Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for Peter I. Vosburgh

On the opening page, there is a note that his middle name was Isaac.
W.19,578 (Widow: Elizabeth)
Continental Service
State of New York
Montgomery County SS.
            For the purpose of obtaining the benefits of an act entitled “An act for the relief of certain surviving officers and soldiers of the army of the Revolution” approved on the 15th day of May 1828, I, Peter I. Vosburgh (1) of the Town of Stuyvesant County of Columbia and State aforesaid Do hereby declare that I was an officer in the Continental line of the Army of the Revolution and served as such that is served as a Lieutenant Commandant of a Company immediately previous to the command devolving upon me commanded by Peter Van Rensselaer as Captain in a Regiment commanded by Colonel James Livingston (2) that I served as Lieutenant Commandant from the twentieth day of December in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy nine to the first day of January in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty one and that I have acted as Quarter Master of said Regiment but the time I cannot state, that I acted also as Quarter Master in the year seventeen hundred and eighty to a brigade for Light Infantry commanded by General Edward Hand and that was discharged on the first day of January in the year of our lord seventeen hundred and eighty one when by the arrangement of the army provided by the Revolves of the Congress of the third and twenty first of October 1780 was carried into effect and that I was reduced under that arrangement and consequently discharged.
            And I further declare that I have never received any pension either from the United States or any State for or on account of my services or otherwise in the revolutionary war.  (Signed) Peter I. Vosburgh
            Subscribed and sworn to this 19th day of July 1828, before me Aaron Haring First Judge of Montgomery County Courts New York State.
            Before me Aaron Haring the Judge above mentioned this day James Livingston and William Wallace who did severally make oath that the said James was the Colonel above referred in the declaration by Peter I. Vosburgh above and that the said Peter and William were severally officers in said Regiment and that the said Peter has been an officer in the army of the Revolution in manner as in and by his declaration stated.
            Witness my hand this nineteenth day of July in the year of our lord 1828.  Aaron Haring.
Reply to letter of inquiry dated February 12, 1940.
            Reference is made to your letter, addressed to the National Archives, which has been referred to the Veterans Administration for further reply, in regard to Peter Vosburgh, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, who resided in Columbia County, New York; you state, also, that he married in that county on July 17, 1771, Fitie Van Hoesen.
            A search of the Revolutionary War records of this office has been made in your behalf and only one claim for pension found which was made to the United States, based upon service of a Peter Vosburgh of Columbia County, New York, that of Peter I. Vosburgh, pension claim W. 18578.  The data which follow were obtained from the papers on file in that claim.  If this is not the record of the Peter Vosburgh in whom you are interested, another effort will be made to aid you.
            Peter I. Vosburgh entered service (the date, his age and his residence at time of his enlistment are not shown) as an officer in Colonel James Livingston’s New York regiment and, while in that service, was commissioned February 1, 1777, 1st lieutenant, served as such in Captain Peter Van Rensselaer’s company in that regiment until December 20, 1779, when he assumed command of that company, served also as regimental quartermaster and continued in service until January 1, 1781.
            On account of his service as an officer in the Revolutionary War, he was allowed three hundred acres of bounty land on warrant #2251, issued August 12, 1790.
            Peter I. Vosburgh was allowed pension under the Act of May 15, 1828, on his application executed August 9, 1828, at which time he resided in Stuyvesant, Columbia County, New York.  He died there January 28 or 19, 1830.
            Peter I. Vosburgh married October 8, 1784, Elizabeth Van Alstyne (Van Alstein); their marriage was recorded by the minister of the Reformed Dutch Church of Columbia County, New York.  The names of her parents were not given; no reference was made to a former marriage of this officer.
            Elizabeth Vosburgh, this officer’s widow, was allowed pension on her application executed September 8, 1838, at which time she resided in Stuyvesant, New York.  She was aged then seventy-four years; the date and place of her birth were not given.  She was living there in May 1848.  She died April 3, 1856.
            In 1838, John P. Vosburgh, the son of Elizabeth Vosburgh, resided in Stuyvesant, New York.  In May 1848, John P. Vosburgh was a Justice of the Peace for Columbia County, New York.  It was not stated that these two were identical.  No reference was made to other children of this officer.
            It is suggested that further information in regard to the military record of this officer, might be obtained from The Adjutant General, War Department, this city.

End Notes for Peter I. Vosburgh W.19578

  1. It appears that he is the same officer who served as First Lieutenant in Captain David VanNess’s Company in Colonel Goose VanSchaick’s New York Continental Regiment from February 1776 to December 17, 1776.  He is listed on the December muster roll as “on furlough sick at Kinderhook”.  FROM: Revolutionary War Rolls 1775-1783, series M-246, Roll 77, folder 163, National Archives, Washington DC.
  2. Peter was First Lieutenant on February 1, 1777, in Captain Peter Van Rensselaer’s Company in Colonel James Livingston’s Continental Regiment (First Canadian Regiment).  Peter was appointed Quarter Master in Livingston’s Regiment on September 7, 1778.  FROM: Revolutionary War Rolls 1775-1783, series M-246, Roll 132, folder 216, National Archives, Washington DC.
  3. Captain VanRensselaer resigned on December 20, 1779.  Colonel Livingston took command of the company.  This was common in the Continental Regiments during this period.  The companies without captains were usually called the “Colonel’s Company”, “Lieutenant-Colonel’s Company or the “Major’s Company”.  The first lieutenants usually took or was in command of the company without being promoted to a captaincy.  Often they would be appointed captain-lieutenant.  Muster Rolls for Captain VanRensselaer’s Company were in folder 223, Roll 133, Series M-246, Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, National Archives, Washington, DC. 

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