Pension Application

Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for Asa Camp, Sergeant

State of New York
Tioga County

S.22673
            On this 20th day of November 1832, personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Oyer and Terminar holden at the once? in Owego in & for the said County of Tioga and now in person Asa Camp a resident of Owego in the County of Tioga and State of New York aged seventy-four 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.
            In the year 1775 He enlisted at South Brinsfield, Springfield County, Massachusetts under Captain Walbridge (1) for a term of eight months. The company was attached to the regiment commanded by Colonel David Brewer. He saw the Battle of Bunkershill. (2)
            After his discharge which was at the end of the eight months, and in the year 1776 at Brinsfield before mentioned he enlisted and for four months in a company attached to the regiment and commanded by Colonel Holman. The names of the company officers he has forgotten. He marched to New York and was engaged in the Battle at White Plains. (3) At the end of the four months he was discharged and went to Boston whereby went on board an armed vessel called the Revenge commanded by Captain Freeman. This was in 1777.
            Off the banks of Newfoundland they were engaged by a British vessel which they escaped after a severe battle and arrived at Martinique. Where they took in a cargo of cannon and balls and tools for intrenching.
            On their return voyage the vessel was captured by the British and carried with its crew first to the island of Turtola, and afterwards to New York from whence he made his escape and returned home, having been absent for seven months. He then enlisted for three months to go to Bristol to guard that place. There was but a single company there & he has forgotten the names of the officers.(4)
            On the year 1778 he removed into the State of New York, to the County of Albany (then) and the Town of New Concord where he enlisted for a term of nine months into a company attached to the regiment of Colonel Courtlandt of the Continental Line, the major’s name was Fish. (5) He has forgotten the names of the Company Officers. He joined the Regiment at Valley Forge in the State of Pennsylvania. After serving with him the nine months, he returned to New Concord and there in 1779 enlisted under Captain Allen for nine months. The company was attached to the regiment of Col. John Harper from which he received a warrant as the Orderly or first Sergeant of Captain Allen’s (6) Company, which post he continued to hold during the nine months for which he enlisted.
            That the regiment marched to the German Flatts on the Mohawk River. That he was sent with a Corporal and twelve men to Germantown to take command of a picket fort there, which he thinks was called Fort Frederick. (7) That while there the fort was demanded by a party of Tories and Indians who were however without artillery. He replied to them that there were Yankees in the fort and if they got it, they would get it by the hardest That an attack was made by them on the fort, which was resisted by his party until the enemy desisted and left the place. That he understood from a deserter after the battle that the party of assailants numbered two hundred and fifty of whom the little garrison killed nine & wounded thirteen.
            In the year 1780 he enlisted for nine months under Capt. Funday (Fonda) whose company was attached to a regiment commanded by Colonel Willett. He received from the Colonel a Sergeant’s warrant and served under his command five month when a division of the company took place and he was attached to a company in the Regiment of Col. Wisenfell called the 4th New York Regiment (8) and there being no sergeant’s post vacant in the company he acted as a corporal during the remainder of the nine months during which time Major Andresthe British spy was convicted and he commanded the guard or party which dug the grave of the officer.
            Beside the regiments and officers already mentioned he was acquainted with the 1st of New York Regiment under the command of Colonel Van Schaick. He received a written discharge in two instances, one of them from Col. Courtland both of which are lost. He has also lost his warrants appointing him to be sergeant as aforestated they having probably been destroyed by his grand children.
            He was born at Rehoboth in Massachusetts on the 14th day of September in 1759. He has always since his recollection understood he has no proof of his age. He has lived in the State of New York since the War of the Revolution and for the last 45 years has resided in the Town of Owego in Tioga aforesaid where he now resides. He is known to Elezar Danke, John R. Drake, John Hollensack, and Charles Brumsilly in his present neighborhood and who can testify as to his character for veracity and their believe in his services as a solder of the Revolution.
            He has no documentary evidence & knows of no person whose evidence he can procure who can testify to this service.
            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 Asa Camp.
            Sworn & subscribed this 20th day of November 1832 Green M. Tuthill clk

