Morrison's Pensions
TAKEN PRISONER IN 178O
Benjamin served while living at Fonda's Bush (Broadalbin) as a Lieutenant in Captain Emanuel DeGraff's Company (Seventh Company) in Colonel Frederick Visscher's Regiment of Tryon County Militia (Third Regiment). It is not known when Benjamin enlisted or how long he served in this company but it was between 1776 and 178O.
In the fall of 1778, Benjamin and Joseph Scott moved into Johnson's Hall to take up residence there.
In part of April of 1779, Sergeant Solomon Woodworth, Sergeant Henry Shew and Benjamin learned that a Loyalist by the name of John Helmer* had been hiding at his father's home (Philip Helmer) in Fonda's Bush. On April 11th, Benjamin with his two friends decided to take Helmer prisoner. That night the Patriots waited for Helmer near his father's house and on his approaching the house they took him prisoner. The Patriots took Helmer back to Johnstown and put him in the jail at Fort Johnstown.
On May 22, 178O, Sir John Johnson with about 5OO Indians and Loyalists burned the Mohawk Valley. Johnson marched to Johnson's Hall to retrieve some silver that he had buried in May of 1776 when he had to flee to Canada. Benjamin and Scott were taken prisoners by Johnson's men and they were taken to Canada. Benjamin was held prisoner until the end of the war in 1783.
*John Helmer was a private in Colonel Sir John Johnson's Battalion of the King's Royal New York Regiment. Helmer was in the area to take recruits back to Canada.