Captain Joseph Dyckman

   Joseph Dyckman (also spelled Dikeman and Dykeman) is the ancestor that solved the mystery that started my quest into my family tree.  Quite young, I was fascinated that my Grandmother on one side of the family and my Grandfather on the other had the same last name.   I wanted to know just how they were related, and it took some time to find the answer- they are distant cousins.   

  Joseph Dyckman was born about 1737 in Fairfield County, Connecticut, to Frederick Dyckman and his wife Ann, being the oldest child. His known siblings are Thaddeus, Levi, Mary, and Ann. Unfortunately the records for this time period are very sparse so we don’t know for sure how many siblings Joseph may have had nor much of his early life.

  We do know from the records in Redding, Fairfield County, CT that he was married to Eunice Darling on My 25 1757 by Reverend Nathaniel Bartlett. Their Children included Hezekiah, Benjamin, Joseph, Sally, Arron, Peter, Ezra, and Eunice, who were baptized in Redding, Connecticut.  He also married Elizabeth Smith and Miss Judd. His other known children were Elizabeth, Daniel, Abigail, Ruhama, Phebe, and Ann, but their mother is unidentified.

Joseph and at least three of his sons (Joseph, Hezekiah, and Benjamin) served in the American Revolution.  As Lieutenant  he brought in three conspirators, and as Captain he collected seven pounds eight shillings for bringing prisoners.  Joseph is a recognized Patriot for the DAR, so anyone who descendants from him qualifies for the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and the Daughters of the American Revolution. 

Here is a list of some of the men in Col. Field’s Regiment, including Captain Joseph at the bottom.

The Veterans - George Dykeman

George Raymond Dykeman born 17 Oct 1894 in Pawling, Dutchess County, NY to Peter and Effie K. Hooker Dykeman. 

In the  4 Dec 1917 paper, The Poughkeepsie Enterprise has George on a list of  drafted men who were leaving tomorrow. 

He was Inducted Dec 5 1917 in Millbrook, NY and started at Camp Upton. He served Overseas from April 16, 1918 to April  18 1919. He was in  Company A 305 Infantry, then the Machine Gun company 305 Infantry until Discharge, which was May 9 1919. 

The 305th was Part of the 77th Division, which has also been called "New York's own" as the men it included were primarily from  NY city and the surrounding counties.The 77th Infantry Division was the first United States Army division to arrive in France in World War I.

The division began leaving Camp Upton on March 28, 1918, and sailed from Boston, Portland (Maine), via Halifax and New York City. With the exception of the artillery, all units proceeded through Liverpool, across England and landed at Calais, France. 

Campaigns George was known to be involved in were:
June 21 1918-August 18 1918 Baccarat Sector
August 18 1918 - Sept 6 1918 Vesle Sector
Meuse- Argonne Offensive September 26 1918-Nov 11 1918
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George returned to  his home in 1919. In 09 Aug 1925  he married his brother's sister-in-law, Flossie B Ellis. He had four sons, Thomas, Robert, Calvin and Albert. He was a Farmer with Brother Henry. Also  a Truck Driver with the Coleman Lumber company. he was a member of  both the Pawling Baptist Church and the Pawling Grange. George died June 11 1979 in Pawling, NY


Sources include:
Poughkeepsie Eagle-News
Poughkeepsie Enterprise
NYS military abstracts
77th Division memorial poster
Debra Fraser Dykeman
Ginger Dykeman Sheldon
Henry Dykeman Jr.
Jean Wright Dykeman
History of the Victorious 77th booklet
Poughkeepsie Journal

The Veterans - Lester A Cornell

Lester Cornell, born Nov 20 1889 in Amawalk, Westchester county, New York to Joshua Cornell and  Alice Cornell. Inducted May 25 1918  in Westchester County, NY. 

Served overseas from June 1918 to June 1919. Co H 2nd Pioneer Infantry, Then HQ Company 2 Pioneer Infantry, then 207 MP until discharge.

The 2nd Pioneer Infantry went overseas to France prior to the 1st Pioneer Infantry.The 2nd landed at Bordeaux and from there went to Bassens, in the Gironde to become acclimated and readied for service at the front.

 Some Companies  were put into service acting as guards and military police from the time of their arrival  in various French cities. In many cases, this MP service continued the entire time they were overseas. 

Other companies of the  2nd Pioneer Infantry had the job of building roads through the thickly forested terrain, salvaging ammunition from burnt-out trucks and abandoned artillery positions and helping bring supplies forward.

Until we find Lester's full military record we do not know what service Lester actually did or what action he may have seen.  Lester returned home in the summer of 1919, and returned to his life as a carpenter. In 1923, he married Florence Purdy and they raised a family in Yorktown Heights, NY.  Lester was afflicted in later years with arthritis, and died in  August of 1978. He is buried in Amawalk cemetery, not far from where he was born.