Pension Application

W.1349 (Widow: Amy)
B.L.Wt.24991-160-55
Columbia County, private in the company commanded by Captain Benjamin of the Regiment commanded by Col. Elmore, NY Line for 11 ½ months.
Amendment to the declaration of James Akin of Columbia County, State of New York.
State of New York
Columbia County SS.
            Personally appeared before me, the undersigned a Justice of the Peace in and for the said County of Columbia James Akin who being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively, as to the precise length of his service but, according to the best of his recollection, he served not less than the periods mentioned below and in the following grades. For one year I served as a private, all of which time I was in the camp or in the field or sick at home on a furlough the sickness was occasioned by camp life and regimen, and I was wholly unable to attend to civil employments, and did not attend to any- - - - -
            For three months and fifteen days he served as a private and for one month served as a private making in the whole service 1 year 4 months & 15 days and for such service I claim a pension. (Signed) James Akin
            Sworn and subscribed this 2 July 1833 before me Hiram D. Fort, Justice.

State of New York
County of Columbia SS.
            On this 13 day of October 1832 personally appeared before the honorable Medad Butler one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the said County of Columbia, James Akin a resident of the town of Canaan County of Columbia and State of New York, aged seventy seven years, 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 Unites States under the following named officers, and served as hereinafter stated.
            In the month of May 1776 this deponent enlisted of one year, Benjamin Lord Recruiting officers, this deponent enlisted at the house of [?] Doty during the company drill to which this deponent then belonged, was organized at Albany under Lieut Dickinson, 2 Lieut. Brown, was attached to Col. Samuel Elmore’s Regiment and stationed at the West Barracks so called at Albany, performed the duty of a private on guard &c until sickness incident to a camp rendered this deponent unfit for duty. In this deponent was suffered to return home some time in September on a Furlough again returned to the camp, but not recovering health, he this deponent was suffered to return home, which was distant from Albany about 26 miles, til such time as he should be able to join the army, this last returning home was as this deponent thinks and believes the last of Nov.; and this deponent not recovering his heath his complaint now being an Intermittent fever he this deponent did not join the army again that year, in the meantime this deponent having opportunity of hearing from his officers and of their hearing from him and inquiring as to his health, by two of his neighbors which belonged to the same company viz, Isaac Ford and Ashel Ames who were home on furlough in forepart of the winter following.
            In the months of July 1777 this deponent was called into the service as aforesaid under Capt. Ebenezer Benjamin, Lieut Johnathan Ford, 2 Lieut John Muncey orderly sergeant Abel Ford was organized at a place called New Concord about 2 ½ miles from the ten residence of this deponent, as attached to Col. William Whitings Regiment, Lieut Col. Asa Waterman, both the company and field officers above named were residents of the same town of this deponent, went to Albany from thence to Fort Edward, here for the first time this deponent saw General Schuyler, who commanded at that place. Then this Deponent went to Fort George, General Glover’s Brigade being ordered to go and destroy property & a vessel of ear belonging to the Americans for fear of falling into the hands of the enemy, saw the vessel burn, also saw the fort blown up; this deponent believes it to have been General Glovers’ Brigade from two of his neighbors viz. Ebenezer and Stephen Moose belonging to it where he also saw them; from thence returned to Fort Edward. This deponent during this march served as waiter to Lieut Jonathan Ford, after leaving Fort Edward some time Capt. Ebenezer Benjamin and Lieut. Jonathan Ford were permitted to come home together with about half of the company to which this deponent belonged, to attend to some farming business; this deponent remained and then served as waiter to 2d Lieut John Muncey and he this deponent with one Hial Wilcox most of the time cooked for the whole of their company, on the retreat between Mosisinik and Snook’s Kill so called this deponent’s Lieut John Muncy was mortally wounded an assault by a musket shot from the enemy; he survived till the army arrived with him to Saratoga, as this deponent will recollects, exhorting his soldiers and brethren in arms not to let the cause of Liberty and Freedom die with him, this deponent took the charge of his Lieutenants clothing after his decease washed and sent them to his family then residing in Kings District Albany County. This deponent after the return of Lieut Jonathan Ford which was no long, served as waiter again to him and continued so to do and most of the time with Hial Wilcox aforesaid to cook for the whole company to which this deponent belonged; during the last fight this deponent by choice voluntarily was in, and continued till the Capitulation of the British army to the American when this deponent was dismissed and returned home this tour of service as this deponent verily believes as 3 ½ months.
            In the latter part of the month of May 1778 this deponent was called into the service as aforesaid, this deponent recollects that it was in the spring of the year for when he arrived at Cherry Valley the corn was some 4 or 5 inches high when a most remarkable frost came which injured the corn materially; this deponent was attached to the company, commanded by Capt. Salsbury Lieut Mudge was organized at Albany, then marched to Cherry Valley was there under the command of Col. Alden, and Lieut. Col Stacy, was on scouts and on guard as a soldier until relieved by other militia companies commanded by Col. John McKinstry of Hillsdale in the said County of Albany, this deponent left Cherry Valley with the rest of the company but a very short time before the death of Col. Alden who was slain by the Indian Brant. This term of service was one month as this deponent verily believes.
            Answers to Interrogatories

