Pension Application

W.23305
State of New York
Herkimer County SS.
            On this fourth day of October one thousand eight hundred and forty one personally appeared before the Court of Common Pleas in and before the said county in open court before the judges thereof—Anna House a resident of the Town [of] Stark in said County aged seventy six years on the eighty day of December next, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed July 7, 1838 entitled an act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows. That she is the widow of Peter C. House who was a corporal and private in the Army of the Revolution, that her husband the said Peter C. House after their marriage and after the Revolutionary War often told her that he was enlisted and served in the Batteau or boat service on the Hudson River that at the time of the Oriskany Battle in which Genl Herkimer was killed he was in service and was there at FishKill in the boat service and that he had three brothers who were in the battle with Genl. Herkimer and after he heard of the destruction of the forces under Genl Herkimer he obtained a furlough to go from FishKill home to ascertain whether his brothers were among the slain. That two of his brothers were slain and the other returned home slightly wounded—That afterwards he was again enlisted at different times and served under different enlistment in different years.
            That he often told her he served under Capt. House that he served under Capt. Putnam that she was also informed that he served under Capt. Staats—That she heard him speak of Col. Clyde recollects that she heard him say that one time while he was in service he was charged with the carriage of certain important papers from Cherry Valley to deliver to Col. Clyde who was then on the Mohawk River. That he [was] accompanied by one John Cramer performed the duty and safely delivered the papers to Col. Clyde—That he also named other officers under whom he served, thinks he also named Capt. French—and she further declares that she was married to the said Peter C. House on the Eleventh day of January in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty five. That the marriage was solemnized by the Revd. Abraham Rosencrants at the house of the said Rosencrantz at which is called FallHill and she further declares that in the last war, that is the war of 1812, her said husband the said Peter C. House, enlisted in the Service of the United States under Captain Moyer, Major Herkimer & Col. Mills and proceeded with the company to Sackets Harbor, that he then went into the service in the month of March. She this deponent and their children remonstrated unto him but he declared that no ball or sword could ever pierce him, that he went and about the first of July following she this deponent was informed that her said husband was at the point of death at Sackets Harbor that she immediately left home to go to Sackets Harbor to see him, but that when she arrived he had been buried five days—that one Jacob Shafer with whom she was well acquainted and who resided in her neighborhood and who was also and enlisted soldier and was in the same corps with her husband informed her that he had taken care of her said husband during his sickness until he died—That her said husband was injured on the lake as she was then informed and that injury settled in his leg he took cold his leg mortified which caused his death.
            That while he was at Sackets Harbor in said service he frequently had letters written home to her (he not being able to write himself) in the last of which was stated he felt as well and could do the services as well as he could in 1777—when the Oriskany Battle was.
            That she was not married to him prior to his having the service in the Revolution War but the marriage too place previous to the first of January seventeen hundred and ninety four viz at the time above stated—
            That she has not intermarried but remains the widow of the said Peter C. House—That he was often called Peter House instead of Peter C. House, that the maiden name of this deponent was Anna Shade.
            That she often heard her husband speak of William Kisner as being also in the service with this deponent at different times during the Revolution War and also that he was taken prisoner and in Canaday [?] which [page seems to be missing.] (Signed with her mark) Anna House
            Sworn & subscribed in open court Oct 4, 1841. E. A. Munson Clerk
State of New York
Herkimer County SS.
            On this tenth day of September 1842 before the undernamed a Justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid personally appeared Heinrich Gram of the town Columbia in said County aged eighty years in January last past who being first duly sworn according to law on his oath further says that in the Revolution War he became acquainted with Peter House, who was afterwards the husband of Anna House now the widow of said Peter House, that in the year 1780 he became acquainted with said House in the service of the United States in the company commanded by Capt. Garret Putnam the Lieutenant’s name was Newkirk the company was under the command of Lieut. Col. Harper the adjutants name was Beekman or Bakeman that this deponent and the said House were both in service in the said company during the summer season of said year 1780 under enlistment in the nine months service, that during the season they were in service at different places at Fort Plain, Stone Arabia, Johnstown, Fort Plank, Fort Herkimer, Fort Dayton, a small fort above seven miles west of Fort Dayton at what was then called Germantown, the fort was called Fort Mike and at fort Stanwix, that the said House was with this deponent during that tour at all the above named places, at Fort Stanwix they remained some length of time until about the middle of the fall season of the year00of the same year that the battle at Stone Arabia, & Klock’s were—that about the middle of October and Indian brought the news to Fort Stanwix that the boats of the enemy were lying concealed in Oneida Lake and an expeditions was sent out to destroy the boats. About sixty men were drawn from the different companies to for the expedition and the said House was one of the soldiers that were drawn and went in this expiation, and the said House was one of the soldiers that were drawn and went in the expedition that this deponent was on guard at the time—that the expedition before effecting their object were surprised by a superior force of the enemy and were all taken captives, that the said House was then prisoner and did not return until at the exchange of prisoners at the close of the war—this deponent recollects that Leonard Ackler & Severinus Dygert were also then taken prisoners and he thinks that Lieut. Newkirk was also at the time taken prisoner—that after the war this deponent was acquainted with said House that the said House then resided in Minden now called Danube, that this deponent was also afterwards informed that said House enlisted in the service in the last war with England and died in the last war. (Signed) Heinrich Grem
            Subscribed and sworn before me September 10th 1847. J. A. Rasbach, Justice of the Peace.

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