Pension Application

S.23469
State of New York
Montgomery County SS.
            On this 12th day of September personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of said County at the Court House in the Village of Johnstown, where the Court is now sitting, Abraham I. Vosburgh, a resident of the town of Johnstown in the County of Montgomery and State of New York aged seventy six years on the fourth day of November last. 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 he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he entered the Service in the year seventeen hundred and seventy five or seventy six cannot say which under the command of Colonel Abraham Van Alstine, (1) in Capt. Isaac VanValkenburgh’s (2) Company, in the month of June as near as he can recollect, and was enrolled in the month of March previous, he thinks it was the first of the month, in one of the above years. Field officers names were Col. Abraham Van Alstine, Major Isaac House, first Major second Maj. Harman Van Dusen. The company officers were Isaac VanValkenburgh Capt. John Van Alstine Lieutenant, James Wynegaord Ensign (4), does not recollect the other officers names. That he served at this time at least five weeks—he left the service about the tenth or fifteenth of July following. That he was a Militia man, and volunteered, was not in any engagement during this service. That he resided at the time, in the town of Kinderhook Columbia County, and State of New York.
            That he was not in any engagement. That he started from Kinderhook and marched to Albany, from Albany to Fort Herkimer and there remained during this term. The regular troops or Continental companies with which he served does not recollect, or the names of the officers. That he has no documentary evidence of his service. That no written discharge of at this time. That he knows of no person who can testify to his service, but those affidavits of whom are hereto annexed. That he extered the service of the United States under the following names officers and served as herein stated, again in the year Seventeen hundred and seventy eight in the month of May between the first and twentieth of the month, he again volunteered entered the service under Col. VanAlstine, in Capt. Isaac Van Valkenburgh’s Company at Kinderhook in Columbia County & State of New York. That he was not in any engagement during this term of service. That the field officers at this time were Col. Abraham Van Alstine, Major Isaac Hose, First, Second Major Harman VanBuren, the company officers were Isaac Van Valkenburgh Capt. Lieutenant [sic, no name given for Lieut.] James Wyngard Ensign. That he served at this time two months. That he left the service in the month of July about the middle of the month cannot say which day. He was in no engagement at this time. That he travelled from Kinderhook to the City of Albany from Albany to Schenectady & from Schenectady to Fort Herkimer and there remained until he left the service in July following. That there were other troops stationed at Fort Herkimer at the same time but he cannot tell or remember what they were or what officers commanded them or the names of the officers. That he does not remember any of the Captain’s names. That he has no documentary evidence or written discharge of this service. That he served at this time at the least two months.
            That in the same year in the month of September, the latter part of the month, the day does not remember he volunteered again in Col. Abraham VanAlstine’s regiment in Capt. Isaac Van Valkenburgh’s company, he resided in the town of Kinderhook & County of Columbia. That he entered the army under the aforesaid officers to wit, Abraham Van Alstine, Major Isaac House, Harman Van Buren second Major, Capt. Isaac Van Valkenburgh, John Van Alstine, Lieutenant James Wyngard Ensign.
            That he resided in the town of Kinderhook Columbia County. That he started at this time from the Town of Kinderhook & marched to Albany, from Albany to Schenectady & up the Mohawk River—to Fort Herkimer and there remained two months, thinks he remained at this time over two months but is shure it was at least two months. That he left Fort Herkimer in the month of December, cannot state definitely what day in the month. That he had no written discharge or written evidence of this term of service nor has he at present. That he cannot state any of the officers names other than those mentioned—nor does he remember what companies were there at that time. That Colonel Van Alstine, Commanded at this time. That he entered the Service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated, again. That he entered Colonel VanAlstine’s Regiment in Captain Isaac Van Vakenburgh’s Company as a Volunteer in the month of May about the middle of the month, the day does not recollect in the year seventeen hundred and Seventy-Seven and served till the latter part of November or the first of December following inclusive. That he served at this time about six months and a half, at the least, the day he does not remember. That his company officers were Isaac VanValkenburgh, Capt. John VanAlstine, first Lieutenant James Wyngard second Lieutenant. That he entered the service at this time in the town of Kinderhook and County of Columbia and marched from Kinderhook to Albany, from Albany to half-moon—Point, from there to Fort Edwards, and there remained about two or three weeks, then went to Bemus Heights Saratoga County & there remained until after Burgoyne surrendered, was not in any battle at this time but was in readiness for battle when Burgoyne surrendered. That he then returned to Albany & remained, until about the first of December, when was discharged. Has no documentary evidence of this service & had no discharge of this or any of the above services. That he was at this time a volunteer when in the above service. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated. That in the year seventeen hundred & seventy eight in the month of September he was pressed by one of the foundy masters belonging to the American Army, with his wagon & horses to carry provisions to the Army which was at Fort Herkimer, does not remember who commanded at that time nor the officers names—was out at this time over one month—went out in the month of September towards the last & returned in the month of November about the middle of the same or a little after, to wit, between the twenty fifth & first of December. That he travelled three or four times from Albany to Fort Herkimer during this time and carried provision to the Army. That he has no written or documentary discharge or evidence of this service—does not recollect the foundying master’s, name.
