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