Ensign Hendrick (Henry) Loop

Ensign Hendrick (Henry) Loop Revolutionary War Patriot of Patrick Henry Reilly

Henry is my 5th great grandfather born in 1740 in Fishkill, Dutchess County, NY.

He married Neeltije (Eleanor/Nelly) Scherp (Sharp) about 1761-62 and Had eleven (11) children, including a set of twins and my 4th great grandfather Andries (Andrew), who was born 3 June 1765. About this time the family moved to Schaghticoke, Rensselaer County, NY, as indicated by the records of the Dutch Reformed Church.

On 25 April 1760 he enlisted in the Albany County Militia. On 4 April 1778 he was appointed an officer, Ensign, in the Sixteenth, aka Cambridge, Regiment in the Albany county Militia under the command of Colonel Lewis Van Woert.

Ensign Loop’s detachment was ordered into the battle of Skenesborough, NY (now Whitehall, NY) where they were taken prisoners on 7 March 1780. They were held in Canada and Ensign Loop was released on 24 November 1782.

On 11 July 1785 he received a payment for his service from the State of New York in the amount of 301 pounds, 4 shillings and 10 pence. He also received a piece of pine timber land, taken from a British supporter Ebenezer Jessup, in the area called “Jessup’s Patent” which is now within the area of Warren County.

It is not known when Henry or his wife Nelly died, nor where they died, but it would be sometime after 1786 since Catharian (Catherine), their last child, was born 22 April 1785. Since the family does not appear in the Schaghticoke Dutch Reformed Church records after Catherine’s baptism on 20 August 1786 we assumed they moved, possibly to Warren County, NY. The family seemed to be edging toward central NY State as Andrew my 4th great grandfather and Martin my 3rd great grandfather are eventually found in Cortland and Onondaga Counties, New York.

The family military service continues with George Loop, my 2nd great grandfather, who served during the Civil War with the 122nd Regiment NY Volunteers, Company A along with his brothers Henry and Ephraim, George became a corporal. All three survived; however, George and Ephraim were wounded and then returned to their unit.

My other 2nd great grandfather Jon (John) VanTassel enlisted a second time on 17 August 1864 with the 185th Regiment NY Volunteers, Company A. He was wounded on 29 March 1865 at Quaker Road, VA and was then mustered out two months later on 30 May 1865.

Since their service my grandfather Ralph Tetro, son-in-law of Anna V Loop-VanTassel, served in the Navy during WWI, my father Henry Reilly served in the Army during WWII and I served in the Army during the early 1960s.