Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for Nicholas Myers
W. 18546
State of New York
County of Oswego
On
this nineteenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and thirty nine personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Common
Pleas for the County of Oswego new sitting Nicholas Myers a resident of the said
County of Oswego and the State of New York aged eighty years in the month of
January next who first being duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath make
the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the pension of the
Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
That he
entered the service of the United States under the following named officers
and served as herein stated.
That in the
month of May 1777 being then in his Eighteenth year he resided in the County
of Herkimer and State of New York and volunteered to serve in the Militia of
said State. That he was induced to volunteer from the entreaties of
Captain Barter and Ensign Bellinger.
That the
Regiment into which he volunteered to serve were in garrison at Fort Dayton.
The commanding officer was General Herkimer, the name of his Colonel was Peter
Bellinger, that of his Lieutenant Colonel was Frederick Bellinger, that of
the Major was Klappsattle - that of his Captain was Barter and that of his
Ensign was John Bellinger. Some of the privates in his Company whose names
he now remembers were John Dochstater, Peter Dochstater, Christopher Belinger, Philip Barter,
Jacob Weaver The name of his Sergeant was Melchoir Foltz.
That Gen’l
Herkimer returned from the Battle of Oriskany which he thinks occurred early
in August 1777 with his leg fractured by a Musket Ball received in that Battle
- that the General's leg was afterwards amputated, he believes that the Gen’l
remained at the Fort only during one night and was then removed to his residence
on the Mohawk River about 8 (eight) miles below the Fort and about 2 miles below
little falls, and where he believes the Gen’l subsequently died of his
wounds - Major Klappsattle was killed in the Battle of Oriskany and Lieut. Col.
Fred Bellinger was taken prisoner. That Col. Peter Bellinger was their next Commanding
Officer at the Fort. Deponent was not present at the Battle of Oriskany
but was left behind with others to guard the Fort.
That after
the above mentioned battle this deponent with the rest of the troops remained
in garrison at Fort Dayton under the Command of Col. Peter Bellinger, Captain
Barter being still the Captain of his Company.
That some time in August of 1778 (this deponent still doing military duty
at Fort Dayton) a large detachment of Tories and Indians, amounting in number
to seven hundred as the deponent was then told he believes, under Joseph
Brant arrived in the neighborhood of the Fort. They committed great
depredations, burning the houses, barns, the crops for two or three miles
around, he thinks there was but one person in the neighborhood who was killed,
and he was a farmer. That a Scouting party consisting of three men one of
whom was deponents brother were sent out from the Fort to ascertain the number
of the enemy ??? only one of whom returned in safety to the Fort, his name
was Helmer, deponents brother's name was John Myers. There were then in garrison
at the fort only about sixty regular militia men and about twelve friendly
Indians as well as he can recollect. Owning to this disparity of forces they
dared not go out of the Fort to meet the enemy - That after destroying the
houses, barns in the County around, Brant and his troops left taking with
them all the cattle and provisions they could find.
That in June
of the year 1779 as this deponent verily believes the militia of Fort Dayton
had a skirmish with a party of White and Indian Tories numbering in all about
Sixteen men. The Skirmish took place on West Canada Creek about one
mile from the Fort - the circumstances of which were these viz:
Four men,
three women and a boy had gone that day from the Fort to Squire Foltz's Farm
distance about two miles from the Fort. That this deponent stood on guard
as sentry at the Fort and in the Afternoon of that day heard firing in the direction
of the farm. That he asked permission of the Ensign (Bellinger) to go out
to the assistance of the men and women, which being granted he ran out towards
them. That when he came in sight he saw the Indians busy scalping the women,
and he seeing their number too great to approach too near, stood at a distance
and fired on them. That soon about ten men came rushing out of the Fort
and this deponent with them advanced on the enemy who then retreated and finally
escaped. Not one of them was either killed or taken prisoner. That two
women were scalped, one of whom was dead when the militia came on the ground
- the other afterward recovered and lived, the husband of the last mentioned
woman whose name was Dornbergher, who was one of the four men who went out to
the farm was taken prisoner by the enemy. All the others returned to
the Fort unhurt. The woman who was scalped and recovered was scalped by her
own brother who was among the enemy.
