Pension Application

Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for Christian Zimmerman

S.11928
State of New York
Madison County
            On the ninth day of October 1832, personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas, now sitting, Christian Zimmerman, a resident of the Town of Sullivan in the County of Madison, State of New York, aged eighty-four years on the 16th day of July 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 7, 1832.
            That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, & served as herein stated. That in the month of March or April 1778, he was drafted in the militia and entered the service for nine months into the company of Capt. John Bickbread, (Bradbig) (1) belonging to the regiment of Colo. Jacob Clock, (2) Peter Waggoner was Lieutenant Colonel of said regiment and one Benedidon (3) was Lieutenant in the company of Capt. Bickbread. That he then resided in Stone Arabia, now the Town of Palatine in the County of Montgomery and State of New York.
            That he marched from Palatine to Cherry Valley & thence to Fort Herkimer in the County of Herkimer NY. That he was the largest part of the time engaged in scouting parties. That he was in an engagement at Cherry Valley with the Tories & Clyde was at the engagement at Cherry Valley, Joseph Brandt the Indian had command of the Indians and Tories. That he was also in an engagement at the German Flatts on the Mohawk River. (4) Colo. Bellinger was at the engagement on the German Flatts, with his regiment. That he served his full term of nine months and was then discharged at Fort Herkimer. His discharge was lost.
            That he enlisted in the month of March or April 1781 for the term of nine months in the company of Capt. Garret Putman (5) belonging to the regiment of Col. Willett. One Simon Vedder (6) was Lieut. Col. of said regiment. Victore Putman was [Ensign is crossed out and Lieutenant written above it] in said company. That he resided in Town of Johnstown aforesaid at the time of his enlistement. That he was stationed at Johnstown in the County of Montgomery aforesaid. That he was in the Johnstown Battle. Colo. Willett had the command of the American forces. Colo. Butler and Major Ross had command of the British and Indians. Colo. Butler (7) was killed the day after the battle at the East Canada Creek. That battle was in the fall of the year 1781. That he served the full term of nine months and was discharged at Fort Blank, in the County of Montgomery aforesaid. That his discharge is destroyed. That he was a few days within the period of this enlistment at Fort Windecker on the Mohawk River. That he was called out several times, during the war. That he was in the Battle at Stone Arabia, called Shaver’s Battle. (8) That Colo. Brown was killed in the battle. Sir William Johnson (9) had command of the British forces, Capt. Bickbread gave him his first discharge and Capt. Putman the second.
            That he was born in Frankfort on the Main in Germany on the 16th July 1748. That he was naturalized on the 19th day of January 1811 at Johnstown in the County of Montgomery as by the certificate attached will appear. That he has no record of his age. But had one which was burned together with his dwelling house and discharge. That since the Revolutionary War he has resided in the Town of Johnstown aforesaid, in the County of Genesee NY, and in the County of Cattaraugus NY. That he now resides in the Town of Sullivan in the County of Madison and has resided there since 1829. That in resident in the Town of Johnstown nearly forty years. That he entered the service under an enlistment and was drafted. That the particulars of his service, and the names of the regular officers, and the continental and militia regiments with which he was acquainted are as have stated. That he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no other person whose testimony he can procure other than one hereto attached, who can testify to his service.
            That he is well known to Timothy Brown, Abram Lee, John Storm, and Adam J. Snell of the Town of Sullivan aforesaid who reside in the neighborhood of the applicant and can verify to his character and veracity and their belief of his service as a soldier of the revolution.
            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.
            Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. A.S. Hoan, Clk
            (his mark) Christian Timmerman.

End Notes for Christian Zimmerman S11928
By James F. Morrison

Christian’s name does not appear on Captain John Breadbake’s Muster Roll/Pay Roll [He signed it Bradpick] of Rangers under Colonel Morris Graham in 1778. The Muster Roll can be found in the Revolutionary War Rolls, Roll 74, Series M 246, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
There is no evidence that Colonel Jacob Klock had much to do with this company. For some reason Captain Breadback and Captain Garret Putman were each authorized to raise 60 men for each company but Col. Graham was in command of both companies but had little to do with him. Breadbake’s Company was stationed at Fort Dayton and Herkimer.
There was no lieutenant named Benedidon in this company. The lieutenants were John Frederick, Adam Helmer and John Smith. Captain Breadbake had a company of militia under Colonel Jacob Klock in the Tryon County Militia but the lieutenants were John Zeely and Jacob Eacker. In 1780, Captain Breadbake had a company in Colonel Lewis DuBois’ Regiment of New York State Levies but his lieutenants were again Helmer and John Coppernoll.
Christian is correct about the German Flatts engagement. A scouting party under Lieutenant Helmer was attacked near the Susquehanna River on 16 September 1778. Lieutenant Helmer made his famous run back to Fort Dayton to warn of the impending attack. Thanks to Helmer many settlements on his route were warned and most of the people found refuge at Forts Herkimer and Dayton. On 17 September 1778, Captains William Caldwell and Brant laid waste to the German Flatts. Colonel Peter Bellinger was in command at Fort Dayton. The Cherry Valley engagement is a mystery The only major incident was on 11 November 1778 when it was attacked by Captains Walter Butler and Joseph Brant. Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Clyde was inside Fort Alden when this took place. Breadbake’s Company appear not to be in that area at that time.
Christian’s name does not appear on the Pay Roll of Captain Putman’s company in Colonel Willett’s Regiment. Victor Putman was a lieut. in this company. As it is fifty plus years since most of those incidents happened they have facts mixed up and many details are worng due to their memory. I have checked Putman’s Pay Roll for Colonel John Harper’s Regiment of New York State Levies for 1780 and his name is not on it.
He is referring to Lieutenant-Colonel Volkert Veeder of the Third Regiment of Tryon County Militia. Simon Veeder was the Quartermaster for the Third in 1781 replacing Abraham Van Horne. Neither of the Veeder’s were in Willett’s but would have served with the regiment at various times.
Captain Walter Butler was killed on the 30 October 1781, five days after the Battle of Johnstown on the West Canada Creek.
The Battle of Stone Arabia was fought on the 19th of October 1780. It is referred to as Brown’s Battle, Shaver’s Battle and the Oswegatchie Battle. Christian was a private in Captain Henry Miller’s Company in Colonel Klock’s Regiment in Colonel Klock’s Regiment in 1780. Christian had also served in Captain Christopher Fox’s company whom Miller replaced when Fox was promoted to major.
He meant Sir John Johnston. Sir John was the son of Sir William. I have seen this mistake in other pension applications. It is the same when they call Walter Butler colonel, it is his father John Butler who was the colonel.