Buried Beneath the Schoolyard: The Story of Lt. John Leonard

This series explores the local history of New York’s Capital Region. Though not every article focuses directly on Germans, each one sheds light on the people, places, and communities that shaped their lives here. Click here for a full list of all articles in the "Threads of the Capital Region" series.

Johannes Leanart (anglicized in America to John Leonard) was born in 1739 in Wittenberg, Germany, and later immigrated to New York. His exact arrival date is unknown, but he was here in 1767 when he married Cornelia Richter. When General Burgoyne invaded from Canada and marched south toward Albany, the Albany County Militia was called up to help stop the British advance. Leonard joined the 5th Regiment of the Albany County Militia, one of 15 militia regiments sent north to reinforce Major General Horatio Gates at Bemis Heights. These units were organized into a brigade under Brigadier General Abraham Ten Broeck.

Ten Broeck’s brigade was held in reserve during the First Battle of Saratoga but saw action in the Second Battle, fighting on the American right flank at the Wheatfield. During the battle, Captain Georg Päusch, commander of the Hessen-Hanau Artillery, made a desperate final stand to hold the British position. Ten Broeck’s brigade led the final push that broke through the British and German lines, forcing them to retreat into the Light Infantry Redoubt and abandon their artillery. This was also the moment when British General Simon Fraser was mortally wounded—a turning point that marked the beginning of the end for Burgoyne’s campaign, which John Leonard probably would have witnessed.

This battlefield marker indicates the site of Captain Georg Päusch’s desperate final stand. John Leonard’s unit would have advanced from the treeline to the left of this display against this position.

Following Saratoga, he continued to serve in the militia and reached the rank of Lieutenant. After the war, John returned to his family and farm in what is now Delmar. Part of his property included the site where Hamagrael Elementary School stands today. When Leonard died on October 7, 1801, he was buried in the family cemetery. While the exact location of his grave is unknown, historical survey maps suggest it lies either beneath or very near the current school.

And so, beneath the quiet grounds of a neighborhood school, a German immigrant’s story lives on—woven into the fabric of a new nation he helped to defend.

The historic marker for Lt. John Leonard next to the Hamagrael Elementary School sign.

John Leonard is buried somewhere near or beneath the elementary school.