Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for Thomas T. Shoemaker

R.9525  (Wife: Elizabeth or Betsey)
“Dead Paid at the Treasury under the Act of the 6th April 1838 from 1 Sept 1836 to Feby 1837 the day of his death.”
State of New York
Herkimer County SS.
            On this twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty [?] personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of said County now sitting Thomas T. Shoemaker a resident of the Town of Germanflatts in the said County of Herkimer and State of New York 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 7th 1832.
            That from the time that he attained the age of sixteen years which he now believes was in the year 1778 he was enrolled in the militia of the State of New York.  That he served in the militia from the time of his enrollment to the close of the Revolutionary War—that during said period he was repeatedly drafted, and that he repeatedly volunteered also into the service of the United States, and served under the following named officers in the manner hereinafter stated—that soon after he was enrolled he was drafted and was ordered to Fort Dayton under the command of Captain Henry Harter and remained upon duty at said Fort a fortnight or three weeks where he was discharged—
            That he was drafted at another time and ordered to Fort Herkimer where he remained upon duty in guarding said Fort under Captain Frederick Frank for the space of at least two weeks—that at another time he was drafted and went to Fort Stanwix under the command of Captain Henry Staring as a guard to conduct boats loaded with supplies for the American Troops stationed at Fort Stanwix—that at the time that he went as such guard to Fort Stanwix they accompanied a regiment of nine months or Continentals and officers of which was in Capt. Finks—who at the same time marched to Fort Stanwix and that he served in said guard for the span of one week and that at another time he was again drafted and under the command of said Captain Staring marched to Fort Stanwix to guard boats loaded with provision for the American Soldier at said Fort that at the time of said last mentioned service to Fort Stanwix they were accompanied by a party of regulars under the command of Captain Andrew Fink who was afterwards a Major in the Continental Line and with whom he was well acquainted.
            That he does not recollect the years in which the aforesaid service was rendered but that it was during several years from the year 1778 and before the close of the war—And the said Thomas T. Shoemaker further states that afterwards the year he does not distinctly recollect but be4lieves it was the same year peace was concluded and as early as the month of May of the same year, he was under arms and proceeding from Fort Herkimer – where he was then stationed to the Little Falls about six miles below as a guard for the purpose of guarding Boats transporting wheat and other grains to be ground into flour at a Grist Mill at the Little Falls where he and Andrew Piper by whom he proves some of his service and imprisonment and eleven other who accompanied them and a part of regulars stationed at the said Mill at Little Falls, were attacked by a party of British Troops and Indian’s and Tories, and when he was taken prisoner, and carried to Oswegatchie now Ogdensburgh on the St. Lawrence River—that the grain which at the said time of his capture was transported to the Little Falls was intended for the subsistence of the Militia and inhabitants then collected at Fort Herkimer and guarding the said Fort—that from thence to Montreal where he was imprisoned about six months in a Goal—that before he arrived at Montreal and about six miles distant therefrom he was compelled by the Indians to run the gauntlet—
            That after his imprisonment at Montreal he was sent to Quebec and from Quebec to Boston where he was eschanged and sent home to Germanflatts where he arrived about Christmas of the same year—that from the time of his enrollment in the militia in the year 1778 until the close of the Revolutionary war in obedience to orders issued to all the militia of Tryon County and which ordered proceeded as he is informed and believes from a Resolution of the old congress of the United States passed in May 1775—he armed and equipped himself and kept himself in constant readiness to march at a minute’s warning—that except the absence from the Fort on the occasion herein before mentioned and also the absence therefore in pursuit of the enemy as hereinafter mentioned he was stationed and remained at Fort Herkimer at German flatts aforesaid from the year 1778 until the close of the said war—that whilst so stationed at said Fort he with three of the militia, repeatedly volunteered in pursuit of the enemy—that the occasions of such pursuits were the frequent plundering and [?] committed by the enemy upon the Inhabitants in the neighborhood of said Fort—that he cannot now recollect the number of such excursions nor the places where but remembers that at one time he with others of the Militia went to Shult’s Creek in Herkimer County in pursuit of the enemy where a Captain Elsworth Sergeant King and a private belonging to the nine months men had there been killed by the enemy—that at an other time he went to Germantown now Schuyler where the enemy had made an attack upon the Inhabitants of that place and had murdered and taken off prisoners some of them—that an other time when the enemy had surrendered a [??] in the lower part of Germanflatts he and others pursued the enemy that at the time Nicholas Bell was killed he pursued the enemy to [?]stown in said county of Herkimer—that at an other time he alone was sent with dispatches to Fort Brown at Stone Arabia now in Montgomery County—That when at said Fort Herkimer and not out on other duty he used to perform the usual guard duty of said Fort—that he and the other militia in the vicinity of Fort Herkimer were kept at said Fort to guard said Fort and to protect and defend the inhabitants old men women and children assembled at said Fort—that the year after the Oriskiny Battle which he believes was in the year 1778 the year of his enrollment in the militia as aforesaid the houses and dwellings of all the Inhabitants in Germanflatts except one immediately adjacent to said Fort Herkimer were burnt by the enemy—that from that period until the close of the war—the inhabitants of that place lived and continued to reside in said Fort—That occasionally a small party of regular troops were stationed at said Fort to aid the militia to defend the same—that the occasion of his being at said Fort and on duty from the year 1778 to the close of the war except the time of his absences on other duty as aforesaid was the necessity of defending the said Inhabitants collected and living at said Fort as aforesaid.—That when so on duty at Fort Herkimer as aforesaid, he was under the command of Captain Frederick Frank who was a Captain in the Militia.  That he has no documentary evidence of his service and cannot prove his service any further than is proved by the papers here annexed.  That he was enrolled in the militia but performed his militia service aforesaid except when he volunteered and was drafted in a company commanded by Captain Frederick Frederick, Lieutenant Jacob Basshorn and Ensign Patrick Campbell in the Regiment commanded By Colonel Peter Belligner Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Bellinger and Major Denis Clapsattle.
            That he was born in Germanflatts then in the County of Tryon – in the year 1764 August 8th.
            That he has a record of his age—that his age is recorded in a book of sermons which he owns and which he has at home.
            That he was living at Germanflatts aforesaid when he entered the service as above stated—
            That since the Revolutionary was he has lived in Germanflatts and continues to live at the said Germanflatts.—
            That he now lives in Germanflatts in the County of Herkimer.
            That he was drafted a number of times was taken prisoner and carried to Canada that he was imprisoned at Montreal and sent from Montreal to Quebec and from Quebec he was sent to Boston where he was eschanged and sent home—that his militia service was performed under orders issued in pursuance of a resolution of Congress passed in the year 1775 as he is now informed and believes—that he volunteered a number of times—that the exact number of times he cannot now recollect.
            That he does not recollect the names of any of the Regular officers with whom he served except Major Andrew Finck although there were occasionally regular troops stationed at Fort Herkimer where he served during said war & that he served in the Militia Regiment commanded by Collonel [sic] Peter Bellinger—Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Bellinger and Major Denis Clapsattle.—
            That he does not know that he ever had any written discharge for any of his services.
            That he is known to Conrad Hess and Frederick Bellinger Junior who reside in his present neighborhood and who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his service as a soldier of the Revolution.
            And 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.  (Signed) Thomas T. Shoemaker
            Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court.  Julius C. Nelson, Clerk

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