This deponent was born in the town of Norwalk County of Fairfield and now State of Connecticut June 4, 1755.
This deponent has no other record of his age than that transmitted to him from his ancestors in a family Bible.
This deponent when called into service resided in Kings District County of Albany and Colony of New York (now town of Canaan and County of Columbia) where he now resides.
This deponent voluntarily enlisted for one year in 1776 in 1777 was called upon by draft and in the year 1778 was also called upon by draft as the militia generally were as this deponent believes, and he this deponent went because he could better go than some others, and generally as this deponent believes was manually agreed amongst themselves.
This deponent recollects seeing other in his first service that he can name then Col. Samuel Elmore, there were other regiments at Albany at the time this deponent was there but does not recollect their officers names, being at the tower Barracks in the second campaign he recollects seeing General Schuyler at Fort Edward and General Glover and on the retreat saw General Arnold and at Saratoga saw General Gates. In the third and last service he saw Col. Alden and Lieut Gen. Stacy.
This deponent did not receive a written discharge in the first campaign, he was to hold himself in readiness whenever his health would admit of join the army and did not produce his certificate from his physician to obtain a discharge. In the 2 and 3 campaigns he was dismissed and told to return home as this deponent verily believes
This deponent is known to David Fort & William Lee who can testify to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present, and he declares that his name is not on any pension roll of any agency of any state. (Signed) James Akin
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid before me. Medad Butler

State of New York
Columbia County SS.
On this 27 day of March 1843 before Abraham P. Holdridge Esquire first Judge of the court of Com. Pleas in and for said County personally appeared Amy Akin a resident of the town of Canaan, County and State aforesaid aged 66 years who first being duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed March 3, 1843, that she is the widow of James Akin late of the town of Canaan, deceased, who was whilst living a pensioner under the act of June 1832: that she was married to the aforesaid James Akin then a widower on the 26th day of December 1799 the marriage ceremony was performed by the Rev. David Porter then a minister of the congregational Church in the village of Spencertown that she was married at her father’s house, John Webster’s in Canaan about three miles distant from the village of Spencertown; and that Mr. Porter long since removed from said Village aforesaid and she on using all due diligence in procuring a record to prove her marriage can find none other than that made by the aforesaid James Akin her husband in a diary or book of records in which for many years he used to record and note down the marriages, births and deaths both of his own family and those of his neighbors and such record in point of time has always been considered correct, the record referred to in relation to her marriage is hereto appended, and further her husband the aforesaid James Akin died on the 12th day of Oct. 1841 and that his annuity or pension was $38.33 and further that she is still a widow. (Signed) Amy Akin
Sworn and subscribed the day and year first above written before me. A. P. Hardridge, First Judge of Columbia Co.

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