Pension Application

S.23280
State of New York
Orange County SS.
            On this third day of December in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Orange aforesaid now sitting at the Court House [?] when in said County said Court being a Court of Record, Samuel Johnson resident of the Town of New Windsor in the County aforesaid a free Coloured man aged about seventy seven 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 Jun 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the officers herein after named and served as herein after stated namely this deponent some time about the middle of June in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven entered a Company of Militia Commanded by Captain Jacob Rose of the Town of New Hurley in the County of Ulster as a substitute for Marcus Ostrander now deceased who had been drafted in said company to serve as a private soldier six months. Jonathan Hardenbergh was first Lieutenant and Isaac Hardenberg his brother was the Ensign of said company and continued to command in said company in those offices respectively until the company was disbanded. That deponent commenced his service in the said Town of Platte Kill and continued to serve as a private in the same company six months and a half when he was honorably discharged at NewBurgh in the County and State aforesaid and returned home after said discharge on Christmas Eve in the year last aforesaid. That immediately after this deponent served said company it was ordered to Fort Montgomery in the Highlands on the West side of the Hudson River to keep in check a detachment of the British army which was expected up, that on their down said company marched through NewBurgh and understood at Colonel Jonathan Hasbrouck’s afterwards Washington’s head quarters at which place they were found by two other companies of Militia and companies proceeded to Fort Montgomery by the way of West Point to which place they were transported by water from West Point they marched to Fort Montgomery. Here they remained until after the battle which was fought on the seventh day of October in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven. Deponent was together with said Company engaged in that battle the captain was wounded and taken prisoner and afterwards died of his wounds in prison in New York—after said battle said company was ordered to march to New Windsor—they marched thro the mountains where they remained until after the enemy had passed up the river during which time General George & James Clinton were there & General Putman came there from Continental Village. During the time deponent was there Taylor the spy was taken and afterwards hung at Hurley near Kingston deponent was one of his guard[s] on the road from the Rosendale Kill to Kingston. Deponent was present when he was hung.— [? Event ?] away and appeared to be dead before he was swing off from Hurley said company marched to Kingston we arrived there soon after it was burned by the British. The ruins were still smoldering and deponent further said that at the battle of Fort Montgomery Colonel Hardenburgh commanded th regiment to which deponent belonged that General George & General James Clinton commanded Duboises Regiment or a part thereof under his command was present. Captain John[son??] company Captain Stewart Company & Captain Moody’s Company of Artillery were present at the battle. After the expiration of six months and one half said company was marched from Plattekill to NewBurgh and there discharged and deponent also said that he lost his discharge—That Thomas McCollum whose affidavit is annexed belonged to said company and served with deponent as stated in his affidavit and deponent also saith that in the month of November in the year 1777 he served against the Indians at Mamakating in a company commanded by Isaiah Robeson afterwards General Robeson. That the term for which said company was bound to serve was seven months. The company was divided into three classes which took their regular tour of duty alternately deponent served on the Indian Frontier with the class to which he belonged his regular tour, but does not know any person now living who served with him and deponent also saith that Moses Nicoll and Porter Nicoll of the said Town of Turn Windsor aforesaid whose affidavits are annexed was well acquainted with deponent’s character for veracity.
            And in answer to the Interrogatories put to deponent by said court usually to the request of the Secretary of war he says that he was born in Kingston in Ulster County in the year one thousand seven hundred and fifty five or thereabouts that he has no record of his age, that he lived at PlatteKill in the County of Ulster & State aforesaid when called into service since the Revolutionary war he lived in said county of Ulster until within five years last past since which time I have lived in the Township of New Windsor, County of Orange & State aforesaid in which I now live. That he entered the service as a volunteer substitute for Marcus Ostrander of the Town of PlatteKill aforesaid. That he has already stated the names of the regular and militia officers who were with the troops where he served as aforesaid and also such Continental and Militia Regiments as he now recollects and the general circumstances of his service. That he recollects to have received a written discharge from the service but has lost it but deponent states with certainty that he served out the term of his enlistment which was six months and one fortnight over.
            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) Samuel Johnson
            Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Asa Dunning

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