Morrison's Pensions
W.18,375 (Widow: Catharine)
State
of New York
Madison County
On this twelfth day of March 1840 personally appeared before Horatio Gates
Warner, Judge for the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Madison
in said state, Catherine Woolaver, a resident of the town of Lenox in said
County aged nearly seventy nine years who being first duly sworn according
to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain
the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed on July 11,
1836.
That she is the widow of John Woolaver who was a soldier during the War of the Revolution, declarant owing to old age and consequence loss of memory cannot now relate if she ever knew all the particulars of her said husband’s revolutionary services. She well remembers hearing him relate particulars of the service which he performed previous to her entering marriage with him which took place in the month of January 1781, to wit, his service with a company of boatmen under Captain Peter Peterson the Mohawk River this service in various expeditions with the Militia.
And declarant further testifies that after the said marriage with the said John Woolaver, he the said John was taken prisoner by the Indians, conveyed to Canada, and confined for a period of Eighteen months (or at least that period elapsed before his return to his home after his said capture.)
That he was there taken prisoner in the summer of the same year when which her said marriage occurred about five or six months after said marriage. She further declared that she was married to the said John Woolaver on the 11th day of January 1781 in the church at Palatine in said state by the Rev'd Mr. Gross then pastor of said church.
Declarant does not know of any person now living who was present at her said
marriage except Peter Woolaver, her husband’s brother. That her husband
the said John Woolaver died on the 13th day of August 1838 (while he was engaged
in applying for a pension) and that she has remained a widow ever since that
period as will more fully appear by references to the proof hereto annexed.
Subscribed, etc……..
Catharine Woolaver (her mark)
Montgomery
County
Lawrence Gros of Canajoharie in the county aforesaid being sworn says that
he was personally acquainted with the Rev. Johan Daniel Gros during part of
the Revolutionary War and served up to the time of the death of Rev. Johan
Daniel Gros which took place the 25th day of May 1812. That Rev. Johan Daniel
Gross had charge of the Dutch Reformed Church at Fort Plain in the Town of
Minden during said Revolutionary War. That to the knowledge of deponent said
church was destroyed by fire in the latter part of said Revolutionary War
and the deponent thinks in the year 1781 or 1782 and that all the records
of marriages kept by said Johan Daniel were destroyed at the burning of said
church by the enemy (was informed by said Gross and believes to be true) that
this deponent has been informed by Johan Daniel frequently since said Revolution
and by others that all the records of marriages kept by said Gros during said
Revolutionary War were destroyed as aforesaid and which this deponent believes
to be true.
That this deponent has in his possession all the papers of said John Daniel
Gros (this deponent being one of the heirs of said Johan) and that no records
of marriages during said war appear amongst said papers and that this deponent
is now upwards of sixty three years old and further says not.
Subscribed and sworn, etc…..
2nd day of April 1840
Signed, Lawrence Gros
Herkimer
County
On the fourth day of April 1841 personally came before me, John P. Snell a
Justice of the Peace in said county, Peter Woolever who resides in the Town
of Manheim in said county, being duly sworn testified and said that he is
seventy five years old and upwards that he was born at a place called Stone
Arabia now the Town of Palatine in the County of Montgomery and State of New
York and that John Woolever late of the Town of Lenox in the County of Madison,
aforesaid was his brother and that on or about the fourteenth day of January
1781 he this deponent was present at the house of Col. Jacob Klock in the
then Town of Palatine in said County of Montgomery when and at that time his
said brother John Woolever was duly married to Catharine McNaughton to me
then personally known and that I have since that time been acquainted with
the said Catharine and that the same person is now the widow of the said John
Woolever deceased and that the Rev'd Daniel Gros then officiating clergyman
with whom I was then personally acquainted married and performed the marriage
ceremony between the said John Woolever and Catherine McNaughton and that
they ever since then to the day of his brother’s death resided together
as man and wife.
The said Peter Woolever says and testifies that according to the records kept
by his father that his brother John Woolever deceased was born the 13th day
of September 1760 and that his said brother John Woolever died the 13th day
of August 1838.
Sworn and subscribed before …..
Signed Peter Woolever
State
of New York
Montgomery County
On the 29th day of June 1838 personally appeared before me, John Everson,
a Commissioner for the county aforesaid. John Woolever a resident of the Town
of Lenox, County of Madison, and the state aforesaid aged seventy seven years
doth first having been duly sworn according to law deposeth and saith under
oath that he has been a Revolutionary Soldier and that he hath applied and
had had a M’Koon employed as he agent to assist and to present his petition
in order to obtain his pension (Can’t read the rest of this paragraph
nor the rest of the next two pages. Apparently he was employed in the boating
services along the Mohawk River between Schenectady and Fort Stanwix.)
