Morrison's Pensions


Isaac Mason

W 6799
State of Pennsylvania
County of Crawford
On this thirteenth day of April A. D. one thousand eight hundred and thirty three, personally appeared Isaac Mason in Open Court before the honorable Henry Shippero? and Stephen Barlow, now composing and holding a Court of Common Pleas, at Menaille? In and for the County of Crawford who being first and duly sworn according to law on his oath makes the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832, he the said Isaac Mason, being a resident of the township of (can’t read) in the county and state aforesaid.

That he enlisted the service of the United States in the year that Cornwallis surrendered as a volunteer together with his father and two brothers. Our house and property had been burnt by the Indians and Tories sometime previously he volunteered himself in Captain Putnam’s Company of New York Militia, Wm. Wallace was Lieutenant and on the May 1, 1781 entered the service at Johnstown, in the garrison or Stone Fort, being the county jail fitted up for that purpose. Major Little was called to the garrison, Major, and ??? in the fort. Col. Vader who resided near Johnstown also commanded. There was also a Major Scoutor, Col. Willett had the chief command, he commanded the forces from Fort Stanwix to Schenectady, the performance constant duty, on guard and on scouts.

On 22nd day of October which date he marked on a tree and saw many years after, the whole force of the county was called out under Col. Willett, to oppose Major Ross and Captain Butler and a party of British and Indians. There were somewhere about 400 men of all conscription under Col. Willett, we left the garrison in search of the enemy laving eleven men to take care of the fort, we missed the enemy who took a road by Lipis Hill and surprised the town and garrison and we attacked but were repulsed with the cannon. The force under Col. Willett, came up, the British and Indians formed in a field, Willett advanced to about 8 rods of them under their fire and then fired, charged and broke their lines, they retreated, formed again, broke our line and took our cannon. Lieutenant Wallace commanded, the youngest of us, among those deponent was, we formed in the line, the cannon was retook, the British retreated and were pursued about 8 miles. We took about 40 prisoners, Lieut. Wallace commanded about 40 persons most of whom were under 16 years of age. Several of whom were killed, deponent was constantly on duty not less than six months, after which and during the winter we kept garrison by turns, deponent served a week after intervals of these weeks during the winter making one third of the time about the 1st of April.

He began to go again on duty constantly in the next year, and continued till abt. November under the same officers except Capt Wemp commanded the company. We were often on scouts and once deponent and several others found a family scalped by the Indians whom we buried. During the summer a small party of British Rangers and Indians attacked the picket around the fort and killed some of them.

We were called out, but they were drove off by some of our men who were garrisoned in the meeting house, during the winter deponent was in the garrison on duty occasionally during the preceding winter and was discharged in May following about two years after he first entered the service, according to the best of his recollection he would sum up the period of his service as following from 1st May to 1st November, 6 months from 1st Nov. to 1st April one third of time, 7 weeks, from April 1 to November, 7 months, from November to May one third of time, 2 months, in all 16 months and three weeks for which claims a pension.

He was born 4th April 1767 in Somerset County New Jersey and was about fourteen years of age when he entered the service. He has no record of his all, all books, papers and documents were destroyed when his father’s house was burned during the war. He lived in Johnstown when called into service, after wards he resided for about 21 years in Ontario County New York from then he removed to this county (Crawford) about 15 years ago. He cannot describe any other Continental or Militia Regiment except as above stated. Col. Reed of New Hampshire passed through Johnstown on his way to the upper forts and stayed a few days in the garrison, Capt. Carr of ___ and some other officers, not recollected, with 50 or 60 men, remained a month or two at the garrison in Johnstown, they were going to the upper forts, he cannot recollect the names of any other officers, either of the regular troops or militia. He never received a written discharge and has no documentary evidence of any kind, his brother Wm Mason now living can testify as to deponent’s services, he is acquainted with Mathew Clark and William Cook who have been his neighbors for many years, who can testify as to his character and his reputation as a soldier, he is not acquainted with any clergyman who can testify as none has resided in his neighborhood.

He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present and declares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

(Signed) Isaac Mason

He also served in the War of 1812, enlisted at Sodus Point, New York and served from June 14, 1813 to July 8, 1813 as private in Captain Hall’s Company of New York Militia.

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