Morrison's Pensions


 Pension Application for Jacob Becker

S12135
            Albany 6773, Jacob Becker of Schoharie Co. in the State of N. York who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain Dietz of the Ret. Commanded by Col. Vroman in the N. York line for 12 months & 26 days.  Inscribed on the Roll of Albany at the rate of 42 Dollars 89 Cents per annum commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
State of New York
Schoharie County SS.
            On this second Day of October 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in the county of Schoharie now sitting, Jacob Becker a resident of the town of Schoharie and county, aged 78 years, who being first 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, as herein stated, that he the Said Jacob Becker enlisted in Schoharie for the term of nine months on the first of April 1778 in a company of rangers commanded by captain John Dietz (1) in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Peter Vrooman in the militia in the Service of the State of New York on the continental establishment, that he served his term of enlistment out faithfully, that he was honourably discharged from the Service in Schoharie, in the State of New York, that he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a Pension or annuity except the present that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the agency of any State of the United States, that he was born in Schoharie and lived in Schoharie, ever since the American Revolution.
            Sworn and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
            The court proclaimed the interrogatories to this applicant he answered on his oath, he was born July 14th, 1754, that he took the record of his age [?] William Becker Esq., that he lived in Schoharie when he was enlisted and staid in Schoharie ever since that time of the American Revolution that he was discharged by his captain John Dietz.  Sworn and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court.  (Signed) Jacob Becker.  John Gebhard Jun. Clk.
State of New York
Schoharie County SS.
            On this tenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven, personally appeared in open court, being before the Judges of the Court of Common pleas of said County now sitting, Jacob Becker, in the eighty third year of his age, 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.  Having been placed on the pension list, under the act aforesaid, for nine months service, in the year 1778, in a company commanded by Lieutenant Dietz in Col. Vroman’s regiment, and having been struck from the pension roll, or payment of his pension having been suspended, as it said, because his claim was allowed without sufficient evidence, he therefore, herewith furnishes additional evidence of his nine months services which he thinks ought to be satisfactory.  And he also makes application to be allowed for his other revolutionary services (rendered before and after his nine months services) herein after set forth, which services he offered to bring in at the time of making his declaration, but was advised that nothing short of a months at a time service could be brought in, so that they were all left out of his declaration except his nine months services.  And he now saith that he firstly entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.
            That in January 1776, he was ordered into the service at Schoharie now in the county of Schoharie and State of New York in Capt. George Mann’s (2) Company, and he thinks in Col. Steenbergh’s regiment, which regiment he believes was generally under the command of Maj. Peter Vroman.  That he joined the Company at Schoharie and went to Johnstown now in the County of Montgomery in said State to assist in taking of Sir John Johnson and his men, that after Johnson and his forces surrendered, they were discharged there, and returned home.  That he was in the service that time as much as two weeks.
            That in the Spring of that year he was pressed to go with his horses and waggon, to Fort Edward, to draw plank, to Lake George for ship building; was gone three weeks, remembers he got home the day before White Sunday.
            [It was called historically called White Sunday because it was a traditional time for baptizing and the people usually wore white.  It is also known as the Octave of Easter or Low Sunday, St. Thomas Sunday, and Quasimodo Sunday.  It is the Sunday after EASTER Sunday.]
            That sometime in June 1776, he was ordered into the service in Capt. Mann’s company in the regiment aforesaid, and marched with the company from Schoharie to Stone Arabia, now in the county of Montgomery and State aforesaid, was in the service that time as many as ten days and was discharged there, and returned home to Schoharie.
