Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for Ruliff Voorhis
R.100964
State of New York
Delaware County
On this
seventeenth day of June 1839, personally appeared in open court before the
Court of Common Pleas now sitting in Delhi in and for the County of Delaware
Ruliff Voorhis a resident of Stamford, County of Delaware and State of New
York aged eighty years last January 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 he served
as a private soldier in the Revolutionary War in the Militia of the State of
New York in the years 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1780. That he was a single
man made it his home at his father’s who resided about a mile from
Johnstown.
In the year
1777 he was out twice in the fall at Canajoharie which lay twelve or fifteen
miles up the Mohawk River from Johnstown, one time he was gone a fortnight and
the other time a week. The latter time he went from Johnstown and Canajoharie
under command of Lieutenant Quackenboss (1) where the company lay about a week & was
then dismissed. Vamp (2) was captain in the regiment which was commanded
by Colonel Fisher (Visscher).
In the three
following years he was out very often and in the two last years in the summer
season was out most of the time During the time aforesaid the said Ruliff was
called out to the Blockhouse six times. The last time was under Captain
Vader, (3) sometimes under Captain Fisher (4) who was brother of the colonel
and who was killed by the Indians. The Blockhouse was at Sacandaga (5)
about twelve miles north of Johnstown. Colonel Fisher was scalped 22 May
1780 but not killed and then Lieutenant Colonel Vader (6) took the command. Sometimes
was under Capt. Woodworth (7) now and most of the time was under Capt. Vamp till
the last year when he with most of his company went to Canada. The
six times called outt to the Blockhouse was a week each time.
The said
Ruliff Voorhis was called out to Johnstown ten times where he lay a week each
time--Sometimes under Vamp and sometimes under Capt. Voorhis and thinks was
once under Capt. Maybee (9) Who belonged to same regiment viz the one commanded
by Col. Fisher.
Twice went up to German Flatts with the whole regiment when was out a week
or more each time. One time went with Regiment to Fort Stanwix to guard
prisoners up and was gone ten days at least and the Oneida Indians came back
with them and went down to Schenectady.
Before going
to Fort Stanwix the said Ruliff went to Cherry Valley with the regiment the next
day after Cherry Valley was burnt, (10) arrived there in evening of second day. It
rained and snowed that night. Saw one woman and four children lying
on the ground. Officers as well as privates had to lie out, the fort (11)
was so full.
In March
1779 or 1780 (12)went on account on snowshoes after Indians. There were six
of us after seven Indians.
That one of
the Indians was wounded by Woodward & the rest of our party and one of the
Indians had to carry him. We followed them fifty miles. They had
three days the start & we got five out of seven and the other two we reckoned
had gone to Canada. We came upon them as they set around the fire busy roasting
meat having killed an Elk the day before. Their snowshoes were off. Woodward
clenched one threw him down and tomahawked him and tomahawked another, the
rest were shot by us.
There were
a great many alarms when we were called out, but a day or two at a time. At
one time went to Canajoharie when he lay at the Fort a fortnight, during the
time went to Cherry Valley upon a scout. Twice the said Ruliff was ? out
in the time and lost all and was glad to get off so, several times were called
out upon a scouting party. The said Ruliff once lay a week at Col. Vader’s
on the Mohawk a little ways above Caughnawaga. There were fifteen or twenty men
in company. He cannot tell what they went for, recollects Capt Vader killing
a sheep for the men. At another time lay a week at Charles Van Eps (13)
or Vanaps somewhere, about twenty men were there.--Can’t tell why we went
there. Was a week he thinks at Henry Hans, (14) there were perhaps thirty or
forty of us and if we had lain two or three days longer might have lost saved
Hans life, for the Indians came soon after we had left and burnt his house and
barn, murdered Hans, took off two of his horses and his two sons prisoners, though
one of them was a married man but lived in the house with his father. The
said Ruliff was draughted to go to the Blockhouse & to Johnstown as before
stated. Sometimes the said Ruliff volunteered with others on the occasions
afore mentioned. The said Ruliff is very confident he served on the
whole as much as ten months and during the times before specified the said
Ruliff was not employed in any civil pursuit.
He knows of
no person whose testimony he can procure excepting his brother Garret who lives
in Sullivan County. In the several times called out on little alarms were
usually gone two or three days & sometimes not so long. Had to carry
provisions along. The said Ruliff hereby relinquishes every claim whatever
to a pension or annuity except the present and he further says he has no documentary
evidence of his services aforesaid and declares that his name is not on the pension
roll of the agency of any state, that he has not received any written discharge
from the service and the said Ruliff further says that in April 1781 he went
to New Jersey about two miles from New Brunswick where he lived about three years
when he returned to Schoharie Kill about two miles he ??? Towards Gilboa where
he lived three years & then moved on the hill about a mile from Gilboa in
Blenheim Schoharie County where he lived fifteen years, then moved to the town
of Harpersfield about three miles from his present residence where he resided
about thirty years & then moved to the village of Hobart of Stamford where
he now resides six years. The said Ruliff says he was born near New Brunswick
in New Jersey on the 20th or 21st of January 1759. He father’s family
moved to the Mohawk Country about the time the war began and lived near Johnstown
five years and then moved to the Mohawk River on the place of old Major Funday
or Fonda where we lived one year. Others went to New Jersey as afore
mentioned.
The time of
said Ruliff’s birth was entered in his father’s Bible which was burnt
up the Indians when he the said Ruliff lived on the Mohawk River and the said
Ruliff and the said Ruliff would further state that he is well known to William
Trotter Justice of the Peace, John Griffin Postmaster and Servinus Morris, attorney
of law residing in Hobart aforesaid who with others as he believes can testify
to his the said Ruliff’s character for veracity and their belief of his
services as a soldier of the Revolution and he further says that the only clergyman
who resides in the village remained here only some two or three months since
from the state of Massachusetts & he is not much acquainted with him.
(Signed) Ruliff Voorhis
Sworn and subscribed the day & year aforesaid in open court. [C.B. Shilvon
um?]
End notes for Ruliff Voorhees R.10964, by James F Morrison