He participated in the Colonial and Revolutionary Wars and took part in the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Notably, he was present at Bernetz Brook where General Howe was killed in 1758. He was also one of the first American officers of the revolutionary war and led a regiment into the field to secure the Hudson corridor from the British a year before the declaration of independence. In later life, he was involved in the exploration and surveying of portions of Vermont. In modern times, he is known for his, often misrepresented, confrontations with Benedict Arnold and New York General Philip Schuyler.