Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for Rozel or Roswell Holmes
Donated by Kerry Patrick
Service: New York
Number: S.13445
DECLARATION in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed
June 7th, 1832
STATE OF NEW YORK}
COUNTY OF CORTLAND}
On this 2nd
day of October 1832, personally appeared in open court before the judges of the
court of common pleas in and for the county of Cortland now sitting at the Court
House in the aforesaid county ROSWELL HOLMES a resident of Solon in the County
of Cortland and State of New York, aged Sixty-Eight years, who being first duly
sworn according to Law, doth on his oath make the follow 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 in the year Seventeen hundred and Eighty and
in the Month of June in said year, he enlisted for the term of nine months, in
the New York Militia of the Army of the Revolution, under Captain Peter Van Rensselaer,
and the Regiment was commanded by Colonel Marinus Willett of the Continental
or three year Troops, he enlisted at a place called New Brittain in what
is now Columbia County & State of New York, from New Brittain aforesaid,
he marched with said company to Fort Plain, and from there to Fort Herkimer on
the Mohawk River in said State - and in the month of July after he enlisted,
he thinks at Fort Herkimer he was enlisted by Serjeant Timothy Lord, and the
company was commanded by Lieutenant Spencer / Captain Peter Van Rensselaer being
absent and the Regiment was commanded by Col. Marinus Willett aforesaid, for
the term of three years in the Continental line of the Army of the Revolution
as he supposed - he was in the Johnstown Battle, in the said State, when we fought
the British & Indians he was commanded by Lieutenant Spencer aforesaid it
was in the summer or fall of Seventeen hundred and eighty one - he was in the
Battle at West Canada Creek at the time, Butler, the Tory was killed, Butler
commanded the Indians shortly after the Johnstown Battle aforesaid - Butler was
killed by Harmanus a Schoharrie Indian & Scalped, which he saw at the time
he was under Captain Skinner and Captain (Whelps?) some of the time while he
was in the service - he continued in the service until the close of the War when
he was honorably discharged at Fort Plain on the Mohawk in said State, by Col.
Marinus Willet aforesaid in the Month of December Seventeen hundred and eighty
three, having served as a private soldier in said Regiment and companies, and
as a prisoner among the Indians in Canada for the full term of two years and
six months at least - he was taken prisoner by the Indians, being out in a scouting
party, not far from where Sackets Harbour now is, in said State, and was detained
a prisoner among them in Canada at least three months, - when he got away from
them, being out a Hunting in the Winter - by putting his snow shoes on hind side
before, and traveling in that way a number of miles, when he took them off and
came safe into the camp at Fort Herkimer aforesaid - his discharge he gave to
one Esquire Murry a number of years ago to carry to New York to see if he could
not get him some land from the State for his service - and said Murry told him,
that he had lost it - at any rate he never has seen it since - he also was Colonel
Willets (Waiter?) at least two months in the year Seventeen hundred and eighty
two, he sometimes writes or spells his name Rozel Holmes & sometimes Roswell
Holmes, he never learned to write only his name and that poorly - he was all
of the above time stationed at Fort Plain, Fort Herkimer, Fort Stanwix, along
the Valley of the Mohawk aforesaid, except while he was a prisoner among the
Indians as above stated, and was frequently in skirmishes while out in scouting
parties, fighting the Tories and Indians, some of the above time - he does not
know of but three men living who ever served with him, any of the above time
- one named Aaron Day, one Roswell Welch, and one named William Miles, he has
been told is living, but does not know whether he, Miles, is living or not -
he was acquainted some with General Herkimer, knew Colonel Samuel Brown, who
was killed at Stone Arabia, near the Mohawk, Adjutant Fonda belonged to the same
Regiment with him - he was born in the Little Nine Partners in the state of New
York, in the year Seventeen hundred and sixty four - he has no Record of his
age he lost his Record of his age moving from the town of Chatham while crossing
on the ice, on the North River, in the State of New York, when his sleigh was
turned over & the Box burst open & a number of his papers blew away which
contained his record together with other papers - he thinks Martin Willcox and
(?Decon?) John Maxon both of Homer can testify as to his character for veracity
of belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution - 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 - Subscribed & Sworn
the day & year aforesaid before me Samuel Hotchkiss, Clerk
ROZEL HOLMES
Note: a
letter from R. W. Morgan, Acting Commissioner, was attached to this pension
file in which the further information was given that Rozel/Roswell Holmes died
February 28, 1854.
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