Pension Application

Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for John Merselles

Oneida County SS:
Personally appeared before me the under named Justice of the Peace; on the 19th day of July 1834 John J. Merselles an applicant for a pension under the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832 to me well known and after being duly sworn deposed and said that he inlisted under Captain Van Ness in the time of the Revolutionary War for three years at Schenectady in Schenectady County New York the name of the Lieutenant in said Company was Hardenbergh the name of the Ensign Wendell Adjutant Teace (so called) Major McCracken and soon after Vinck was Major in his stead Lieut. Col. Van Dyke and the head Col. Was Van Scaick who was then an elderly man who did not often come to us, that it was after harvest when he enlisted, that he remained in Schenectady on duty until we were sent up to Rome (now so called) to Fort Stanwix with a drove of cattle with 28 privates under Lieutenant Hardenburgh when we came to Rome Colo Gansevoort who commanded there said that he did not think it safe to go back on Saturday towards night there was appearance of Indians and we were there under the orders of Col. Gansevoort and Sir Johnson made his appearance we schirmished around with him for about 8 days; and in a day or two after Sir Johnson Went off, VanScaick Regiment under Lieutenant Van Dyke came up to the relief of Colo Gansevoort who soon after marched off with his Regiment (Gansevoorts Regiment and our 28 privates above mentioned fought the Battle with Sir Johnson’s men) we remained at Fort Stanwix on duty and under command till the term of my enlistment had expired, and then this deponent staid a few days and drew provision and subjected himself to orders and duty as tho he was not discharged and on being strongly solicited by his Captain and other Officers who assured him that the War was not going to last a great while longer and offering him an Ensigncy if he would Enlist for and during the War, he yielded to their solicitations and received an Ensign’s Commission in the same Company—this deponent remembers while he was in the Fort 36 privates under Ensign Wendell went out to Wood creek to cut sods to repair the Fort all of whom with Colo. Wendell were killd Except two this was in the fall & before my time was up and in the morning before breakfast—that he could mention many circumstances of danger & narrow escape which happened to him and others while there, were it necessary; enough to convince any person who is acquainted with military life and is at all informed in the transactions which transpired at Fort Stanwix while Gansevoort’s and Van Dyke’s Regiment lay there—that about three months after this deponent enlisted and received an Ensign’s Warrant as aforesaid and after the Regiment had gone (a number of us having remained to take care of the stores under Lieutenant Hardenbergh) orders came by an express, for us to march back to Schenectady, as a cessation of hostilities had transpired, we marched back to Schenectady and were marched from that place to Albany under Lieut Hardenbergh, when we came there we drew our pay in what they called “New emission” of Money, soon after that he were discharged.
(Signed with his Mark) John Merselles
Sworn and subscribed before me, this 19th July 1834.
From: New York in The Revolution Volume II, pg 32. 1898, Roberts & Mather 1901