Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for Cornelius Van Camp, Sergeant

W.19569
State of New York
Montgomery County
            On the 19th day of September in the year of our Lord on thousand eight hundred & thirty two personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of said county now sitting Cornelius Van Camp a resident of the Town of Minden in the county and state aforesaid, aged seventy one years in November last, 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 7th 1832.  That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein after mentioned.
            That about the middle of January in the year 1777, he volunteered in a company of drafted Militia then commanded by Capt. Henry Diefendorf which company with several other companies under Colonel Ebenezer Cox were then marched to Ticonderoga (1) where they with some regular troops were commanded by General Hay where they remained on duty & building fortifications & works for the better defense of the country until the forepart of April following when they were discharged and in about a week thereafter he arrived at Minden, his place of residence.
            That about the first of June following he was again called upon & marched to Caughnawaga under his aforesaid officers that they returned in about ten days, that about the first of July they were again called upon and marched to Stone Arabia to Fort Keyser remained there a short time & then returned and the latter part of the same month they were again called upon & marched to Bowman’s Creek or Frey’s Bush in the Town of Canajoharie were out a few days when they returned.  That about the first of September following & soon after the Oriskany Battle he was called upon by the commandant of his company (Capt. Henry Diefendorf (2) having been killed in the Oriskany Battle) and was ordered across the Mohawk River to wait upon and attend the War Committee (3) there sitting detecting & trying the Tories, that he there remained on duty guarding the Tories during & after their trials until five or six were tried and convicted when he with a number of others under Sergeant Counrad Timmerman (4) were directed to take the Tories so convicted to take the Tories so convicted to Sopus.  A place about sixty miles from Albany down the Hudson River & there to deliver them to Governor Clinton which they then did, then returned and he went home about the last of September.  That the latter part of October he with a party of men by order of the War Committee went to Turlock in the County of Schoharie in pursuit of Tories but found none there & returned.
           That about the first of November following he was again called upon, ordered across the Mohawk River to attend on the War Committee as before that he did so attend & guard the Tories during & after their trials until four or five were convicted that he was then put in charge of six or seven men as a guard and was directed to convey the Tories so convicted to Albany which they did & delivered them to the jailor and then returned home where he arrived about the middle of the month.  That soon thereafter he with a company of men under Lieut. Countryman (5) & Ensign Bort were ordered to march to Johnstown & rescue a Commissioner of Forfeitures (who had been convicted as he understood by some person for taking forfeited property) which they did, broke down the door rescued the said commissioner, & then returned when they were discharged about the last of November or first of December following and that during that year he did as he believes six months & half actual duty in the service of his country and that during the time before the committee a& trials foresaid he was a sergeant and discharged his duty as such until his service closed for that season.
           That in the month of April 1778 he was again called into service under Capt. Jacob Diefendorf, Lieut. Countryman, Ensign Bort, & Major Coopmain (6) in Col. Clyde’s Regiment that they were kept on duty & at building Fort Plank and out Scouting at different times and directions to the Geigseburgh Indian Castle & several times to Cherry Valley until about the first of August.  That he then joined a Company of Rangers as a substitute for Thomas Young (7) under Command of Capt. Bradback & Lieut. Helmer were stationed at Fort Herkimer in the county of Herkimer that they were kept on duty at the Fort & out scouting south to Andrustown (8) & to the forks of the Unidella River & in various other directions and at different times until the first of January following when they were discharged & he returned home and that during that season he did as he believes eight months actual duty in the service of his country & that he was discharged his duty as sergeant until he joined lCapt. Bradback’s Company as aforesaid.--
           That in the month of June 1779 he was again called into service under Capt Diefendorf, Lieut. Countryman, Ensign Bort in Colo. Clyde’s Regiment & stationed at Fort Plank was there kept on duty & out in scouting parties to the Indian Castle west and south to Bowman’s and Cherry Valley at different times and pressing teams and drawing timber for the blockhouse at Fort Plain and also in taking beef cattle for provisions to supply the troops that about the first of July they were called out by Colo. Klock to go south against the Indians & Tories marched to Frey’s Bush where they were informed that they were not needed and were again returned, that they were again called upon by Major Coopman & sent south to meet a party of Tories and Indians, found in the south part of Minden a number of persons, the family on one Shmouts (9) were killed & their house burned they buried the dead & returned.  That some time in the month of September there was an alarm sounded & they were marched against a party of Tories & Indians said to have been near the Fort, they found they had taken one Aaron Davy (10) prisoner & fled that a party of our men pursued them & they returned that some time in the month of October they marched to Bowman’s Creek lay there a few days & again returned, that sometime after the forepart of November hostilities having principally ended they were allowed to return home--And during that season he did as he believes full three and a half months actual duty & that during that season he was Sergeant & discharged his duty as such.
           That in the month of April 1780 he was again called into service under his last foresaid officers, that they were kept out scouting at different times & various directions and on duty at Fort Plank & building a picket Fort about two miles from Fort Plank wherein they called Fort Walrath until sometime in May when he and part of their company were sent to Cherry Valley to check the Indians and Tories & guard the inhabitants were stationed at the Fort (12) there several times during that season.  That some time in August following they were called & marched under General Van Rensselaer (13) at Fort Stanwix to guard the boats with Continental provisions that they returned in about ten days.  That some time the next month they marched under command of Colo. Merinus Willet (14) and Major Coopman in pursuit of a party of Indians & Tories who were burning & committing other depredations up the north side the Mohawk River they pursued them to the Royal Grant in Herkimer County when finding they could not overtake them they returned--That about the twelfth of October they were marched across the Mohawk River several miles above Fort Plain there joined a body of Militia under Command of Gen. Van Rensselaer (15) & pursued the enemy under Sir John Johnson up the north side the river towards the East Canada Creek overtook them about dusk commenced an engagement fought some time when the enemy retired & that night crossed the river and marched westward, the next morning they pursued them several miles, finding they could not overtake them they returned, that they were kept on duty and out scouting & guarding the inhabitants as before mentioned when required until the last of November when they were discharged.  That he did and he believes that season four months actual duty & that he was sergeant and discharged his duty as such during that season--
           That in the month of March 1781 March he was again called into service under Lieut. Countryman Ensign Bork in Col. Clydes Regiment that  they were kept on duty at Fort Willett & out in scouting parties at different times & various directions as required until about the month of July when he marched to Fort Herkimer under Col. Willet to bring down a piece of cannon which he obtained and returned again in about three days they were then kept on duty at Fort Willet & scouting as before stated until about the first of August when he with a party of men under Ensign Bort marched to Fort Dayton where they remained about two weeks when they were relieved and again returned to Fort Willet when they remained about two weeks on duty as before stated when they were again marched to Fort Dayton where they were stationed as before about two weeks when they again returned & remained at the fort & out in Scouts as required until the twenty fourth of October when they were marched to Johnstown under command of Lieut. Countryman, Ensign Bort and Majr Coopman (16) where the next day he was engaged in a battle against a party of british troop, Indians & Tories under command of Colo. Butler & Major Ross (17) which lasted until night, the next morning they returned again to Fort Willet where they remained on duty & out in scouting parties as before mentioned & as required until sometime in November when they were discharged & returned home and that he did as he verily believes that season at least three and a half months actual duty and that he was that season a sergeant & discharged his duty as such and that he has no documentary evidence of his service, and that he knows of no person, whose testimony he can procure who can testify to all his service.
           That he was born in the Town of Marsing in the County of Ulster & State aforesaid in the year 1761.
           That he was living in the Town County & State aforesaid Called into service as above mentioned where he has continued to live since the revolution and now lives.
           That he was called into service at the different times a& in the manner above stated--
           That he cannot state the names of officers of Regular Troops Continental or other Regiments or the general circumstances of his service other than as the same as above stated--And that he never received any written discharge from the service.
           That Jacob Waggoner & Jacob H. Diefendorf are the names of persons to whom his is known in his present neighborhood who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution and that no clergyman resides therein--
           Here hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity benefit except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state--
           Sworn to & subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
(Signed) Corns Van Camp
Geo. D. Ferguson, Clerk
           We Jacob Waggoner—residing in the town of Minden—and Jacob H. Dieffendorf residing in the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Cornelius Van Camp who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be seventy one years of age that he has been a solder of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion—
           Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.
(Signed) Jacob H. Dieffendorf
(Signed with his mark) Jacob Waggoner
Geo. D. Ferguson, Clerk

