Family Talk:Whitney, Benjamin (1785-a1850)

I found a newspaper article from the Hudson River Chronicle dated 01-28-1845 in which a letter is posted from H. Whitney asking for any information about her son Robert. He is listed as a prisoner at Van Diemen's Land. She says that he has been missing for five years,that he left home, which was at Moriah, Essex Co., NY, with the permission of his father, in 1838. She says that she heard from him up until August of that year from Donaldson, La. She believes that on his return from the south he stopped at Cleveland, OH, and there joined the patriots and went to Canada, where he was taken prisoner. She asks that anyone with information contact Benjamin Whitney, Port Henry, Essex Co., NY.

There is also a letter from this same newspaper and date from the postmaster at Westminster, VT, asking about Riley Whitney, a native of that town who was residing in northern NY at the time of his capture. He mentions Riley's widowed mother.