Pension Application

Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for Rufus Carter

Donated by Kerry Patrick
Service: Conn. Continental
Number: S.9208
Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832.
State of New York}
County of Onondaga}
On this 27 day of February, personally appeared before John Watson, Otis Bigelow & David Munro, the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the said County now sitting. Rufus Carter,a resident of the Town of Tully in the County of Onondaga and State of New York, aged sixty eight 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 7th, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated - that in the year 1780, he resided in the Town of Colchester in the County of Hartford, State of Connecticut, and in the month of September, about the 10th day, there was a general call for the militia to turn out and go to New London (1) before that place was burned by (2) Arnold, that he went under command of Captain Miller, Lieutenant Elijah Buell & Ensign Hill and marched directly to New London & were stationed at Groton Fort, (3) which was commanded by an officer belonging at that place, but his name is now forgotten, and remained there three months & performed Garrison duty & then returned home about the middle of December 1780. That afterwards, while an apprentice to a Blacksmith in Colchester, aforesaid, two of his Journeymen by the names of Adams and McCarty enlisted under Col. Wadsworth of Hartford, to go into the army as artificers, and his master, Elijah Buell, enlisted the deponent and another apprentice by the name of Frederic Carter, to go along with them - & that on the first Monday in March 1781, they all left home and joined the army at Crompound in the State of New York, remained there till the French joined the American Troops & some time afterwards (4) & did work for both Americans & French - that the French had an interpreter called Capt. Savat & another officer by the name of Michigeau, & he recollects seeing General Washington there & shoing his horse - from there we were marched over the north river to a place called Achor & preceded to the south through Trenton, Philadelphia to the head of Elk River and thence to Yorktown in Virginia, where we arrived in August or September & were under the superintendance of Colonel Wadsworth, who was (overseer) of the Artificers, during the siege of Yorktown & the surrender of Cornwallis & remained there till the spring of 1782, when he was marched back with the French, accompanied by a guard of the American troops as far as the North River & then preceded with the French to Providence in Rhode Island, and left the French Troops there and were conducted by Co. Wadsworth to Hartford in Connecticut where he & the said Frederic Carter were dismissed by him, without any written discharge, about the last of August having been in this term of service One year five and a half months, making in all, One year, eight & a half months service for which he claims a pension - that he well recollects seeing Generals Greene and Lafayette at Yorktown - that he was born in the town, then called Kent, Litchfield County, State of Connecticut, on the 7th day of June 1765 as appears from a copy of a record now in his possession & taken from a record kept by his parents now deceased - that after the revolutionary War was over, he removed to Oblong in the State of New York & lived there two years, & from there he removed to Galway in Saratoga County & resided there over a year & then removed to Bennington & thence to Vergennes in Vermont and in both places resided about two years, removed then back to Galway & married & thence to Tully where he has resided during the last thirty two years - that he never received a written discharge for any of the services mentioned as aforesaid - that Platt Miles, Elijah Markham, Russell Chase, Phillip Carter and Henry Topping are persons to whom he is known in his present neighborhood who can testify as to his character for veracity & their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution - that there is no regular Clergyman whose testimony he can procure to these same facts, the Reverend John D. Hart, whose church the deponent has attended for years past having recently removed out of the place to Wayne County N. Y. - that he has no documentary evidence & that he knows of no person, except John Johnson, whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service - And further that he served as aforesaid in the capacity of Blacksmith & Gunsmith & his said master furnished the tools & that his pay was sixteen dollars a month. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State. Sworn to and subscribed, the day & year aforesaid.
RUFUS CARTER

            Subscribed & Sworn this 27th day of February 1833 before me R. S. Hess, clerk of Onondaga County}
            We Philip Carter & Elijah Markham - residing in the Town of Fabius in the County of Onondaga & State of New York hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Rufus Carter who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be sixty eight years of age, that he is respected and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion. PHILIP CARTER; ELIJAH MARKHAM
            Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid. R. S. Hess, Clerk of Onondaga County}

State of New York}
County of Onondaga}
Philip Carter being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says the he is a child of Rufus Carter, late pensioner, deceased. To whom a pension was probably due, who was an applicant for a pension from the State of New York, that this deponent is directly interested as one of the claimants in said claim, his said father was a pensioner.
PHILIP CARTER

            Sworn and subscribed before me this 29 day of December 1852, and I do hereby certify that the said Philip Carter is a respectable person, and that I have full faith in the truth of the above statement sworn to by him as being directly interested in said claim THOMAS RAMSAY, Justice
            Know all Men by these Presents, that I Philip Carter a child of Rufus Carter late pensioner deceased, to whom pension was probably due, & who was an applicant for a pension from the State of New York do hereby constitute and appoint Arad Joy of Ovid, N. Y., my true and lawful attorney for me and in my name as due directly and personally interested, as also for and in behalf of all others interested in the claim or application for a pension as above mentioned.
            Witness my hand and seal this 29 day of December 1852. Sealed and delivered in the presence of THOMAS RAMSAY, PHILIP CARTER

State of New York}
County of Onondaga}
Be it known that on the 29 day of December 1852 before the subscriber, a Justice of the Peace in and for said County and State, duly authorized by law to administer oaths and take acknowledgements, personally appeared Philip Carter above named, and duly acknowledged the above Power of Attorney and affidavits to be his act and deed. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand the day and date above mentioned.
THOMAS RAMSAY, Justice

Sate of New York}
County of Jefferson}
Know all men by these presents, that I, Rowland Carter, of the Town of Clayton, County and State aforesaid, do hereby authorise constitute and appoint Leander M. Drury of Canandaigua in the State of New York my true and lawful Attorney for me and on my behalf as the son of Rufus Carter deceased to prosecute any claim I may have upon the Government of the United States to an increase of pension by reason of the services of the said Rufus Carter as an artificer in the War of Revolution, hereby revoking and annulling all and every power of attorney to any and every person by me heretofore made or executed. And the said Leander M. Drury is hereby authorised to take all necessary and legal steps in the prosecution of said claim.
Witness my hand and seal this eighth day of August AD 1851 ROWLAND CARTER

State of New York}
County of Jefferson}
On this eighth day of August AD 1851, personally appeared before the Subscriber a Justice of the Peace of said County - the above named Rowland Carter and acknowledge the foregoing power of attorney to be his free act and deed. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand the day and year last above written. ABEL COLEMAN, Justice

End Notes by James F. Morrison

1.New London was burned by General Arnold on the 6 of September 1781.

2. General Benedict Arnold deserted the American Cause at West Point, NY, on the 25 September 1780.

3. He is probably referring to Fort Griswold. Fort Griswold was also captured on the 6 September 1781.

4. General George Washington met the French troops under General Rochambeau near Dobbs Ferry, NY, on the 6 July 1781.