Pension Application

R.9254
State of New York
Otsego County SS.
            On this 16th day of April 1834 personally appeared before Seth Chase one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County Jacob Schermerhorn of the town of Maryland in the County of Otsego and State of New York aged seventy years on the fifth day of 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 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
            That in the month of October 1780 he volunteered at Schodack in the County of Rensselaer in the State of New York, as a private soldier into a company of militia commanded by Capt. Daniel Schermerhorn of Schodack aforesaid and in a Regiment commanded by Col. Henry VanRensselaer. The company met at Albany and marched from that place to Half Moon—from thence through Niskayuna to Schenectady—and at Schenectady the regiment of Col. VanRensselaer was stationed and remained there until he the said Jacob Schermerhorn was dismissed from the service which was fifteen days from the time of marching from Albany as above stated.
            At the time he was called into the service, as above stated, an alarm was made that Sir John Johnson was ravaging and burning every thing belonging to the inhabitants on the Mohawk—and all the militia of the country in the vicinity of Albany & Schenectady volunteered and went into the service to defend the inhabitants against the expected attack of Sir John Johnson and his Indian allies—at the expiration of the said fifteen days service he the said Jacob Schermerhorn was discharged and returned to Schodack the place of his residence at that time.
            And he further declares that in the spring of the year 1783 and as early as the first of May of that year he volunteered at Dover in the County of Dutchess State of New York as a private soldier for the period of nine month[s] and immediately went to Fishkill on the Hudson River and was there mustered and remained there about one week under the command of a muster master an officer of the army whose name he cannot now recollect, and who was a stranger to this declarant at that time—after remaining at Fishkill about one week the soldiers at that place were marched or sailed down the river to West Point. On arriving at west point he the said Jacob Schermerhorn was attached to a company commanded by Capt. Jonathan Start in Col. Lamb’s Regiment and he further declares that he continued in actual service in said company and regiment stationed at West Point until the full expiration of his nine months service—and was then honorably discharged by a written discharge signed by Capt. Hart according to his present recollection. And he further declares that while he was stationed at West Point he saw Genl. Washington, Genl. Steuben, and Major North at that place and also he recollects a Quarter Master by the name of Dennison who was in the service at the same time at West Point.
            And he further declares as follows in answer to the several interrogatories prescribed by the War Department.
            1st That he was born at Livingston’s Manner [Manor] in the county of Dutchess New York in the year 1763.
            2. That he has no record of his age in his possession but a record of his age was made in a church book at Livingston’s Manner where he was born.
            3d. That he was living at Schodack in the county of Rensselaer when first called into service—and at Dover in the county of Dutchess the second time he was called into the service.
            4. That he volunteered at each time he entered the service, and that he never served as a substitute for any other person.
            5. That the names of the officers who were with the troops where he served and the general circumstances of his service are as fully set forth in the above declaration as he can now recollect the same.
            6. That he received a written discharge from the nine months service as above stated, but which he lost or destroyed, and cannot be found or produced.
            7. That he is known to Ezekiel Palmer and Thomas R. Mead of his present neighborhood who can testify to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution.
            And also to the 3d interrogatory he further states that since the Revolution he has resided in Dover Dutchess County until the year 1791—fromthence moved to Schodack Rensselaer County—resided there about seven years, and from thence moved to Worcester Otsego County—and has since resided in Davenport Delaware County, and nearly four years since removed from Davenport to Maryland Otsego County where he has ever since and now resides.
            And he the said Jacob Schermerhorn further declares that he has no documentary evidence, and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. And he further declares that there is not any clergyman residing in his neighborhood, which is the reason why he has not been able to comply with the instructions from the war department in that behalf made—and further he says that during the time that he was a soldier and in the service, as herein before stated, he was not engaged in any civil employment or business whatever. (Signed) Jacob Schermerhorn.
            And he the said Jacob Schermerhorn further declares that he resides about twelve miles from the place where a court of record is held and on account of infirmness or infirmity he is unable to attend said court for the purpose of making oath to the foregoing declaration. (Signed) Jacob Schermerhorn.
            Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid before me, Seth Chase, a Judge of Otsego County.

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