Payday for Hathorn

John Hathorn was Warwick's leader of the militia during the Revolutionary War, and his home still stands on Hathorn Rd; information about him is available in several sources, yet he remains a sketchy figure because his personal papers were destroyed by the family sometime after his death.

However, he was a literate man and in his roles as community leader, and a New York and U.S. Congressman, he would have written many letters and papers to others. These are slowly being sought out, and this week the Warwick Historical Society was fortunate to obtain one of these manuscripts -- his request for pay for attendance at the New York Legislature in 1783, as the war was winding to a close.

The Society also owns a few of his books-- as Independance was declared and he took on his role as military leader, he purchased a British military manual, printed in 1776:


Other Hathorn manuscripts, including a scan of his report on the Battle of Minisink, and be seen on the Warwick Valley History website.