John Cox

Quick Facts

Place of Death:

Stillwater, NY

Date of Death:

September 19, 1777

John Cox joined the fight for American independence on New Year’s Day in 1777 by enlisting as a private soldier in Captain Lounsbery’s company of Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt’s 2^nd New York Regiment for a term of three years.

The 2^nd New York Regiment joined the Northern Army, then located at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers, in the latter half of August 1777. The army moved north to Stillwater shortly afterward and then to Bemus Heights, where final preparations to face off against the British invasion from Canada were made.

John fought the British in the Battle of Freeman’s Farm on September 19 – he was killed while fighting in the woods against the enemy’s most elite troops. John’s remains were probably buried by the victorious British near where he fell.

Sadly, John remains one of the American casualties of the Battles of Saratoga for whom we know very little. Although he probably hailed from New York State, even that is not a certainty. A Robert Cox served in the same company (enlisted April 27, 1777), but no familial connection, if there was one, has been made.

Hopefully, someday, we’ll know more!