Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for Enos Howard
This pension is hard to read as the ink is badly blotted. James
F. Morrison
W.18027
Enos Howard (Martha)
State of New York
Schenectady County
On the eleventh
day of October 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the
County of Common Pleas of the County of Schenectady in said state now sitting
Enos Howard, a resident of the Town of Duanesburgh in the County of Schenectady
and State of New York aged seventy-two years on the 5th day of July last. 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 during
the Revolutionary War he resided in the Town of Austerlitz, then the County of
Albany, now in the county of Columbia that in the later part of the summer of
1777 he was drafted into the militia service for three months under the command
of Captain John McKinstry (1) of the ___?(first few letters of word blotted)__dale
under Col. Robert Livingston (2) of Livingston’s Manor, in Gen. Glover’s
Brigade, that he marched with his company to Saratoga and then joined the
army under General [Horatio] Gates that he participated in the various engagements
which resulted in the taking of Gen. [John] Burgoyne, was present at the
surrender and that soon after the surrender and that soon after the surrender
his company was marched back to Albany, where he was discharged and as deponent
believes a few days before his term of three months had expired.
And this deponent
further saith that about the last of October 1778 he was drafted (or pieced out)
for three months service to go on an expedition to the south, that the detachment
to which he belonged were ordered to rendezvous at Fish Kill, that they were
joined on their route by a company from Livingston’s Manor, that they remained
at Fish Kill until the 5 or 6 of December following when the order to go to the
south was countermanded, and they were discharged at Fish Kill. That
this detachment was composed of drafts (3) from men of the North River Counties,
that if these drafts [were?] [ever?] completely organized and officered,
it has escaped the recollection of this deponent, as he [cannot?] accurately
recollect the names of the officers.
And this deponent
further saith that in the fall of 1779, he was drafted for three months and marched
under Captain Elezer Spencer (4) of Spencertown [now Stephentown] to Peekskill,
his lieut name was [Jonathan] Pitcher, that they were marched from that place
to VerPlant’s Point and were there engaged about a month in rebuilding
the fort which had been recently burned by the enemy that after the fort
was rebuilt he was discharged and returned home.
And this
deponent further saith, that in or about the month of August or September 1780,
he went into the service of the United States for a man to be selected by a
class (5) in the Town of Coloverek [Claverack] then Albany County for the term
of three months under Captain Miller, (6) and immediately marched to West Point.
That he was
at West Point at the time Gen. [Benedict] Arnold was negoeiciating [sic] the
surrender of that post to the enemy, that he with a man by the name of [Jabish]
Rowley were selected from his company to form a detachment to take some prisoners
to the interior of Pennsylvania, that he thinks this detachment formed by selecting
two soldiers from each company, that this selection was made, the detachment
formed and the march commenced on the same day, that they started with their
prisoners as he believes about two days before the discovery of Arnold’s
treachery, that he went with the prisoners to Lancaster, Pa. And returned
immediately to West Point, that on his return he learned that his company had
been ordered to the north and he proceeded on to Albany several days waiting
until some military stores were prepared. That in pursuance of orders he
assisted in transporting several loads of military stores to Schoharie, when
he finally joined his company, that soon his arrival at the fort in Schoharie
the fort was attacked [Oct 17] by the British and Indians under Governor Johnston
(7), the United States forces were under the command of Col. Woolsey, (8) that
he well recollects that many of the troops expressed strong doubts in regard
to the courage of Maj. Woolsey, and were fearful in case a flag of truce was
received, that the fort would be surrendered, and that some of the Pennsylvania
riflemen (9) fired at the flag which the enemy twice attempted to send to the
fort, -- that after a sharp attack on the fort, the enemy retreated in the direction
of the Mohawk River, that he with the troops of the fort pursued the enemy to
Canajoharie, Fort Plain, and followed them from thence about twenty
miles into the woods beyond the settlements on the German Flatts, that many
of the enemy were killed in the pursuit, and among the killed was the celebrated
Col. Butler (10) [Howard is mistaken] that after the pursuit the troops returned
down the Mohawk to Albany when this deponent was discharged and returned
home, that he was engaged in this last service about three months.
