Abraham Schenck was born August 6, 1720, in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. He was the son of Johannes Schenck, a Dutch immigrant who worked as town clerk of Flatbush, and his wife, Maria Lott; like his father, Abraham worked in local government. Around 1740, he married Elsie Vandervoort. After the outbreak of the American Revolution, Schenck enlisted in Colonel Jacobus Swartout's Regiment of Minute Men in Duchess County, New York, primarily recruited from the Fishkill area. Because of his age, he served as a captain in the Associated Exempts. The regiment formed part of General George Clinton's brigade, which was in General William Heath's Division beginning October 15, 1776. Schenck likely saw action at the battles of Long Island, White Plains, and Trenton. He died in Queens County, New York, in 1790.
From the guide to the Abraham Schenck orderly book, Schenck, Abraham, orderly book, 1776-1777, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)
