Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for Frederick Cristman

R.1941
(There is another Frederick Christman R.1942)
State of New York
Herkimer County
            On this nineteenth day of October 1832 personally appeared before me John [?] one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in & for the County of Herkimer, at the Town of Columbia in the said County, Frederick Cristman, a resident of the said Town of Columbia, County of Herkimer and State of New York aged eighty four 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 United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.
            That he first entered the service of the Untied States in the Spring of the year 1777, in the month of March, in the Company of Militia, in the company of Militia commanded by Frederick Getman as Captain, in the Regiment commanded by Col. Peter Bellinger, but that he does not recollect any considerable service in which the said company was engaged during the Spring of that year—during the summer his [?] and said company lay at Fort Herkimer on the south side of the Mohawk River in the former Town of German Flatts for some weeks, and then they were ordered to march and did march to Fort Dayton on the north side of the said river, in the present Town of Herkimer where they lay a few days, and then they marched under General Nicholas Herkimer, to the relief of Fort Stanwix, there [?] by the enemy.  That on the [?] from Fort Dayton to Fort Stanwix, this claimant was in the company commanded by Captain Frederick Frank, who commanded the said company in the battle of Oriskany in which this claimant was engaged under General Herkimer, whereof this claimant was wounded in said battle in the knee, that the incursions belonging to the enemy Indians to take the scalp of the General Herkimer but he was defended by his men, and they did not succeed in their attempt.  That after the Oriskany the General Herkimer returned home to his residence at Fall Hill, and this claimant and his company returned at the same time to his residence at a place called Fort Herkimer.  That he was out on this tour of duty including the time that he lay at Fort Dayton two weeks or more.
            That during the remainder of the year 1777 he stood sentry in the Fort at Fort Herkimer, and was in the actual service in garrison in frequent scouting parties, and on the [?] after the Oriskany Battle and before the close of the year at least for the term of three months.
            That during the campaign and season of 1778 this claimant performed garrison duty in the said company and regiment at Fort Herkimer and Fort Dayton for a considerable part of the term until the winter of 1778-9; but this claimant cannot state the precise time during which he was so engaged—that he was frequently out on scouts and that during that season he was marched to Unadilla, near to which it was said that a treaty was made between our people and Col. Brandt who commanded the forces of the Enemy consisting of British and Indians that was gone in the said tour to Unadilla about two weeks.
            That in the Spring of the year 1779, and sometime in the month of May, and which this claimant was one of the company aforesaid commanded by the said Frederick Frank, in the Regiment commanded by the said Col. Peter Bellinger, and which he this claimant was performing garrison duty and was away acting as a sentinel at Fort Herkimer aforesaid under arms, he was taken prisoner by a party of Indians in the service of the British, and was taken by them, through the woods to Montreal in the Province of Lower Canada, where he was kept a prisoner, being some part of this time in close jail, for about fifteen months.
            That from the time he was so taken prisoner by aforesaid until he returned to his residence, this whole time was sixteen months.—That he was not discharged from his said imprisonment; But that he continued to make is escape in company with Jacob House?, Timothy Newton, Nicholas Woolever and others; that this claimant and said Jacob House, Timothy Newton, and Nicholas Woolever were fellow prisoners and all made good their escape, but the others who started with them fell back, and did not return with them to their homes and he knew Col. Butler in Montreal, but does not recollect any other British officers.
            That he returned from Canada late in the year 1780 and was during the remainder of that year, and during the succeeding year 1781 engaged a considerable portion of the time in performing garrison duty at Fort Herkimer aforesaid, in scouting parties, and in standing guard at various places; but owing to the great age and infirmity of mind and body this claimant cannot recollect the particulars of the last [?] and the particular times, and the duration of each particular services; nor can he recollect with any certainty the particular services as it regards their number or duration which he las referred to and particularly stated in this declaration.  He verily believes that he has omitted many services and tours of duty which he cannot recollect sufficiently to describe them.
            That excepting the time of his [?] and prisoner as aforesaid, which he distinctly remembers, he cannot detail much of the various services which he has performed; although he says he was every year during the existence of the war, engaged for more than half of that time in actual service in the militia.

