Pension Application

Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for Daniel Weis (Wise, Wies)

Donated by Cindy Blevins
W.15864
New York
Oswego County SS
            John Weis being duly sworn says that he resides in the Town of Sharon in the County of Schoharie, that he is 52 years of age. That he knows the record hereto annexed to be the true and original record made & kept by Daniel Weis the father of this deponent since the year 1798 and that this deponent believes said record to be the only record ever made by his father of the facts therein stated.
            That the whole of said record is in the hand writing of this deponents father. That this deponent was present and saw his said father make the entries on said record marked 10 11 & 12 recording the birth of Jacob in 1798—the birth of Adam in 1800 and the birth of David in 1804. That the first entry made in said annexed record records in substance the following facts.
            “The records of the births of the children of Daniel Weis & wife. Elisabeth Straub born Stoneraby (now called Palatine in Montgomery County) the 2nd of October 1760 & married to Daniel Weis March 4th 1781.”
            That Elisabeth Straub was the maiden name of the widow of said Daniel Weis and is the mother of this deponent. That the said Daniel Weis died on the 19th of April 1819 and that this deponent was present at his death. That Elizabeth Weis the mother of this deponent is now & has and remained the widow of this deponents father since his death as aforesaid & further says not.         (Signed) John Weis
            Sworn and Subscribed this 19th day of December 1838 Before me William Lewis Jr, Justice of the Peace

            And I, the said Justice do hereby further certify that at the taking the foregoing affidavit of John Weis, John A. Coons, known to me to be a person of truth and veracity, being by me duly sworn, testified that he is well acquainted with the said John Weis & had known him for the last thirty years & that the said John Weis was a man of truth and veracity and that his statements are entitled to credit. Dated Dec. 19, 1838.
            William Lewis Jr, Justice of the Peace.

State of New York
Oswego County SS
I, Daniel H. Marsh, Clerk of Oswego County Courts do certify that David P. Brewster before whom the annexed affidavits of Elisabeth Weis were made was at the date thereof first judge of the Courts of this County and that his name affixed to [?] of said affidavits are his genuine signature and handwriting, & I further certify that William Lewis Junior before whom the foregoing affidavit of John Weis & by whom the above certificate was made was at the date of said affidavit & certificate a justice of the peace in & for the County of Oswego aforesaid & that his name affixed to the pisat[?] of aforesaid affidavit & certificate is his genuine Handwriting and Signature.
Witness my hand & Seal of Office this 19th day of March 1839. D. H. March, Clerk

State of New York
Oswego County SS
            On this thirteenth day of February 1839 personally appeared before David P. Brewster First Judge of Oswego County Courts. Elisabeth Wies a resident of the Town of Volney in the County of Oswego aforesaid in the State aforesaid aged seventy nine 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 Daniel Weis who was a private in the War of the Revolution. That she recollects that her said husband Daniel Weis served in the War of the Revolution before said marriage of the deponent with said Daniel Weis. That she does not recollect the names of the officers under whom he served nor any facts relating to his service except on one occasion. That she was left by her said husband at the Fort at now Palatine, Montgomery County for protection & safety while her said husband was engaged in service. This took place in the year One thousand Seven Hundred and eighty two. That she remained in the Fort from Spring, month of April, until some time in the fall of the same year. That all the service he performed subsequent to the marriage was at & near Palatine. That previous to their marriage, she knows of his being engaged in the service at the battle at Bennington. That she can give no details of his service, on account of the loss of memory which is much impaired by the infirmities of age.
            That she was married to the said Daniel Weis on the 4th day of March 1781. That her husband the aforesaid Daniel Weis died on the 19th day of April 1819. That she has remained a widow ever since that period as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed.             (Signed with her mark) Elisabeth Weis
            Sworn to & Subscribed the 13th day of February 1839 before me and I hereby certify that the said Elisabeth Weis is not able by reason of bodily infirmity to attend at court. D. P. Brewster, First Judge of Oswego County.

