Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for John Frank
S.23644
Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June
7, 1832.
(Note, the quality of this pension is not good and combined with handwriting
that is almost illegible, I can’t be certain of many facts. Ajberry,
transcriber)
County of Herkimer.
On this
twenty seventh day of August one thousand eight hundred and thirty three, personally
appeared before me, Abjah Osborn, one of the Judges of the Court of Common
Pleas of the County of Herkimer, [?] in the Supreme Court of Judication of
said State, John Frank a resident of the Town of German Flatts in the County
of Herkimer and State of New York, aged seventy seven years on the twenty third
day of March last past, 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 in the
months of June 1775, this deponent was appointed a sommitteeman for the town
of Herkimer, Kingston, now German Flatts, then part of Tryon County now in the
County of Herkimer in the State of New York by virtue of a resolution of Congress
that in the fall of that year officers were appointed by the Committee for the
Regiment of Militia. Peter Bellinger was appointed Colonel, Frederick Bellinger
Lieut. Col., Augustus Clapsattle Major, George Demouth Adjutant, Rudolph
Steel, Quarter Master, that deponent was appointed Orderly Sergeant in Capt.
Michael Ittiig’s Company in said [?] that Jacob Basehorn was First
Lieutenant, Frederick Frank Deponents Brother Second Lieutenant and Patrick
Campbell Ensign of said Company that all are now dead but Rudolph Steel.
That there
was a report that the Indians were at Stone Arabia that same fall and deponent
with the whole of Capt Edick’s Company was ordered down to repel and [?]
back the enemy, that the company was [?] to Palatine within a few miles of Stone
Arabia when they heard that it was a false alarm & that there had been no
Indians there—that this deponent was about four days at this time besides
the day they assembled together before setting off—that in the month of
January 1776, the whole regiment was ordered [?] at Caughnawaga when a treaty
was held with Sir John Johnson that the regiment was paraded on the ice and they
were gone seven days at that time—that this deponent can not recollect
the several times and places during the residue of that year when he was
called out with his company or was sent with the detachments to examine the
county and ascertain whether there was Indians in the neighborhood or not,
that he recollects being stationed at Fort Herkimer and keeping guard during
that year, and some time on skirmishes but can not at this length of time
state with any certainty the exact number of times that he was on duty in
the fort or the length of time that he remained in said fort or was about
on said skirmishes.
That in the
year 1777, the tories and Indians collected pretty strong & in the month
of July they marched Fort Stanwix which is about thirty one or two miles west
of Herkimer, that the Militia of the whole Brigade was called out and assembled
at Fort Herkimer & Fort Dayton and waited at those places two days expecting
that Gen’l Arnold would come from below with additional forces, that early
in August the Army moved on towards Rome, that the first night they spent about
eight miles from Fort Dayton above [?] then in the town of [?], that the second
day they proceeded as far as Oriskany when the Indians and tories fell upon them,
and they were after a great many men were killed, obliged to fall back and retreat
in great disorder to Forts Dayton and Herkimer, that the Brigade was kept together
on what remained of it after the Battle of Oriskany for two or three weeks until
Arnold arrived, that the Battle was he things about the sixth or seventh of August
and that Fort Stanwix was relieved on the 26th of the same month, that the militia
was out before the battle seven days, and was dismissed a short time after Fort
Stanwix was relieved—that he thinks he was out not less than twenty six
days—that during this year deponent done duty in the Forts at different
times and was on scouting parties but can not recollect the particulars of each
tour or time of service—that he still retained the place of Orderly
Sergeant in said company under the said Capt. although said Captain was down
[?] after the battle of Oriskany, that Lieut. Basehorn also resigned that
year and dept. brother had command of the company after that year.
That in the
year 1778 the deponent still being such Orderly Sergeant in said company was
engaged in that year in different scouting excursions and doing duty in the Forts,
that in the month of July the enemy burned off Andrustown a settlement about
seven or eight miles from the fort on this Mohawk River, that the company was
called out & went in pursuit of the Enemy and deponent was gone this time
about three or four days. That in the month of September there was this
deponent can recollect that the inhabitants on our about the German Flatts were
burned off and deponents house was also burned and the cattle drove off, that
Col. Bellinger, sent this deponent out fourteen days under the command of Capt.
Aaron Harter after the enemy and over to then Unadilla River in hopes of getting
back some of the cattle that had been carried off by the enemy, that they found
some of the cattle, and were absent about seven days.—That this deponent
lost his horses, cattle, house, barn out houses and carriages & farming utensils
when the enemy burned off the country, that after that deponent done duty in
the fort a great part of the time—that he built a little chanty near
the fort where his family resided after the house was destroyed.
That in the
year 1779 this deponent was employed most of the time in the time in the Fort
as Orderly Sergeant of the Company, that during this year this deponent recollects
volunteering to retake Fort Davis from the enemy, that it was just across the
river from Fort Herkimer and during the winter of that year was captured by the
enemy—that he was also ordered in that year to carry down a piece of Artillery
[?] carry the same from [crossed out] to Fort Herkimer & Fort Plain and was
absent as near as he can recollect five days, that Col. Bellinger took this deponent
with him to the City of Albany to see Col. Van Schaick who commanded at that
place for the purpose of raising men to guard the frontier that they [?] twenty
or thirty men and brought them up—that he was about seven or eight
days on this business and this deponent was also engaged in scouting parties
that year but can not recollect the names sufficiently to state them.
