Pension Application

R.3632
B.L.Wt.45661-160-55
State of New York
County of Schenectady, SS.
            In the matter of the application of Jacob G. Fonda for a pension under the act of 7th June 1832.
            Personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace in and for said County, Jacob G. Fonda above named, the same person referred to and described in & who has signed and sworn to the annexed declaration and this said Jacob G. Fonda being duly sworn saith that by reason of old age & the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, as a private soldier.
            For six weeks at Fort Plank under Colonel Lansing in Captain Groesbeck’s Company of militia of the State of New York for seven days at Fort Plain three weeks at Fort Paris, two weeks at Fort Hunter, two weeks at German Flatts one week and three days at Saratoga in the year 1778—one week at Fort Herkimer two days at Schenectady, two days as a scout at Hoosack—three days at Springfield—three days back of Niskayuna and he mounted guard at sundry times whenever called upon in the city of Albany for a term in the whole not less than one year all which service was performed under the officers first named—It is impossible for this deponent to be more specific as to the terms & other particulars of his service for which service of one year & five months this deponent claims a pension. (Signed) Jacob G. Fonda.
            Subscribed & sworn this 29th day of May 1833 before John Corl, Justice of the Peace.
State of New York
County of Schenectady SS.
            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 Jacob G. Fonda a resident of the City of Schenectady in said County & State, aged seventy-one 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 in the state of New York in the month of August 1761. He has no record of his age but the time of his baptism is recorded in the Register of Baptisms of the Dutch Church Schenectady. When he was called into the service of the United States in the army of the revolution, he was living in the City of Albany in said state—and since the revolutionary war he has lived in Otsego & in Montgomery County in said State & for the last 8 years in Schenectady County & he now lives in the City of Schenectady aforesaid.
            He entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
            In the spring of the year 1778, he was enrolled as a private in the company of Militia commanded by Captain Garret Groesbeck in the Regiment of Colonel Jacob Lansing (1)—and he served in said company whenever called or until the end of the said war.
            The occasions he was thus called on during said war were very frequent and it is impossible for the claim and to specify them all much less the dates & terms for which he served. The principal expeditions in which he engaged were as follows.
            To the German Flatts for about two weeks.
            To for Plain for about one week
            To Fort Plank for about six weeks
            To Fort Hunter for about two weeks
            To Saratoga about one week & 3 days.
            To Schenectady about two days.
            The Claimant was in the battle at Palatine (2) or Canajoharie under General Van Rensselaer against Sir John Johnson who commanded the British forces—at this time General Brown (3) was killed in an encounter with the enemy. He was out as a scout to Hoosack, Niskayuna, & other places in pursuit of Tories.
            He was also out in many scouting parties to Springfield (now Otsego County) and also in the vicinity of Fort Plain and of Albany. And besides the posts above mentioned he has marched to Schoharie Creek.
            There were generally from 2 to three hundred prisoners to be guarded at Albany & the claimant performed his quota of duty in mounting guard at said city. The whole period for which he served during said war in the garrison and in the field, he conscientiously believes exceed twenty months.
            The following are the names of some of the regular officers whom he knew, or who were with the troops where he served, and such continental and militia regiments or companies with which he served, or as he can recollect, viz: Colonel Goosen Van Schaick & his Regiment, Colonel Cornelius VanDyck, Colonel Willett, Colonel Gansevoort, General Van Rensselaer, Lieutenant Colonel Harper & many others.
            He never received any written discharge from the service.
            He has no documentary evidence, and knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service, except those whose depositions are hereunto annexed.
            The following are the names of persons to whom he is known in his present neighborhood, and who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution, to wit John S. Ten Eyck and Isaac De Graff.
            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) Jacob G. Fonda
            Subscribed and sworn to the day and year first aforesaid. John S. Vrooman, Clerk

Reply to a letter of inquiry dated August 6, 1934.
            Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War records of Douwe I. Fonda, Douwee Fonda, Jacob Fonda and Henry (Hendrick) J. Lansing, all Revolutionary War soldiers of New York.
            Because of the great demand for Revolutionary War data, and the limited clerical force available for furnishing such information, it has not been possible to make a series of investigations and reports pertaining to soldier of that war for one person.
            The record of one Jacob G. Fonda are given herein as found in claims for pension based upon his service in the Revolutionary War.
            Jacob Glen Fonda R. 3632
            The data which follow were obtained from the papers on file in pension claim, R. #632, based upon the Revolutionary War service of Jacob Glen Fonda.
            Jacob Glen Fonda, who signed as Jacob G. Fonda, son of Abraham and Susanna Glen Fonda, was born in August 1761, in the Township of Schenectady, Albany County, New York, where he was baptized August 29, 1761, in the Protestant Reformed Dutch Church.
            On October 15, 1832, Jacob Glen Fonda, while a resident of the City of Schenectady, Schenectady County, New York, applied for pension and stated that while living in the City of Albany, New York, he enlisted in the spring of 1778, that he served at various times until sometime in 1762, amounting in all to about two years, as a private in Captains Garret Groesbeck’s, Van Veghten’s and others’ companies, Colonel Jacob Lansing’s New York Regiment, that he went on various expeditions up the Mohawk Valley and was in an engagement at Palatine or Canajoharie, that he was out on many scouting parties, and that he was engaged a part of the time in mounting guard at Albany. It was also stated that he served part of the time in Captain Garret Groesbeck’s Company, Colonel Cuyler’s (4) New York Regiment.
            His claim was not allowed as he did not furnish proof of six month’s military service which was the requirement of the pension law. The soldier was, however, allowed bounty land in full satisfaction on his application executed October 11, 1855, while a resident of Glenville, Schenectady County, New York. The length of service required under the bounty land laws to obtain bounty land was less than that required under the pension laws to obtain pension.
            After the Revolutionary War, Jacob Glen Fonda resided in Otsego and Montgomery Counties, New York; in 1833 He was living in Schenectady County, New York where he lived eight years in all; in 1839 his place of resident was Broadalbin, Fulton County, New York and in 1845 in Glenville, Schenectady County, New York.
            There are no family data shown in the claim, other than the reference to soldier’s parents.

Colonel Lansing’s Regiment of Albany County Militia was the First Regiment.
The Battle of Klocksfield was fought on the afternoon of October 19, 1780. Brigadier General Robert VanRensselaer commanded the American in this battle.
Colonel John Brown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts was killed at the Battle of Stone Arabia in the morning of October 19, 1780.
Colonel Lansing had resigned and Abraham Cuyler was commissioned Colonel on March 3, 1780 of this regiment.

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