Pension Application

S.15227
Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
State of New York
Onondaga County SS.
            On this 26th day of September 1832 personally appeared before Daniel Moseley Vice Chancellor at a Court of chancery sitting at Onondaga, town of Salina in said County & State aforesaid aged eighty 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 7th 1837.
            That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
            That he was residing at Smith’s Clove in the County of Onondaga & State aforesaid when hostilities commenced at & near the City of New York in 1776. That about the 1st of September at Smith’s Cove in the year last aforesaid, he was called out to guard Fort Montgomery in the state aforesaid under the command of Colonel Odell & in the company commanded by Captain Francis Smith. Thomas Lawrence & Enos Kimball [?] in the company [?] Isaac Lawrence & Thomas Danforth were corporals. We were called out three times for Fort Montgomery during said Autumn under Col. Odell & Capt. Smith but deponent thinks that the non-commissioned officers were not there everytime. At one of these said times this deponent was in the service aforesaid as much as two weeks & at each of the other two times a week each, making about a month that he lay at Fort Montgomery. On or about the 12th day of November of that year, deponent was again called into the service of the United States from his aforesaid residence under the command of Col. [McCrokery?]. His given name was general called Alek. The company was commanded by the aforesaid Capt. Smith.—Lawrence & Danforth before mentioned were sergeants in this expedition. We mustered at the old Court house at the place called the New City & marched by the way of New Hempsted to Paramus from that place to Ramapo after having staid nearly a week at Paramus & quartering in the meeting house. We lay at Ramapo about 6 miles above Haikensack & guarded the pass to the iron works of Ringwood, Long Pond & [?] against the incursions of the enemy. We were discharged on or about the 11th day of January there or thereafter. This deponent on or about the 1st day March in the year 1777 went to reside at Long Point works & continued there for a year & [?] months & during all that time was a minute man equipped & ready for the public service at any moment under General Haskins.
            In February in the year 1779, this deponent removed to Haverstraw in the County (then Orange now Rockland) was called out he thinks, as much as 6 or 7 times in the service of the United States [???]. The general place of Muster was at the residence of Col. [Pierce?] above Haverstraw landing about 2 miles. [?] times were generally a week each & one was two weeks. The first times in 1779 we were called out about the 1st of June. The first time that year that we were called out was late in the autumn & after the snow had fallen about 4 inches deep—Col. Gilbert Cooper commanded the Regiment & Capt. Garret [??? Can’t make out a line] Peter Van Hawten, Garret Servant, John Coborm & William Horme served in the company. This deponent believes that he served during the year 1779 under the officers last mentioned as much as two months.
            In the years 1780 & 1781 this deponent was often called into the service of the United States in the year 1780 seven or eight times & in the year 1781, he thinks 4 times. The first time in 1782 was after the weather was getting warm.
            The first terms in 1781 was after the first of August as he thinks.
            The length of time that they were kept out as in 1779 before stated was generaly a week. Col. Cooper & Capt. Acker held this respective stations of command over us as aforesaid, during the years 1780 & 1781 as in the preceding year, which were in the public service. We were stationed along the Hudson River at different points from Stoney Point down at Smith’s mills Suffern’s forge & [?] Clove in order to watch the motions of the enemy’s shipping & prevent their landing.
            This deponent believes that he was in the service of the United States during the years 18780 & 1781 about three months. He was never in any battle. His terms of service was by draft & he never served by enlistment as a volunteer or substitute.
            He was at the end of each term of service regularly & honorably discharged. The captains gave us at the end of the different terms of our service written permission papers to go home, none of which, that belonged to this deponent, are now in existence.
            He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
            This deponent was born in the now town of New Hempsted & County of orange now Rockland aforesaid on the 29th day of March in the year 1745. He has a record of his age in his family in Salina aforesaid. This deponent also is confident that his age is entered on the church book of the Presbyterian Society of the Town of Clarkstown in the now County of Rockland aforesaid. This deponent continued to reside in the original township of New [Hempsted?] aforesaid till about 1803 when he removed to Newfoundland taking in the town& county of Morris & State of New York.
            This deponent lived in Newfoundland aforesaid till 1808 when he removed back to Haverstraw & lived about a year, then removed to the town & county of Onondaga & lived there till within a few months since, when he removed into the adjacent town of Salina, his present residence.
            He is acquainted with James Geddes, James B. Tensin, Squire Patchin, Stephen Taylor, Peter Johnson, William Senorin, & Joseph Stuart. Each of whom can testify as to his deponent’s reputation, for veracity; their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution. (Signed with his mark) James Secor
            Subscribed & sworn this 26 Sept. 1832. Daniel Mosely Circuit Judge & Vice Chancellor.

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