Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for Jeremiah Mason
R.6996
War Department
Pension Office
Dec 12, 1832
Sir
The papers
transmitted by you in support of your claim to a pension under the act of 7
June 1832 have been examined. In your declaration you allege that you
enlisted in 1780 and served 2 ½ or 3 years in Col Willett’s regt,
having previous to that time performed military service upon emergency. The
account of your age made you 13 in 1780. (1) No boy at that age could
perform military duty in the ranks and the regulations respecting enlistments
forbid the reception of such. Your claim is therefore rejected and your
papers retained on file.
TO: Mr. Jeremiah Mason, Johnstown
State of New York
Montgomery County
On the 21st
day of September personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the
Court of Common Pleas now sitting Jeremiah Mason a resident in the Town of
Johnstown and County of Montgomery and State of New York who aged 66 years
the first day of May next, 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.
The following
named officers and the time he entered the service of the United States is
hereby fully stated and set forth.
That he
entered the service in the year 1780 as was as he can recollect in the month
of May the day he cannot state.
That he
was enrolled in Captain Tierce’s Company. (2) The other officers of the
company does not recollect. That during the time he served, there were
several field officers who had the command of the Regiment in which he was,
to wit: Colonel Willett, Colonel Levingston, Colonel Deighton, some previous
to his enrollment and some subsequent.
That he
resided at Johnstown during the whole term of the war, and previous to his
being enrolled was called out frequently in case of emergency, and was out
now & then during the whole time of the war until he was enrolled in the
military in 1780.
That his
parents resided in the Town of Johnstown and in the village, and that his father
and brothers were also in the army. (3)
That he
was in the battle fought by Colonel Willett at the Johnson Hall in Johnstown
and was one who helped bury the dead after the battle. That he was in
the regiment that lay at Johnstown from the Spring or month of May 1780 until. [word
is inserted but illegible?] that Major Ross was the British officer who commanded
at Johnstown was the British side when Willett commanded and the battle fought. (4)
That he still remained as a soldier of the said battle until there was ended
and he cannot tell how long it was after the battle he remained in the service
but according to the best of his knowledge thinks that he was in the service,
enrolled about two years and a half or three years, but cannot tell which,
thinks it was not far from that aforesaid time.
That during
the aforesaid time he was frequently and out in scouting parties in search
of Tories and Indians, who were probing around that place and destroying the
inhabitants when and opportunity occurred.
That he
was stationed at Johnstown to defend &protect that place from the enemy. That
some time in the year 1781 or 1782 that news came of peace being had between
British and our people but that it was not very certain, and that they continued
in the service a long time after that on account of the Indians and Tories
frequently returning and attacking the inhabitants. That he volunteered
when he was enrolled.
That he
continued under the captain in whose company he was enrolled until the following
winter 1781, and then the company was commanded by another captain whose name
he does not recollect. That he was under the command of several officers
whose names he does not recollect. That he has no documentary evidence
of his services. That he was born as the thinks in the year 1765 or 1766,
at the County of Summerset, New Jersey. That he has no record of his
age but kept by himself. That he lived in the Town of Johnstown and County
of Tryon (now Montgomery County). (5) That he has lived ever since that time
in the said Town of Johnstown and County of Montgomery. That he never
received a discharge from his services. I hereby relinquish every claim
whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my name
is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
Signed, Jeremiah Mason
Subscribed & sworn
the day & year [torn] written.
Geo. D. Ferguson, Clerk
R6996
Montgomery County SS
William
Wallace, (6) being duly sworn deposeth and saith, that he was an officer in
the Army in the Revolutionary service or War, and that he belonged to the Regiment
that was stationed at Johnstown, and that he was at or about that place during
the Revolution or was part of the time and that Jeremiah Mason, who has subscribed & sworn
to the above declaration, was a soldier in the Revolution and [belonged to
Colonel Livingston’s Regiment a part of the time was crossed out] a militia
man stationed at Johnstown. And this deponent further saith, that he
knows, that the said Jeremiah Mason was in the service at least two years & a
half or three years as stated in his declaration he [?] and hereto annexed,
and this deponent further saith that the said Jeremiah Mason, was frequently
with this deponent on scouting parties. And this deponent further saith
that he was that the said Jeremiah was in the battle fought at Johnston Hall
in Johnstown for he saw him in the battle and gave him orders.
Wm. Wallace
Subscribed & sworn
this day of September 1832 [21]
Geo. D. Ferguson, Clerk
End
Notes
By James F. Morrison