Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for John Boyer
[The deposition given by Mr. Boyer states he served in Fort Plain, on the north side of the river. Perhaps he had been away from the state too long, but Fort Plain is on the south side of the river.]
W.522
State of Indiana
Decatur County
On this
24th day of October 1832, personally appeared in open court before the Honorable
Judges of the Decatur Circuit Court in and for the County of Decatur now sitting
John Boyer a resident of the County of Decatur and State of Indiana aged seventy-two
years the 17th day of October 1832 who first being 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 under the following named officers
and served as herein stated, that he was drafted to serve in the United States
service about the month of September 1779 in the regiment commanded by Peter
Bellinger (1) in Captain Samuel Gray’s Company and was stationed at Fort
Herkimer in the State of New York and served three months and then was discharged
until further orders.
That he
enlisted in the service of the United States at the Town of Palatine State
of New York under Captain Samuel Gray for during the war in the boat service
and was stationed on the Mohawk River in the State of New York and followed
the Mohawk River from Schenectady to Rome, I enlisted the forepart of January
1780 and was dismissed from service until further order in the forepart of
December following that he volunteered in the service of the United States
for nine months in April 1781 (2) in the State of New York and entered the
service in Montgomery County then the County of Tryon, Town of Johnstown and
joined the regiment commanded by Colonel Willett in the company commanded by
Captain Garrett Putman and was stationed part of the times as a guard at Fort
Plain on the North Side of the Mohawk River that he was at the battle fought
at Johnstown (3) then followed the enemy up the Mohawk River to Fort Herkimer
and the fifth (4) day after the battle at Johnstown overtook the enemy at Jersey
Field and had a skirmish with the enemy and took Lieutenant Wrightman (5) a
British officer and nine men. Then followed the British to West Canady
Creek where we overtook them and fired on them and killed a British officer
by the name of Butler and took twenty-two prisoners and was in the service
until about the first day of January following.
And further sayeth that he was born in the Town of Palatine then county of
Albany, State of New York on the 17th day of October 1760 and remained in
said state until 1823 then removed to the State of Indiana, Decatur County
where he now resides.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to pension or annuity except
the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency
or state and that he has no documentary evidence of his service and that he
knows of no person whose testimony he can produce who can testify to his service
and that he has a record of his age in an old him book (hymnbook) but it is
so decayed that is it unintelligible and that he had no direct recollection
of any of the regular officers. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year
aforesaid
Signed with His Mark (John Boyer)
State of Indiana
County of Decatur SS.
On the 30th
day of May A.D. One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty three, before me, a Justice
of the Peace, in and for the County and State aforesaid, personally appeared
Elizabeth Boyer, aged about 80 years, who first being duly sworn according
to law, doth upon her oath state that she is the widow of John Boyer deceased,
who was a Revolutionary Pensioner of the United States, on the Rolls of the
Indiana Agency, at the rate of Forty Dollars per annum. That the said
john Boyer died in the County of Decatur and State of Indians, on or about
the 14th day of October, A.D. 1836. She further states that she was married
to the said John Boyer in Brookville, in the County of Franklin and State of
Indiana, sometime in the month of February A. D. 1824, by a magistrate, whose
name she has forgotten, and that her name before her said marriage was Elizabeth
Wilson. She further states, that she was not again married, but still
remains the widow of the said John Boyer. She makes this declaration
for the purpose of obtaining the benefit of the Act of Congress passed or any
other act or acts to which she may be entitled.
(Signed with her mark) Elizabeth Boyer
Witness Daniel Boyer, James Truitt
End Notes for John Boyer
By James F. Morrison
1. Captain Samuel Gray’s Company of Boatmen were not part of any regiment as the men were regarded as civilians working for the military in transporting supplies up and down the Mohawk and North Rivers. [Hudson] They were paid more as were teamsters etc. for their services. John’s name as Payer appears on Captain Garret Putman’s Company in Lieutenant-Colonel Marinus Willett’s Regiment of New York State Levies. Also a John Payer is listed as serving as a private in Captain Abraham Needer’s Company in Colonel Frederick Visscher’s Regiment of Tryon County Militia [Third Regiment]. It is probably the same John as Veeder’s Company would have been what is today part of the Towns of Mohawk, Johnstown and the Village of Fonda. This service could have been prior to and after his service in Willett’s.
2. Battle of Johnstown fought on the 25th October 1781.
3. Skirmish at West Canada Creek on the 30th October 1781.
4.The officer’s name was Lieutenant John Ryckman [Rykeman] of the Indian Department. According to all accounts Willett’s men encountered Lt Ryckman’s party first captured, killed or dispersed them. Now Captain Walter Butler’s party became the rear guard.