Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for Eckler, Peter

R.3217
BLWt.53754-1460-55
State of New York
County of Herkimer
             On this ninth day of October AD 1832, personally appeared in open court before the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Herkimer, now sitting Peter Eckler a resident of the Town of Warren in the County of Herkimer and state of New York, aged seventy-eight 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.
            That at the commencement of the Revolutionary War he resided at a settlement called the * Kyle about sixteen miles south of the Mohawk River within the territory now included in the County of Herkimer above mentioned.
            That he was then enrolled in a company of militia commanded by Capt. Henry Eckler and whereof Conrad Olindorff and Timothy Frank were successively Lieutenants, and Adam Staring Ensign.  That said company was attached to the regiment of militia commanded by Col. Peter Bellinger.
            That he resided at the above mentioned place about three years after the commencement of the war, during which time he was frequently called into actual service to guard the frontier against the ravages of the Indians, that he was constantly equipped and in readiness for service.  That he was first called out to Johnstown distant about thirty miles from his then place of residence; this was in the winter season when Capt. Eckler’s entire company was called out.
            That they staid (stayed) there but a short time and returned there being no fighting at that time.  That he was afterwards on several occasions called out and went some times as a volunteer and some times being drafted to Fort Stanwix, a distant about thirty-five miles.  On these occasions the company, to which he was attached was commanded by Capt. Eisenlord.  That these were alarm occasions and were three or four in number during his residence at the place above mentioned.  On these occasions he was sometimes detained at the fort a week and sometimes two weeks, doing duty on guard and otherwise until the alarm subsided.  That he with Capt. Eckler’s whole company on several occasions of alarm marched to the German Flatts, a settlement on the Mohawk River distant about fifteen miles where they generally made a short stay and returned.
            That in the summer of 1777, the whole of Capt. Eckler’s company was called out to Fort Stanwix on the Oriskany Creek, that eh went with them and was in the battle at that place at that time when General Herkimer was killed.
            That in the spring of the year after the Battle of Oriskany near Fort Stanwix, he with all the inhabitants living at the Kyle abandoned their homes and removed with their families to the Mohawk River, where he assisted under the command of Capt. Abraham Coapman in erecting Fort Plank. 
            That he was here enrolled in Capt. Copeman’s Company of Militia.  That Major Joseph House residing at the fort commanded at the fort and in the regiment to which the claimant belonged.  That he resided here until the termination of the years when he with those who removed thence with him returned to their farms at the Kyle where their habitations had all been burnt off by the Indians a short time after he and his associates had left them. 
            That during his residence at Fort Plank he constantly performed his duty in garrisoning the fort by turns and performing other military service when called to other stations and places being constantly equipped and ready for duty.
            That he was with Col. Willett at three different battles during his residence at Fort Plank one at Turlock, one at Johnstown and one at West Canada Creek.  On these occasions as on many others an alarm was given and all the militia that could be mustered turned out.  Col. Willett commanded in the regular service and was at Fort Stanwix at the time of the battle above mentioned at that place.
            That during his stay at Fort Plank, he was also frequently called out in pursuit of the Indians and Tories who were constantly committing depredations upon the frontier settlements and in other places, was at Cherry Valley at the burning and murders committed there where he arrived immediately after the enemy had fled.  That he helped bury the dead at that place and then returned again to the fort on this last mentioned occasion.  Capt. Coapman commanded the company and was also present.
            That he verily believes he served in the whole during the war as a soldier at least two years.
            That he has no documentary evidence of his services, neither is he able now from recollection alone to state all the instances of his actual engagement, but during his residence at Fort Plank when not abroad on services he was almost exclusively under arms in the fort. 
            That recollects another instance while residing at Kyle above mentioned and before his removal to Fort Plank when this claimant was out on engagement at Fort Ticonderoga on Lake George where this claimant was engaged in the winter of 1777 in assisting the soldiers in building a bridge across Lake George.  That he was out about one month. 
            That he was at that place under the command of Col. Cox and Capt. Eisenlord.  That he also remembers that immediately subsequent to the Battle of Johnstown this claimant with a band of Oneida Indians and militia pursued and overtook Butler the celebrated Tory leader of the Indians and was present when he was shot at West Canada Creek.
            That he was born at Fort Plain on the Mohawk River NY, A.D. 1754.  That he never has seen any record of his age.
            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 or any state.
            That since the revolution he has resided at the Kyle in Otsego County NY at the Osquago, Herkimer County NY and at Warren in the said County of Herkimer where he now resides.
            Sworn to and subscribed the day and year afore said in open court.
(signed) Peter Eckler
Julius C. Nelson, Clerk.

We Jacob A. Young a citizen residing in the Town of Stark and County of Herkimer and State of New York and John Shall residing in the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Peter Eckler who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration.  That we believe him to be seventy-eight years of age.

Next is a deposition by his widow, Hannah Eckler aged 80 years of age on 3 November 1852.  She states Peter Eckler died 28 November 1834.  They were married the 20th day of March in 1818.   On Aug 30, 1856 Hanna applied for Bounty Land, she was 85 years old.

* Chapter Thirteen, Nathaniel S. Benton's History of Herkimer County 1856
            Contains all that part of the county bounded northerly by Danube; easterly and southerly by the bounds of the county; and westerly by a line drawn from the easternmost lock of the old canal, on the north side of the Mohawk river at Little Falls, to the head waters of Lake Otsego.
            Burr's map of the county shows that parts of Henderson's, L'Hommedieu's, Vaughn's, McNiel's, J. Vroman's, C. Colden's, Livingston's and Lansing's patents are in this town.
This town, before 1817, constituted a part of Minden, Montgomery county. Before the revolution and at the close of that war, before the organization of towns in this state, this territory lay within the limits of Canajoharie district of Tryon county. All the lands in this town, except a portion of L'Hommedieu's and J. Vroman's patents, which lay within its boundaries, were granted by the colonial government before the revolution. As will be seen by a reference to the table of titles, several of these grants were made about one hundred years ago, and a considerable time before the colonial difficulties commenced with the mother country.
            There were two small European settlements near the southerly line of the town, before 1775; one on the Otsquago creek, called the Otsquago settlement, comprising, among others, the Shalls (Schalls), the Bronners and Fetherlys, whose descendants are yet found enjoying the fruits won by the martyrdom of their ancestors. The other settlement was at the Kyle, so called. This may have been within the limits of Springfield, and a short distance from the east line of the town of Warren. A family by the name of Eckler or Ecklar, had seated themselves at this place on Henderson's patent, or rather, perhaps, Petrie's purchase. Both of these settlements were broken up during the revolution, and the inhabitants compelled to fly for refuge and protection to Fort Plank, where they remained till the close of the war.

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