Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for Henry Decker

R.2829
State of New York
County of Orange SS.
            On this twenty ninth day of May 1833, personally appeared before me Gilbert Ogden Fowler First Judge for the Court of Common Pleas in and for the said County of Orange, Henry Decker a resident of the town of Newburgh in the said County, aged eighty six 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 passed June 7th 1832.
             That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.  His first term of service was at the building of Fort Montgomery, does not remember the year nor the particular day of the month.  It was however a year or two previous to the Capture of the fort by the British and in the Spring of the year that as soon as he had planted his corn, Staid until hoeing time then obtained a short leave of absence; went home and ploughed his corn, staying for this purpose but one day left his corn to be hoed by his wife; and hastened aback to fort Montgomery, where he remained almost all the time during the season until late in the fall, went as a volunteer in the New York Militia, and as a private.  Stephen Case (1) of Marlborough in Ulster County and State aforesaid was his captain; Mathew Wygant of same place, his first Lieutenant; John Bond of same place, his second Lieutenant; and Alexander Cropsey of same place his ensign; Jonathan Hasbrouck  of Newburgh (then Ulster) now Orange County aforesaid,  was Colonel of the New York Regiment of Militia, to which Captain Stephen Case’s Company my aforesaid was attached.  Lewis Dubois of Marlborough aforesaid was the Major thereof, forgets who was the Lieutenant Colonel.  The said Henry Decker was detailed as a baker, and being the one of his company acquainted with that business, he was constantly employed as such was Consequently more in service than any other of his company.  Thinks he was out the season at least six Months.
            The next year went again as a volunteer & private in the New York Militia, under the same officers and for about the same space of time in the year before to wit not less than six months.  The company with which he went was employed all the season in building fort Montgomery.  Does not remember the months and day which he entered the service this season.  Commenced early in the Spring and continued till late in the fall.  Governor George Clinton commanded during the building of Fort Montgomery, his brother, General James Clinton was on the other side of the creek at Fort Clinton.  One half the company to which the said Henry Decker belonged was on duty two or three weeks, and then the remaining portion for a like space of time.  But being a baker, he was retained and served nearly all the time said company was out on duty.  From old age, infirmity & consequence loss of memory he cannot distinctly recollect whether it was this year or the following that Fort Montgomery was taken. (2) On the day of the capture of said fort, he remembers however, they (the said Henry Decker and a part of his company) were on their way from Marlborough aforesaid, down to Fort Montgomery, and had proceeded as far as Newburgh aforesaid, when by order of Colonel Jonathan Hasbrouck aforesaid they staid all night.  Heard the guns at Fort Montgomery.  After Fort Montgomery was taken followed the British on their way up the Hudson River as far as Milton in Ulster County aforesaid when taking advantage of a fair wind the enemy left them.  When the British returned down the river, they followed them some distance Capt. Arthur Smith’s (3) Company of New York Militia of Newburgh aforesaid accompanied them up the river.
            The next season he the said Henry Decker was out again as a private and volunteer, at least three months.  All the officers both company and Regimental as before.  He commenced his services in the spring of the year as usual and was out at different times to the forts in the Highlands of the Hudson.  His company commanded by Capt. Stephen Case being divided and in two parties, alternating as before.  During the four last years of the Revolutionary War he was at Forts in the Highlands of the Hudson every season for at least two months and a half, according to the best of his belief and remembrance.   The members of his company took turns as before mentioned Being baker he was out more than the rest.  Stephen Case aforesaid was always his Captain & Jonathan Hasboruck he colonel.  Previous to the taking of Fort Montgomery, but when he does not distinctly recollect, he was at Fishkill in Dutchess County in the State aforesaid keeping guard over some British and Tory Prisoners.  Capt. Case was not there, Alexander Cropsay the Ensign aforesaid commanded the party.  On one occasion too but when he does not particularly remember, he went to Morristown New Jersey, to guard some waggons sent with clothing from Newburgh aforesaid and to the American Army.  Captain Wood (4) commanded they were absent more than a week.  Sometime also during the early part of the war he does not remember precisely when, he assisted to build a fortification below New Windsor opposite the chevaux deprise[sic, correctly spelled chevaux de fries] there in the Hudson River.  He was then there so employed at least three or four weeks.  Captain Case commanded.  By reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot state precisely the length of his service in the New York Militia during the Revolutionary War, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than twenty seven months as a volunteer and private in the New York Militia.  Alexander Cropsay the above mentioned Ensign, was knowing to much of his service, and is still alive and is a resident of Marlborough aforesaid.  He said Henry Decker was always a private & always a volunteer in the New York Militia and was always during the Revolutionary war discharged from service verbally.  He never had any written or printed discharge.  He was born at Goshen in Orange County aforesaid  on the twenty Second day of February 1747 as he was always informed by his parents & Family, but has no record of his age, & never had.
            From the time he was nine years old he was brought up in Marlborough aforesaid, where his family resided, during the whole Revolutionary War, and from thence he always went every time he entered into the service of the United States in the New York Militia as above mentioned & after the war, he still continued to reside in Marborough for a period of about twenty five years.  He then went to the Town of Newburgh where he remained more than three years, then to Smith’s Clove, Orange County, where he staid about two years, Then to Hoboken New Jersey one year.  Then to New York City two years, Then to Hudson one winter, then to Saugerties in Ulster County aforesaid two years.  Then to Fishkill in Dutchess County aforesaid Two years, and then to Newburgh aforesaid where he has lived ever since.  He has no documentary evidence by which to show the amount of his services, The period of twenty seven months during which he was employed as foresaid, was no part of it spent in any Civil pursuit.  While he was in the Service building Fort Montgomery, owing to his exposures he was attacked with the rheumatism.  Afterwards during the Revolutionary War he had frequent slight attacks of this disease and has ever since been more or less afflicted with it until six years past since which time he has been and [?] cripple and during all that time has been and now is altogether unable to attend in Open court to make this declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th June 1832.  He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any state.  (Signed with his mark)  Henry Decker.
            Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid before me Gilbert Ogden Fowler First Judge Orange County.

