Morrison's Pensions

Pension application for Francis Putman

S.16231
State of New York
Montgomery county SS.
            On this 19th day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, personally appeared in open court before the court of common Pleas of the County of Montgomery & State of New York now sitting Francis Putman, a resident of the Town of Johnstown in the County of Montgomery & State of New York aged eighty years, who being first duly sworn 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 entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.  Your applicant says that in the year 1777 that the whole of the militia under Gen. Herkimer (1) were commanded to turn out and go to Oriskany and your applicant went out as an Ensign under Hermanus Mabee (2) Captain, Lieutenant Francis Prime, that he resided at this time in Charlestown Tryon County that he went from the said place of residence to Oriskany and was at the battle fought at that place and that he was out at least one week at this time; this was in the month of August.  Your applicant says that after that he again immediately went from his said place of residence to Saratoga.  That the battle at Oriskany was on the Sixth of August, and that as soon as he returned from there he went down to Saratoga and remained there until the latter part of October sometime after Burgoyne (3) was taken that after the Battle he was engaged in carrying the wounded of the British soldiers down to the Hospital at Albany.  And your applicant says that he was out in those two terms at least three months and a half.  He says he does not recollect the names of any officers at the time he went to Saratoga, that he was there when Burgoyne was taken.  He your applicant says that he was at the Battle of Stone Arabia, when Gen. Brown (4) was killed that he does not recollect the names of the officers under whom he served at the time that he was out four days.  He was in the battle at the Hall Farm Johnstown (5) & was three days in the service.  Your applicant says that in the beginning of the war, the year he does not recollect.  He went and enlisted in a militia company commanded by Captain Jacob Gardinier, Lieutenant Samuel Gardinier, (6) the other officers belonging to the company he does not recollect that the company he things belonged to Col. Frederick Fishers Regiment of Militia, this was a company raised for the purpose of scouting, that he was out at different and divers times, until the time he went out to Oriskany in Aug 1777, that he went to the different Posts situate in Tryon County.  Sometimes he was called to one and then again to another place so that it is almost if not quite impossible for him to state the different places he went to under Captain Gardinier.  He says he was out at least at this time while under Gardinier three months.  And your applicant says that before he went to Oriskany he thinks in 1776 he understood in the militia service under Captain Peter Yates and that he your applicant was 1st Lieutenant and Garret Putman (7) 2nd Lieutenant and this company was raised near Fort Hunter, then Tryon county and went with Gen. Schuyler up to Herkimer where he the said Gen. held a treaty with the six nations of Indians; that they were out at this time about five weeks.  He says that on account of the situation in which that section of the country was in which he resided, liable to the incursions of the enemy and their attacks, the militia were compelled to be and remained under arms for the greater part of the time and always during the warmer seasons.  For the purpose of preserving themselves, they erected Forts and that he together with a militia company under Captain Mabee were stationed at a fort a little distance from Fort Hunter commonly called Codoroty (8)  That he served as a sentry at this fort two seasons, during the summers of 1779 & 80 that he was out in this manner at least six months.  He was out in different other places during the war in different years which on account of his age and the failure of his memory he is wholly unable to state.  He says that if all the particular times were put together he would and could make out more than two years but he has forgot and therefore cannot state particulars.  He says that he lost the greater part of his personal property during the war, his house being burnt by the british and tories.  He says he has no person by whom he can prove all his service.  He has no documentary evidence of his services.  He says he was born in Johnstown Tryon County now Montgomery and State of New York in the year 1752 on the Fourth day of May old style, this is recorded in his Fathers family Bible which is now in his possession.  He resided near Fort Hunter Tryon County when called into service and has lived at the same place or near the same place since the Revolution.  He has no written discharge of any of his services.  He has known the following the following regular officers Col. Marinus Willet, Lieut. William Wallace.
            He says he is acquainted with the following persons residing in his neighborhood who can testify as to his character for truth and veracity and their believe of his services of the Revolution, to wit, Rev. Abraham Van Horn & John H. Lansing.
            He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.  (Signed)  Francis Putman
            Sworn and subscribed to the day and year aforesaid in open court.  Geo. D. Ferguson, Clerk
Letter in pension folder, January 8, 1934.
            Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of Captain Francis Putnam, born May 4, 1752 near Schenectady, New York and died November 23, 1834.
            The data furnished herein were obtained from the papers on file in pension claim, S.16231, based upon the Revolutionary War service of Francis Putman, as his signature appears in the claim.
            Francis Putman was born May 4, 1752 (Old Style) in Johnstown, Tryon (which was later Montgomery) County, New York.
            While a resident of Charlestown, Tryon County, New York, Francis Putman enlisted in 1775 and served at various times on short tours in each succeeding year until in 1781, as private, ensign and first lieutenant in the New York militia under Captains Jacob Gardinier, Harmanus Maybie, Colonel Frederick Fisher; he was in the battle of Oriskany, at the taking of Burgoyne, in the battles of Stone Arabia and Johnstown, length of all service about thirteen months.
            He was allowed pension on his application executed, September 19, 1832, while a resident of Johnstown, New York.  He died November 23, 1834 in said Johnstown. 
            He left no widow, but children survived him; the only name stated was Cornelius F. Putman of Amsterdam, New York in 1843 then aged thirty-seven years.  The name of the wife of the soldier, Francis Putman, is not stated.
            Garrit Putman was a second lieutenant in June, 1776, in the same service with Francis Putman, and Victor Putman, served under Lieutenant Francis Putman in June 1776; said Victor Putman was a resident of Amsterdam, New York in 1832.  It is not shown that these three soldiers were in anyway related.

 
End Notes—Francis Putman S.16231