Pension Application

S.11137
State of New York
County of Columbia SS.
            On this seventeenth day of June in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty three, personally appeared before the Justices of the Justices Court of the City of Hudson, in open court, Charles Near, a resident of the Town of Clermont in the County of Columbia and State of New York aged eighty two 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 7, 1832.
            That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.
            He first entered the service while residing in the Town of Rhinebeck in that part which is now Red Hook in the County of Dutchess, in the early part of the year 1776, by enlisting in a company of Minute Men commanded by Captain Herman Hoffman. In this company he was elected serjeant and remained a member of said company for one year, during which he was actually out, engaged in service, at least six months, during which time he was not employed in any civil occupation or pursuit—His services in this company were in different parts of the country and of various kinds—In the winter of the year 1777 he was drafted to go to Westchester County, and went accordingly in the Militia Company to which he belonged and in which he was serjeant commanded by John Heermance, acting Captain, Ryer Hermance acting Lieutenant, in the Regiment of Colonel Morris Graham in the Brigade of General Peter TenBroeck. They proceeded on the east side of the Hudson River through FishKill & the Highlands to Northcastle where they remained a short time and then proceeded to a place called Williams’’ Bridge. Here they remained in service until the expiration of one month when they were discharged and returned home.
            In the latter part of March or forepart of April in the year 1777, he volunteered and served as serjeant in a company commanded part of the time by Lieutenant Cornelius J. Elmendorph and part of the time by Lieutenant Robert Henry in guarding the powder works in Rhinebeck. In this service he was engaged one month, when they were discharged and returned home.
            In the month of June in the year 1777 he was drafted to got to Fishkill in the county of Dutchess aforesaid, and went in the company commanded by Captain John Hermance, in the Regiment aforesaid. They encamped at Fishkill and were engaged in this service at least half a month when they were discharged and returned home. This applicant was serjeant—
            In the spring or early part of the summer of the year 1778 he was drafted and went in the capacity of serjeant in the same company last aforesaid, commanded by the said Captain John Hermance, to the Highlands, then in said County of Dutchess. They encamped on the post road on the east side of the Hudson River, nearly opposite West Point and were engaged in service in different parts of the Highlands at least half a month, when they were discharged and returned home.
            In the fall of the year 1778 he was drafted to go to Ulster and Orange Counties to guard against the incursions of Indians. He went accordingly in a company commanded by Captain James Wilson in the Regiment of Colonel Morris Graham, this applicant being serjeant. The draft was for one month at the expiration of which time, Colonel Graham requested them to remain a short time longer. The drum was then beat for volunteers to remain and this applicant among others volunteered and remained in service at Mumbockers, Warasing, and adjacent places. In this tour of service he was engaged three months acting as serjeant, when they were discharged and returned home. He received a written discharge from this service which is lost.
            In the summer of the year 1779 he was drafted and went to Westchester County in the company commanded by Captain John Hermance aforesaid, this applicant [was] serjeant and was engaged at Whiteplains in said County, in guarding the lines, one month when they were discharged and returned home. Their original destination was Stony Point, but learning, before they reached that place that it had been taken they were employed as above stated, in guarding the lines.
            In addition to the different services above set forth he was engaged in the militia company to which he belonged commanded by the aforesaid Captain John Hermance, and part of the time under the orders of the Committee of Safety, particularly in the year 1777, and at other times during the revolution, the precise periods, he is unable to state, in scouting, on alarms and various military services, for a space of at least six months, during which he was no engaged in any civil pursuit or employment and acting during all his services as serjeant.—
            This applicant was born in the Town of Rhinebeck in that part which is now Red Hook, on the fifth day of November in the year 1750.
            He has now no record of his age, it was recorded in the family Bible, which has been destroyed.
            He was living in the said Town of Rhinebeck when called into service in the year 1782 as he thinks, he removed from Rhinebeck to the Town of Northeast in the said County of Dutchess where he lived fifteen years, thence he removed to the Manor of Livingston in the County of Columbia where he lived five years—thence he removed to Rhinebeck aforesaid in the County of Dutchess, where he lived three years. Thence he removed to Northeast aforesaid, where he lived one year. Thence he removed to Clermont in the County of Columbia aforesaid, where he has lived ever since, and where he now lives.
            The names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where he served are, General Peter TenBroeck, Colonel Morris Graham, Colonel Hopkins, Major Peter Westfall, Major Nicholas Fish.
            He never received but one written discharge from the service which is lost, signed by Colonel Graham.
            He has no documentary testimony of his services, and knows of no surviving witnesses except Henry Teator & Jacob Mour who can testify to part of his services.
            The names of some of the persons to whom he is known in his present neighborhood, and who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution are, the Rev. Augustus Wackerhagen, Captains Leonard Ten Broeck, Edward P. Livingston Esquire, William H. Wilson Esquire, Charles Robinson Esquire, Henry Fulton Esquire. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name if not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. (Signed) Charles Near
            Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. JD Parker Clk

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