Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for Henry Bakeman

[The names for the most part were impossible for me to read in this application.]
R.400
State of New York
Oswego County SS.
            On the first day of September one thousand eight hundred and thirty four before me Lowell? Johnson a Judge of Oswego County Courts personally appeared Henry Bakeman a resident of Granby in said County of Oswego aged seventy eight last January 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 was born at a place called Rackey Hill in Somerset County in the State of New Jersey on the first day of January 1765 that he does not know of any record of his age any where.  That he was living with his father in a place called Stone Robby in the County of Montgomery and State of New York when called into service in the year 1781 as he believes.  That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
            In April and as he thinks the seventeenth 1781 he enlisted as a volunteer in a Militia company of the New York Troops commanded by Captain Henry French in a Regiment commanded by one Putnam as he believes but cannot be certain as to the memory of the colonel this enlistment was for nine months.  That he served till some time about the middle of July following when he enlisted into a company of light infantry of Continental Troops commanded by Captain Peter P. Pierce, as the thinks but cannot be certain as to his name, in Colonel Willet’s Regiment.  This enlistment was for three years.  That while he was in Captain French’s Company they lay at Fort Plain and from there along the Mohawk river as far as East Canada Creek in the State of New York that their duty was to guard against the Indians and go on scouting parties.  That after he enlisted into the company of light Infantry in Colonel Willett’s Regiment the regiment was stationed at Fort Plain on the Mohawk River, thence different companies from said Regiment were sent out to Herkimer and other places and once in February of 1783 they proceeded as far as Oswego for the purpose of taking the fort at that place which the British refused to surrender to the Americans in the treaty of peace.  That when they arrived the British refused for a while but after [?] surrender the fort that in the summer of 1782 his duty was to carry packages between Fort Plain & Herkimer and when not engaged in this service he did his duty in his company.
            That he was not engaged in any battle of any note but they had many skirmishes with the Indians & Tories.
            That in February of 1783 on his tour of Oswego he froze his feet so as to make him very sore for some time.
            That in June of this same year before Elias [?] took him for a waiter and he went with the said Major to Poughkeepsie and staid with the said Major till the February after in 1784 when he was discharged.  He had at this time a written discharge which he has lost.
            That his father moved from Rackey Hill aforesaid in the year 1768 to Samons Kill near Schenectady in the State of New York thence in the year 1770 to a place near Fort Plain thence in 1776 to Stone Robby (or Stone Arabia) aforesaid.
            That after he received his discharge as aforesaid he went to live at the Sand Flatts on the Mohawk River then in 1792 he removed to Charleston where he moved and lived eleven years thence to Granby aforesaid where he now lives.  That he knows of no other person living except Gaddlip Pelmer and Ashbil Great whose affidavits are herewith annexed on.  [can’t read part of a sentence] who lives at a distance from the said applicant who can attest of his service.  That he is known to Aaron G. Fish Hubbard Clerk Henry Fink [?] G. Tolley & many others who can testify to his character for truth & veracity and their belief of his services.  He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and believes that his name is not on the pension roll of any State or Territory.  (Signed) Henry Bakeman
            Subscribed & Sworn the 1st day of September 1834 before me Lowell Johnson a Judge of Oswego County Courts. 

Mr. Joseph Davis Esqr. 
            Sir, Henry Bakeman the bearer says he served as a soldier in the revolutionary war and I am persuaded his infirmity and extreme injury justly entitles him to the bounty of government I have therefore assisted him in preparing a statement of his situation and directed him to you for further aid.  Peter Schneck?
            Henry Bakeman at the age of 16 years in the year 1781 enlisted in the United States service under Capt. Ben Tierce of the Infantry (who now lives in Albany) in a Regt. commanded by Col. Willett at Stone Arabia in the State of New York, with whom I served one year and was then placed under Capt. Cannore in the same Regt. under whom I continued, during the war was in a skirmish with the Indians near Fort Plain—was in an expedition against Oswego (which failed) in which I had my feet frozen and remain a cripple to this day in consequence thereof—at the close of the war I received a regular discharge at Poughkeepsie.  I am a cooper by profession and possessed of the following property to wit.  Real estate, none.  Persona, Exclusion of necessary wearing apparel and bedding as follows: 1 cow, 1 two year old heifer, 7 sheep, 1 calf, 3 hogs—Tools as follows 2 j[?] 3 shaves, 1 jack plaine, [can’t make out the rest of his property.  He lists his debts.]
            My family consists of the following persons, my wife aged 53 years, infirm: my daughter Laney 17 years old in good health, Rachel 14 in good health, my son Andrew 10, my daughter Mary 8, my grandson John 2 years all in good health. [can’t read the last paragraph]  (Signed) Henry Bakeman of Granby in the County of Oswego.

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