I found the following information in Google Books. It was a quote from a 1755 New York City newspaper during the French and Indian War. After John Gardenier was scalped, a collection was taken in New York City and the money was sent to the Gardenier family. I have found the newspaper article transcribed three times. The one below (and another) appears to be a transcription that changed the spelling of a few words to those of contemporary times. Cliff Lamere ___________________ http://books.google.com/books?dq=%22john+gardenier%22+albany&pg=PA222&id=xQgFAAAAYAAJ Memoirs of the life of Henry Van Schaack, Embracing Selections from his Correspondence During the American Revolution. by his nephew Henry Cruger Van Schaack. (Chicago, 1892) pg 222 APPENDIX B "We hear from Kinderhook that on Wednesday, the 2nd instant, as four men, two boys and a negro were hoeing corn in a field near that place, they were surprised and fired upon by six Indians and a Frenchman, which wounded one of the men, a boy and a negro fellow, when they, with two others, took to their heels. The seventh, named John Gardenier, ran towards their arms, that were nigh at hand; and having dispatched two of the Indians, a third closed in upon him, and, in the scuffle, the Frenchman came up, and seeing Gardenier get the better of the Indians, he knocked him down with his piece and afterwards scalped him, when the Indians made off and carried their dead with them. Some short time after, Gardenier came to himself, and with some difficulty reached the fort. He was so stunned with the blow he received from the Frenchman, that he was insensible of his being scalped until he was informed by the people, who discovered the blood, but remembered the whole of their proceedings before, and said he could have killed three of the Indians had not the second gun he took up missed fire. On the receipt of the above news the sum of twelve pounds was immediately raised, by a few gentlemen in this city, and sent to John Gardenier for his gallant behavior, to support his wife and family during his illness; and it is to be hoped that those gentlemen who would willingly infuse a martial spirit in the armies now going against our enemies, will follow an example so truly worthy of their imitation. -- The New York Mercury of 14th July, 1755." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I suspect that this John Gardenier was the Johannes Gardenier who was born about 1721 in Albany, NY. He was the great grandson of Jacob Janse Gardenier. Johannes married 22 Jun 1750 Marytje "Maria" Woodcock at the Albany Reformed Church, although both were from Kinderhook at the time. Their first child Johannes was baptized 3 Jul 1752 at the Kinderhook Reformed Church. No other children were baptized before the scalping. Their later children were baptized at Kinderhook Reformed Church as well, including one as late as 1767. If I'm correct about the identity of this John Gardenier, then the scalping did not cause an early death. We had a discussion about the fort earlier on this mailing list. I have since been able to determine that the current address where the fort was located in Kinderhook is 15 Hudson St. Cliff Lamere Albany, NY