Lawrence Hilts (Hiltz)

S9352
State of New York
County of Onondaga SS

On this 27th day of January 1851 personally appeared in open court before the Court of Onondaga County now sitting Lawrence Hiltz and Christian Hiltz residents of the Town of DeWitt in the County of Onondaga, and state aforesaid, the only heirs at Law of Lawrence Hiltz deceased who being duly sworn according to law each on his oath makes the following declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.

That they are the only children of Lawrence Hiltz deceased. That said Lawrence Hiltz is sixty –seven years old and the said Christian Hiltz is sixty-four years old. That their father Lawrence Hiltz resided from the first of their recollection in the Town of Deerfield State of New York and from there he removed to the Town of Sullivan, state aforesaid and from the last place he removed to the Town of Manlius, Onondaga County state aforesaid and lived there until the year 1811 when he removed to the township of Markham in the home district in the Province of Canada.

That Lawrence Hiltz one of the deponents says that he lived with his father in Markham Canada until his death that he died in the month of November 1836 and he believes about the 15th that he was present when he died and was at his funeral and saw him buried. That their mother the wife of said Lawrence Hiltz died in the year 1833 before their father and that he left no widow at the time of his decease.

That their said father served as a soldier of the United States in the War of the Revolution that he served in said war nine months as a private soldier in Captain McKean’s Company (1) and Col. Henry Van Rensselaer’s Regiment (2) of the New York Militia that the service was performed on the Mohawk River and he was discharged at a place called German Flatts said services were performed after the Battle of Oriskany that they cannot find any certificate of discharge of said Lawrence Hiltz or other documentary evidence is in the possession of the deponents that they are well acquainted with Jacob Shaver, Godfrey Hiltz, Mary Hiltz, Jacob Hauser, John Temple, Catharine Reals whose affidavit hereto attached. That they are persons of good moral character.

That their father left the United States in 1811 for Canada and that there is no clergyman living that they can find who was acquainted with him where he lived in this country and they further state that they hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present that their said father died on or about the 15th day of November 1836.

That he had therefore due him at his death and which is now claimed under the law arrears of his pension from the 4th March 1831 to the 15th November 1836, the date of his death according to the rate of his service that he never in his life since applied for the pension to which he was entitled and for which this is an application and that therefore his name cannot be on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

(Signed) by Christian Hilts
(Signed with his mark) Laurence Hiltz

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid Joraels [?] Spencer Judge of Onondaga County Court.

State of New York
County of Onondaga

Jacob Houser (3) of the Town of Pompey in the County of Onondaga and State of New York being duly sworn says that he is eighty one years of age, that at the age of twelve years he resided at what is called Old Fort Herkimer on the Mohawk River and when about 13 years old was taken prisoner and carried away among the Indians that on his return in the year 1786 he found his mother married to Lawrence Hilts who then resided at Deerfield in the County of Herkimer.

That deponent lived with said Hilts and his mother about three months that it was then told him that said Lawrence Hilts had been in the service on the Mohawk in the Revolutionary War and deponent has been acquainted with said Lawrence Hilts until his removal into Canada.

That said Lawrence removed from Deerfield to near Chittenango now Madison County in the State of New York about the year 1800 and deponent soon after removed to Manlius in the County of Onondaga in which county he has resided ever since being about fort-eight years.

That when deponent returned from his imprisonment in 1786 Lawrence Hilts, Jr. and Christian Hilts the persons who made the application for the pension due to Lawrence Hilts their father were little children, one of them an infant and lived with said Lawrence Hilts in his family & were reputed to be his children till he removed to near Chittenango and to Manlius and until they married and that deponent has known them ever since.

(Signed) Jacob Houser

Subscribed & sworn before me this 5th day of September A.C. 1848 U. W. Smith Clerk

End Notes for Lawrence Hilts-S9352
by James F. Morrison

1. Robert McKean was a captain in 1779 in Col. Henry K. Van Renesslaer's Regiment of New York State Levies. They were stationed at Fort Dayton and a blockhouse they named Fort Mike.

2. There is another enlistment for Lawrence Hilts [Hills, Hiltz and also called Kilts]. In Captain John Breadbakes Company of Rangers [Col. Morris Graham's Regt] listed as a private. Series M. 246, Roll 74, Revolutionary War Rolls 1775-1783, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Lawrence Hilts appears in Captain Samuel Gray's Company of Bateaumen [Boatmen] for 1780.

He enlisted on 20 February 1780 and served 9 days. He was paid £21..12..0. This would not count toward his military service as boatmen, teamsters and artificers were considered civilian jobs and the men were paid a higher wage for their service.

The pay roll was on Roll 122, Revolutionary War Rolls 1775-1783, Series M. 246, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

3. Probably Hyser/Hiser, etc. His father may have been Mathias Hyser in Captain Henry Staring's Company in Col. Peter Bellinger's Regiment of Tryon County Militia [Fourth Regiment]. There was a Martinus Hiser that also served in Captain Bradbake's Company in 1778.