Pension Application

W.16717 (Widow: Clarry) Married 1774
Private, Captain Onderdonk, Col. Hay.
State of New York
City and County of New York SS.]
            On this thirty first day of May 1837, personally appeared before the Judges of the Marien [Marine?] Court of the said City and county, Clarry Seamons, a resident in the Ninth Ward of the said City aged 82 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 July 4, 1836. – That she is the widow of Joseph Seamons, who was a Private (to the best of her knowledge) in a Company of Militia whereof Jacob Onderdonk was Capt. in Col’n. A. Hawks Hays Regiment—That early in the month of July, in the year 1776, she recollects that it was at the time of cutting the Rye harvest, that news was brought that the British had sailed up the Hudson River with some ships of war, and anchored in the Tappan and Haverstraw bays, when her husband, the said Joseph, was ordered out with the men composing the said company to guard along the Hudson River, and was absent, not less than twelve days, and until the last of the said month when he came home and informed her that he had enlisted fro five months under Capt. Jacob Dermonde in Col’n Drake’s Regiment and left home either the last of said month or the first of August, and went to Haverstraw, there crossed the said river and was stationed at red hilsl near Peekskill where he remained until the first of January 1777, when he returned, she understood from him that he served as a private in the said services.
            That early in the spring of the year 1777, Cat. Onderdonk’s Company being classed into classes of four men in each he was ordered out to perform his part of guard duty and served not less than one week in each and every four weeks until winter, making not less than two months in weekly tours that she was informed at the time that there was a guard kept at different stations along the Hudson River from Stony Point to Sneden’s Landing at Clarkstown, Tappantown at Nanuwit at the long and short Clovesand in the State of New Jersey at Schralingburg, at Closter, at the English Neighbourhood and at the Liberty Pole, and that her husband served at one or the other of the above mentioned stations.
            That in the year 1778, her said husband again served from early in the spring until winter under the said Capt. service and duty as aforesaid and served not less than two months in weekly tours.
            That in the year 1779, her husband served in the said Company, from early in the Spring until winter, service and duty as aforesaid, except from the last of May until sometime in November, the time the British army had the possession of Stony Point, during which time he guarded at different places around the said point, to prevent them from plundering the inhabitants residing in that vicinity, and served not less than two months in weekly tours.
            That in the year 1780, her husband served in the said company from—early in the spring until winter, service and duty as in 1777, and served not less than two months in weekly tours.
            That in the year 1781, her said husband served in said company from early in the spring until winter, service and duty as aforesaid, and served not less than two months in weekly tours.
            That in the year 1782, her said husband served in the said company from spring to the month of September, service and duty as aforesaid and served not less than one month in weekly tours.
            That from the time the British first sailed up the said river until August of the year 1782 they did generally lay at anchor at some place in the Tappan and Haverstraw bays from as early in the Spring of each year as the ice would permit until for fear of the ice they had to return to New York, and she is confident that the said Joseph was more time from home in each of the above named years on duty than she has above set forth—and that she had no documentary evidence in support of her claim, and that she only claims to be allowed a pension for her husband’s services as a private which ran she believes her said husband held during the whole of the above recited services.
            She further declares that she was married to the said Joseph Seamons on the twenty fifth day of November in the year seventeen hundred and seventy four by the record of her husband, that her said husband the aforesaid Joseph Seamons died on the ninth day of September in the year eighteen hundred and eleven, and that she has remained a widow ever since that period, as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereunto annexed. (Signed) Clarry Seamon
            Sworn in open court May 31, 1837 before me. J. Hammond Justice.

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