Pension Application for Peter P. Suts and Jacob Epply

On the 12^th day of December 1836, County of Montgomery, State of New York, Elizabeth Sutes stated she is the widow of Peter Suits, deceased at the Town of Ephratah of the said county and state aforesaid. She is aged eighty eight years. 

She is appealing for A pension made available by an act of Congress dated July 4^th, 1836.  She states she is the late widow of Peter Suits, deceased who she verily believes was active in the Revolutionary War, that he entered the service of the United States in the year 1775, under the command of Captain Christopher W. Fox and continued in rendering service to the United States under Capt Fox with the Militia until that memorable Battle at Oriskana under the command of Genl Herkimer against part of Genl St. Ledgers Army from Canada, composed of Tories, Indians and some British.

When Capt Fox was seriously wounded his arm shattered by a ball, after which time Lieut Henry Miller succeeded, taking and in having the command of the same company who continued the command from that time, until the conclusion of the Revolutionary War until the year 1783, and that the aforesaid, Peter Suts did render United States service, vigt, the widow, applicant for a pension doth say that her late husband to her certain knowledge did render United State Service from the year 1775,  from year to year annually until the final and end and termination of the aforesaid Revolutionary War.

Claimant further declares and saith that she recollects that the Militia have been called out often and in consequence in the year 1775, yet at Sir John Johnson with his Highlanders and Indians with Tories, who have given those who dare to be suffered Whigs, much trouble in causing many to run during the course of ? years.  Claimant further state that in the year 1776, she believes in January the whole brigade under General Herkimer were joined with General Philip Schuyler with his militia from Albany and Schenectady there stationed for several days at Caughnawaga and from thence under the command of Genl Schuyler marched to Johnstown causing surrender of Sir John Johnson with his associate Tories.

Claimant further saith that in the year 1777 she says that the deceased was ordered out at the time of Oriskany Battle under the command of Genl Herkimer, with the Militia of the whole Brigade, and under the command of Capt Christopher W. Fox who was seriously wounded in battle.  When after Lieut Henry Miller succeeded to the command of said company, and aforesaid considered the Capt of said company and continued as Capt until after the conclusion of the war.

Claimant further states that during the year 1778 many serious occurrences raids fired, the general conflagration at Springfield the raid on both sides of the Mohawk at Herkimer and at Cherry Valley the raids in November, more during burning, scalping and causing general conflagration and the regiment under the command of Colonel Jacob Klock at each and every occurrence ordered out in mass to these places effectively.

The applicant further saith and declares that in the year 1779, sometime in April with the loss of her first husband, Jacob Epply who was killed in an engagement with the Indians, which occurrence claimant beg leave to reserve until after having gone through with her second and late husband relative to the service tendered by him to the United States, the Militia during the course of this year after and frequently were called out on alarm over at the time when the lower fort on the south side of the Mohawk river and fall hill was made desolate by burning, murdering and scalping and prisoners taken by the Indians and Tories from Canada when the whole regiment of Col. Klock’s under the command of Col. Waggoner and Major Fox had and were ordered to march to Herkimer.

Claimant further saith and states that in the year 1780 Capt Miller with his company was ordered to March to Fort Timmerman latter part of February there stationed for two weeks, watching and guarding in rendering garrison duty, first time Jan or Feb and again latter part in March or aforesaid in April. Ordered out under the command of Capt Henry Miller to the then frontier part of Palatine to George Getman there stationed watching and guarding against the incursions of the expected enemy from Canada during the latter part of the winter and forepart in Spring.  Also two weeks stationed at Getman’s.

Claimant further saith that at the time of the general conflagration at Caughnawaga and around and about the same when in May.  All made desolate by Sir John Johnson with his Tory and Indians or incendiary Associates from Canada.  When the Regt of col. Klock, under the immediate command of Lieut Col Peter Waggoner, were marched to the Village of Johnstown where joined under the chief command of Col. John ? then pursuing the enemy.    But all proved futile after they had committed carnal murder, burning and destroying, retreating with a number of prisoners to Canada. 

