Pension Application

S.15015
State of New York
Albany County SS.
On this 30th day of September 1833 personally appeared in open court before the Justices Court of the City of Albany (being a Court of Record) now sitting, John Bulson, a resident of the City of Albany, in the County of Albany and State of New York, aged on the 8th day of July last, ninety four years—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 of June 7, 1832—That I entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated—

In the year 1775 I was a private in a company of New York Militia, commanded by Capt Ostrom, Lieut Jacob Weaver & Ensign Peter Schuyler—In the fall of that year, said Company was ordered into the service & I went as a private in said company, to Lake George—there was stationed & did duty then, about four weeks, I was engaged in this tour of duty, as a private in said company not less than five weeks including going and returning, according to the best of my recollection & belief—Gen’l Ten Broek was the General who had command of the Brigade to which we belonged—I recollect seeing him at Fort George—Col. Schuyler was Colonel of our regiment—We marched from the Town of Watervliet, where I then resided to Lake George & where we were dismissed, I returned back to Watervliet. Deponent further recollects I think col. Nicholls was one Colonel in the [?] in to Lake George above referred to --& Col. Schuyler afterwards commanded us—on our way we passed through Half Moon, Stillwater, Saratoga & by Fort Edward to Lake George.
In the year 1776 about the month of June, I was again enlisted in service as a sergeant in said company of Militia under the same Captain, Lieutenant and Ensign. – We marched form Watervliet & crossed the Hilleburgh [Helderberg] Mountain to Schoharie—we were quartered in the Stone Church which was then occupied & made up as a Fort—The whole of our Regiment commanded by Col. Philip Schuyler was ordered out & were stationed there at the same time.—We remained there about two weeks & were then dismissed & returned home to Watervliet—I was engaged on this tour of duty according to the best of my recollection & belief, not less than eighteen days, including 2 days in going and 2 days in returning as a Sergeant in said Company of Militia.
In the same year, 1776, I was again ordered into the service as a Sergeant of said Company, commanded by Capt. Ostrum Lieut Weaver & Ensign Schuyler –I think the whole regiment was ordered into the service at the same time—we marched from Watervliet to Fort Edwards, and were stationed there about 2 weeks & were then discharged—I was engaged in this tour as Sergeant of said Company not less than two weeks according to the best of my recollection.
In the month of June 1777 I was again ordered into the service as a Sergeant in said company of Militia, still commanded by Capt. Ostrum – we marched from Watervliet to Fort Edward & lay their some times and then went to Fort Ann, and were stationed at a Bridge near Fort Ann—I think we laid at Fort Edward & Fort Ann at least four weeks—I recollect that Major Schermerhorn was our Major & col. Schuyler commanded us in this time—I recollect that Col. Henry Van Rensselaer was wounded in the skirmish with the British and Indians & was carried to Fort Edward—He was brought to Fort Edward in the night time—I think he was afterwards removed to Fort Miller—I was engaged on this tour of duty, as Sergeant of said company, not less than five weeks including the time spent in going & returning.
In the month of September 1777 I was again ordered into the service as a Sergeant of said Company of Militia—under the command of Capt. Ostrum, Lieut Weaver & Ensign Schuyler—We marched from Watervliet to Saratoga and were stationed a part of the time at Bemis Heights—The whole of our regiment under Col. Schuyler, was ordered out at the same time & we all went to Saratoga—Gen’l Gates was the Head General of us all at that time—We remained there until after Gen’l Burgoyne’s Army surrendered & were discharged a few days afterwards, & returned home—I recollect very well being in Burgoyne’s Camp after the surrender & seeing the wounded men & prisoners – I was not present at the actual surrender being thus engaged in guard—On this tour of duty I was engaged as Sergeant of said company not less than thirty four days including 2 days spent in going & 2 days in returning.
In the year 1778 I was again ordered into the service as Sergeant of said Company –still commanded by Capt. Ostrom—we marched from Watervliet to Schoharie—I think this was before the Village was burnt—I recollect Col. VanAlstyne was there—I think he was from Kinderhook—I believe I was engaged on this tour of duty as sergeant of said company not less than sixteen days.
According to the best of my recollection & believe I was four times to Schoharie on military duty as a Sergeant in said company, including the two tours above mentioned—But my memory is so impaired by age that I am not able to specify the times nor how long I was engaged on two of said tours, except that they were, as I believe both before the Village of Schoharie was burnt by the British & Indians –and all of said tours of duty were performed during the Revolutionary War—and according to the best of my recollection and believes, I was engaged on said tours not less than two months, over and above the time already specified in respect to the two tours above particularly mentioned.—
In the year 1779 I was again ordered into the service as Sergeant of said company of Militia still commanded by Capt Ostrum—We marched from Watervliet to Schenectady and from thence up the Mohawk to the Sand Flatts and through the woods in the pursuit of the British and Indians under Sir John Johnson—We were two days in the woods—we had a battle with the British & Indians—The battle took place on the lowlands near the river—I was engaged in it—We were commanded by Gen’l Van Rensselear – The whole of my company was in the action—some of our men were wounded—but I think none of them were killed—Our party consisted of about 800 men—We were joined at Fort Plain by about 300 men under the command of Major – Col. Dubois -- & by some friendly Indians—after the battle our troops retreated -- & the British & their Indian allies went across the Mohawk--& afterwards retreated—The battle was fought on the north side of the Mohawk river—Fort Plain is on the south side of the said river—We crossed over the river above Fort Plain, before the battle—After the British & Indians had retreated, we marched up to Fort Herkimer—and went into the woods in search of the Enemy—We did not find them—but we took one Indian a prisoner—He mistook us for his own people—He was taken by our Indians—I think I was also at Fort Hunter whilst on this expedition—but I am not certain whether it was on this occasion or another tour that I was at Fort Hunter—I was engaged on this tour of duty, as Sergeant of said Company not less than two weeks.
Afterwards, and I believe in the same year 1779, I was again ordered into the service as Sergeant of said Company, commanded by Capt. Ostrum—We marched form Watervliet through Schenectady, up the Mohawk to Fort Hunter—I think we were commanded whilst there by col. Schuyler—I believe I was engaged on this tour of duty, as Sergeant of said company, not less than three weeks.
Afterwards, but in what year I am not able to state, but I believe in 1779 or 1780 I was again ordered into the service as Sergeant of said Company of Militia, commanded by Capt. Ostrum—we marched from Watervliet to Schenectady & from there to Rosenwall at the upper end of Niskayuna—about 4 miles from Schenectady—we were stationed there a few days & then discharged & returned home—I was engaged on this tour of duty, not less than ten days as Sergeant of said company.

