Pension Application

S.23135
Granted a pension of $20 per annum commencing March 4, 1831.
State of New York
Montgomery County SS.
            On this fourteenth day of December one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open court before the judges of the Court of Common Pleas of said county now sitting Jacob Bovee a resident of Broadalbin in the county and state aforesaid aged seventy six years the twenty fourth day of November last who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
            That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated—That on the fourteenth day or fifteenth day of March in the year 1776, he this deponent resided in the town of Glenville now (but then called Schenectady Patent) in Schenectady County and State of New York was in Albany with his team on the said fourteenth or fifteenth day of March and was there pressed and ordered to go with his team as a teamster to Montreal. That he went or started to go to Montreal in two days after he was so engaged– that he went to Montreal and did not get home until the 26th day of April following. That he was during this time he was gone to Montreal and until his return engaged as a teamster (1) in the service of the United States. That the military body that ordered him into service and the regiment with which he went was called as he believes and thinks the Jersey Blues (2) —That he was engaged in carrying the baggage and sick soldiers attached to the regiment—does not recollect the colonels name of regiment or other officers. That in the year 1777 was ordered out in the month of June with the company of Militia to which he belonged to go to Fort Edward. Went to Fort Edward and remained there three weeks and then was discharged. General Schuyler (3) was at Fort Edward and commanded—belonged to Col. Abraham Wemps regiment. Major was Abraham Switz. Abraham Van Eps (4) was Captain Gellis Yates was Lieutenant—Robert Bet (5) was ensign of the company to which this deponent belonged—after being home a few days was ordered out again with said service in the month of July 1776 [sic] and went to Fort Edward again where this deponent remained one month before he was dismissed. Went this time into service about the first day of July & returned about the first of August & was under the same officers as before when at Fort Edward.
            In the same year 1777, in the month of September all the militia was ordered out cannot say at what time in September in the year of 1777 first went into service was at Bemis Camp or heights and there continued till Burgoyne was taken was one of the Picket Guard during the battle was in the said service this time four weeks or more—was under the same officers this time as before except that General Gates (6) commanded the American Army. In the year 1778 in the last of August was drafted to serve the month at a Fort in Schoharie. Thinks it was called the Schoharie Fort. – Returned home the last of September in the same year served one month at this time. Captain Walter Vrooman (7) commanded Fort and served in his company all the forces was militia at said Fort & does not recollect Lieutenant or ensign. In the year 1779—His whole company was ordered out and was under the same Captain Lieutenant and ensign he was under then his regiment first went to Fort Edward as before stated was ordered out to go to Caughnawaga which place this deponent with his company went and there remained one month went into service this time as he thinks in the fore part of September and returned the fore part of October—Colonel Fisher (8) commanded at this time at Caughnawaga. At this time General Gordon (9) was taken from Ballston by the Tories and Indians was out a few days and at the time of the Oriskany Battle (10) he was again ordered out with the company of Militia a few days and this deponent says that he was out in the winter of 1778 a few days and went near Caughnawaga. The whole of this deponents company was ordered at this last mentioned time, where he was out a few days as before stated. And this deponent further saith that he has been in said service a few other times and for three or four days at each time in said service—during the war of the revolution and account of which he cannot now relate with accuracy. That he rendered during the revolutionary war at the place he served in when first pressed into said service where he continued to reside until he removed to Broadalbin before said where he now resides. That he has no documentary evidence of his services and that he knows no person by whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his said services except that he can procure testimony to show that he was in said service but how long is not known to men or any one else as this deponent believes. He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
            That he was born in Oulkill in the State of New Jersey on the 24th day of November 1756—Thinks his age is recorded where he was born in the church book but he knows of no other record of his age. Never had a written discharge and this deponent says that he has served in said service more than six months altogether besides the service rendered as a teamster as aforesaid as he thinks and believes.
            That he is known to [?] Cole and Charles M. Rogers who can testify to his character for veracity and also reside in his neighborhood and to their belief of his being a soldier of the revolution. (Signed)
Jacob Bovee
            Subscribed & Sworn to in open court the day & year aforesaid. Geo. D. Ferguson.