The following letter was included in the pension application.
September 17, 1936
Marion B. Brown
912 Fifth Avenue
New York City, New York
Dear Madam:
            Reference is made to your letter in which you request information regarding your ancestor, Asa Camp, who served in the New York Regiments, and received a pension.
            The dates which follow were found in pension claim S. 22673, based upon service of Asa Camp in the Revolutionary War.
            Asa Camp was born September 14, 1759 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts; the names of his parents were not given.
            While a resident of South Brimfield, Massachusetts, he enlisted early in 1775 and served eight months as private in Captain Walbridge’s company, Colonel David Brewer’s Massachusetts Regiment; he enlisted in 1776, served four months as private in Colonel Holmans’ Massachusetts Regiment, name of his captain not given, during which he was in the battle of White Plains. He went then to Boston, shipped in 1777, on the armed vessel, “Revenge”. Captain Freeman, was in an engagement off the banks of Newfoundland with a British vessel from which they escaped, but were captured on their return from Martinique, carried to “Turtola” Island and to New York, where he made his escape, length of this service seven months. He served next three months guarding Bristol, names of officers not given. In the year 1778, Asa Camp moved to New Concord, Albany County, New York; he enlisted and served nine months as private in Colonel Cortland’s New York Regiment, a part of the Time at Valley Forge and afterwards, at Rochester, New York. He enlisted in 1780, served as orderly sergeant and corporal in Captain Allen’s Company, Colonel John Harper’s and Weisenfels’ New York Regiment, was in command at Fort Frederick on the Mohawk River when it was attacked by a party of Indians, and commanded the guard that dug Major Andre’s grave. He enlisted in 1782, and served nine months as private in Captain Fonda’s Company, Colonel Willett’s New York Regiment.
            After the Revolutionary War, Asa Camp continued to reside in New York State.
            He was allowed pension on his application executed November 20, 1832 at which time he resided in Oswego, Tioga County, New York; he stated then that he had resided in that county forty-five years. The soldier made no references to wife or children, he referred to grand-children, but did not give any names.
            In order to obtain the date of the last payment of pension, name of person paid, and possibly the date of death of Asa Camp, you should apply to The Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and cite the following:
Asa Camp
Certificate #28871
Issued August 12, 1834
Rate $90.59 per annum
Commended March 4, 1831.
Act of June 7, 1832
New York Agency
Very truly yours,
A.D. Miller,
Executive Assistant To the Administrator

End Notes for Asa Camp S.22673
By James F. Morrison

Captain Amos Walbridge.
Battle of Bunker Hill [Breed’s Hill] was fought on the 17th June 1775.
Battle of White Plains, NY was fought on 28 October 1776.
Captain Benjamin Leffingwell.
Major Nicholas Fish of the Second New York Continental Regiment. Asa enlisted 5 March 1778 and he was discharged 8 February 1779. The colonel was Philip Van Cortlandt.
Asa is wrong about the year. It was 1780 when Colonel John Harper’s Regiment of New York State Levies was raised for the defence of the Western Frontiers. The Captain was Lathrop Allen.
Asa is speaking of New Germantown in present Town of Schuyler, Herkimer County. This is the only time I have ever seen a name given to this fort other than Fort Germantown or Fort New Petersburgh.
On July 10, 1780 Asa enlisted as a corporal in Captain Jonathan Titus’ Company of the Fourth New York Continental Regiment. He was discharged on the 15 December 1780. Asa again has his facts wrong as Colonel Marinus Willett’s Regiment of New York State Levies was not formed until 1781. However he actually enlisted in 1782 in Captain Guy Young’s Company in Colonel Willett’s Regiment. When Captain Young retired in November, Lieutenant Joel Gillett was promoted to captain.