Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for John Langdon
S.29960
County of Suffolk SS.
On this thirty first day of December one thousand eight hundred and forty two, before me, the subscriber a justice of the peace for the said County of Suffolk, personally appeared John Langdon who on his affirmation declares that he is the same person who formerly belonged to the company commanded by Captain Thomas Mitchell in the regiment commanded by Colonel William Malcomb in the service of the United States; that his name was placed on the pension roll of the State of New York from whence he has lately been removed; that he now resides in the State of Massachusetts where he intends to remain, and wishes his pension to be there payable in future. The following is his reason for removing from New York to Massachusetts vis, To reside with his daughter whose place of residence is now at Boston in said Massachusetts. (Signed) John Langdon
Affirmed and subscribed to before me the day and year aforesaid. Geo. S. Hillard. Justice of the Peace.
State of New York
County of Kings SS.
On this Sixteenth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three, personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Kings and State of New York, being a court of Record so constituted by an act of the Legislature of the said state, John Langdon a resident of the town of Brooklyn in the said county & who being duly affirmed according to law doth on his affirmation make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed the 7th day of June 1832—Said Deponent says he was born in the Town of Hempstead, county of Queens and State of New York as he has been informed and believes to be true, on the 30th day of September 1754 according to the record in an old family Bible which he saw many years ago, at Hempstead aforesaid but is now destroyed or carried away by some branch of the family—
That in the month of June 1776, and in the 22d year of his age, this deponent volunteered into a company at North Hempstead in the said County of Queens commanded by Capt. Thomas Mitchell (1) in a Battalion commanded by Col. Malcolm in the five months service and was in the City of New York with the troops when the British under Gen’l Howe landing upon Long Island in August 1776 and was Sergeant of the guard at DeLancy’s old mansion in the Bowery NY where there was a prisoner, one of the desperadoes who murdered the Brother of Gen’l Parsons & whose watch was found upon him—The prisoner was carried off to New Haven where he was probably executed for said murder. This deponent was afterwards taken prisoner by the British & confined on Long Island til the 8th of June 1777 when he made his escape.
In the first part of the month of July 1777 this deponent having again enlisted in the service, was at Fort Edward and assisted with a wagon and horses to bring down stores from Lake George to that place—was with Gen’l Schuyler during his retreat before Gen’l Burgoine till they arrived at Saratoga, where Gen’l Gates took the command and obliged the British General & his forces to surrender sometime in the month of October of that year.—This deponent continued in the service till some time in the year 1780—while lying with his company, then commanded by Capt. Samuel Smith (2) at the church in the Highlands nearly opposite to West Point below Fishkill; on the 10th of June 1779, he was directed to make out and copy a Muster Roll of the men composing the said company, one of which said Rolls made at that time, in the hand writing of this deponent is annexed hereto and to which he refers, being the only written documents now remaining in his possession. The figures upon the back of the said roll were made by this deponent (paper then being scarce) in calculating the value of his certificates received in payment of his services in the Revolution—This deponent recollects that while lying in the Highlands of being several times called out during an alarm, that the British ascending the North River—This deponent further says that in the year 1775 while living with his father in com. Col. Sam’l Rowland, about seven miles above Troy in the County of Rensellaear NY the regiment which he commanded was called together and Doctor Benjamin Hicks (3) was appointed Captain of a company and this deponent Lieutenant and which company was enlisted by this exertion, consisting of more than 40 men; this company was afterwards attached to a regiment commanded by Col. Gansevoort (4) but this deponent never got his commission as Lieutenant and soon afterwards officers were appointed. (5)
This deponent says that he never received any commission or appointment in writing nor any written discharge from service at any time during the war—That he saw many of the superior officers at various times, and particular (6) Gen’l Washington, Putnam, Scott, and Lord Sterling & was well acquainted with Col. Marinus Willett and his Brother Elbert Willett who was for a number of years Chamberlain of the then City of Albany.
But this deponent does not know that any of his old companions in arms are now living by whom he can substantiate the statement above made, except by the affidavit of Peter Baker hereto annexed—and this deponent further says that he is not particularly acquainted with any clergyman in his vicinity who have any knowledge of his character or services, but he has endeavoured to supply this deficiency by the certificates of respectable individuals of his neighborhood to whom he has long been intimately known and which and also hereto annexed and to which he begs leave to refer.
And this deponent 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) John Langdon
Subscribed and affirmed the day & year aforesaid in open court. Abm Vanderveer. Clerk of the County of Kings.
End Notes—John Langdon S.29960