  1. That he was born in the present Town of Herkimer County of Herkimer and State of New York in the year 1748.
  2. That he has a record of his age in his house at Colombia aforesaid.
  3. That he lived when called into service at Fort Herkimer now the Town of German Flatts, County of Herkimer aforesaid, and that initially after the Revolutionary War he removed to his present residence in the Town of Columbia aforesaid, and where he has ever since resided.
  4. That he always entered the service as a volunteer.
  5. That he has never served as he recollects with any regular troops.  That he knew General Schuyler and saw him at Fort Dayton, when he also saw Col. Gansvoort—That he recollects Col. Willett and his Regiment besides the Regiment of Coll. Bellinger to which he belonged.
  6. That he never received any written discharge.
  7. He states the names of Henry Helmer and Adam Helmer as persons to whom his is known in his present neighborhood, and who can testify to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution—He has no documentary evidence and knows no person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service.

            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.
(Signed with his mark)  Frederick Christman
            Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.  John Mahon one of the Judges of Herkimer Common Pleas
We. Henry Helmer residing in Columbia and Adam Helmer residing in the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Frederick Cristman who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 84 years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
(Signed with his mark)  Adam Helmer
(Signed with his mark)   Henry Helmer
John Mahan one of the Judges of the Herkimer Common Pleas
Certificate of the Judge
            And I, the said John Mahon, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Herkimer aforesaid, do hereby declare my opinion, after the investigation of the matter and after pulling the interrogatories presented by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states.
            And I do further certify that it appears to me that Henry Helmer and Adam Helmer, who have signed the preceding certificate, are residences of the Town of Columbia,  and credible persons, and this their statement is entitled to credit.
            And I do also certify that the said Frederick Cristman cannot from bodily infirmity attend the place of holding county of record in and for the county of Herkimer October 19, 1832.
John Mahon one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Herkimer.

State of New York
Herkimer County
            I, Julius C. Nelson Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the said County, do hereby certify that John Mahon Esquire who has signed the foregoing Declaration and Certificate is a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the said County which said Court is a Court of Record; and that his signature annexed to the said declaration and certificate respectively is his genuine signature.
            In the testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, the twenty-fifth day of October 1832.
Julius C. Nelson, Clerk

Letter included in the Pension Folder
April 1, 1932
Mr. B. A. Crisman
510-512 Broad Street
Dear Sir;
            The data furnished herein are obtained from the papers on file in the Revolutionary War claim for pension, R.1941, based upon the military service of Frederick Cristman in that war.
            Frederick Cristman was born in 1748, in Herkimer, Herkimer County, New York.  Immediately after the Revolution, he moved to Columbia, Herkimer County, New York.
            While residing in Columbia, New York, he applied for pension on October 19, 1832, and stated that while residing at Fort Herkimer (later German Flats), in New York, he volunteered in March, 1777, and served in Captain Frederick Gettman’s Company, colonel Peter Bellinger’s New York Regiment, length of this service not sown; that in the summer of the same year, he marched in Captain Frederick Frank’s Company under General Herkimer to the relief of Fort Stanwix and was in the Battle of Oriskany, where, he stated, he was wounded in the knee; that during the remainder of the year 1777, he stood guard at Fort Herkimer and was out on scouting parties: in 1778, he performed garrison duty at Fort Herkimer in same company and regiment and during this service went on a tour of two weeks to Unadilla when a treaty was signed between the Americans and the Indians under the chieftain Brandt; that he had considerable service until the winter of 1778 and 1779; that in May, 1779, he served as a guard at Fort Herkimer under Captain Frederick Fran, and Colonel Peter Bellinger; and that during this service, he was taken prisoner by the Indians, carried to Montreal and held for fifteen months when he made his escape, and returned home in 1780, and that he was engaged during the remainder fo that year and for a considerable period in 1781 on garrison duty and scouting parties.
            His claim was never allowed for the reason that he died between the date of his application for pension and August, 1833, without completing his claim.
            There are no data as to his family.
            Very truly yours,
            A.D. Hiller, Assistant to Administrator.
           

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