Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for Isaac DeGraaf
S.23193
State of New York
Schenectady County
On this thirteenth
day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two
personally appeared in open court before the judges of the Court of Common Pleas
in and for said county now sitting Isaac DeGraff, a resident of the City of Schenectady
in said county, aged nearly seventy-five 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.
He was born
in the then Township of Schenectady in the then County of Albany, now of Schenectady
in the state then Colony of New York on the 16th day of November 1757, the record
of his age is contained in his father’s Bible.
When he was
called into the service of the United States in the Army of the Revolution, he
was living in the then village, now City of Schenectady aforesaid and since the
Revolutionary War he has lived in the then Township of Schenectady and since
the incorporation of said city in 1798 he has always lived in the city aforesaid. He
entered the service of the United States in the month of October 1776 as a Deputy
Commissary of Issues. He received his appointment under that date from
Elisha Avery, Deputy Commissary General of Issue. He was stationed at the
then frontier post of Johnstown (1) in the then County of Tryon now County of
Montgomery in said state.
He continued
to serve under said appointment until the month of August 1777 when said Avery
resigned his office. He the claimant was then continued in the same station
of Deputy Commissary of Issues by appointment from Ebenezer Winship Deputy Commissary
General of Issues as Successor to said Elisha Avery and he served at the same
station at this last appointment until about the month of October 1778 when James
Gray succeeded said Ebenezer Winship. By said James Gray the claimant was
continued in office until he first July in the year 1780 when in consequence
of a change made in the Issuing Commissary department at the post of Johnstown
aforesaid on the 1st July 1780 his term of service closed.
The whole
of the period for which the claimant served as Commissary of Issues was about
three years and eight months.
The following
are the names of some of the regular officers when he knew or who were with the
troops stationed at the posts where he served and such Continental and Militia
regiments or companies as he can recollect: viz: Colonel James Livingston’s
(2) Regiment, Colonel Goose Van Schaick’s, Colonel Lewis Dubois, Colonel
Frederick Fisher’s of Militia, the French Refugees under Captain Marnay,
Major Ezekiel Taylor’s of the Militia, Captain Samuel Sackett’s of
the Continental troops, Captain William Satterlee’s also of the Continental
troops, Captain Walter Vrooman’s of the Rangers besides other which might
be enumerated.
His different
appointments as aforesaid, and sundry vouchers and letters relating to his services
were in his possession until the 17th of November 1819 when the same with most
of his other papers were destroyed in the great fire which at that time devastated
part of the City of Schenectady than these he had no other documentary evidence. He
can procure others who can testify to his services besides those whose depositions
are hereunder annexed. He flatters himself however that there will be sufficient
evidence of his services to be found in the department at Washington.
The following
are the names of persons to whom he is known in his present neighborhood & who
can testify as to his character for veracity & their belief of his services
as a Commissary of Issues and aforesaid viz:
Simon A. Groot
of the City of Schenectady & John Sanders of the Town of Glenville in said
County of Schenectady.
He hereby
relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present
and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
(Signed) Isaac DeGraaf
Subscribed
and sworn the day and year aforesaid. John L. [S?] Vrooman
This certifies that as appears from the Register of Baptism belonging to
the Protestant Reformed Dutch Church in the City of Schenectady, Isaac, Son
of Daniel Degraaf and Gezina Swits, his wife, was baptized on the 20th day
of November in the year 1757.
Jacob Van Vechten V.D.M.
Certified, Schenectady Oct 6, 1832.
End Notes by James F. Morrison