            And the said Elisabeth Weis further states that the family record, hereto attached & written in the German language is the original record of the facts therein recorded. Made by the said Daniel Weis. (Signed with her mark) Elisabeth Weis
            Sworn to & Subscribed the day & year aforesaid before me. D. P. Brewster, First Judge of Oswego County.

State of New York
Schoharie County SS.
            John Weis being duly sworn says that he is sixty five years of age, a farmer by occupation & that he is the eldest born of nine children descendants lineally of Daniel Weis formerly of the town of Sharon in the County aforesaid. That the said deponent now resides in the town of Seward in the town formed from part of the Old town of Sharon and has permanently resided there for the past thirty years. Deponent has the custody of the papers formerly owned by his father Daniel Weis whose name was generally written and is the same written in English “Wise” by his descendents. That this deponent in 1812 was well acquainted with the circumstances attended the naturalization of his father and that he had made application therefor at said time & that Jedediah Miller Esq of Cobleskill in the County aforesaid as his attorney attending to that business for him. That the evidence of Capt. Silas Grey (1) under whom the said Daniel had performed military service during the Revolutionary War was procured and filed with the Court granting the certificate of naturalization, which said certificate was in the possession of deponents father during his lifetime, and since in possession of deponent and is hereunto annexed.
            That the said deponent further says that he hath no knowledge that his father during his lifetime made application for a pension under the laws of the United Sates but on the contrary did not on the ground, that he was excluded in consequence of property qualifications.
            And the said deponent further says that he has very frequently heard his father relate his history and the part he performed in the War of the Revolution as a soldier. That said deponent never made a written memorandum thereof but from his recollection states that his deceased father informed him that he enlisted at the City of Albany in Capt. Silas Greys Company that a recruiting officer there or in that secture enrolled him as such, and that he immediately commenced duty and served until the end of the war which was from the period of enlistment three years which deponent understood was the term of enlistment. That the deceased related that he was at the Monmouth battle. That he was present at the surrender of Cornwallis. (2) That at this time he received a wound by a musket ball which entered a side [?] in the left breast passing out under the colar bone, left shoulder. That he was at the battle at Kingsbridge (3) and was also wounded in the left leg also by a musket ball which wounds and scars the deponent has seen.
            In addition to these the deceased also related that while the Indians and tories were devastating the Mohawk Valley in the night about of Canajoharie and Fort Plain (4) in the County of Montgomery an express arrived soliciting the commands for in a force to meet them. That a company of volunteers resolved to proceed to the scene of the Indians and Tory war fare. That the said Daniel Wise was one of the expedition which proceeded above Fore Plane. That the enemy fled, across the Mohawk River. The volunteers took possession of a small three pound cannon and swivel and returned after executing a tory by the name of Harding Who was driven from the mountain into the valley. That deponents father has shown him the tree or limb of the tree projecting over a road below or East of Canajoharie where he the spy was suspended. That this was the only instance he ever saw a man hung by the neck. During this expedition the friendly Indians continued in pursuit of the enemy and succeeded in killing the notorious Col. Butler.
            Said deponent further says that is father died in April A.D. 1819 and further says not. (Signed) John Wise
            Subscribed and sworn before me this 28 July 1852. Demutherus Lawyer County Judge Schoharie County.

State of New York
Schoharie County SS.
Demutherus Lawyer County Judge of the county aforesaid do hereby certify that John Wise of the town Seward in said County and the deponent named in the foregoing deposition appeared in open court before me and took & subscribed [Copy of document ends here.]

State of New York
            County of Oswego SS
            I, James Brown, Surrogate of said County of Oswego do hereby certify that at a Surrogates Court held in and for said Court on the 16th day of May AD 1853, personally appeared before the Court on the day above mentioned Adam Wies of Clay Onondaga County New York, son of Elisabeth Wies deceased late of Volney County of Oswego NY, who as it appears was in her life time entitled to a pension. That on the day above mentioned the said Adam Wies was by me duly appointed administrator of the Estate of Elisabeth Wies deceased and is legally authorized and qualified to act as such, and that he gave security to the amount of two thousand dollars.
            In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of the said Court this 21st day of June 1858.
            J. Brown, Surrogate of Oswego Co., NY

