Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for Lawrence Johnson or Anthony McLean

W.764 (Widow: Margaret)
B.L.Wt.13725-160-55
Captain Fleming, Regiment of Col. Van Cortland.
Margaret married him June 6, 1803.  Lawrence died the 23rd of July 1843.
Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
State of New York
Tompkins County SS.
            On this 18th day of July personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Oyer & Terminer now sitting, Lawrence Johnson a resident of the town of Ithaca in the county of Tompkins and state of New York, aged seventy five 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 7th 1832.  That he entered the service of the United States, under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
            That on the twenty seventh day of June 1778 he inlisted in to Captain William Flemings company in Col. VanCortlands Regiment it was the day that the Battle of Monmouth commenced that he was born in Bynewater Town in Ireland in the year 1757 the month nor the day he cannot recollect any more than that he was told his birth day was on Whit Sunday that in the month of March 1778 he inlisted at the town of Daughrity in Ireland to go to America.  That from Ireland he was taken to England and was put on board of a vessel at Plymouth for America under one Captain Moore, the Colonel he does not recollect, that he was landed at Philidelphia [Philadelphia] the time he cannot recollect that they staid there some weeks and then marched from there towards Monmouth that on this march the second day in the morning he deserted and two men took him up and carried him to the American Army he was taken before General Washington and told his story and that he would inlist.  General Washington told him he must not go into Battle that day—he did inlist as above stated under Captain Fleming was not in the battle of Monmouth after the battle went to some fort the name he does not recollect, that when he inlisted he was advised to change his name, he did change his name and inlisted by the name of Anthony McLean that he inlisted for during the war and that by the name of Anthony McLean he served during the remainder of the war in said company and was discharged at West Point, got a written discharge signed by General Washington which is lost that from the fort near Monmouth he was marched to West Point and staid the next winter after he inlsited at West Point the next summer he was sick and was left at West Point—after he got well he went to Albany and returned and inlisted again at West Point, the next year he went to the South and was in the battle which Lord Cornwallis was taken, which was in the fall of the year he went by water part of the way he knew Col. VanSchaick who commanded a regiment at that Battle—he was in no other battles after that—he has no documentary evidence and no person whose testimony he can procure except of Walter Whalon whose affidavit is hereunto annexed.  [the document ends here]

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