Pension Application

R.9283
State of New York
Saratoga SS.
            On this 22d day of September 8132, personally appeared in open court before me John H. Steel one of the Judges of the County Courts in & for the County of Saratoga, Zophar Scidmore a resident of Saratoga Springs in said County aged Seventy Seven 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 is too sick & infirm to attend personally in the said County Courts at this time.
            That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated.
            That he was born in the state of New Jersey in 1755. That he has no record of his age except a memorandum made by himself in his own bible which is now in his possession. That he lived in Saratoga, when he was first called into service & lived there since the revolutionary war ever since till 18 years ago when he removed in the adjoining Town of Saratoga Springs where he has lived ever since & now lives. That he was first called into service about the month of January 1776, when he went as a Militia man on a draft to Johnstown in the County of Montgomery under Captain Thompson. He went to defeat the British & Indians under Col. Johnson & there were there assembled about 6000 Militia under the command of General Philip Schuyler, we were then on duty about a fortnight. There was no fighting, and some kinds of a capitulation to the place & we returned home.
            In the spring following I was again called out on a Draft & placed under the command of Capt. Dunham & marched to Fort Edward, to keep back or obstruct the British under Burgoyne as they were expected to come. I was then a corporal, General Tenbrook’s commanded. We had no battles but [?] at one time marched up the breast work where was some firing we served then under Col. VanVechten, I remained there some weeks & we then went home. And during the same season there were a great number of Alarms & I was as often ordered out & was marched a number of times to Fort Edward, where we remained a number of day at a time & would then go home. And during the same season I was called out on alarms & stationed several times at the Barracks, which were then at the place where Gen. Schuyler lived in Saratoga & only a few miles from my residence. I remained at the Barracks, about a week at a time, sometimes longer & sometimes shorter. At the barracks I was under Capt. Dunham, General Scott commanded & while I was there, there was a man living as a British Spy. I was not at Burgoyne’s Surrender. I was at that time in New Concord near Kinderhook with my family, but we returned the day before he gave up his sword, But had previously agreed to surrender. The Tories that year were very numerous in our neighborhood & the year previous to Burgoyne’s surrender I was out pretty much all the time with that intervals, my business & farming were entirely broken up & I had little else to do but to attend to calls on alarms.
            I am now 77 years old & my health & my memory much impaired. I never received any discharge—nor do I know of any person whose evidence I can procure who can testify to my service except Stephen Freeman whose evidence I shall procure. I am known to the Rev. Owen Foote, Rev. Francis Wayland, Rev. Elder Fletcher, Miles Breach & William [?] Warren in my neighborhood & who can testify to my character for veracity & their belief of my services as a soldier of the revolution and on putting to him the Interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, he answered as is stated in the foregoing declaration.
            And 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) Zophar Scidmore.
            Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid before me. John H. Steel, Judge of the Saratoga County Courts.

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