Pension Application

S.12373
State of New York
Albany Justices’ Court SS.
                        Personally appeared before the said court on the 26th day of June 1833, Henry Bulson of the Town of Watervliet in the County of Albany, an applicant for a Pension under the Act of Congress of June 7, 1832, who being duly sworn in Open Court, deposeth and saith that by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades—In the year 1776 or 1777 I served as a private in the company commanded by Captain Ostrum in col. Philip P. Schuyler’s Regiment not less than one month on the tour to Fort Plain and Bowman’s Kill—and not less than two weeks on my tour to Schenectady as stated in my original declaration—
                        In the following year (that is in 1777 or 1778) I again served as a private in the same company and regiment under the same Captain and Colonel, not less than two weeks—
                        In the year 1779 as I believe I enlisted as a private in Capt. Peter B. Tierce’s Company in Col. Marinus Willett’s regiment of the New York line for the term of nine months, as a substitute for a class of which John Misener was the head, --and I actually served out the said term of nine months faithfully as a private in said company—
                        I recollect that Jacob Weaver was Lieutenant, and Philip Hemstreet was an Ensign in Capt. Ostrum’s Company and Abraham Fonda was Major of Col. Schuyler’s Regiment—I recollect that Jonathan Hilton was the First Lieutenant and Alexander Campbell was the second Lieutenant of Capt. Tierce’s Company—I recollect that Major VanBenscolten belonged to Col. Willett’s Regiment—Jellis Fonda was the Adjutant of Col. Willett’s Regiment—Immediately after my termof service as above stated in Capt. Tierce’s Company had expired I reenlisted not as a substitute but on my own account, in the three years service, as a private in the same company, still commanded by Capt. Tierce, in the Regiment still commanded by Col. Willett—Alex’r Campbell was then our First Lieutenant—Lieut. Hilton had left the company—
                        I served under the last mentioned enlistment seven months, and upwards, and was then discharged honorably—I received a written discharge, but have lost it—It was signed according to the best of my recollection, by Col. Willett and Capt. Tierce.—
                        I first enlisted in Col. Willett’s Regiment in Albany—we were marched from Albany to Johnstown—and there we lay for some time, I think about two months—and from thence we were marched to Stone Arabia, and were encamped, tow companies of us, inside of a picket Fort—There was one block house in each corner of the Fort—From there we moved to Fort Plain on the Mohawk there we were stationed during the winter & remained there until my term of nine months had expired—When I enlisted the second time in Col. Willett’s regiment I was at Johnstown—The officers were quartered in a room in the jail—While I was in the service under this last mentioned enlistment, I was stationed the principal part of the time, with my company up Fort Plain—but part of the time was in an expedition to Oswego—and was part of the time home and in the hospital at Albany by the permission and direction of my officers—On the expedition to Oswego, all our Regiment were engaged init, and we were commanded by Col. Willett and Major VanBenscotten—We returned to Herkimer after an absence of about two weeks, without meeting with the enemy—From Herkimer we marched back to our station at Fort Plain—
                        I believe I was at Albany at the time I was discharged—I recollect that on an Oswego expedition we were accompanied by a Regiment from Rhode Island—part white and part black—the commissioned officers were white men and the noncommissioned officers were black men—The names of the officers I don’t’ recollect—
                        I was about sixteen years of age when I first went into the service in the Militia—I have never learned to write.
                        For my services in the Militia and in Col. Willett’s regiment for the periods above stated, amounting to not less than eighteen months, I claim a pension. (Signed with his mark) Henry Bulson
                        Sworn and signed this 26th day of June 1833 in Open Court. J. 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 Henry will appear in this pension.]
Henry Bulson
S.12373
            The data herein were obtained from the papers on file in pension claim, S.12373, based upon the Revolutionary War service of Henry Bulson.
            Henry Bulson was born September 18, 1761; the place of soldiers’ birth and names of his parents are not given.
            Henry Bulson enlisted in 1776 or 1777, served as a private in Captain Ostrum’s Company, Colonel Philip P. Schuyler’s New York regiment, stationed at different places along the Mohawk River to repel the British, Indians and Tories, was called out on a sudden alarm to Schenectady and was in a skirmish at Klock’s Farm and was discharged after having served one month two weeks. He again served in 1777 or 1778 and served two weeks under the same officers. He enlisted in 1779 and served nine months as private in Captain Peter E. Tierce’s company, Colonel Marinus Willett’s New York Regiment. Upon the expiration of that tour, he immediately reenlisted for three years, served as private in Captain Tierce’s company, Colonel Willett’s New York regiment, went on the expedition to Oswego and was discharged after having served seven months. The place of soldier’s enlistments was not stated.
            Henry Bulson was allowed pension on his application executed August 4, 1832, while a resident of Watervliet, Albany County, New York, where he was still living in 1833.
            There are no family data shown in the claim.

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