State of New York
Montgomery County
            On this fourth day of June 1845 personally appeared before me the undersigned, one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for said county Barbara Van Camp a resident of the town of Minden in said County aged eighty one years, who being duly sworn and examined doth declare and say in order to obtain the benefits of the provisions of the act of Congress passed 4th July 1836 that she is the widow of Cornelius Van Camp who was a soldier in the War of the Revolution.  That her said Husband Corenlius Van Camp Received a pension of $37.54 per annum under the Act of Congress passed 7th June 1832 & served in the manner set forth in his Application for a pension under said act Last named.  That he departed this Life on the 21st day of November in the year one thousand Eight Hundred & Thirty Nine.  That her maiden name was Barbara Dieffendorf.  That she was married to said Cornelius Van Camp About the last of January or the first of February In the year one thousand seven Hundred & Eighty One In Fort Willett then in the District of Canajohary, now in the Town of Minden.  By the Rev’d Johann Daniel Gross (18) then the officiating Pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church at Fort Plain in said District of Canajoharry now the Town of Minden.  That she had five children by her said Husband.  She was married about Fort years before her First Child was Born That since the death of her said Husband She has remained his widow, all of which facts will further appear from the affidavits hereunto annexed.
(Signed with her mark)  Barbara Van Camp
Witness John Darrow
            Subscribed & Sworn before me the said Judge the day & year first aforesaid and I certify that said Barbara Van Camp is unable to attend Court, by reason of Bodily Infirmities & that by reason of her infirmity & having never learned to write [?] as she stated true on oath she made her mark to the above declaration.
John Darrow Judge of Montgomery County Courts Counsellor [?] Court

