Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for Benjamin Sammons
S.11345
State of New York
Montgomery County SS
On this 19th day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and thirty two personally appeared in open court before the Court of Common
Pleas of the County of Montgomery now sitting Benjamin Sammons, a resident
of the Town of Johnstown in the County of Montgomery and State of New York
aged seventy three years on the fifth day of December last past, who being
first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath, make the following declarations
in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named
officers and served as herein stated: In the year 1776, in the month of November
he went out to Albany Bush, in Tryon County under Captain John Davis belonging
to Frederick Fisher’s Regiment and was out three days.
He was out in the same month 2 days under the command of Major Giles Fonda.
In the year 1776 the 7th of January in the 7th of January he was ordered out by Captain John Davis, belonging to Fisher’s Regiment and was out at this time 10 days.
In the month of May the day he cannot state, in the year 1777, year applicant served in a detachment of Albany Militia, who were ordered out by General Schuyler, to go to Lake George this detachment was commanded by Col. Cuyler, to the company to which your applicant belonged was commanded by Capt Nicholas Marselis. We went to the place where they were ordered to go and was out one month and does not recollect the particular time when discharged.
In July of the same year he served under the above mentioned officers, at Fort George, on month longer. He again during the summer and fall of that year served five weeks under the same officers as above stated.
In November of the same year he again went out under Nicholas Marselis Captain and carried 104 British prisoners from Albany to Hartford and was out at this time 20 days.
In the month of March in the year 1777, he drafted for nine months in the Company of Captaion Stanten, Henry Pawling and Levi DeWitt, Lieutenants; belonging to Col Albert Pawlings Regiment, Elias Van Ben Scouten, 1st Major Channoult, 2nd Major. We went from Shawangunk, Ulster County, State of New York to Fort Shamdawn Ulster County.
He served then at that place two or three months from thence to a place called Aquago and from there again to Stoney Point ?? on the North River or Hudson below the highland whence they went by an order of General George Washington to rebuild the fort at that place that he served the full term of nine months but does not recollect the particular time he was discharged and was discharged at the latter place.
Your applicant says that in the month of May in the year 1780 he served 10 days in an expedition with the whole of the Albany Militia under Captain Marselis belonging to Col. Cuyler’s Regiment, that he went from Albany to Fort Hunter on the Mohawk River, then Tryon County now Montgomery County and State of New York.
Your applicant says that in July of the same year he went out on an other expedition under the same officers last aforesaid and went from Albany to Fort Plain along the Mohawk River, this was at the time that the place was burned and destroyed by the enemy.
Given applicant says that he was out on the expedition under the same officers as above stated and went from Albany to a place called the German Flatts, Herkimer. They had at this time an engagement with the enemy at Col. Clock’s at a place now called Oppenhiem (Battle of Klock’s Field) Montgomery County. He was out at this time twenty days.
Your applicant says that during the ?? of the winter they had and kept a Continental
Store House at the City of Albany, which our people was compelled to guard,
that he was obliged as one of the Militia of that city to turn out every other
night and keep guard of the stores kept in the Continental Store House, when
he was out on those expeditions above stated, he was charged and served as
such guard, during the first five years of the Revolution, except the times
as above stated, at smallest calculations at least one month in each year,
making in all five months.
That when he was out and did serve he was under the officer last above mentioned.
He said he served in all 20 months and no longer. He has no documentary evidence
of his service. He knows of no person of whom he is able to prove all this
service.
He had no documentary evidence of his services.
He was born in Shawangunk, Ulster County, State of New York in the year 1758. He has no proof of his age.
He resided at Shawangunk and Albany and Johnstown, Montgomery, when called into service and he has lived since the Revolution in Johnstown, Montgomery County.
He is acquainted with the following persons residing in his neighborhood who can testify as to his character for which they verily and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution.
(Rev. Abraham Van Horn, William Wallace)
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension except the present and declares that his name is not in the pension roll of the agency of any state.
Sworn and subscribed to the day and year aforesaid.
(His Mark) Benjamin Sammons
Geo. D. Ferguson, Clerk.
November 1, 1935
Mrs.
E. Middleton
2826 Prince Street
Conway, Arkansas
Dear
Madam:
Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War
records of James Davis, of North Carolina or Virginia, who married Miss Tyner
and died prior to September 3, 1850; James Sammons and Benjamin Sammons of
New York.
A search of the Revolutionary War records has been made and no record could be identified as that of the James Davis in which you are interested and there is no claim for pension or bounty land on file on account of the services of a James Sammons. Such claims are the source of the date furnished by this office.
It is suggested that as a possible means of obtaining information in regard to the military service of those soldiers, you apply to the Adjutant General, War Department, this city, who is custodian of military records.
The record of Benjamin Sammons has been found and is given herein, the data for which were obtained from the papers on file in Revolutionary War pension claim, S. 11345, based upon the military service in that war of said Benjamin Sammons.
Benjamin Sammons was born December 5, 1758, in Shawangunk, Ulster County, New York. The names of his parents are not shown.
While residing in said Shawangunk, Benjamin Sammons enlisted in 1775, served in that year and in 1776 and 1777, on short tours under Captains John Davis and Nicholas Marselius, Major Giles (Jellies) Fonda, Colonels Frederick Fisher and Abraham Cuyler in the New York Troops; he enlisted in March or April, 1779, served as a private in Captain Robert Hunter’s Company, Colonel Albert Pawling’s New York Regiment; length of this service, nine months: in 1780, he again served on short tours under Captain Marselius and Colonel Cuyler in the New York Troops and was in a small engagement at Colonel Klock’s at a place which was latter called Oppenheim, in Montgomery County, New York. He stated that during five years of the Revolution, when not out on regular tours, he acted as a guard for the Continental Store House at Albany, New York, which service amounted to at least one month in each year and that his entire service amounted to twenty months.
Benjamin Sammons was allowed pension of his application executed September 19, 1832, while residing in Johnstown, Montgomery County, New York.
It is not stated that soldier was ever married.
In 1832, Cornelius Sammons, then a resident of Springfield, Otsego County, New York, stated that he was a cousin of the soldier, Benjamin Sammons.
In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, the name and address of person paid and possibility the date of death of the Revolutionary War pensioner, Benjamin Sammons (S.11345), you should address the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and cite the following data:
Benjamin Sammons, Certificate No. 24094, issued October 30, 1833, rate $43.44 per annum, commenced March 4, 1831, Act of June 7, 1833, New York Agency.
Very truly yours,
AD Hiller
Executive Assistant to the Administrator.