Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for Nicholas Christman (Cristman)
S.44757
State of New York
Herkimer County SS (Subscribed and Sworn)
On this sixteenth
day of April one thousand eight hundred and eighteen before me David Holt one
of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county and state aforesaid,
personally appears Nicholas Christman aged sixty-two years resident in the Town
of Palatine in the County of Montgomery in the state aforesaid, the said Nicholas
being to me well known, who being by me first duly sworn according to law, doth
on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the provision
made by the late Act of Congress entitled “An Act to Provide for Certain
Persons Engaged in The Land and Naval service of The United States in the Revolutionary
War.”
That the said
Nicholas Christman enlisted in the then County of Tryon in the state aforesaid
in a company commanded by Captain Christopher P. Yates (1) in the then Second
Regiment of Infantry Commanded by Col. Goes Van Schaick (2) in which said company
and regiment the said Nicholas served and was present at the taking of St. Johns,
Chamblay [Chamblee] and Montreal.
That after
the campaign of one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, he the said Nicholas
re-enlisted in a company commanded by Captain Ten Eyck (3) from which he was
transferred to Maj. Cochran’s company in the detachment commanded by Col.
Peter Gansevoort (4) in which regiment the said Nicholas remained in the service
of the United States for more than three years. (5)
That he did
serve in the whole in the Continental Establishment, against the common enemy
for about five years.
That he was
honorably discharged from the United States service at Morristown in New Jersey
but at what time he cannot now recollect as he has long since lost his discharge
that he was in the Battle of St. John’s of Chamblay, of Johnstown (6) in
New York and at the siege of Fort Stanwix under the command of Colonels Gansevoort
and Willett. And that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need
of the assistance of his country for support. And that he has no other
evidence of his service nor his power then this his own declaration and these
depositions of Andrew Finks and John Wetherston (7) which are herewith annexed. And
he hereby relinquishes all pensions heretofore granted from this State or the
United States to this deponent.
(his mark) Nicholas Cristman
Subscribed, sworn to and declared before me this day and year aforesaid. David
Holtz
State of New York
Montgomery County
Court of Common Pleas
On this
14th day of June 1820, personally appeared in open court being a court of record
for the said County of Montgomery in the said State of New York proceeding
according to the course of the common law with a jurisdiction unlimited in
point of amount and keeping a record of it proceedings, Nicholas Christman,
residing in the Town of Palatine in the said county, aged sixty-four years
in October last according to the best of his knowledge and belief who being
duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath declare that he served in the
Revolutionary War as follows. To wit:
In the campaign
of seventeen hundred and seventy-five, he served in the then second New York
Regiment commanded by Colonel Goose Van Schaick he being a private in Captain
Christopher P. Yates company. That during that campaign he was at the
taking of St. Johns Chamblew and Montreal soon after which his term of service
expired. That he then reenlisted a private in Captain Ten Eyck’s
Company, same regiment and marched to Quebec in which service he continued
until the last of June or beginning of July in seventeen hundred and seventy-six,
that he then returned to his place of residence in the County of Tryon, now
County of Montgomery and state aforesaid.
That in
seventeen hundred and seventy-seven he again enlisted into the same regiment
and that time commanded by Colonel Peter Gansevoort and continued in said regiment
until the time of his discharge which was in seventeen hundred and eighty at
Morristown in the State of New Jersey at which may fully appear by reference
to his declaration and in the office of the Secretary of war and dated sixteenth
day of April eighteen hundred and eighteen or thereabouts.
He received
a certificate from said war office, dated sixteenth July eighteen hundred and
eighteen No. 1201.
And I the
said Nicholas Christman do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of
the United States on the eighteenth March in the year eighteen hundred and
eighteen and that I have not since that time by gift, sale or in any manner
disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent hereby so to diminish
it or to bring myself within the provisions of “An Act to Provide for
Certain Persons Engaged in The Land and Naval service of The United States
in the Revolutionary War”, passed on the eighteenth day or March eighteen
hundred and eighteen. And I have not nor has any person in trust for
me any property or securities or contracts or debts due to me. Nor have
I any income other that what is contained in the schedule hereunto annexed
and by me subscribed.