I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state—I have never learned to write. (Signed with his mark) John Bulson
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court. John G. Wasson, Clk

January 16, 1936, letter written in response to an inquiry.
            Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War records of Benjamin, Henry, John, Cornelius, Gerardus (Garades) Bulson (surname variously spelled) who were sons of Hendrick Bulson, of Albany, New York.
            The Revolutionary War records of this office have been searched and no claims for pension or bounty land found based upon the service in the revolution of Hendrick Bulson, or of his Sons Benjamin, Cornelius, or Gerardus or Garades Bulson under any spelling of the surname. Such claims are the source of Revolutionary War data furnished by this office. Records were found of Henry and John Bulson, the only soldiers of that surname under any spelling found in the Revolutionary War records of this office, and they are as follow.
[Only the part pertaining to John will appear in this pension.]
            John Bulson S.15015
            You are furnished below the record of John Bulson as shown in the papers on file in pension claim, S.15015, based upon his service in the Revolutionary War.
            John Bulson was born July [8?] 1739; the place of soldier’s birth and names of his parents are not show.
            While residing in Watervliet, Albany County, New York, John Bulson enlisted sometime in 1775, served on tours at different times until sometime in 1779 or 1780 amounting to less than a year in all, as private and sergeant in Captain Ostrum’s company, under Colonels Nicholls and Philip P. Schuyler in the New York troops, went on expeditions to Lake George, Schoharie, Fort Edward and Fort Ann, Saratoga, where he was engaged as a guard at the time of Burgoyne’s surrender there, to Schenectady where he was in a battle with the British and Indians in the lowlands on the north side of the Mohawk River, and to Fort Hunter.
            John Bulson was allowed pension on his application executed September 30, 1835, while residing in Albany, Albany County, New York. He died in June 1836.