John Kemper
b. September 29, 1757 Brooklyn, NY d. August 11, 1842 Hudson, NY
Revolutionary Service: Captain and wagon master, fought at Valley Forge
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General Washington’s Courier and Spy
“…during the American Revolution there was not one officer who did not know who Captain John Kemper was. He was the brightest star in the sky, the one that kept them alive at Valley Forge, through his transporting of supplies from Lancaster {Pennsylvania} to General Washington’s headquarters at Valley Forge.”
-from Once Upon a Time in the American Revolution, Rev. Gordon R. Proper
Benjamin Talmadge, Print based on painting by John Trumbull 1794
Captain John Kemper served throughout the Revolutionary War as a wagon-master, though this was a deceptive plan to allow him to work undercover as a courier. This was a crucial role in the Revolution and he worked directly with the commander-in-chief, General George Washington including at Valley Forge. He carried a ‘shield of protection’ to allow him to transport intelligence without interference from any superior officers. Often the Marquis de Lafayette accompanied Kemper. John Kemper also reported unofficially to Major Benjamin Talmadge, Washington’s chief of espionage.
1790 Census listing John Kemper and indicating he owned 1 enslaved person
Kemper met Alexander Hamilton at Kemper’s father’s tavern in New York City when Hamilton was a student at King’s College. In 1786, Kemper visited Hudson under Hamilton’s order to deliver “a letter of recommendation and orders to Colonel Henry J. Van Rensselaer.” After the war, Kemper settled in Hudson. He was appointed to manage the city’s new water system and became superintendent of Fire Engine Number One in 1794. Sometime before he died Kemper went to Valley Forge and brought home the stone he rested on during the war to place on his future gravesite.
Mistakenly classified as a civilian, Captain Kemper never received recognition or a pension for his significant role in the Revolution. After his death, Kemper’s daughter sued the government for remediation but the case was not settled until 1987, It is alleged to be the longest such case in American history.
John Kemper’s grave
Section 1C, Hudson City Cemetery
Bronze bust of Captain Kemper near his grave
The Valley Forge stone at Captain Kemper’s grave in Section 3C, Hudson City Cemetery