Pension Application

S.10808
Declaration in Order to Obtain the Benefit of The Act of Congress, Passed June 7, 1832.
State of New York
County of Herkimer SS.
            On this twelfth day of October 1832, personally appeared in open court, before the Judges of the court of Common Pleas, now sitting, William Haner a resident of Columbia in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, aged 71 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 volunteered in the spring of 1776 but what month he cannot state in the Company of Captain John Riley (1) in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Stephen Schuyler (2) for the term of two months duty to Saratoga and Fort Edward and to Lake George. That he was marched from Greenbush in the County of Albany and State of New York his place of resident to Saratoga and Fort Edward aforesaid where he remained in service until the expiration of his said term of two months when he was dismissed, but received no written discharge:--
            (4) That he volunteered in the month of June 1777 in the Company of Captain George Sharp (3) in which one Shaw was Lieutenant, in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Henry K. Van Rensselaer (5), for nine months, that he was during this tour of duty in the Battle Bemus Heights (6) and also in another battle between Fort Ann and Skeensborough (7) in which Colonel VanRensselaer was wounded in the groin; and that after the Battle of Bemus Heights and the Surrender of Burgoyne, and after five months service of the nine months enlistment last above mentioned, he was dismissed verbally. That he again volunteered about the last of May or first of June 1778 in the Company of Captain Jacob DeForest (8) in the aforesaid Regiment commanded by Colonel Henry K. Van Rensselaer whose Major was John Fonda (9) for the term of one year being then a resident of Greenbush aforesaid, that during said year he was marched to Fort Edward two or three times to Saratoga County and once to Schoharie County in said State, and also through other sections of said State; that he served under the said last mentioned enlistment one year except about a month and was then dismissed but received no written discharge.
            That he again was drafted in or about the month of August 1779 and during the harvest in the company of Cornelius Lansing Captain (10) in the Regiment of Colonel Vrooman and served under said enlistment one month at old Schoharie and was then dismissed as before. The year of 1777---[This section as pieced over William’s declaration as additional information on service for 1779.] That immediately after his said tour of service last aforesaid expired, he took the place of Peter Smith as a substitute in the Company of Captain Shaw and served one month in the fort at Old Schoharie aforesaid. That upon the expiration of his said last mentioned service for one month, he took the place of George Clickner in the company commanded by Lieutenant Dietz (11) and served for him one month at the Fort at Old Schoharie aforesaid, making three months in all that he served at Old Schoharie in succession one month for himself and two months as a substitute as aforesaid.
            That in the spring of 1780 he was again marched with the whole regiment to which he belonged in the Company of Captain George Sharp and under Colonel Schuyler to Schenectady in said state and that he remained in service on said tour between one and two months.
            That in the latter part of the summer of 1781 he was again marched with the regiment to which he belonged under the same captain, but under Colonel Henry K. Van Rensselaer a second time from Greenbush to Schenectady, and remained in service about three weeks. That a few days after his return from the last tour he was marched the third time in the same regiment and under the same officers to Schenectady that while stationed there they were marched to a place called Yankee Hill (12) where they had a skirmish with the enemy and took thirty prisoners. They then returned to Schenectady and remained there until after information as received that Lord Cornwallis had surrendered at YorkTown, that they were then verbally discharged.
            That prior to his being in service in the month of August as above stated he served as a private soldier or corporal, and subsequent to that time he was a Serjeant. (14)
            That he has no documentary evidence of his services, and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his services, excepting John Miller whose deposition is hereto annexed and to as part of the said service.
            That he was born on the 25 day of December 1760 in the Town of Rhinebeck in the County of Dutchess and State of New York.
            That he has a record of his age in his bible at his dwelling house at home.
            That he was a resident of Greenbush in the County of Albany (now county of Rensselaer) during his several enlistments above stated, and continued to reside there until about thirty eight years ago when he removed to the place where he now resides, which is in the Town of Columbia in the county of Herkimer where he has ever since resided and now resides.
            That he was a volunteer under enlistment or drafted militia man as above stated in the respective tours of service in this declaration mentioned.
            That he was in two battles that at Bemus Heights, and the one between Fort Ann and Skeensborough and in the skirmish at Yankee Hill as above stated, that he knew Nixon’s Brigade of Continental troops, and served with them before the surrender of Burgoyne, but does not recollect any other regular officers or corps of troops. That he marched from Greenbush aforesaid to and through Lansingburgh, Half Moon, Stillwater, Saratoga, Fort Miller, Fort Edward, Fort Ann, Stony Arabia, Schenectady and Skeensborough. That he recollected only Col. Schermerhorn, Militia Regiments besides his own. That he never received a discharge at the expiration of the several terms as above stated.
            That he served in the several capacities of a private, a corporal, and serjeant.
            That Cornelius Van Dusen of the Town of German Flatts and John Miller of the Town of Columbia his present place [a line is missing] to his services excepting whose deposition [rest is covered by an added piece of paper.]
            And this claimant in fact saith that he was in actual service in the comp. on the march, as a scout or in garrison during the several terms of service in the foregoing declaration mentioned more than two full years, and that in the month of September and this claimant thinks in the year 1780 he volunteered to serve in the company commanded by one Lieutenant Deitz in the Regiment of Colonel Vrooman and served in said company two months as a Serjeant and was then verbally discharged and that his two months service is not included in the above mentioned two full years.
            He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. (Signed with his mark) William Hainer
            Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Julius C. Nelson, Clerk.
Supplementary Affidavit
State of New York
Herkimer County SS.
            Personally appeared before me, the under signed a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Herkimer William Haner who being duly sworn deposeth and saith that by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection, he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades:
            For two months I served as a private in the spring & summer of 1776.—
            For five months I served as a corporal in the year 1777.—
            For three months I served as s Serjeant in the summer and fall of 1779 (two of said months as a substitute).
            For one month and fifteen days I served as a Serjeant in the year 1780.—
            For twenty one days I served as a Serjeant in the summer of 1781.
            For one month and seven days & served as a Serjeant in the fall of 1781.
            In the above several tours I served, for two months as a private.
            For sixteen months I served as a Corporal.
            For six months and thirteen days I served a Serjeant and for such services above stated I claim a pension. (Signed with his mark) William Haner.
            Sworn and Subscribed this 17th day of June 1833. Nicholas Smith, Justice.

