Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for Peter Conyne or Conyn

S.28693
State of New York
County of Montgomery SS.
            On this first day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & forty-nine personally appeared in open court of the county of Montgomery—Daniel Conyne of the town of Mohawk in said County, aged Forty-Seven years & the said Daniel Conyne, being duly sworn and examined in Open Court as aforesaid, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed 7th June 1832 & 7th day of June 1837, granting pensions to officers and soldiers who served in the militia of this state during the war of the revolution & payable to the children of or widow (if any) of those who died before said 7th June 1837 & after the 4th day of March 1831.
            That he this declarant is one of the surviving children of Peter Conyne who served in the war of the revolution as herein after stated, and he is also the surviving executor of the last will and testament of said Peter Conyne his father his brother John the other executor being dead—That his said father left other children, him surviving as follows.  Harriet Prime wife of Maneis H. Prime, Simon Conyne, Abraham P. Conyne—and that said Harriet Prime, Simon Conyne, Abraham P. Conyne & this declarant Daniel Conyne are all over twenty one years of age & the only surviving children of said Peter Conyne—and that he left no widow him surviving.
            And this declarant further saith, that said Peter Conyne his father, died on the sixth day of May one thousand eight hundred & thirty-two (6th May 1832).  That at the time of his death he was a pensioner of the United States under the Invalid acts he having been pensioned in consequence of a wound he received while serving at the battle of Stillwater in the year 1777 or in the expedition which eventuated in the capture of Burgoyne & his army during that year.  But that said Peter Conyne for his services in the war of the revolution never received any pension.  This he could not do in person for the reason that he died about a month previous to the passage of the laws of Congress under which he might have claimed, & since his death his children did not become aware of his rights in this respect until about eight or ten years ago, when they engaged Giles F. Yates of Schenectady to attend to the prosecution of the claim, but he never attended to it for the reason alledged that he could not find sufficient record proof—and they now for the first assert the claim.
            And this Declarant further saith that as to the services of said Peter Conyne during said war of the Revolution, he this declarant is unable to give a specific account.  That he has often heard his father during his lifetime relate his said services, and also heard the like relation from his friends & neighbors who were contemporaneous soldiers in the said war.—This Declarant recollects the traditionary account of his said services to be substantially & generally as follows.  He served as an adjutant in the Regiment of militia of the State of New York commanded by Colonel Frederick Fisher of Tryon County in said State.
            He served in numerous expeditions from the year 1776 to the year 1783.  In 1777 he was in the Oriskany Battle & also in northern expedition against Burgoyne & his army, on what occasion he received a wound for which he was pensioned – But partially recovering from its effects he continued to do military duty every year after said year 1777 during said war until the close thereof, that he also served with the troops that engaged in the Battle of Johnstown—that he served several weeks & months in each tour of duty & one occasion served 6 months continuously.  Which was in the year Caughnawaga was burnt and this deponent further saith, that said Peter Conyne was born as appears from a record thereof on the 7th day of March one thousand seven hundred and fifty three (7th March 1753) & died on the seventieth year of his age, a resident of Caughnawaga in said town of Mohawk.  (Signed) Daniel Conyne
            Subscribed & sworn in open court as aforesaid before me.  C.S. Brumley, Clerk.
State of New York
County of Montgomery SS.
            Abraham A. Van Horne of the town of Fonda in said County being duly examined and sworn, deposeth & saith, that he was initially acquainted with Peter Conyne during his lifetime, and heard him converse about his services in the war of the revolution, and also heard many other persons converse about the same—Mr. Peter Conyne was well known and much esteemed in the community in which lived as a gentleman of veracity, integrity & virtue, and one of the most respectable inhabitants of the Mohawk Valley.  The particulars of his service in said war this deponent cannot give, though he has heard many of them related, he has not changed his mind with the same.  He remembers however, amon other things, that Jacob Barnes who was a soldier in the battle of Oriskany in 1777, used to relate an anecdote to the effect that said Peter Conyne was on duty as an officer in said battle, and that he (Barnes) saw said Conyne conspicuously engaged therein; and at a certain crisis in the engagement waving his sword & begging the Americans to maintain their ground.  He also remembers that the tradition was general that said Peter served also in the battle of Stillwater during the same year 1777, when he received a wound in one of his arms of which he never perfectly recovered, & for which he was pensioned—That after said would was partially healed, he engaged in active service again as such Adjutant on many occasions & during the subsequent years of said war, particularly when the enemy made their descents on the valley of the Mohawk in the years 1778, 1779, 1780, & 1781.  (Signed) Abm. A. Van Horne.
            Subscribed & sworn this 15th day of Feby 1851, before me.  Perry Yeates, Justice of the Peace.

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