            That in June 1777, he was ordered into the service at Schoharie in Capt. Mann’s Company, in the regiment aforesaid, that about half the regiment went.  They marched to Fort Edward, thinks Lieutenant Snyder (3) had command of the company, thinks however that Snyder was not higher than Second Lieutenant or Ensign at that time.  General Schuyler had command at Fort Edwards, was in the service that time about three weeks and was taken sick and discharged.
            That in the time of wheat harvest in 1777, he was called out on an alarm, when McDonald made an attack upon the Town of Schoharie, with the Indians and Tories under his command, cannot recollect who commanded them, after Col. Harper (4) came with the light horse, they were commanded by a capt. (5) Who was a stranger to him; was in the service that time as much, he should think, as two weeks, and was discharged at Schoharie.
            That he and others were sent out Scouting three times to Schoharie Kill, about thirty miles, he thinks he was in the service there during the three tours as much as [blotted] was several days each time and his return to Schoharie [blotted] who commanded each time.
            1777.  That he was sent once from Schoharie, with a scouting party to Charlotte, between 30 and 40 miles, that during the two trips, they were gone he thinks, as many as four days, was discharged, on his return each time at Schoharie, does not recollect who commanded them.
            That he was sent out with some others after a Tory by the name of May, thinks they were commanded by Lieut. Or Ensign Snyder, was in the service 3 days and discharged at Schoharie and then returned.
            Was again ordered into the service, thinks in September of that year, to Scout in and about a place called Besick, now called RensselaerVille, Albany County, was gone as much as three days, and was discharged on his return home to Schoharie.
            That about the time Burgoyne was taken, he was pressed to go to Stillwater, with his waggon and horses to carry provisions up to the Army and to bring down baggage to Albany for Gen. Gates’ army: was gone as much as 8 days.
            That in the spring of the year 1778, he enlisted for nine months, at Schoharie aforesaid, in Lieutenant Dietz’s company in Col. Vroman’s regiment, that they kept their headquarters at the Upper Fort now town of Fulton, that he served his time of nine months out and was discharged in the month of January 1779, at the fort aforesaid.
            1779.  That early in the spring of the year 1779, he was called in to the service at Schoharie aforesaid in Capt. Stubrachs Company, and was in the service that time in and about Schoharie under command of Lieut. Snyder as much as fourteen days.
            That in the summer of 1779 he was called into the service to go out with a scouting party to Fish Lake, at a place called Schenevus Creek, about forty miles from Schoharie, they had no officer to command them.  They were gone as much as four days and were discharged at Schoharie and then return.
            That he was also in the service seven days under Ensign Enders and once three days scouting in and about Schoharie, where they were discharged.
            That he was once with a scouting party about 20 miles up the Schoharie Creek, under command, he thinks of Lieutenant Snyder, he was in the service that time as much as four days and discharged at Schoharie on their return, was also in the service two days the time the Vroman’s were murdered by the Indians.
            1780.  In the Spring of the year 1780 he was ordered into the service to go to Cobleskill to keep garrison, that he went and was in the service that time two weeks, under command of Lieut. Snyder belonging to Vroman’s Regiment.
            That he and others were sent out Scouting to Schenevus Creek about 40 miles from Schoharie was in the service at that time as much as 4 days that on their return to Schoharie he was discharged.
            That he was entered into the service in October 1780, the time Schoharie was burnt in Capt. Stubrach’s Company in Col. Vromans regiment, that he was in the service a number of days before the town was burnt, that after it was burnt, they followed the enemy as far as Fort Herkimer or beyond, and was in the service that time as many as 20 Days, and was discharged at Schoharie on his return.
            That in the winter of 1781, he was in the service two weeks keeping garrison at the middle fort is now in Middleburgh and was discharged at the fort after his time was out.
            That he may be mistaken as to the time in which some of his Services were performed, but he knows that he rendered the services set forth, and has no doubt that he has done considerable more which he cannot distinctly remember.