State of New York
Montgomery County SS.
            On this seventeenth day of January 1837, personally appeared before the undernamed justice of the peace, Jacob Bovee of Broadalbin in said county a revolutionary soldier and who on being duly sworn doth on his oath make the following additional declaration for the purpose of obtaining a pension under the act of June 1832.
            That all his services in the war of the revolution as stated in the annexed declaration under the seal of the Court of Common Pleas of said county and the amendment to the same were as a private in the army of the revolution, that after he returned from Montreal as stated in said declaration, in the said year and in the month of September the precise day he cannot say he was drafted for one month to go to Stone Arabia now in the County of Montgomery & state aforesaid and remained there for one month, and was the drafted or required to go to Johnstown in said County for two more weeks and did serve at Johnstown two weeks. That these two services were without any interval as this deponent thinks, there might have been a few days but this deponent does not now recollect—that the two services were performed in the months of September and October in the year 1776 but he cannot state the day of commencement and ending and that he served at this time one month and a half. That he does not recollect serving in 1776 at the Schoharie fort as stated in the affidavit of Abraham Van Eps here unto annexed. That the above service was in Captain Abraham Van Eps Company in Col. Brook’s (11) regiment. That in the year 1777 he was drafted to serve for one month at Fort Plank now in said County of Montgomery. Yellis A. Fonda commanded the company at the fort, there was but a small body of men and this deponent does not recollect any other officers, that he was drafted to service after the taking of Burgoyne. That he served one month at Fort Plank and as near as he can recollect it was in the latter part of November & fore part of December in the year 1777.—That the services mentioned in his declaration at Fort Edward was in the year 1776. In the year 1780 in the fall of the year he thinks in September he was drafted to serve three weeks at Caughnawaga, that he well recollects laying at Butler’s house, (12) a Tory who had ran away—That Captain Abraham Van Eps commanded company Yellis Yates was Lieutenant & Robert Bet ensign, but one company at the place that he served at this time three weeks went in the month of September in said year as near as he can state, at the time General Gordon was taken by the Tories and Indians, was drafted or ordered out and served six days, not now recollect the year—at the time of the Oriskany battle was drafted and served six days as near as he can state. In the winter of 1778 in January was drafted to go near Caughnawaga and serve three or four days. At the time the Tories and Indians made an attack upon Schoharie was drafted, and served five days as near as he can state. In 1777 was drafted to go to Ballston and served there four days a report came that the Indians were coming down was was [sic] the reason why this deponent and his company were ordered out—at this time Capt. Mynderson (13) commanded company and he thinks the others short services was under the same officers when at Fort Edward (company officers) a near as he can state. That this deponent has served in the Militia of the war of the revolution as follows, four months and seventeen days in the year 1776 including his services to Montreal as a teamster. That in the year 1777 he served one month and twenty eight days. In the year 1778 served one month and four days. In the year 1779 served one month. That the three weeks service at Caughnawaga in 1780 and the other small services not enumerated make one month and twelve days, in addition the foregoing services as will appear by reference to the declaration and this amendment in all making serving of ten months for which this deponent claims a pension if his teamsters services are allowable—And this deponent further saith that he verily believes that he has served a longer period in the war of the revolution than for which he claims a pension as before said but owing to the loss of memory arising from old age he cannot state as he believes, all the services that he as actually rendered and for which he claims a pension and some of the aforesaid facts stated may not be correct but they are as he recollects them and he believes them to be correct Some of which said services were not recollected at the time he made the annexed declaration owing to a partial loss of memory and the confusion and haste which said declaration was made. That it was made during the sitting of the court away from home and in much confusion and haste and unexpectedly & without time to reflect. That all his services for which he claims a pension were rendered by the order of competent authority and in obedience to a draft made upon the militia to serve in said war. (Signed) Jacob Bovee.
            Subscribed and sworn to this 17 day of January 1837 before me, Marcellus Weston Justice of the Peace in & for said County.

Jacob was hired, not enlisted as a teamster.
The Jersey Blues usually refers to the Third New Jersey Continental Regiment commanded by Colonel Elias Dayton. By mid-May of 1776 the Third New Jersey marched from Albany to Johnstown to arrest Sir John Johnson but Sir John had escaped to Canada.
Major General Philip Schuyler of Albany, NY.
Captain Abraham Van Epp’s Company was in Colonel Abraham Wemple’s Regiment of Albany County Militia (Second Regiment). The other officers were First Lieutenant Jellis Yates, Second Lieutenant Philip Van Vorst Jun’r, and Ensign Arent I. Van Antwerpen.
I cannot find a Robert Bet serving in Colonel Wemple’s Regiment.
Major General Horatio Gates commanded the American Army at Saratoga in 1777.
Walter Vrooman was only a First Lieutenant in Colonel Wemple’s Regiment.
In 1779 there was a special draft for three months men for the Mohawk valley. Colonel Frederick Visscher of the Third Regiment of Tryon County Militia was appointed to command this detachment.
Lieutenant-Colonel James Gordon of the Twelfth Regiment of Albany County Militia was captured on October 17, 1780.
The Battle of Oriskany was fought on August 6, 1777.
There was no officer by the name of Brook’s in Colonel Wemple’s Regiment.
The home of John Butler who in September 1777 was authorized to raise a corps of Rangers. This house still stands in the Town of Mohawk, Montgomery County, NY.
Captain John Mynderson was in Colonel Wemple’s Regiment.

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