That from
the time of the last skirmish above mentioned until January of 1780, he remained
at Fort Dayton doing military duties under the same officers above mentioned. That
early in said month of January he enlisted and was sworn into the Boat Service
on the Mohawk River for one year. That he was sworn in by Doctor Peytrie
a Physician and Surgeon and also at that time an acting Justice of the Peace. He
firmly believes that Dr. Peytrie was then also the Surgeon to the Army at
Fort Dayton.
That the duty
of the boat men was to carry provisions, stores, from Schenectady to Forts Stanwix,
Plain, Dayton and Herkimer. Most of the provisions were convened to Ft.
Stanwix. He thinks there were 16 boats in all on the Mohawk River during
the year 1780, though he does not remember that they were all actively engaged
at any one time. The Commander of the Boatmen was Captain Samuel Grey,
the Lieutenants' name was Peter Keyser, and Andrew Grey brother to the Capt.
was Sergeant. That late in the fall what month he does not now remember,
the boats were frozen in the river while they were at Oriskany, but afterwards
the ice broke up and they took the boats down to Schenectady.
That at the
last mentioned place when the whole Company of Boatmen were together the Captain
told them to go home, saying that they were dismissed until they should receive
further orders. That he then returned to Fort Dayton and remained there
doing military duty as theretofore under the officers already mentioned until
the spring of the Year 1781.
That he was
not after his discharge at Schenectady as aforesaid again ordered out to do duty
in the boat service. He believes that the United States Soldiers themselves
after the year 1780 acted as boatmen on the Mohawk River. He received
no written discharge, no other discharge than the verbal one at Schenectady
already mentioned and he has no documentary evidence of the Boat service
being rendered by him.
That in
the spring of the Year 1781 this deponent removed from Ft. Dayton with his
mother, sister and brother to Claverack about 3 miles East of Hudson???- that
never having received a written discharge from further service at Fort Dayton
he has no documentary evidence of the service rendered thereat, but he believes
there are two surviving soldiers of the revolution whose names are Jacob Weaver
and Peter Dochstater residents of Jefferson County whom he can procure to testify
to the said service.
That in
the month of October 1781 as well as he can now remember and while residing
at Claverack he called out with the militia of that place to march up to Caughnawaga. They
were commanded by Gen’l. Robt. Van Rensselaer. His Colonels
name was Henry Van Rensselaer and his Captains name was John Philips , they
were marched up to Caughnawaga to repel an invasion of the enemy under Col.
Butler and Major Ross. They were absent from home he thinks two weeks. The
Battle had taken place at Johnstown before their arrival, and at Caughnawaga
they were ordered to return home.
That after
the last mentioned expedition in the same year he was called out with the
Militia of Claverack & Kinderhook and marched as far as Stillwater to repel
the British at Ticonderoga -that he with about one half of the Regiment went
only to Stillwater and remained there under the Command of Major ??? of the
Kinderhook Militia while Gen’l. Robert Van Rensselaer advanced a head
to Ticonderoga with the other half. Tat they had no battle with the Enemy
with the enemy during this expedition. That they returned home after
an absence of about fourteen days. That the Expedition to Ticonderoga
was the last service in which he was engaged. That he remained residing
in Claverack about one year when he removed to Kinderhook where he lived about
seven years; whence he moved back to Herkimer County where he lived about 20
years, that he moved thence to Sawyerfield Oneida County where he lived about
22 years whence he moved to Oswego County where he now lives has lived for
about 10 years, deponent has no record of his age, but he has been informed
and truly believes that he was born in the Town of Herkimer in Herkimer County
in the year 1760.
He hereby
relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present
and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in
any State.
Nicholas Meyers
Sworn to
and subscribed the day and year aforesaid before me. D.H. Marsh Clerk
Oswego County We Edmund Hawks & Simon J. Vrooman residing in the County
of Oswego hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Nicholas Myers who
has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration. That we believe him
to be eighty years of age. That he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood
where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur
in that opinion.
Edm’d Hawks
Subscribed & sworn to the day & year aforesaid Simon J. Vrooman
before me.D.H. Marsh Clerk
Note: His wife Cornelia applied for pension and apparently received it since the number of the pensions begins with W, for widow receiving benefits.