            In other documents the following children were listed:
Anna (also known as Nancy) b 17 September 1785 and married a David Devendorf of German Flatts, Herkimer Co.
Catherine (also known as Caty) b 21 Sept. 1788
Elizabeth (also known as Betsey) b 17 March 1791 married an Elwood
Henry Dieffendorf B 3 October 1794
Cornelius b 2 October 1798
            Barbara, daughter of Captain Henry and Rosina Dieffendorf died 24 January 1847 at her home in the Town of Minden, Montgomery County, NY.

End Notes

  1. Cornelius with several hundred others were drafted from the Tryon County Militia Regiment and were sent to Fort Ticonderoga under Colonel Ebenezer Cox to assist building a floating bridge across Lake Champlain from Fort Ticonderoga on the New York side to Mount Independence on the Vermont side.  Many of the men were there until April of 1777.
  2. Jacob Dieffendorf, Henry’s brother was the First Lieutenant under his brother and was also at the Battle of Oriskany on the 6th of August 1777.  Jacob was promoted to Captain in 1778 and served in that capacity until the end of the war.
  3. Cornelius is probably referring to the Tryon County Committee of Safety.
  4. 4. Conrad Timmerman was a Sergeant in Captain Christian House’s Company in Colonel Jacob Klock’s Regiment of Tryon County Militia (Second Regiment).
  5. First Lieutenant George Countryman (Contreman, etc.) and Second Lieutenant Nicholas Bort (Bardt, Barth, etc.) of Captain Dieffendorf’s Company.
  6. Captain Abraham Copeman and later promoted to Major and commissioned as such on the 19 October 1779.
  7. Cornelius’ name does not appear on the muster roll of Captain John Breadbake’s Company of Rangers.  Sergeant Thomas Young does appear on the roll and is present to the 31 August 1778.  If Cornelius did substitute it would have been after that date.  The Lieutenant is John Frederick Adam Helmer.
  8. Andrustown or Henderson Town is near Jordanville, Otsego County, NY.  It was destroyed on the 13 of July 1778.
  9. Knouts but it was spelled many different ways.
  10. Aaron Davy (Deavy) also had served in Captain Dieffendorf’s Company.
  11. This Fort Walrath was the home of Ensign Hendrick Walrath of Captain Jost House’s Company in Colonel Samuel Campbell’s Regiment of Tryon County Militia (First Regiment).  This Fort Walrath was destroyed in the raid led by Captain Joseph Brant on the 2nd of August 1780.
  12. Fort Alden was built in Cherry Valley in 1778 and was named in honor of Colonel Ichabod Alden.  Col. Alden commanded the Sixth Massachusetts Continental Regiment which helped build and garrison this fort.  Alden with many of his men and plus local inhabitants were killed on the 11th of November 1778 in a raid led by Captain Walter Butler and Captain Joseph Brant.
  13. Brigadier General Robert Van Rensselaer.  In 1780 the Tryon County Militia Brigade was under his command.
  14. Colonel Marinus Willett was not in the Mohawk Valley in 1780.  He was at the time in Command of the 5th New York Continental Regiment.
  15. Cornelius is referring to the Battle of Klocksfield which was fought in the late afternoon of the 19th of October 1780.
  16. Cornelius is referring to the Battle of Johnstown which was fought on the 25th of October 1781.  Lieutenant Bort was wounded in this battle.
  17. Major John Ross and Captain Walter Butler commanded the British troops.  Colonel Willett did command the Americans in this battle.
  18. Reverend Johann Daniel Gros and his brother Captain Lawrence Gros are buried in the Fort Plain Cemetery. NY.

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