Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for John Reed

S14271
State of New York
Lewis County
            On this twentieth day of September in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open court before the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Lewis now sitting John Reed, a resident of the Town of Lowville in the County of Lewis and state of New York aged seventy years in December 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.
            That in the year 1781(1) he enlisted under Captain Gross in the Regiment of New York State Troops commanded by Colonel Willett, Adjutant Fonda (2) for nine months and served during that period.
            That he entered the service in the spring and was discharged at the expiration of his term of service.  That he was stationed at Fort Plains NY, marched to Fort Stanwix and laboured in repairing the Fort (3) was at Fort Herkimer.
            That from the year 1777 (4) to the year 1782 he served in the New York Militia under Captain Henry Miller, Lieutenant Samuel Van Atten in the regiment commanded by Colonel Clock, several tours every year except the year 1781 when he served in the State Troops above mentioned.
            That he cannot state the time of entering and leaving the service of the length of time he served in each year, but is confident that the whole time he served in the Militia considerably exceeds three months.  That his services in the Militia was rendered on the Mohawk River.  That he marched at one time to Fort Stanwix while serving in the Militia aforesaid.
            That while performing the above services his father and mother (5) were both killed and scalped by the Indians.
            And he further states that he was in the Battle at Johnstown (6) in the year 1781 was also in a Battle at Turlow (7) near Bowman’s Creek was also at West Canada Creek (8) at the time Colonel Butler was killed.
            That he entered the service as a volunteer at all the times above specified.
            That he resided at the time of entering the service in the Town of Palatine Montgomery County New York.  That he has no documentary evidence and knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service.
            He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension rolls of the agency of any state.
John Reed (his mark)
            Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Carles Suvil, Clerk

End Notes for John Reed
By James F. Morrison

  1. John enlisted as a private on 22 May 1781 in Captain Lawrence Gross’ Company in Lieutenant-Colonel Marinus Willett’s Regiment of New York State Levies.  John was discharged on the 31st December 1781.
  2. Lieutenant and Adjutant Jellis A. Fonda
  3. Fort Schuyler was abandoned after a severe flood and fire in May of 1781.  He might be confused as to what year he was sent to repair this particular fort.  The garrison at Fort Schuyler at this would have consisted of the Second New York Continental Regiment and the Second Continental Artillery.
  4. John would have served under Captain Christopher W. Fox in Colonel Jacob Klock’s Regiment of Tryon County Militia [Second Regiment] in 1777 and 1778.  First Lieutenant Henry Miller became captain of this company when Fox was promoted to Major. 
  5. John’s birthday was in December when he could have been 16 years of age which would account for his not being at the Battle of Oriskany on the 6 August 1777.
  6. The Battle of Johnstown was fought on the 25th October 1781.
  7. The Battle of New Dorlach [Turlock etc] was fought on the 10 July 1781.
  8. The skirmish at West Canada Creek where Captain Walter Butler was killed was on the 30 October 1781.

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