Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for John J. Failing

He applied for a pension on the 21st day of September 1832.  He states he is a resident of the  Town of Oppenheim and lives in the county of Montgomery and state of New York, aged either 66 or 67 years who being who being first duly sworn deponent said, that the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7th 1832 is thus. 

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. 

That he entered the service of the United States on or about the first day of May in the year 1781 under the command of Colonel Jacob Klock, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Waggoner, in Captain Christian House’s company, the officers of Captain House’s company were Lieutenant John Timmerman, Ensign Henry Timmerman, Orderly Sergeant, Conradt Timmerman, doesn’t recall the other officer’s names. 

That he entered as he recalls the first day of May 1781 and in a day or two after was taken prisoner by the British and Indians and caused to go to Ougdensburgh now the County of St. Lawrence, from there he was taken to St. Regis not far from the place called the Hianch Wells. (or maybe French Wells?)  as had an Indian Castle.

That he entered the army in the Town of Palatine so called at that time, now Oppenheim; that he arrived at St. Regis on the Indian Castle on Sunday and on Sunday following the Indians held a counsel over him so see whether it was best to kill him, or save him as a child, as the was informed by one William Grey, a boy the Indians had taken while and kept among them who could talk Indians they concluded to save him because he was a boy.  That the Indians took him, dressed him in Indian clcothes and took him back to Ogdensburg from there to Coudon or Carlton Island.

That while he was at the last mentioned place, Maj’r Ross, a British officer wanted him to list in their service and he told him he would not because his father was a man for his country and his brothers fought against the king, and he would not fight against his country.  They then left him with the Indians at the place last aforesaid, that the Indians went then into the forest and what length of time they remained in the woods, he couldn’t state and returned to the same place, and then back again to Augadensburgh (which I think is Ogdensburgh) then to St. Regis again and from there to Montreal at which place the Indians sold him to Colonel Campbell a British officer.  This was in the fall of the year.

That he remained at Montreal with the British until the fall of 1782, over one year. 

That in the fall of 1782 he was permitted to return home to Oppenheim then called Blentine?, that on his way home he and others after the British had brought them to WhiteHall they (the British) made them sign a parole before they could be permitted to go home.

There were about one hundred and seventy prisoner liberated at that time and in the same way it was late in the fall when he got home. 

That he was a volunteer.

That he was a prisoner and in the service from the time he first entered tillhe returned home from Montreal, either eighteen or nineteen months.

That he has no  ? evidence and that he knows no person who can testify to his services but Henry Flander and Jacob K. Failing.  That he has no report of his age but an entry made by himself.  I hereby relinquish every claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declare that my name is not on the known agency of any state. 

John D Failing

Substantiated and Sworn to the day and year.

We: Jacob K. Failing and Henry Flander

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