Same year on the 19^th October again Sir John Johnson with about 1000, composed of Tories and some regular troops besides 500 Indians as we read in history, causing a general desolation all along the Mohawk River at a distance nothing short of twenty miles again commending at Caughnawaga  from there up along the river not omitting that old valuable settlement of Stone Arabia when with some resistance by a sizeable American force under Colonel John Brown, himself with 44 besides himself killed, and several wounded and the old  inhabited places mostly all burnt and destroyed with few exceptions only.

And the applicant further declares and saith that in the year 1781, various occurrences have transpired so that the Militia soldiers having been engaged during the whole season, vizt, forepart in July at the time of Turlough Battle by order of Col. Willett the Regt commanded by Col. Klock the whole regt was ordered out to reinforce Col. Willett but did not arrive until immediately after the battle when the Americans sent the Indians and Tories to flight.

Claimant further declares and saith that latter part in July same year on a Sunday morning the inhabitants in Stone Arabia were repairing to their church the men at the time going in, instead of attending public worship an ??? coming and informing that a strong party of Indians and Tories were encamped at a distance of about six miles distance in the woods near Landman.  As good fortune would have, each and every able bodied soldier in church with his arms ready at the church, left the said church.  Marching on and meeting and taking the enemy, killed their chief warrior and two wounded of which one of them died on their return to Canada as informed afterwards by some of the Tories being present at the time when engaged only one of the Americans wounded.

Applicant further saith that she believes sometime during forepart of October same year, at the time of the general conflagration at and around Fort Timmerman now St. Johnsville, Capt Brant with as saith about 300 Indians and Tories in pursuit of the enemy under Col. Willett during that afternoon and during the whole night and during the greater part of the next day, but Col. Willett disappointed in his pursuit with Col. Klock Regt.

Claimant further says that again at the time of the Battle Col. Klock, Regt at Johnstown under the chief command of Col. Willett against Major Ross and Capt Butler with their incendiaries from Canada, she says on the 25^th day of October under the command of Col. Willett, engaged with all the Militia and Tories against Major Ross and Butler and their incendiaries from Canada, that after a long contest Col. Willett with the Americans won the field of battle, where the day after Col. Willett again pursuing the enemy when claimant believing on the 4^th day the advance guard of Col. Willett met with some straggling parties of the enemy of which some killed and some scalped and some taken prisoner until the enemy had escaped the West Canada Creek then calculating to make a formidable resistance, forming in a line on the west bank of said creek, when Butler was immediately killed by one of our Oneida Indians, saith that he was shot through his head, besides several other killed and a considerable number taken prisoners.

And the applicant further declares and saith that in the year 1782 that many occurrences have transpired from the early part in March until late in the fall, the inhabitants continually annoyed by the sculking Indians.  In March, John Kring was taken prisoner to Canada, in April a M. Davis was murdered.  Claimant believing one of his sons and buildings burnt.

In May Johnson’s Mill burnt the miller made prisoner and one of his customers murdered.  Believe in June old Mr. Maring taken Prisoner.  In July three brothers by Norm Shults and two young boys taken prisoners and again latter part of July, Philip Empie and a young boy aged about 9 years taken prisoner, on a Sabbath day.

Again forepart in August, July Reed and wife murdered and scalped, again month of September two young men, sons of Melchard Bauder vig. Young Melchard and Seward Bauder both taken prisoners to Canada.  All the foregoing occurrences having transpired within the bounds of Col. Klock’s Regt and the most of them within the beat of Capt Henry Millers company some of them two miles from Fort Paris.

Claimant further saith, that by the last information she did assertain apportioning to the year 1782, and for years previous the destruction was as formidable in the neighboring towns of Canajohaire, in the regiment commanded by Col. Saml Clyde than that of Col. Jacob Klocks on the north side of the Mohawk River. 

