Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for John House
W.1182 (Widow: Margaret)
State of New York
Rockland County SS.
On this thirtieth day of November in the year A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open court, before the Judges of the court of Common Pleas, now sitting John House, a resident of the town of Clarkstown, in the county of Rockland, aged seventy three years, the fourteenth day of June, 1832, 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 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States, under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. That in the fall of the year 1776, he served as a substitute, one month, for his brother Rynard House, who was enlisted in a Company commanded by Capt. Jacob Deronder (1), Isaac Coe was Lieut, which company was then stationed at a place called Red Hills, a little north west from Peekskill, and then I returned home and was called out with the Militia in a company commanded by Capt. Hendrick Tenure (2), Vort Van Orden first Lieut, and Thomas Blauvelt, 2d Lieut, and served in guarding the shoar [sic] along the Hudson river, the British shipping then lying in said river and often landing and plundering, burning and destroying the property that came in their way and there being no army to oppose them but the militia, an order was issued that the militia be divided into four classes, and that one class, or one fourth part of the militia be called into actual service for one week, once in four weeks, in which capacity I served until the month of April 1778, at which time at a place called Tappan, in the Town of Orange, then Orange but now Rockland County, I enlisted for nine months, in a company commanded by Capt. John Bell (3), Tunis Tallman was first Lieutenant in a regiment commanded by Col. Graham—and first served a short time guarding along the west shoar [shore] of the Hudson River then crossed the river and marched to White Plains, there we lay sometime near Gen’l Washington’s Army, then was ordered to recross the river and march to Hackensack, which we did, and lay at a place called the New Bridge until the British Army came up when we, to prevent being taken prisoners, marched to Paramus, and lay there sometime, when we was ordered to march to Tappan, the place of enlistment, which we did and lay there until the first of January 1779, when we were discharged. After I arrived home I was again obliged to take my part of duty with the militia and served with the militia until the close of the war, often doing the duty of my Father and Brother Rynard, who were each in different classes, as I was willing to serve my country and could be best spared from home, and my officers under whom I served in 1777 and from the beginning of 1779 to the close of the war, was in a company commanded by Capt. Hendrick Tenure, Vout VanOrden was first lieutenant and Thomas Blauvelt 2d Lieut, the regiment was commanded by Col. A. Hawkes Hay, and Gilbert Cooper, and we were employed in guarding along the Hudson River from [Sneidons?] to Stony Point and as scouts through different parts of the county of Bergen in the State of New Jersey and exclusive of the above recited duty I was often called out on an alarm. For whenever the British army aided and guided by the enimies [enemies] of their country would come out in the country plundering and destroying and alarm was made when every man that was a friend to his country’s cause would immediately take his gun, and equipment and run to the place to meet the enemy and to take from them what they had taken and prevent further depredations, in which we were sometimes successful by reason whereof, those that were at home had very little rest. That I then and ever since resided in the town of Clarkstown, now County of Rockland, that I have no documentary evidence of my services as I never received a written discharge and all the positive evidence of my services I now can offer is a few of the remains of my fellow soldiers in the Revolutionary War. And I do solemnly believe that the time I was actually out in the service of my country exceed two years in militia duty, exclusive of my enlistment. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension rool [roll] of the agency of any state.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court. (Signed) John House David Pye, Clerk
End Notes—John House—W1182