Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for John Ackerson or Eckerson
W.21,053 (Widow: Maria or Mary. Maiden name Maria Vanderbilt. Married John April 2, 1787. John died 25th April 1833.)
Soldier b. about 1741, d. Apl 1833.
State of New York
Rockland County SS.
On this twenty ninth day of October in the year A.D. 1832, personally appeared before me, Peter D. W. Smith, one of the Judges of the court of Common Please [sic], in and for said County John Ackerson, a resident of the town of Clarkstown, in the County of Rockland and State of New York, aged ninety one years the fifth day of June, 1832, who by reason of bodily infirmity is unable to appear in court, 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 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. That the latter part of the year 1775 or the beginning of the year 1776 he with many of the Citizens of the then Precinct of Haverstraw, in the county of Orange, now town of Clarkstown, in the county of Rockland, assembled themselves together and signed Articles of confederacy, mutually pledging their lives and property, to obtain the Independence of the United States of America. That he then was a Sergent in a company of Militia whereof Hendrick Tenure was Capt. and Walter VanOrden and Thomas Blauvelt were Lieutenants in a Regiment commanded by Col’n A. Hawkes—Hay, and early in the summer of the year 1776, the said company was ordered out on actual duty, to guard along the west shoar [shore] of Hudson river, and was stationed at different places along the said river, and served therein with very little intermission during that year, there being many who through fear, or disaffection that were not willing to take part in the contest, which made it nessary [necessary] for those that were willing to be steadily engaged and in the beginning of the year 1777 the militia was put in classes of four in a class and each class was then obliged to keep one of their class out, that it might give some rest to the willing and compel the unwilling to turn out or get a substitute, and that he continued to serve as Sergent in said company until the close of the Revolutionary war, it being my duty generally to be out with those that were on duty. That the British shipping lay in the Hudson River, and their men often landing to burn, plunder, and destroy and large companys coming from New York and marching through different parts of the county of Bergen, in the State of New Jersey, they were obliged to go from one place to another as they from time to time received orders sometimes at Haverstraw, sometimes at Nyack and through the easterly part of the state of New Jersey and during the years of 76, 77, 78, & 79 the greatest part of his time was spent in services done in the said company and on alarms, but during the years 80, 81, & 82 he had much more rest. That to state positively the time he served during the said was he is now unable but can confidently declare that it exceeds two years. That he has no documentary evidence of his services, and all the positive testimony of his before recited services he has to offer in support of the same is the depositions of some of his fellow soldiers in the revolutionary war. That during the said war and ever since he resided at his present place of residence in the town of Clarkstown aforesaid. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever 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. (Signed with his mark) John Ackerson
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid before me. Peter D. W. Smith, Judge.
Return to opening page of Morrison's Pensions