Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for John Casselman
W.18944
State of New York
Onondaga County SS.
On the 9th
day of February A.D. 1841 personally appeared before the subscriber First Judge
of the Court of Common Pleas of said county, Catharine Casselman a resident of
the Town of Manlius in said county and state aforesaid aged seventy seven years
on the 25th day of March next who being first duly sworn according to law doth
on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of
the provision made by the Act of Congress passed July 4, 1836 that she is the
widow of John Casselman who was a soldier in the Revolutionary Army part of the
time he served as she is informed & believes in the regular service and part
of the time in the militia service. She was acquainted with the said John
Casselman from the time she was a child he was about ten years older than herself
but she does not know all the officers under whom he served nor the rank of such
officers he served part of the time under Captain McKean (1) and part of the
time under Captain French. (2) She
cannot tell what year or month he entered in the service; she think he first
entered the service in the year 1779.
Her father’s
name was Jacob Lepper (3) and he was a soldier in the army and was killed at
the Battle at Oriskany when she was about twelve years of age; she says he said
husband was in the army till the close of the war. She does not know the
Colonels name thinks Colonel VanRensselaer or Colonel Willett commanded during
part of the time when he was in the army; that he resided at Stone Arabia in
the County of Montgomery, and State of New York when he went into the army &
resided there at the close of the war. That she knows he
was in a Battle at Johnstown and in one battle at Stone Arabia, he was once drafted
and once he enlisted and the other times when he entered the army she does not
know how each time and was regularly discharged at the expiration of his time
of service. His
service was mostly in the Valley of the Mohawk River in the State of New York. She
has no documentary evidence in support of her claim to a pension to her knownledge
but that she was
married to the said John Casselman the week before Christmas three years after
the close of the war at the home of the Rev. Mr. Ruse a clergyman of the Lutheran
Church in Stone Arabia aforesaid. That she has no knowledge of any one
living that was present at her marriage. The said clergyman died several
years ago & she has does know that there is any record of her said marriage.
That her said
husband the said John Casselman died in the Town of Manulius in the County of
Onondaga and State of New York on the 25th day of March in the year 1830. She
understood that her said husband applied for a pension under the law of 1818
but did not succeed in getting it & presumes his affidavits are now on file
and may be found at the pension office in the City of Washington to which she
wishes to refer & she thinks he made two applications she is so told and informed
and her memory so poor that she may not recollect dates correctly.
That she has
remained a widow ever since the death of her said husband the aforesaid John
Casselman as will more fully appear in other proof which is hereto annexed.
That she has
no family record to her knowledge she once had a record but it is lost and destroyed
she verily believes. That she lived and cohabitated with the said John
Casselman from the time of her marriage till his death and had by him fourteen
children. Their names were Catharine, Vina, Betsy, Nancy, Mary, David,
Barbara, Ribiva, Lucentia, John, William, Anna, and a boy that died without being
named and John namded after my son John that died. That five of the said
children are now living. David, William and John (the youngest) and Catharine
and Anna the remainder are all dead. That she now lives with her daughter
Anna who married a man by the name of John Copelman & resides in the Town of
Manlius aforesaid.
That from
old age a& infirmity she is unable to appear in court to make her declaration.
(Her mark)
Catharine Casselman.
The words
seventy seven written in Erasure in the 7th line from the top before Sworn--
Taken subscribed & sworn before me the 9th day of February 1841.
Grove Lawrence,
First Judge of Onondaga County Court & Counsellor in the Supreme Court
State of New York
Oswego County
John Featherly
(4) of the Town of Volney and county aforesaid, a Revolutionary Pensioner, aged
eighty-two years who being duly sworn according to law deposeth and saith that
he was well acquainted with John Casselman was acquainted with him before the
time of the Revolutionary War, was a boy with him was afterwards married to his
sister Girtrude Cassleman immediately after the close of the Revolution was also
well acquainted with Catharine Lepper a daughter of Jacob Lepper with whom said
deponent was well acquainted. Said deponent well and truly knows that said
John Casseman was legally married to said Catharine Lepper in Montgomery County
NY. Some
three or four years after the close of the Revolutionary War by the Rev. Mr.
Ruse a clergyman in the Lutheran Church then living at Stone Arabia said deponent
also understood that said John Casselman was a soldier in the War of the Revolution
but was not in the same company (5) with said deponent. Said deponent further
saith that he has been acquainted with said John Casselman since they were married
or since said Casselman was married to said Catharine knows that said Casselman
and his wife Catharine have lived together many years until the death of said
Casselman which said deponent heard took place some ten years since as husband
and wife and have had a number of children, David and William, Catharine and
Anna were some of the children whom said deponent understand are now living in
the Town of Manlius, Onondaga County New York. Said John Cassleman
had also a brother by the name of Bartle Cassleman.
Further
said deponent saith not.
(his mark) John Featherly
Subscribed
& Sworn to the 23d day of oMarch 1841 before me Elbert Holmes Justice of the
Peace.
Catharine
was awarded pension of $82.33. per annum commencing on the 4th day of March
1840.
John
Cassleman W 187944
End Notes by James F. Morriosn
1. Captain Robert McKean's Company in Colonel Henry K. Van Rensselaer's Regiment of New York State Levies.
2. John Enlisted on 16 May 1781 as a Corporal in Captain Lawrence Gross' Company in Lieutenant-Colonel Marinus Willett's Regiment of New York State Levies. In 1782 he enlisted in Captain Abner French's Company in Col. Willett's Regiment until November 1782.
In November 1782, Captain French retired and Lieutenant and Adjutant Jellis A. Fonda was appointed Captain of the Company. John was discharged 1 January 1783. -- Series M246, Roll 78. Revolutionary War Rolls 1775-1783.
3. Jacob Lepper was a private in Colonel Jacob Klock's Regiment of Tryon County Militia (Second Regiment). He was killed 6 August 1777 at the Battl of Oriskany.
Audited accounts Vol A--Page 173
State of New York Dr. to John Lepper & the other Children of Jacob Lepper late Private inColonel Jacob Klock's Regiment of Montgomery [Tryon] To seven years half pay we are intitled to by the death of our Father Jacob Lepper who was slain in the fiel don thge 6th August 1777 as [per] Jacob Klock's Certificate.
| For 1 years | Pension | due | 6 Augt 1778 | £ 16..0.0 |
| For 2 years | " | " | Aug 1779 & 1 yr Int | £..__16..__16..0..0 |
| For 3 years | " | " | Aug 1780 & 2 yr int | 1..12..16..0..0 |
| For 4 years | " | " | Aug 1781 & 3 yr int | 2..8..16..0..0 |
| For 5 years | " | " | Aug 1782 & 4 yr int | 3..0..16..0..0 |
| For 6 years | " | " | Aug 1783 & 5 yr int | 4..__..__16..0..0 |
| For 7 years | " | " | Aug 1784 & 6 yr int | 4..16..__16..0..0 |
£16..16..__£112..__
Amount of Interest 16..16..00
£128..06..00
Audited 29 November 1784
New York State Library, Special Collections and Manuscripts, Albany, New York.
4. Featherly or Vatterly, Vatterlee, Betherly, Federly, Fetterly, etc. John served as a private in Captain Adam Leipe's Company under Colonel Samuel Campbell in the First Regiment of TryonCounty Militia. He also received a pension No. S 10658. A Henry Vatterly from the same regiment was also killed at Orisknay.
5. John also served in the same companies as his brother Bartley [Pardel]. John served in Captains Rudolph Koch and Henry Millers Companies in Col. Klock's Regiment. John also served under his father Captain John Casselman [Casselman] in 1780.