Pension Application for John Bellinger

R730
State of New York
Schoharie County
            On this 12th day of Feb’y 1844, personally appeared before Robert Eldridge, a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Schoharie and State of New York, John Bellinger, a resident of the Town of Seward and County aforesaid aged eighty 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 7th 1832.
            That he entered the service of the United States in the Company of Capt. George Rechtmyer (1) in the regiment under the command of Col. Peter Vroman, of the Militia of New York; that he joined said company in the early part of April 1780. That he was employed nearly the whole of the spring and during the summer of said year, in repairing the fort and in keeping guard at the fort in Schoharie, called the Middle Fort and in the month of Sept & until sometime in October of said 1780 when an attack was made on the fort by an army of British Tories and Indians under the command of Sir John Johnson (2) and that on that day he was on duty in said fort and assisted in repelling such attack, that a man by the name of Samuel Reynolds (3) was shot dead within four or five feet of the place where he stood. That after said attack he continued in the same militia [Rovin?] until late in the same month of October or early in November of the same year when he was discharged to go home to his father’s farm which was within a short distance from the fort where he spent the winter.  That during the before named seven months that he was not allowed to do but very little civil duty, the whole of which while not actually on guard or making repairs on the Fort, would not exceed two months.
            That some time in the fore part of the month of May 1781 he again joined the same company of Capt. Recthmyer’s in the Regiment of Col. Vroman and served during that season, a little more than six months in guarding & in keeping in repair the same Fort at Schoharie.  That during the whole of said term he was ever ready and subject to the orders of the captain and colonel.  That the country was in a continual state of alarm, and the time he was allowed to labor on the farm would not exceed six weeks, in the whole six months above named.
            That while engaged in such work he was actually doing the duty of guarding an outpost, as he was never without his gun near him & within a moment’s reach.  He would further state as a reason why he has not applied for a pension before is he was told that such pension could not be obtained unless he could testify that he was poor & unable to support himself, which he could not than do as he had some property & was able to labor for his own support until the month of November or December 1832 when his bodily facilities was prostrated by a shock of the Pulzey [Palsey?]  Since which time he has been helpless as an infant which his memory and hearing as well as his appetite for food is still good .  And he further states that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure to testify to his service.  And for the above named services he now claims a pension and arrears of pension from March 4, 1837 to the present time according the to the provisions of the Act of Congress of June 7, 1832.
            And 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 any agency in any state.
(Signed) John Bellinger
            Sworn & subscribed to on the day & year aforesaid.
            Robert Eldridge Judge of Schoharie County Court

End Notes