Claimant states that he considers himself honorably enlisted for his imprisonment taken by the Indians and kept in captivity for the length of one year and when released returned to his place of residence. Claimant believes he was actually engaged in the service of the United States whether he was unmindful in being on his guard, and declaration to ??? heretofore by Mr. Snell.
Claimant states, that believes the Pension commissioners will be satisfied that claimant was engaged under the command of Gen'l Herkimer at Oriskany Battle 6th Aug 1777.
Claimant further declares that he was engaged in Battle generally called Col. Brown’s Battle on the 19th Oct 1780 in Palatine Stone Arabia when Col. Brown was killed in battle besides forty-four killed and several wounded.
The applicant further beg leave to solicit the attention of his Honor the
Commissioner of Pensions to the Testimony of Capt. Frederick Sammons
and Mr. Henry Shults, who both have testified that he the said claimant
with themselves had been kept in prison vizt on Prison Island and there
kept in captivity from October 1782 during winter 1783 until sometimes
forepart ??? when the said Frederick Sammons absconded him and a Mr.
McMullen swam away from the Island, and with great difficulties made
a safe return home. When the said claimant and Henry Shults and two others,
brothers of Shults was on the said Island and continued in Captivity
until sometime in fall 1783. When sent to Montreal and exchanged and
not returned until between Christmas and New Year and who is credible,
Capt. Sammons aged about eighty, and honored previous to the last presidential
election, service and elected one of the electors and Mr. Shults aged
eighty eight years and always considered truthful and veracity.
(Rest of record very hard to read.)
Declaration
In order to obtain the benefits of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June
1838.
State of New York
County of Madison SS on this day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and thirty four personally appeared before the house of Common
Please it being a court of record held in and for the County of Madison John
Wolever, a resident of the Town of Sullivan in the County of Madison and
state of New York aged seventy four years who being first duly sown according
to law doth on his oath make the following declaration.
That he was drafted into the service of the Revolution in the spring of 1777 for the term of three months in Capt. Joseph Dygert’s Company in Col. Cox’s Regiment and served during the whole of that period of time he lived at and entered the service at Canajoharie in the County of Montgomery and state of New York and was marched to Fort Stanwix and was stationed there and at Fort Bull On Wood Creek and was engaged in watching the movement of the enemy and in blocking Wood Creek by falling trees into the same to stop the enemy from coming up said creek and was discharged the latter part of July as he believes and returned home where he stayed but a short time before he was pressed into the service of the Revolution and marched forthwith to Fort Dayton and from there to the Oriskany and was there engaged in the well known battle called the Oriskany Battle in which Gen'l Herkimer was mortally wounded when he served in the same company and regiment and under the same & Col. as in the first service and was stationed at Fort Dayton and kept in duty and marched to Ticonderoga and back again and was in actual service on scouting parties and centry for the span of more than 3 months and was discharged about the first of November, 1777.
That in the spring of 1778 he enlisted at the house of his residence aforesaid for the space of nine months under Capt Peter Peterson in Col. Willett’s Regiment and was stationed at Fort Stanwix and was engaged in watching the movement of the enemy and some part of the time in carrying provisions from Schenectady to Fort Stanwix for the army and was discharged late in the fall of that year at first of winter after having served the whole term of nine months for which he enlisted.
That he was drafted in the spring of 1779 for three months and served with the same Captain as the first service in Col. Cox’s Regiment at the same place and was stationed at Fort Dayton aforesaid, name the town and county of Herkimer and was a part of the time engaged in carrying dispatches from that place to Fort Plain and that he served the whole of that term and was discharged verbally as on all other occasions.
That in the spring of 1780 he was again drafted for three months at that place aforesaid in Capt. Tygert’s (Dygert’s) Company and Col. Cox’s regiment aforesaid and served under Gen'l Browen and was stationed at Stone Arabia on the Mohawk River and was in the Battle called Brown’s Battle in which the gen’l was killed and that he was frequently called out on alarms for that served at one time under and order of Col. Willett he entered the service as a volunteer nor for any length of time and while on an excursion for provisions was captured and was taken prisoner by the enemy in the month of July 1781 from his best recollection and was carried north into Canada and there left for the space of eighteen months and until he was exchanged for prisoner on the other side.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except
the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency
of any state. Sworn to and subscribed this day and year aforesaid in open
court.
John Wolever (his mark)