            That he entered the service by a substitute of the United States in the month of June the first in the year of one thousand seven hundred & seventy-nine and served as herein after stated under the following named officers. Capt. Isaac VanVolkenburgh, John VanAlstine, first Lieutenant, James Wyngard, second Lieutenant – the field officers does not remember—that he does not remember the name of his substitute he was discharged about the first of November following served four months at this time—That he cannot state the names of any of the regular officers under whom he served except as above stated—That he was seventeen years of age. That he was called on in the year seventeen hundred and eighty by Colonel Abraham VanAlstine, to carry baggage for the Regiment to which he belonged from Kinderhook in the county of Columbia to Fort Plank in the County of Tryon and now Montgomery, and that by the orders of said Colonel he took with him his arms & equipments. That while at Fort Plank after delivering the said baggage at that place, he was pressed to go to Albany and to bring provisions for the Army from that place to Fort Plank—That he went and this time the latter part of May in said year and was dismissed in July then after being at least two months service – That he was ordered out about the first of September in the same year by the said Colonel VanAlstine, on an alarm to go to Fort Stanwix where he remained about two weeks from whence he was marched to Fort Plank aforesaid under the said Colonel and with the same company officers above stated—That he remained until the first of December when he was discharged and being in this service about three months, at the least. That all of the above service was as a militia man—That he cannot state any other officers names those than above stated—That he was born in the year seventeen hundred & fifty seven in the town of Kinderhook County of Columbia and State of New York—That he has a family record in his father’s family Bible which Bible he believes to be in Columbia County in the possession of his brother William—That he lived in Kinderhook Columbia till seventeen hundred eighty three in which year he removed to the County of Tryon now Montgomery. That he continued to reside in Montgomery County till the year 1820 when he removed to the City of New York where he has resided ever since until the 24th of September last, when he returned to Tripes-Hill in the County of Montgomery, where he now resides. That he volunteered in all the above services excepting one, when he was pressed to carry provisions from Albany to Fort Plank—That he never received a written discharge from the service—That he never received a commission, nor been anything but a private in the war of the Revolution. That he is known by Rev’d Abraham Van Horne, and by Philip Reynolds, of Johnstown Montgomery Co. both of whom as well acquainted with his character and has been between 3 and 4 years total past that he never was in any engagement – That he has no documentary evidence of the above service—That he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service except William Vosburgh and Harmanus [?] whose affidavits are hereto annexed—her 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 in the United States of American. (Signed) Abraham Vosburgh
            Sworn to & Subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Geo. D. Ferguson, Clerk
Reply to a letter of inquiry, May 24, 1939
            Reference is made to your letter in which you requested the Revolutionary War records of Abraham Vosburgh of Columbia County, New York, whose wife you state, was Saartje Bulsing; a soldier of that name who died in 1826 in Fulton County, New York, whose wife was Hannah (perhaps his second wife), also of William Vosburgh of Kinderhook, in that part of Albany County which became Columbia County, New York, whose wife, you state, was Christina VanWoert and they had sons—Abraham, Peter, Barent, and Myndert.
            Records have been found for an Abraham I. Vosburgh and a William Vosburgh, both of Columbia County, New York. Those records are furnished you, as follow:
            Abraham I. Vosburgh S.23469
            The data which follow relative to Abraham I. Vosburgh were obtained from pension claim, S. 23469, based upon his service in the Revolutionary war.
            Abraham I. Vosburgh was born November 4, 1757, in Kinderhook, in that part of Albany County which later became Columbia County, New York. The names of his parents were not given.
            While residing in Kinderhook, New York, Abraham I. Vosburgh volunteered in 1775 or 1776 and served at various times, amounting to eleven and one half months as private in Captain Isaac Van Valkenburgh’s company, Colonel Abraham Van Alstyne’s New York regiment. He subsequently served ten months as a wagoner carrying provisions for the army, a part of the time under the officers named above, names of other officers not stated, and was discharged about December 1, 1780.
            The soldier continued to reside in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York, until 1783, when he moved to Tryon County which later became Montgomery County, New York. He remained there until 1820, then moved to New York City where he lived until September 24, 1833, thence to Tribes Hill in Montgomery County, New York.
            Abraham I. Vosburgh was allowed pension on his application executed December 12, 1833, at which time he was living in Johnstown, Montgomery County, New York.
            It is not shown in the claim whether this soldier ever married.
            In January 1833, soldier’s brother, William Vosburgh, who was born January 27, two years prior to Abraham I., stated that he (William) served part of the time with Abraham I. Vosburgh, as 2nd Lieutenant. In July 1833, William was residing in Stockport, Columbia County, New York.
End Notes

Abraham Van Alstyne (Van Alstine, etc.) was Colonel of the Seventh Regiment of Albany County Militia.
Captain Isaac Van Valkenburgh, First Lietuenant John J. Van Alstyne, Second Lieutenant William Vosturgh (Abraham’s brother) and Ensign Jacob Van Housen all in Colonel Van Alstyne’s Regiment.
Abraham refers to his as House, Hose, etc., but his name is Isaac Goes who was the First Major and Harmanus Van Buren was the Second Major in Colonel Van Alstyne’s Regiment.
James Wyngard was Ensign in Captain Jacobus Van Alen’s Company in Colonel Van Alstyne’s Regiment.

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