Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for Adam Casler
W.18868
State of New York
County of Montgomery
On
the 19th day of September 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 Common Pleas of said county now sitting Adam Casler a resident of
the Town of Minden in the county & state aforesaid aged 67 years in October last 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 under the following named officers & served
as hereafter stated.
That in the
year 1781 he resided in Schenectady and on or about the first of April in that
year he enlisted for nine months and entered the service of the United States
in the War of the Revolution under Captain Stephen White (1), Lieut. John
Thornton, Ensign Moore. That after being mustered in the City of Schenectady
the company was then marched to Ballston in the County of Saratoga where they
were kept on duty and scouting from place to place to protect the inhabitants & county
from the mischief & cruelty of the Indians & Tories until about the
last of September following when they were marched to Fort Plain in the County
of Montgomery where they formed a body of men under command of Colo. Marinus
Willett where they remained until the twenty fourth day of October when they
were with the men under Col. Willett’s command marched to Johnstown & on
the day following they met the enemy under command of Colo. Walter Butler (2)
and Major Ross, fought the Johnstown Battle defeated & drove the enemy,
that they pursued Butler with the men he had with him westward to the West Canada
Creek where Butler (3) was killed after which they returned to Fort Plain remained
there until in the month of December when they were marched to Fort Dayton in
Herkimer County where they continued in service until the first of Jan. [1782]
when they were discharged & he in three days thereafter reached his residence
in the City of Schenectady, the place of his enlistment. (4)
And that
He has no documentary evidence of his services. That he was born in the Town
of Herkimer in the County of Herkimer in the State of New York in October 1764.
That he has
no proof of his age. That he was living in the City & County of Schenectady
when called into service but lived since the Revolutionary War & now lives
in the Town of Minden, County & state aforesaid.
That he
entered the service enlisting as above stated.
That he cannot
state the names of officers with troops Continental & Militia Regiments
or the general circumstances of his services other than as he has above stated
the same.
And that
he never received a written discharge.
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. (Signed with his mark) Adam Casler
Sworn and
subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Geo. D. Ferguson, Clerk
State of New York
Montgomery County
John A.
Casler of the Town of Minden in said County being further duly sworn doth declare & say
that he is one of the sons and the administrator of the Estate of Maria Casler
widow of Adam Casler, Deceased.
That said
Adam Casler was at the time of his death a pensioner of the United States,
as deponent understood and believes at the rate of $30 per annum under the
Acts of Congress passed 7th June 1832 and that he died on the 20th March 1845,
leaving a widow Maria Casler, him surviving.
That said
Maria Casler was also a pensioner of the United States at first at the rate
of $26.32 per annum which was afterwards increased to $30 per annum. That
she departed this life on the twenty fourth day of September 1848 leaving her
surviving several children as particularly certified to by the surrogate of
said county whose certificate accompanies this declaration and affidavit.
That the
services in the War of the Revolution which said Adam Casler was pensioned
for, was rendered in and with the New York States troops (5) of Levies, that
he also served in the Company of Batteauxmen commanded by Captain Samuel Gray
for the term of at least nine months for which last named service no pension
was awarded. (These men were considered “private contractors” and
not in service to the United States.”
This deponent
has given an affidavit stating the services of his father in said company of
Batteaumen and would now say in addition that the tradition of said service
is clear and distinct in the mind of this deponent and that he has heard this
same repeated again and again, and many years ago that among other particular
facts bearing upon the subject he well recollects that Nicholas Kasler uncle
of this deponent received a full pension for his services in the War of the
Revolution and part of his services for which he was thus pensioned was rendered
in said company of Batteauman.
That this
deponent heard said Nicholas represent to his father the said Adam the last
named fact and enquired of said Adam why he had not applied to have his pension
increased on account of said Batteaux services. & this said Adam
replied thereto that he was told that said Batteau services was not deemed
military within the meaning of the said act & therefore he had not thought
it of any use to apply for aforesaid. That the widow of Peter Sitts as
deponent has been credibly informed & believes has been pensioned for such
Batteau service and that he this deponent distinctly heard said Nicholas Kasler
say that he & the said Adam Kasler served in the same company of Batteau
men together to wit, the company of said Samuel Gray. Uriah Smith, John
Potter and John Casler and others have testified to the identity of his father
the said Adam Casler as the same person who served with Nicholas Kasler, Peter
Sitts and others in the said company of Captain Samuel Gray.
And this
declarant now hereby opens this claim of said Adam from the 4th March 1831
under said act of 1832 to the tenth day of March 1845 when he died, for an
increase of his stipend by reason of said Batteau services and also from the
20th day of March 1845 to the 24th September 1848 when his widow the said Maria
Casler died, for the like increase of their stipend under the Acts of Congress
passed 17th June 1844 and 2nd February 1848. (Signed) John Kesslar
Subscribed & sworn this third day of March 1852. Jacob Graff Justice
of the Peace
[Adam’s widow made a declaration before Judge John Darrow on the 20th May 1847. She was living in the Town of Minden, Montgomery County and 81 years of age. Most of this declaration is covered by her late husband’s earlier declaration and her sons (John) later declaration which gives the dates of Maria’s and Adam’s death. As part of Maria’s declaration she had obtained an affidavit for her marriage to Adam and that has been included with this file for genealogical purposes and to give a history of the custody of the Dutch Reformed Book or marriages.]
State of New York
Herkimer County
Abraham
G. Rosencrants of the Town of Little Falls County and State aforesaid aged
42 years and deponent being duly sworn according to law deposeth and says that
he has in his possession the Ancient Record of Marriages which he has always
understood and believes was solemnized by his grandfather the Revd Abraham
Rosencrantz who was the only Pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church in this vicinity,
that he has this day Examined said record and finds recorded under the running
head of marriages the name of Adam Kesslar and Maria Sitz which took place
on the second day of October in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty
seven. Except the date which is exposed on said Record in fair legible
figures and follows vizi
“1787
2 Octobr Adam Kesslar and Maria Sitz. Subscribed & Sworn to this
22d day of March 1847 before Henry Thompson Justice of the Peace.”
End Notes