or Helderberg region in eastern New York State was plagued by robberies carried out by British soldiers and Loyalists alike. The Board of Commissioners for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies was responsible for identifying these threats as well as apprehending and disciplining those suspected or found guilty. The 1778-1779 Minutes of the Commissioners noted that on June 20, 1779:

John Wheeler appeared before the Board and informed us that a Party of Robbers had last Night been at the House of his Father in Law Jacob Cooper at the Hellebergh and that in their attempting to break into the House the said Jacob Cooper had shot and killed one of them and requesting us to send a Scout to that Quarter to go in search of the said Robbers [sic].

The following day, three Commissioners – John M. Beeckman, Matthew Visscher, and Isaac D. Fonda – held a meeting here at Jacob Cooper’s farm. Charles Rosseter, a deserter from General Burgoyne’s army, was captured in the area and interrogated. Ultimately, the Commissioners found that Rosseter was not connected to this robbery and released him with the recommendation to relocate elsewhere. Secondary historical sources remark on the unprecedented nature of the Commissioners’ visit as it was extremely rare that they left their headquarters in the City of Albany. The meeting at Cooper’s farm suggests the pervasiveness and gravity of Loyalist robberies in the region.

As of 2022, the marker stood approximately 0.15-mile north-northeast of the original boundary of Jacob Cooper’s farm.