Pension Application

S12192
State of New York
Schoharie County
            On this twelfth day of November in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open court before the judges of the court of Oyer and Terminer Held in and for the county of Schoharie and state aforesaid now sitting Francis Becraft, a resident of the town and county of Schoharie and State of New York aged seventy three years and five months, 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 Untied States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
            He entered the service as a volunteer in the month of August, he thinks it was, in the year 1778, in Captain William Deitz’s (1) company in Colonel Peter Vrooman’s regiment. The company was then commanded by Lieutenant Mattice Shultes, Captain Deitz (2) having been a few days before taken prisoner by the Indians, and his father, mother, wife and all his children murdered and scalped by the Indians and he taken to Canada where he died and was reported –The company was stationed at Weidman’s Fort at a place called Beverdam in Albany county in the state of New York about ten or twelve miles from the lower fort in Schoharie, that he joined the company there and continued to serve in it for the space of three months and was discharged at the fort in the month of November, that his discharge was not in writing that when he entered the service he lived at a place now called Rensselaerville in the county of Albany and the state of New York.
            That in the spring of the year 1779 in the month of April he thinks it was, he again entered the service as a volunteer in the same company and regiment and was stationed at the same fort above mentioned that he continued to serve in the company till sometime in the month of November when he was discharged at the place aforesaid.
            That again in the spring of the year 1780, he entered the service in the same company and regiment and was stationed at the same place as before and continued in the service till sometime in November when he was discharged that during the term of service they were a good part of the time employed in building another fort at Beverdam aforesaid about two miles from the one where they were stationed.
            In the spring of the year 1781 sometime in the month of April he thinks it was he entered the service again as a volunteer in the same company and regiment as before said, that they were stationed at the many forts in Beverdam aforesaid in the county of Albany aforesaid, that he continued to serve in said company till late in the fall when he was discharged at the fort aforesaid. That he was not in any battle but his chief employment was standing guard and scouting.
            That again in the spring of the year 1783 he again enlisted in the same company and regiment aforesaid at the place aforesaid and continued to serve the said company for about a month when they were all discharged.
            That he was in the service in Captain Deitz’s company then commanded by Lieutenant Shultes at Beverdam aforesaid in all about two years and six or eight months according to the best of his recollection.
            He was born in Hudson in the county of Columbia and state of New York the 12th day of June 1760. That his age is recorded in the church book (the words “High Dutch” are crossed out) at the city of Hudson, in Columbia County and state of New York.
            That he was living in a place now called Rensselaerville in the county of Albany and State of New York where he first entered the service that he has lived since the Revolutionary War in the town of Bern in Albany County till about twenty years ago, he moved to the town and county of Schoharie and state of New York where he has lived ever since and now lives.
            That he entered the service each time as a volunteer. He does not recollect the names of any regular officers who were with the troops when he served or of any continental or militia regiments other than the regiment he belonged to. He never received a written discharge.
            That he is known to the following persons in his present neighborhood who he thinks can testify to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a Soldier of the Revolution. To wit: Ezer Nethaway, Pelet Nethaway, Robert Burton, Christian Wever, Christian Shafer, John Ingold, Juliez W. Throop and others.
                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. ETC. (Signed with his mark) Francis Beacraft
            Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open Court. John Gebhard Jr. Clerk

Captain William Dietz [Teets, Teetz, Teasts, Deats, etc.] was in the Third Regiment of Albany County Militia commanded by Colonel Francis Nicholl and later by Colonel Philip P. Schuyler.
Captain Dietz was actually taken prisoner in August 1781. There is no known muster roll for Captain Peter Dietz who had been accidentally wounded on October 18, 1777 and died the next day. First Lieutenant William Dietz was promoted to captain afterwards. Francis would have turned 16 in 1776 and should have also served in Peter’s company also. There is no known muster roll for Williams' company either.
Francis made another declaration on June 6, 1833 and adds some more service towards his claim. He adds in 1782 service at Switz Kill Fort under Adam Deitz.

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