Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for Gideon Elliot
W4189
Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832
State of New York
Montgomery County.
On this twenty ninth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two—personally appeared before me Henry I. Diefendorf a Judge of the Common Pleas Court in & for said county being a Court of Record.
Gideon Elliot a resident of the town of Canajoharie in the County of Montgomery—State of New York aged sixty nine 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 wherein stated—to wit—
The deponent enlisted in the Town of Florida, County of Montgomery & State of New York; which was then called Warrens Bush in Tryon County & State aforesaid where he then resided in a company Commanded by a Captain by the name of Ephraim Eaton, who had then no commission but had the promise of one in case he enlisted a certain number of men. Deponent enlisted in said company on or about the first of April 1781, for three years.
Said Eaton did not fill his company but marched the troops which he had enlisted to Saratoga a distance of about 40 miles when he was mustered and transferred to a company Commanded by one Capt. Silas Gray, but whether Capt. Gray's Company was in McKinstry's (or [John] McKinster's) or Willett's Reg't, deponent is not quite certain. Remained at Saratoga doing duty as a private soldier in said company until early in the fall of 1781 when he was ordered & marched to Fort Plain on the Mohawk River, a distance of 50 miles from Saratoga.
Deponent was then attached to a Company Commanded by a Capt. (deponent thinks Thomas) Skinner, in Col. M. Willet's Reg't, then commanding on the Mohawk. Deponent served at Fort Plain until the troops were called to Johnstown in the month of Oct. of 1781 when a battle was fought with the Tories, Indians & British troops under the Command of Ross, Butler & Brant. Deponent was in the whole & hottest of the battle.
In the following spring deponent was transferred or attached to a Capt. Parsey or Percy's Company, Lieutenant Thumper & Richardson in Col. Willett's Reg't, and remained in that company & reg't, served until the same was disbanded in January 1784, after the peace.
Deponent spent his time in the service under the last mentioned Capt. most of the time at Fort Plain, Fort Hunter, Fort Dayton, Fort Herkimer and a part of the time at Johnstown. The reg't had notice that they were to be discharged at Fort Plain. They marched to Schenectady & were then discharged.
Deponent states in further explanation, that he was at his father's house when he had a notice of his discharge which was on the Mohawk River Road. To wit:--After Gen'l Washington's Army was disbanded, deponent thinks in Sept. 1783, Gen'l Washington, a Col. Humphrey & other Continental officers came up the river to Fort Stanwix & where deponent's company was, at Fort Herkimer, below.
Dependants Orderly Sergeant informed deponent he was selected to bail out the boat to carry the general & his suite down the river to Schenectady which deponent did & helped row the boat to Schenectady. When bailing out said boat he found a silver spur which was found to belong to Col. Humphrey. Deponent returned the spur to its owner and Gen'l Washington on inquiring who had found it being informed, remarked, “he must have been one honest lad or you would never have got your spur.” On arriving at Schenectady with the General's suite, which was a very labourious task, deponent was selected by his Col. Willett (who accompanied them down) to carry a package of letters back to Fort Plain where the troops were stationed. On his return back with the letters & before he arrived at his father's house which was on the way, deponent was taken sick with an inflammation in the head or brain &remained sick until he had notice of his discharge. His letters were called for by his lieutenant who had notice of his illness & carried on. Deponent says the whole of his service was among the troops which were called the New York State Troops.
Deponent was acquainted with Capt. Andrew Moody of the Artillery, Capt. Joseph Harrison & Capt. [James] Cannon of Willett's Reg't.
On the 8 th of February either of 1782 or of 1783, deponent with the whole of Col. Willett's Reg't were ordered out to go to Fort Oswego, near Lake Ontario, a distance of more than 100 miles. They marched. This was design as a secret expedition. The weather was severe, the snow very deep. They had 100 pressed teams, went through, where Utica, Whitesborough & Rome now are, thence to the Wood Creek to the head of Oneida Lake. Then in the dead of night after having traveled all day the troops where all loaded onto sleighs & crossed the lake on the ice in the night, a distance 36 miles. In the morning they left the sleighs & marched all the next day, the design of the Col. Was to reach the fort at dawn of day the next morning. He however failed. Was an hour too late & returned to the sleighs & then to Fort Plain again. The expedition failed, many of the soldier's frose. They fed on their return on the bones which they had picked and thrown away on their way up.
Deponant has no documentary evidence no in his possession & knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his services except Doctor Amos Hamlin of the town of Durham, County of Green & State of New York whose affidavit is hereto annexed.
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) Gideon Eliot
Sworn & Subscribed the day & year aforesaid before me. Henry I. Dievendorph a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for Montgomery County.
NOTES:
Samuel Hubbs testifies to the Eaton recruiting and seeing Gideon at the Johnstown Battle. Samuel was in Putman's Company.
Ephraim Eaton was in Cap. Wright's Company per Willett's Order Book, Aug. 7, 1781. Gideon does not appear on any muster roll for 1781, but according to records, he was mustered in on Sept. 14, 1781. Eaton was then in Capt. Skinner's Co. per his pay roll for 1781. Skinner's two Lieuts, Solomon Woodworth and Richard Randolph Wilson were raising a ranger company and both were killed on Sept. 7, 1781. Therefore, Eaton if with Wright's Co. he did not stay long as Lieut. Pliney Moore replaces him in that Co. (Wright's), no wonder no one knows who they are serving under or with.
Description Book No 4 Doc No. 11105 NYSL
State of New York
County of Tryon
Town, where born (blank)
Residence: New York, Tryon County Warrensbush
Occupation: Farmer
Age: 20
Size 5ft 6 in.
Complexion: Black
Hair: Black
Eyes: Gray
Term: 3 yrs
By Whom: Lt. Hubble
Date of Enlistment 14 Sept 1781
A Return of Recruits Enlisted
Gideon Elliot, 14 Sept 1781 Lieut Hubbell 3 yrs.
Revolutionary War Rolls, Series M-246 Roll 78, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Payroll Time For Capt Jonathan Pearce's Company 1783 Revolutionary War Rolls-Roll 78
(Pvt.) Gideon Elliot
Amt of Service 10 (mos) 22 (days)
Amt of Pay 71 (dollars 90 th / 50
Sums received
26 (Dollars) 90 th / 60
Balance Due
44 (Dollars) 90 th / 80
Causalities
Exchanged for Johoikim Race
This means he was discharged before Jan 1784, he would be discharged on Oct. 22, 1783. He obtained Race as his substitute maybe because he was sick. Ace served until Jan. 1, 1784
Gideon's father was Andrew. Gideon married Hannah Lombard in Mededith, Delaware County, NY on October 23, 1835. Gideon died on December 13 or 15, 1840 in the Village of Ames, Town of Canajoharie, Montgomery County, N.Y.