Pension Application

W.23440 (Widow: Margaret)
State of New York
City and County of New York SS.
            On this twenty third day of September in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven personally appeared before the Court of Common Pleas for the City and County of New York, Margaret Amerman, a resident of the said City and County, aged seventy five years on the 24th day of August 1837 (last past) she being first duly affirmed according to Law (being a member of the Society of Friends or Quakers) doth on her solemn affirmation, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress, passed July 4th 1836—
            That her maiden name was Margaret Ranous, and that she was lawfully married to Derick Amerman, a private soldier of the Revolutionary Army of the United States on the 4th day of January in the year 1781, at the Township of Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County and State aforesaid, --that the marriage was solemnized before Zaccheus Newcomb, a Magistrate, at that time in the commission of the Peace for the said County of Dutchess;- that the said magistrate, and he several sons, are all dead, and she is therefore unable to procure any written transcript from his register (if he kept any) of such marriage—And this affirmant further says, that soon after the said marriage, that is to say, in the spring immediately following, her husband the said Derick Amerman enlisted in the Revolutionary Army of the United States at a place called “Nine Partners”, in said County of Dutchess (one David Flynn enlisting at the same time) and was absent from this affirmant, and as she believes doing duty as a private soldier, for about ten months; that she has always understood, and believes the campaign made during the ten months; and in which he said husband took part as a soldier, was made in the Northern, or western part of the State of New York;--That she has often heard him detail his extreme suffering during this period of his military service, and also speck of a skirmish had with the Indians.
            The last incident she heard of during her husband’s absence, and supposed for a time that he was killed—That this affirmant is unable to state particularly the Regiment in which her husband served during this period, or to specify with certainly the name of any officer by when he was commanded, though she fully believes that he was employed in the Mohawk Country, and is informed that the late Col. Marinus Willett commanded in that quarter during the year 1781—That this affirmant is quite sure her said husband was not drafted, nor a volunteer, nor a militia man, but that he enlisted and a portion of his bounty was paid to him in wheat, seven bushels of which was left with this affirmant, as a part of her support during his absence—This affirmant further says, that her said husband returned from the army in the early part of the year 1782, and did not again enter the service—that he and this affirmant removed to Queens County, Long Island, after the war, when they were settled a few years, and subsequently returned to Dutchess County, in the state aforesaid, when they continued to reside till the period of the death of her said husband, which took place on the 17th day of February 1813—That this affirmant has never since married, but remained a widow, and consequently was a widow on the 4th day of July 1836—That for the last 20n years she has resided mostly in the City of New York,--and this affirmant further says, that she has no documentary evidence in support of his claim, and in corroboration of the preceding statement must refer to the annexed depositions, begin all the proofs she has been able to collect after much trouble and research on the part of her friends—and this affirmant further saith that her said husband was illiterate, and could not write his name, that he was frequently called Amberman, and Ambleman, so that if his name should be found on the Rolls of the Army of the Revolution, it may be spelled erroneously in the manner above suggested.
            And this affirmant further says, that she has only recently been informed that her case fell within the provisions of the act of congress granting pensions to the widows of deceased Revolutionary Soldiers, and that upon receiving such information, she has with as little delay as practicable, get together the proofs hereto annexed, for the purpose of making this claim. (Signed with her mark) Margaret Amerman.
            Subscribed and affirmed to in Open Court this 23d day of September 1837. [?] Judge of C. Pleas for the City of & Country of New York

Letter replying to a request for information, dated May 10, 1940.
            The data which follow were taken from papers on file in the pension claim, W.23440, based on the military service of Derick Ammerman. The surname is also spelled Amerman, Amberman, and Ambleman.
            Derick Ammerman was born at Jamaica, Queens County, New York, date not stated, and he was the son of Cornelius. The name of his mother is not shown.
            Derick Ammerman was enrolled in 1774 as a minuteman in queens County, New York. He enlisted in 1776 and served at various times until early in 1782, amounting in all, to more than two years, as private with the New York troops under Captains Wright and Pell and Colonels Lasher, VanCourtland and Marinus Willett.
            He lived in Queens County, New York for a few years after the close of the Revolution when he moved to Dutchess County, New York, and lived there until his death, February 27, 1813.
            This soldier married January 4, 1781, at the house of Isaac Baldwin five miles east of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York, Margaret Ranous who was born August 24, 1762, and was the daughter of James Ranous, a Frenchman. The name of Margaret’s mother is not shown.
            As the widow of Derick Ammerman, Margaret Ammerman was allowed pension on her application executed September 23, 1837, at which time she was a resident of New York City and in that year she stated that she had lived in that city most of the time for the last twenty years.
            Derick and Margaret Ammerman had seven children but their names were not given.
            John Ranous, brother of the widow, was living in Pleasant Valley, Dutchess County, New York in 1837, “aged seventy-two years and upwards.” There is no claim for pension on file on account of Revolutionary War service of John Ranous and there are no further data on file relative to the parents or brothers or sisters of Margaret Ammerman.
            One Richard Amerman acts as witness for the widow in 1847, the relation not shown.
            In the papers of this pension claim it was stated that Cornelius Ammerman, the father of Derick, served in the Revolution. No claim for pension was ever made to the United States on account of Cornelius Ammerman’s service in the Revolution.

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