He was also one of the first American officers of the revolutionary war[1]: 571 and led a regiment into the field to secure the Hudson corridor from the British a year before the declaration of independence.
Colonel Hinman rose to prominence as a military officer during the era of the French and Indian Wars; first serving as quartermaster in a contingent of Connecticut horse in 1745.
Hinman's company took part in the battle between the forces of Sir William Johnson and Baron Dieskau in September[7] of that year.
Hinman was present in the action at Bernitz Brook when Lord Howe was killed[8] and his unit took part in the abortive battle at Ticonderoga under General James Abercrombie shortly thereafter.
Immediately following the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, he was drawn from the existing militia officers to command one of the 6 regiments raised for the “special defense” of the colony(s).
[9] In May, he was ordered by Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull to March with 10 companies (1000 men) to reinforce the small garrison at Fort Ticonderoga New York.
[7] There, Hinman was to “Command the forces of Crown Point and Ticonderoga[10]”; and secure the area from counterattack of the British and their allies.
However, unlike Colonels Ethan Allen and Seth Warner who relinquished their commands to Hinman upon his arrival, Benedict Arnold was tenacious of his authority.
A Connecticut Captain, just two months prior,[12] Arnold was now brandishing a Massachusetts colonelcy and styling himself as “Commander-in-Chief” of Crown Point.
[12][15] Further, the menace of mutiny soon prevailed among his men and a threat was made that the two ships under Arnold's command would be sailed to the British post at Saint John's and surrendered to them.
[17] Colonel Hinman continued in the northward, but, he was soon hampered by the lack of supplies tents and gunpowder for his troops;[1]: 1538, 1605 [4]: 846 all items that the colony of New York had agreed to furnish[18] but failed to provide.
In late June, the Second Continental Congress had favored New York[16] with the appointment of Schuyler as a Major General and assigned him to the command of the northward.
[1]: 1645 A situation that prompted Hinman to comment in August that the province of New York abounds with officers, but he had yet to have his curiosity gratified by the sight of one private.
Although ravaged by sickness, his regiment was the nucleus of the army led to Canada by General Montgomery and was present at the battle of St. Johns, the reduction of Montreal, and siege of Quebec.
[9][20]: 975 Thereafter, as a Colonel of state troops,[7] he was stationed in the Westchester area at Horse neck and the long island sound to support the main army in the late fall and early winter of 1776-1777.
He was subsequently involved in repelling General William Tryon's invasion of Danbury Connecticut and took part in the battle of Ridgefield in April, 1777.