Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for George Bacchus, or Backus, Boachus

S.39951
State of New York
Herkimer County SS.
            On this twenty seventh day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred eighteen before me the subscriber one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the aforesaid County personally appears George Backus aged fifty 57 years resident in the Town of Salisbury in the aforesaid County who being by me first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provision made by the late act of Congress entitled “An act to provide for certain persons engaged in the Land & Naval Service of the United State in the Revolutionary War”.  That the said George enlisted in the State of New York in the Company commanded by Captain Andrew Fink belonging to the Regiment commanded by Colonel Goose VanSchaick being the first New York Regiment that he was enlisted early in the campaign of 1777 (1) and continued in the service of his country until sometime in the month of June in the year 1783 when he was discharged by General Washington at Snake Hill near Newburgh in the County of Ulster and aforesaid State which discharge he has lost that he was in the battles of Monmouth in the State of New Jersey and at YorkTown (2) and that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of the assistance of his Country for his support.  (Signed) George Boachus
            Sworn to & declared before the day & year aforesaid.  John Heshimer, one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in & for Herkimer County.

State of New York
Herkimer County SS.
            On the 4th day of October 1820 personally appeared in Open Court being a Court of Record to wit the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County and constituted such Court of Records by the Statutes of the said state, George Backus aged fifty nine years resident in the Town of Salisbury in said County who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath declare that he served in the revolutionary war as follows to wit, I Enlisted under Capt. Andrew Fink in Col. Vanschaick Regiment.  Served under Capt. Fink nearly two years was then Transferred to John Wendell between two and three years—was again transferred to John Tenbrook and served nearly two years with Capt. Tenbrook.  All of which time in the same Regiment—and that the date of his original declaration was the 27th day of May 1818, and the number of his pension certificate is 5520 and he further declares that he served at least six years in the whole in Col. Vanschaick’s Regiment in the New York Line and I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gift sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with the intent thereby to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an act of Congress Entitled “an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval Service of the United States in the revolutionary war passed on the 18th day of march 1818 and that I have not nor any person in trust for me any property or securities contracts or debts due to me nor have I any Income other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed and by me Subscribed.
            To wit: Real Estate none either in possession or reversion, remainder or expectancy.
            Personal Property.
            Two horses worth $40
            One Cow. . . . . . . . .15
            2 Calves . . . . . . . . . .4
            4 hogs & pigs. . .  14
            8 Sheep  . . . . . . . . . . 8
            1 old fanning mill 1..50
            1 old sleigh. . . .3..
            Plough and Dragg 6..
            1 old comb. . . .4..
            1 axe. . . . . . . .0..75
            Furniture in the house in all worth not more than 25
            ______________________
            121..25
Debts which I owe $8.4
            And this declarant further states that he is by occupation a farmer and that he is not able to do much labour inconsequence of the Rheumatism which he is daily afflicted with that the names and number of his family residing with him are as follows.  His wife Susanna aged 48 years of a weekly constitution—one daughter by the name of Caty aged 22 years, single woman constantly attacked with fits, not able to perform any kind of Labour one other a boy by the name of Joseph aged 8 years tolerably healthy. (Signed) George Bacchus
            Subscribed & Sworn to October 4th 1820 before me George Rosecrantz a Judge of Herkimer Common Pleas.

Letter in the pension folder.
            Reference is made to your letter in which you request information relative to George and John Baechus, with similar spellings of that surname, soldiers of the war of the Revolution.
            The data given by you are not sufficient to enable this office to identify the record of the John Baechus, in whom you are interested.  Please furnish as much as possible of the following data in regard to John Baechus—approximate dates of his birth and death and places of residence at enlistment and after service.  Another research of the records will be made in your behalf, and the history furnished, if on file.
            You are furnished herein the record of the only soldier named George Boachus, the name also appears, Bacchus and Backus, enlisted in the state of New York, early in the campaign of 1777 and served in Captain Andrew Finck’s company in Colonel Goose Van Schaick’s First New York regiment, served about two years and was transferred to Captain John Wendell’s company and served between two and three years and was transferred to Captain John Ten Broeck’s company was all the time in Colonel Goose VanSchaick’s regiment.  He was in the battles of Monmouth and Yorktown, and was discharged in June, 1783.
            He was allowed pension on his application executed May 27, 1818, then aged fifty-seven years and living in Salisbury, Herkimer County, New York.
            In 1820 he was still a resident of Salisbury, and at that time referred to his wife, Susanna aged forty-eight years, he daughter, Caty aged Twenty-two years (a single woman), and to a boy, Joseph (no relationship stated) aged eight years.
            In 1833 the soldier, George Boachus, was living in Tioga County, Pennsylvania.

End Notes

    1. George enlisted as a private on 20 August 1777 for 3 years in Captain Andrew Finck’s Company in Colonel Goose VanSchaick’s First New York Continental Regiment.  He appears on January 1, 1778 on Captain John F. Wendell’s Company.  On December 20, 1779, George Enlisted for the duration of the war. On April 5, 1781 Captain Wendell resigned and First Lieutenant John TenBroeck was promoted to captain. (Revolutionary War Rolls 1775-1783,Series M-246, Roll 66, National Archives, Washington, D.C.)  A John Bacchus also enlisted on 11 May 1777 in Captain Finck’s Company and transferred to Wendell’s in January of 1778.  John was killed on July 23, 1779 near Fort Schuyler.  Maybe this contributed to George enlisting of the duration of the war.
    2. The Battle of Monmouth, New Jersey, was fought on June 28, 1778, and the Yorktown, Virginia Campaign was September—October 1781.

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