And this deponent
further saith, that in the year 1781, he again entered the service as a substitute
for one Peter Hogaboome of the said Town of Clooisick [Claverack] for the term
of four months, that he joined his company which was commanded by Captain Peter
Van Renslaer (11) at Fort Plain on the Mohawk River in or about the first of
the month of August in that year, that the forces at that place was commanded
by Col. willett, Jellis A. Fonda was the Adjutant of the regiment, his lieutenant
was Jacob Winne who also acted as quarter master, that he remained with and participated
with the army under Col. Willett in the services of that campaign that at the
close of this campaign (which was late in the fall) he returned with baggage
down the Mohawk to Schenectady and went from thence to Albany when he was discharged
from the service and returned home, that he was in this last service four months,
that all the above services were in the militia, that in addition to the above
service he was called out several times to take and subdue the Tories in the
neighborhood of his residence, in this last service he was engaged he thinks
about one month, and this deponent further saith that the whole of this deponent
service as above stated as he believes was about twelve months—and
this deponent further saith, that there is not clergyman within his neighborhood
with whom he is particularly acquainted except the Rev. Mr. Haw who is now
on a journey to the west and could not be procured at this time to give testimony
on behalf of this deponent.
He herby
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)
Enos Howard
Sworn & subscribed
this day & year aforesaid John L. Vrooman, Clerk
Enos Howard, End Notes
1. John McKinstry’s Company is in the 9th Regiment of Albany County Militia.
2. Peter Van Ness is the Colonel of the Ninth Regiment. Robert Livingston
is the Lieutenant Colonel of the Tenth Regiment of Albany County Militia and
Peter R. Livingston is the Colonel. Howard’s nor McKinstry’s
name appears in the rolls of the tenth. It is however, possible that men
were drafted from several regiments and Lieut-Col. R. Livingston could have been
in charge of this detachment.
3. Men were selected or drafted out of various companies and regiment to
form detachments for duty. This helped to prevent an area from being unprotected
against enemy raids.
4. Abner Hawley was captain, Eleazer Spencer was first lieutenant and John Pitcher
was the second lieutenant. They all were commissioned on May 28, 1778.
5. Each company usually would put 10 men to a class with one man to be
head of the class. Each class was to furnish one man to serve in the Levies. If
they didn’t the man who was the head of the class was either fined or served
in his place.
6. Captain Jeremiah Muller’s Company in Colonel Morris Graham’s
Regiment of New York State Levies.
7. Lieutenant-Colonel. Sir John Johnson of the King’s Royal Regiment
of New York. This regiment was raised from Loyalists from the Mohawk Valley
and other parts of New York.
8. Actually it is Major Melancton Woolsey of Colonel Graham’s Regiment. Major
Woolsey had a command of two companies from Graham’s Regt. They
were Capt. Muller’s and Capt. Jacob J. Lansing’s Companies.
9. The Pennsylvania Riflemen he refers to actually were men that were in
Captain Isaac Bogart’s Company in Lieutenant-Colonel John Harper’s
Regiment of New York State Levies. The men had served in the Rifle Corp
in Schoharie in late 1778 and the early part of 1779. When their enlistments
expired they decided to remain in the Schoharie Valley. They were David
Ellerson, William Leeke, William Loyd [Lloyd], Timothy Murphy, Zachariah Tufts.
10. Walter Butler, but his ran was Captain. He was killed on 31 October,
1781 but not in 1780 as Howard relates.
11. Howard enlisted on 9 August 1781 in Capt. Peter Van Rensselaer’s
Company in Lieutenatnt-Colonel Commandant Marinus Willett’s Regiment of
New York State Levies. The lieutenants were John Spencer and Jacob Winney. The
company was discharged on 1 December 1781. The Muster Roll can be found
on microfilm Reel 78, series 246, Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, National
Archives in Washington DC.