That claimant further says and declares that a thorough search having been mady by my agent, vizt, Jacob Snell the records kept at four different churches, previous to the Revolutionary War and for and during said war, but instructed those which has been kept by the Rev. Doctor Daniel Grof, who performed the ceremonies of the marriage contract between Peter Suts my late husband and herself in June 1780, the stated day she says cannot recollect but certain it is that they were legally and lawfully joined in lawful wedlock before God and Man and but one witness she can think of with whom she can prove the legality of her marriage, which is the sister of claimant and that record can be found saith by the nephew of Doct Grof, that it is verily believed that the church records were left and contained in the church situate near Fort Plain at the time of the general conflagration the upper part of Canajohaire when murdering, scalping, burning and all made desolate by the Indians from Canada and not excepting Fort Plain Church with the records, papers and books contained in the aforesaid church. 

Jacob Epply or Eply

Claimant further saith in regard of her first marriage with Jacob Epply that she well recollects that she had been legally and lawfully married to Jacob Epply, forepart in the winter of 1769 but did not recollect the day of the month but by applying and examining the church records kept and continued in the Reformed Dutch Church of Stone Arabia by which it appears that Jacob Eply with Elisabeth Louck’s, daughter of William Louck was legally and lawfully married by the Revd Abraham Rosencrantz on the 19^th day of December 1769 and they have cohabited together from that time until sometime in April 1779 about 9 years and four months, the year he was killed in an engagement with the Indians in the Revolutionary War.

The applicant further declares and saith that her first husband vizt Jacob Eply has been a true Whig and a good and faithful soldier at about from the year 1775 until he paid his last tribute in sacrificing his life for the good of his country.  That she could recollect but one tour when he was excused from marching under the command of Genl Herkimer at the time of Oriskna Battle on the 6^th Augt 1777. 

When at that time she was expected immediately to be taken sick but otherwise she does not recollect one single occurrence when endeavoring in schirking and excusing himself that he hath been away, ready and willing on a minutes warning to have had recourse to his arms and equiptments and his knapsack with provisions when thereto ordered and so required by his superior officers from the year 1775 until April 1779 when himself and two others of his neighbors vizt Daniel Hart and Peter Shite all three belonging to the same company commanded by Capt Nicholas Righter.  They had been ordered out for a tour of several days, watching and guarding at the house of Nicholas Snell also scouting and spying the enemy. 

Immediately after being discharged and when on their return home, when commencing to the residence of Mr. Hart, finding his father killed by the Indians, while immediately and forcefully the husband of the applicant and his two fellow associates voluntarily pursuing the Indians to the residence of Epply, where all was made and found desolate, vizt burned and claimant with her three children escaped death when her husband with his faithful associates with great skill pursuing the enemy before commending to the house of Capt Righter, perceiving the report of guns, when approaching near the house of Capt. Righter, the door of the house being ajar and Capt Righter and his wife depending their lives and their house, and the Indians firing in the house through the door until Epply the husband of claimant were firing with his associates upon the Indians while the Indians retreating and finding success from our side of a force near the house, when the Indians left the ground and where one of those few were could do execution but Daniel Hart he was the only one who sustained the field of battle, Capt Righter and his brave wife and Peter Shite all seriously wounded, Epply and a little son of Righter killed.

When Sergt Jacob Snell with a strong guard was directed to got out early the next morning in rescuing the dead ? When himself finding Capt Righter’s little son, this was in the Caroga Creek by the Indians, in a very high bank of the creek.

Claimant further saith that the finding and specifying particularly the many and different tours and services by either of both their respective husbands to the United States but it is certain that her first husband she says could not fall short of one year and eight months as a private for services rendered to the United States for and during the course of at least five years.

Claimant also and further saith, that her second husband vizt Peter Suts, Sergeatn did commence in the year 1775 in rendering faithful services for and during the whole Revolutionary War to the conclusions thereof, that the services rendered to the United States could just forcibly fall short of two years.

Claimant further saith, that she is willing and in full hopes that the Pension Commissioners will take his case into serious consideration, in doing in the Pensions his wise and better judgment may be to do right and just that the hereby claimant thinks to do the right and just .

That the hereby claimant has every claim whatever to a pensions or annuity, except the present, and declares that her name is not on the Pension roll of any other State or agency.