Leonard Hardenbergh, a younger brother of Col. Johannes, Jr., and the father of the subject of this sketch, died July 7, 1776, only three days after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, and as his neighbors of the hardy yeomanry of Ulster, were leaving their harvests ungathered and marching to the defence of Fort Montgomery, one of the principal fortifications guarding the passes of the Hudson. In the official returns for the same month (July) the name of John L. Hardenbergh appears as First Lieutenant in the Second New York Militia under command of Col. Morris Graham, and assigned to the Brigade of Gen. George Clinton, who had remained in the Continental Congress to vote for the Declaration, when he hastened home to his command. Having served several months in this regiment raised under special call, Hardenbergh was commissioned Nov. 21, 1776, First Lieutenant in the Second New York Continental Regiment, under Col. Rudolphus Ritzema,[2] who was superseded Nov. 30, 1776, by the appointment of Col. Philip Van Courtlandt, a gallant officer and a personal friend of Washington whose confidence he shared to an unusual degree.[3] The regiment had the previous month been in the battle of White Plains, under Lieutenant-Col. Weissenfels, where it did some hard fighting; and was ordered by Washington to Fishkill for the winter, to be recruited and disciplined, and thus ready for active service in the Spring. But few enlistments, however, were obtained, though several recruiting parties were sent out for the purpose; and in the Spring of 1777, it was ordered to Peekskill, a point for the collection of military stores, and where at this time large quantities had been gathered under protection of General McDougall's brigade. Soon after, a fleet of ten British ships or transports appeared in Peekskill Bay, and landed a force of five hundred men with four pieces of artillery, which compelled Gen. McDougall, who had scarcely half that number of troops, to retreat to Gallows Hill, about ten miles in the rear, leaving what stores could not be removed, in the hands of the enemy, who remained in possession of the town until McDougall was reinforced, when they retired to their ships and returned to New York.