Letter in the pension file replying to a letter of inquiry dated July 30, 1929.
            I advise you from the papers in the revolutionary War pension claim, S.10808, it appears that William Hainer (pensioned Haner) was born December 23, 1760, at Rhinebeck, Dutchess County, New York.
            While residing at Greenbush, Albany County, New York, he enlisted in the spring of 1776, and served as a private, corporal and sergeant on various tours until the fall of 1781, under Captains John Riley, George Sharp, Jacob DeForest, Cornelius Lansing, Shaw and Lieutenant Deitz, and Colonels Schuyler, Henry K. Van Rensselaer and Vrooman in the New York Troops. He was in a battle at Bemus Heights, in a battle where Colonel VanRensselaer was wounded and in a skirmish at Yankee Hill. His entire service amounted to two years, two months and thirteen days.
            After the Revolution he moved from Greenbush, New York, to Columbia, Herkimer County, New York, of which place he was a resident when he was allowed pension on his application executed October 12, 1832.
            There are no data concerning his family.
            The above is the history of the only William Hainer or Haner that is found on the Revolutionary War records of this bureau, and said records fail to afford any information in regard to Jacob or Jeremias Haner, under any spelling of the surname.

I found no record of John Riley serving in this regiment as an officer. There was a John Biley who served as an Ensign.
Stephen Schuyler, Colonel of the Sixth Regiment of Albany County Militia.
George Sharpe was a Captain in the Sixth Albany.
First Lieutenant Samuel Shaw was in Captain Caleb Bentley’s Company in the Sixth Albany. Shaw later became a captain in this regiment.
Henry K. VanRensselaer was the Lieutenant-Colonel of the Sixth Albany.
The Battle Bemus or Bemis Heights or the Second Battle of Saratoga was fought on October 7, 1777. General John Burgoyne surrendered his army on October 17, 1777.
The Battle of Fort Ann, NY was fought on July 8, 1777.
Jacob DeForest or DeFreese, De Friest, etc., was a Captain in the Sixth Albany.
John J. Fonda was the Second major in 1775 and he was promoted to First Major on February 20, 1776 in the Sixth Albany. He was commissioned First Major on May 28, 1777.
Captain Cornelius Lansing was in the Sixth Albany. Several regiments from Albany sent detachments to guard the three Schoharie Forts. This also was the Fifteenth Regiment of Albany County Militia’s District. This regiment was commanded by Colonel Peter Vrooman. Unless a Continental Officer was present Colonel Vrooman would have been in charge of the detachment at the fort where he was present. Usually this was the Middle Fort which was near the present day Middleburgh in Schoharie County.
In 1779 Second Lieutenant Johannes Dietz was in Captain Christian Stubrach’s Company which was the First Company in the Fifteenth Albany Regiment.
Yankee Hill skirmish is one of many unknown incidents which happened during the War of Independence.
Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia on October 19, 1781 but the news of the surrender did not reach the Mohawk Valley until later October or early November. There were no newspapers in the Mohawk Valley at this time. One of the papers which was read in the Mohawk Valley was the Connecticut Courant.
Wilhelmus, William, William Jr. and Helmus is listed as a corporal and private in Captain Sharpe’s Company and as a sergeant in Captain Shaw’s Company.

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