Pension Application

W.20,026 (Widow: Elizabeth. Applied for pension 4th June 1840, resident of the Town of Salisbury, Herkimer County, aged 70 years. She states Frederick was a private of Artillery in the war and that they married 11th April 1787 by Rev’d Rosencrantz. Frederick died at Salisbury, 21 January 1840.)
Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
State of New York
Herkimer County SS.
            On this twelfth day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred & thirty two personally appeared in open court before Michael Hoffman first Judge, John Mahon & Augustus Beardslee, the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Herkimer now sitting Frederick Ritter, a resident of the town of Salisbury in the County & state aforesaid, aged sixty eight years, 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 entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated—That some day of April in the year 1780 he entered the service of the United States as a substitute in the place of his Brother Henry Ritter who had listed for nine months into a company commanded by Captain Phelps—The troops were called the New York Line of Nine Months Men. That he joined the company at Saratoga, and at the same time some of the Continental troops lay there, from that place he & a part of his company went to Albany, from there to Fishkill & then to West Point down the river and then served an Artillery Company—When the company got to West Point it was divided and the applicant was joined to Captain Moody’s Company of Artillery—he thinks the Lieutenant’s name was Cuningham—That e remained at West Point doing duty in the garrison till the 8th of October—General Knox commanded there—on that 8th of October 1780, with the consent of Gen. Knox he & several others of his company listed into Captain Moody’s company & then was commanded by Captain Swarthout for three years at West Point—That he continued on duty at West Point during the war and did not leave there till he went down to New York when the Brittish evacuated that place—That his employment at West Point was to work in the powder house where he had care of a party of men & did the duty of Bombardier—that he was employed in this party in drying powder, making cartriges, storing away guns & such other work as was necessary to be done in & about that occupation—When New York was delivered up to the Americans, all the music at West Point, several companies of Artillery and guard of about two hundred men went down to that city, and had a rejoicing there, and he (Ritter) assisted in the display of fire works, and other demonstrations of joy on that occasion—stayed in New York about two weeks & returned back to West Point where he & his company & their companies were employed in dismounting the cannon and stowing them away in the barracks & burning the condemned carriages, and went & got a part of the “Great Chain” that was across the Hudson River & put it into the bottom of the barracks—It took two men to carry one link of that chain—sometimes two good strong fellows could carry three links—this employment continued till the 8th of October 1783 & after the war had been for sometime closed on which day they were discharged and he returned home—He was discharged by Captain Johnson.
            That he was born in the now town of Herkimer in Herkimer County & State of New York in the year 1764 and he calculates by his age which is 68 years.
            That he has not himself any record of his age but there is one in his father’s family bible now in the possession of his Brother Henry Ritter—
            When he first entered the service he lived at Niskeunah between Schenectady & Albany, after he left service he came back to Manheim in Herkimer County where he lived till about 16 years ago when he removed to Salisbury in the Same country where he has ever since resided & where he now resides.—
            That he was called into the service as a substitute for his brother Henry Ritter and before expiration of his term lasted for three years & served as in his statement mentioned—
            That he can name as some of the regular officers who were with the troops where he served; Colonel Willet; Colonel Lamb’ Major Burman; Major Doughty; General Knox; Colonel Craines regiment of Artillery laid at West Point when he was there; Layfayetta [sic] was at West Point while applicant was there & General Washington.
            That he did receive a discharge from service from Captain Johnson at West Point, that he kept it as much as ten or twelve years, when it accidently got as he suspects, into the possession of one Esq. Shirtiff, who is now dead & his wife ahs removed to some place in Canada & he cannot now obtain it, but he is not positive that said Shirtoff did have it; but he cannot now find it & it has been gone many years.
            That he is known to Henry Ritter, Elijah Stanton & to William Feater in his present neighborhood who can testify to his character for veracity & their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution—But his is unable to produce a witness in court or to find a witness who can give a detailed statement of the services of this deponent either as a nine months man or as a soldier under his enlistment for three years—that he does not know of any such witness living, and he has produced the best witnesses that he has been able to discover.
            He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. (Signed with his mark) Frederick Ritter.
            Sworn and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Julius C. Nelson, Clerk

State of New York
Herkimer County SS.
Henry Ritter, of the Town of Manheim in said county and state being duly sworn before the court of Common Pleas of the said county doth depose and say that he was a soldier of the revolution and is now seventy three years of age, and that Frederick Ritter is his brother, and was also a soldier in the revolution and entered the service as a substitute in the place of this deponent as a nine months man in April in the year 1780 into Captain Phelps’ company at Niskeunah near Albany--& that he joined the company he believes at Saratoga—that he verily believes that he served till October in the same year on that enlistment as he heard from him several times during that time—that afterwards he saw said Frederick Ritter on duty at West Point in the Artillery, and deponent verily believes he served till some time after the war, as he did not come home to stay till in October 1783—deponent further saith that his said brother Frederick is sixty eight years of age, and that deponent has been acquainted with him familiarly ever since the war and knows his character for veracity to be goo in the neighborhood where he resides. (Signed) Henry Ritter
Sworn to in Open Court Oct 12th 1832. Julius C. Nelson, Clerk

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