  1. And to the interrogatories he answered that he was born in the town of Schoharie, now County of Schoharie and State aforesaid, as he has been informed, in the year 1754.
  2. He thinks his age is recorded in the High Dutch Reformed Church records at Schoharie.
  3. That he was living in Schoharie when called into the service.  That he always understood that he was born there and has always resided there since he has had any recollection and now resides there.
  4. That he was sometimes ordered into the Service and Sometimes volunteered as before stated.
  5. He does not know that there were any regular officers in particular, where he served, but he was acquainted with the following officers of whom some were regular officers, and were sometimes in the service at Schoharie Forts, Col. Dubois, Col. VanSchaick, Col. Harper, Col. Vroman, Lieut. Col. Zielie, Maj Woolsey, Capt. Dubois, Capt. Lansing, Capt. Gray, Capt. Hager, Capt. Rutetmyer, (7) Capt. Stubrach, Capt. Patrick, who was killed at the battle in Cobleskill, Capt. George Mann, who in ’77 turned Tory.
  6. He never received a written discharge.
  7. He is known to the following persons in his neighbourhood who he thinks can testify that they believe him to be a man of veracity, and to have been a soldier of the revolution.  John Becker, Henry Becker, John Schoolcraft & John J. Enders.

            He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except his nine months pension before mentioned, the payment of which as been suspended, and except his claim to have his pension enlarged to what he reasonably deserves to have, and declares his name is not on the Pension Roll of the agency of any State except the one hereinbefore mentioned.  (Signed Jacob Becker)
            Sworn to and subscribed in open court this tenth day of February 1837.  A. A. Keyser Clerk.

Letter of inquiry in the pension folder dated February 3, 1931.
            You are advised that it appears from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, S.12135, that Jacob Becker was born July 14, 1754, in Schoharie, New York.
            While residing in said Schoharie, he served as private with the New York troops, as follows:
            From in January 1776, two months in Captain George Mann’s Company under Major Peter Vrooman; in the spring of 1776, three months hauling plank from Fort Edward to Lake George; later in 1776, nearly a month under Captains George Mann and Harper in 1777, two months and one week in scouting tours under Captain Mann and Lieutenant Snyder; from April 1, 1778, nine months under Lieutenant John Dietz in Colonel Peter Vrooman’s regiment.   He continued to serve at various times until the winter of 1781 under Captain Stubrach and Lieutenant Snyder.
            He was allowed pension on his application executed October 2, 1832, at which time he was living in Schoharie, New York.
            There are no data as to his family.


End Notes—Jacob Becker—S.12135

  1. Lieutenant Johannes Dietz (Teats, Teetz, Deats, etc.) had raised a Company of Rangers of men mostly from Colonel Peter Vrooman’s Regiment of Albany County Militia, Fifteenth Regiment.  Lieutenant Dietz also served in Colonel Vrooman’s Regiment at other times.
  2. Captain George Mann’s Company (First Company) was in Colonel Peter Vrooman’s Regiment.
  3. Ensign Jacob Snyder of Captain Mann’s Company.  Captain Mann was a Loyalist and later was replaced as captain.  On February 20, 1778, Christian Stubrach was commissioned the captain along with the other following officers:  Jacob Snyder, First Lieutenant; Johannes Dietz, Second Lieutenant; and John W. Enders as the Ensign.
  4. Colonel John Harper of the Fifth Regiment of Tryon County.
  5. Captain Jean Louis deVernjoux of the Second Continental Light Dragoons.  Dragoon is the name for a soldier trained to fight on foot but transported himself by horse, they were mounted infantry.  Some regiments were designated as Light Dragoons, who rode faster and lighter horses and carried lighter sabers.  They were trained in reconnaissance, skirmishing, and other work requiring speed.
  6. The Schoharie area was destroyed on October 17, 1780 by Sir John Johnson.
  7. Colonel Lewis DuBois of the Fifth New York Continental Regiment, Colonel Goose VanSchaick of the First New York Continental Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Peter W. Zielie of Colonel Vroomans’ Regiment, Major Melancton Woolsey of Colonel Morris Graham’s Regiment of New York State Levies for 1780, Captain Benjamin Debois of Colonel Marinus Willett’s Regiment of New York State Levies for 1781, Captain John Jacob Lansing’s Company in Colonel Graham’s Regiment of 1780, Captain William Gray of the Fourth Pennsylvania Continental Regiment, Captain Jacob Hager (Second Company) in Colonel Vrooman’s Regiment, Captain George Richtmyer (Third Company) in Colonel Vrooman’s Regiment and Captain William Patrick of the Sixth Massachusetts Continental Regiment who was killed on May 30, 1778.

 Return to opening page of Morrison's Pensions

Copyright © 1998, -- 2007. James F. Morrison and Berry Enterprises. All rights reserved. All items on the site are copyrighted. While we welcome you to use the information provided on this web site by copying it, or downloading it; this information is copyrighted and not to be reproduced for distribution, sale, or profit.