That in the
year 1780 this deponent still done duty in the Forts and still held the appointment
of Orderly Sergeant in said company and done duty as such during the whole of
the war, that he recollects of being out at one service five days in guarding
the boats from below up to Fort Stanwix loaded with provisions and other commissaries—that
while he was so employed the enemy burned the neighborhood at Fort Plains then
almost the whole of this year he was employed and done duty regularly in the
Fort generally at Fort Herkimer which was near the farm which they then resided
on—that Schoharie was also burned by Sir John Johnson & Van Rensselaer
pursued them up the river to German Flatts and from there they were pressed
through the woods, the militia was there called out that deponent was also
engaged in the pursuit and followed them towards the Unadilla that he was
about at that tour about six days as near as he can recollect.
That in the
year following deponent was engaged in the pursuit of Butler & Ross to the
West Canada Creek when Butler was killed, that the reason was while at Johnstown
and pursuit by Col. Willett and the Militia were ordered out when he came up,
and joined in the present, it was a cold snow storm & the en went out in
the woods and suffered extremely, that he was about at this time seven days—that
during the residue of the war as for the last two or three years deponent was
most of the time in the services in the Forts on duty and defending themselves
from the enemy—that during the whole war he was engaged in and about the
fort Herkimer and Dayton and in various scouts and engagements that at this length
of time he can not distinctly recollect or state with sufficient accuracy & satisfy
his own mind—that in August after the declaration of peace a strong party
of tories & Indians again burned off this place & what remained of
it plundered the inhabitants of ?]
And this deponent
further says that he was [?] of the committee there in the commencement of the
war as above stated, that he was then about nineteen years of age, that his father
died two years before the commencement of the war and this deponent came in possession
of his farm and on which he has from that time to the present resided—that
he recollect of standing three different drafts, and that he spent two days at
each time, that he was once at the Little Falls when the mills there were burned
by the enemy—that he was once called out at Germantown and after the enemy
had burned off Schoharie, that he was out when the Indians burned in the Unadilla & was
also at Warren as a Scout, & at Andrustown, but this deponent can not state
with any certainty the exact time that he was engaged in each of the excursions,
that from the great length of time & the consequence loss of memory he
can not specify more particularly than he has, that he thinks he was not
totally engaged during the whole time less one year and six months and that
during that time he was a sergeant in the company, that he did not engage
for any particular time, except that he entered to serve when required as
long as the war should continue, and that he did so faithfully for at least
the term above specified and for such service he claims pension.
And this deponent
further says that he was born in the present town of German Flatts in the County
of Herkimer, on the third day of March 1756, and he has a record of his age in
a large family Bible kept by his Father & still has said record & that
when he entered into the service he resided in the town of German Flatts aforesaid
and has continued to reside there ever since. That he was a Volunteer and
done duty in the Militias—that he was acquainted with Col. Marinus Willett. Col.
Van Schaick, Col. Gansvoort, Col. Dayton and Maj. Bloomfield. That deponent
saw Genl Arnold and Genl Washington but was not acquainted with either of them—That
he never received a discharge from the service and has the affidavit of Rudolph
Steel to prove his service during part of the above mentioned service and this
deponent expects to prove his reputation for truth and veracity & the
belief of his services of the above, John Malone, Jacob L. Woler, esq, and
other his neighbors.
He hereby
relinquishes every claim whatever to pension or annuity except the present and
declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state—And
that he has not any clergyman that he can call for a certificate.
(Signed) John Frank
Sworn and
Subscribed August 27, 1833 before me. A. Osborn In Herk.Co. Courts
Letter in the pension folder.
Mildred R. Staunton
30 Cray Avenue
Mount Vernon, New York
Dear Madam:
Reference
is made to your letters in which you request the Revolutionary War record of
Abraham Wolever, pension claim No. R. 17772, and the Revolutionary War service
and family record of Lieutenant Jacob Basehorn, Pesausie or Passage, whose
pension claim number you have learned is S. 23644.
There is
not claim for pension on file based upon the service in the Revolutionary War
of the above named officer under any spelling of his surname. The pension
claim number S. 23644 is that of John Frank, who served under that lieutenant.
The papers
in pension claim, S. 23644, based upon the service of John Frank have been
examined and the information four therein pertaining to his lieutenant is as
follows: Jacob Basehorn or Basshone was appointed in the fall of 1775,
1st lieutenant in Captain Michael Ittig’s company in Colonel Peter Bellinger’s
New York Regiment, sometime in January, 1776 the regiment was ordered out by
General Schuyler to “Caughnawaga”, where a treaty was held with
Sir John Johnson, length of service seven or eight day; later in 1776 the company
was ordered to stone Arabia to repel the Indians, out about four days, and
in 1778 the company was out in pursuit of Indians, was stationed in Fort Herkimer,
did much guard duty, and in frequent skirmishes; sometime in July 1777 when
St. Leger laid siege to Fort Stanwix, the whole brigade was ordered out, was
in the battle of Oriskany, where Lieutenant Jacob Basehorn (Basshone) commanded
the company, length of this service twenty-six days, lieutenant Jacob Abaehorn
resigned his commission shortly after the battle.
It was stated
on August 27, 1833, that all the officers in this regiment were dead, with
the exception of Rudolph Steele, quartermaster.
The papers
on file in this claim contain no reference to the family fo Lieutenant Jacob
Basehorn.
The record
of Abraham Wolleber is furnished herewith, also.
Very truly yours,
A.D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator.
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