(his mark) Nicholas Christman
Sworn to
and declared on the fourteenth day of June 1820 in open court before me, Wm
McCarthy, Clerk
Schedule
1 cow, $12.00,
I bed and bedding $12.50, 8 sheep $8.00.
That his
occupation is that of a common laborer and but of poor ability to pursue that
owing to advanced age and one stiff arm. That his family consists of
the following viz: Mary, his wife aged fifty-seven, considerably smart and
healthy, Henry his son aged thirteen years he is and is likely to be dependant
from a fever sore on his left leg and Eve thirteen years old & slender. That
he has been ordered by a Justice of the Peace of the Town of Palatine to quit
the town on the grounds that his legal settlement was elsewhere.
1 tea kettle,
1 iron kettle, 1 ??? kettle, 1 small iron kettle, 1 trammel, 5 earthen plates,
5 chairs, 1 table, 5 knives and forks, 1 teapot, 6 tea cups and saucers. Everything
in the house is not in the whole worth more than $8.00.
(his mark) Nicholas Christman
End Notes for Ncholas Christman S.544757
By James F. Morrison
1. Captain Christopher P. Yates, 4th Company [raised from Tryon County] Second New York Continental Regiment raised in 1775 under Col. Goose Van Schaick.
Other company officers were First Lieutenant Andrew Finck, Vice [in place of] Anthony Van Veghten declined. Van Veghten later was Adjutant and Lieutenant in Col. Jacob Klock’s Regiment of Tryon County Militia [Second Regiment]. He ran at the Battle of Oriskany on 6 August 1777 and helped to start the panic among the other militiamen near him. He afterwards worked in the commissary Dept.
2nd Lieutenant
John Keyser Jr. Vice Matthew Wormwood, declined. Wormwood
became a lieutenant in Capt. John Hess’ Company in Col. Klock’s
Regt and was killed near Cherry Valley on 2 June 1778 by Capt. Joseph Brant.
Lt. Keyser died in November of 1775 and Tobias Van Veghten was appointed
in his place. Tobias was killed on 26 July 1777 with Jenny MCCrea by
Indians under Gen. John Burgoyne.
For a good history of the First New York Regiment read the following: History of the First New York Regiment 1775-1783 by T. W. Egly, Jr. Peter E.Randall, Publisher, 1981.
4. Peter Gansevoort was a major under Col. Van Schaick in 1775 and appointed Colonel of the 3rd New York Continental Regiment on 21 November 1776. Gansevoort and Lieutenant-Colonel Marinus Willett were in command of Fort Schuyler [Fort Stanwix] during the siege of August 1777.
5. According to the Muster Rolls of the 3rd NY Regt or microfilm in Washington DC, Nicholas enlisted as a private in Capt. Henryb Tiebout’s Company [7th Co.] on 30 March 1777 for 3 years. Deserted 28 November 1777 probably never or at Valley Forge, PA. He re-joined the Regt at Valley Forge, PA. Discharged 5 March 1780 at Morristown, NJ. The winter at Morristown, NJ was worse than the winter at Valley Forge.
6. Nicholas claims to have been in the Battle of Johnstown on the 25th of October 1781. So far I have found only and enlistment for a Nicholas Christman in Col. Peter Bellinger’s Regiment of Tryon County Militia [4th Regt.]. This Regiment was too far away to be in the Battle of Johnstown but some were at the skirmish at West Canada Creek on 30 October 1781 where Captain Walter Butler was killed. Nicholas claims to have lived in what became the Town of Palatine, Montgomery Co. when he enlisted.
7. Andrew Fink and John Wetherston served with Nicholas.