            Orange Surrogate Court.  Be it known that personally appeared before me. James W. Fowler, Surrogate in and for the County of Orange, in the State of New York at the surrogate’s office in the Village of Newburgh in said County Jane Pembrook a resident of said County aged 63 years, who being first duly sworn according to law, in open Court and on her oath states, that she is one of the children of Henry Decker, deceased, a late resident of Orange County in the state of New York aforesaid, that he died on or about the 15th day or October 1835 and that he left no widow at the time of his death; that he left him surviving the following named children to wit.  John Decker, a resident of the City of New York, Cochelius Decker, who has removed to parts unknown, Eliza Shuster, and Jane Pembrook resident of the County of Orange in the State of New York aforesaid, and that they are the only surviving children of the said Henry Decker deceased.
            Declarant further states that her father, the said Henry Decker served in and during the War of the Revolution some part of the time, as a Baker and baked bread for the Army, as she has often heard her father, the said Henry Decker say in his lifetime, and that she believes the same to be true; and that she has understood that her father’s application is now on the suspended files of the pension office, and that she make this declaration in order to obtain the pension that was due her said father at the time of his death under the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832 which she now claims is due her this declarant as well as the other children of the said Henry Decker deceased; and that she gives reference to the papers now on file which contains the application of her father the said Henry Decker for said pension.  (Signed) Jane Pembrook

           
           Subscribed and sworn this ninth day of September A.D. 1853, before me in open court.

End Notes—Herny Decker R.2829

  1. Captain Stephen Case’s Company in Colonel Jonathan Hasbrouck’s (Hasbruck, etc.) Regiment of Untiler County Militia, Fourt Regiment.  The other company officers were:  First Lieutenant Matthew Wygant, Second Lieutenant John Bant, and Ensign Alexander Cropsey.  The company officers originally commissioned on October 11, 1775 were: Captain Caleb Merritt, First Lieutenant Abijah Perkins, Second Lieuteenant Stephen Case, and Ensign Matthew Wygant.  Captain Case and his two lieutenants were commissioned on March 9, 1778.  The Ensign that was commissioned on that date to replace Cropsey was Nathaniel Dubois.  The company is also referred to as the Southeast District New Marlborough.  Alson on February 27, 1779 Lieutenant-Colonel Johannes Hardenburgh was commissioned as the Colonel of the Fourth Ulster.
  2. Fort Montgomery was captured on October 6, 1777
           

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