State of New York
County of Cortland SS.
            I, Lewis Kingsley, Surrogate of said County do hereby certify that at a Surrogates Court held in and for said County, before me the said Surrogate at Cortland in said County on the 11th day of March A.D. 1853. It was proved by the adduction of testimony satisfactory to the said court that Elisabeth Wies late of Volney in Oswego County NY widow of Daniel Wies died in the Town of Volney County of Oswego NY on the 29th day of January AD 1843, and at her death she left eh following named children her surviving VIZ
            John Wies of Seward Schoharie County New York
            Adam Wies of Clay Onondaga County New York
            Jacob Wies of Volney Oswego County New York
            Daniel Wies of Lenewee County Michigan
            David Wies of Pine Grove Vanburen County Michigan
            That they are her only children her surviving and that each of them is twenty one years of age & upwards.
            In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of the said Court this 11th day of March 1853.
          Lewis Kingsley, Surrogate.

            Elisabeth Straub born Stone Arabia 2 October 1760, Married Daniel Weis, Albany 4 March 1781
                        Children
            Elisabeth born Stone Arabia 25 January 1782, Bap. 3 Feb. 1782 at the Dutch Reformed Church of German Flatts, page 54.
            Daniel born 4 March 1783 died 20 July 1787, Bap.9 March 1783 DRGF page 69.
            Adam born 3 July 1784 Died 9 November 1784
            Jonannes born at Petersburg (5) 24 Sept. 1786
            Daniel born at Petersburg 11 October 1788
            Peter born at Stone Arabia 8 August 1790
            Heinrich born 26 June 1792 died 26 [July?] 1792
            Wilhelm born at Stone Arabia 31 July 1793
            Maria born at Durlach (6) 12 May 1796
            Jacob born 28 November 1798
            Adam born 25 December 1800
            David born 26 February 1804
            Additional church records that may relate to theStraub [Strope] and Weiss Families.
                        Reformed Dutch Church of Stone Arabia page 188
            Weiss, Johannes Married Elizabeth Margreth Berns 7 December 1769.
            Straub, Heinrich married Rachel Schmidt 6 July 1794 page 199.
                        Children of Wilhelm and Maria Straub
                        Stone Arabia Lutheran Church
            Wilhelm born 11 April 1791 page 67
            Anna born 1 April 1793 page 78
            Daniel born 14 August 1795 page 91

End Notes—James F. Morrison

The only military service that I have been able to verify is his enlistment for 9 months in the Fourth New York Continental Regiment from 5 May 1778 until 5 February 1779. The regiment fought in the Battle of Monmouth, New Jersey on the 28 June 1778. In 1781 and 1783 Silas Gray was a Captain in Colonel Marinus Willett’s Regiment of New York State Levies. Daniel’s name is not on the Company’s payroll for 1781. In 1782, Captain Gray was trying to enlist a company again but he did not fill his quota and he was discharged. The recruits were put into other companies to fill them up. Again, I do not find Daniel listed in any of the companies.
If Daniel was at Yorktown, Virginia, in October of 1781, he could not have been in Willett’s Regiment as they never left New York State.
There was a Battle of Kingsbridge in January of 1777 and one in July 1781. He does not state which one. As this year is related by John and Elizabeth. I tend to believe he enlisted in the First New York Continental Regiment. Lieutenant Ephraim Snow was in Albany recruiting for the first NY. I do not have the muster rolls for that year.
This war service is all mixed up. Canajoharie District was destroyed on the 2 of August 1780. Captain Joseph Brant destroyed the settlements in and near the present day Village of Fort Plain and the Town of Minden. The 3 pound cannon was captured from Sir John Johnson at the Battle of Klocksfield on the 17 of October 1780. The death of Captain Walter Butler was on the 30 October 1781 at West Canada Creek in what is now Herkimer County NY. If Daniel was at Yorktown, Va. He could not have been in New York at the same time.
There was a settlement called Petersburg or New Germantown in what is present day Schuyler, Herkimer County, NY.
Durlach is also called Dorlach or New Dorlach in the present day Town of Sharon, Schoharie County NY.