Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for Nicholas Lighthall

S.9929
State of New York
County of Schenectady SS.
            On this seventeenth 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 Nicholas Lighthall a resident of the City of Schenectady in said County & State aged eighty three 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 town of German Flatts in the County of Tryon in said State, on the seventeenth day of August 1750 he has no record of his age except that contained in his Bible.  When he was called into the service of the United States in the Army of the Revolution he was living in German Flatts aforesaid.
            And since the Revolutionary War he has lived in and he now lives in the City of Schenectady aforesaid.  He entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated.  In the spring of the year 1776, he enlisted at Albany aforesaid in John Hunn’s Company in (the presumes) the Quartermaster’s Department for the term of nine months, and served out said term of nine months.  In this engagement he was employed in transporting ammunition & provisions from Albany aforesaid to Halfmoon point & from thence they were conveyed to Ticonderoga & other posts in that quarter for the use of the northern army.
            After this engagement he removed with his family to German Flatts, & was there forthwith enrolled in the Company of Militia commanded by Captain John Frank (1) in the regiment whereof Peter Bellinger was Colonel, and served in the said Company under no engagement until the close of the year 1780.
            While serving in said company of Captain John Frank he was except on the occasions herein after specified, employed in the discharge of military duty, at Fort Herkimer.  He was in the battle of Oriskany in August 1777—when the celebrated Christian Shell was taken prisoner, (2) he was out as a scout in pursuit of the enemy, and was on numerous occasions out on duty as a scout in the country round about Fort Herkimer—when the enemy attempted to take this fort, (3) he was in Stone Arabia and mounted guard there about fourteen days—He was several times engaged in guarding boats with provisions and ammunition from Fort Stanwix to Fort Herkimer.  He has also pursuant to orders from his superior officers performed garrison duty three or four times at Fort Plank.
            At the close of the year 1780 he obtained permission to remove with his family to Schenectady and was there enrolled in Captain John VanPatten’s (4) company of Militia, and served therein until the end of said war.  His other company & field officers whom he recollects were Simon F. VanPatten & Cornelius Mabee Lieutenants, Abraham Swits & Myndert Wemple Majors, Abraham Wemple Colonel.  The beat last of said militia company was in the town of Westina within the township of Schenectady aforesaid, and the duty assigned him when not called out on distant expeditions, was to mount guard at the Westina fort in said town.  He was engaged while a member of the militia company last named in several scouting patrolling & reconnoitering parties, to Sacandaga & other places in search of Tories &c ascertain the movements of the enemy.  [Record ends here.]

End Notes—Nicholas Lighthall

1. The Captain was Frederick Frank in Colonel Peter Bellinger’s Regiment of Tryon county Militia (Fourth Regiment) but that was in 1779 or later.  Captain Frank replaced Captain Michael Ittig (Edick, etc.) when he moved from Tryon County.  Nicholas does appear on Captain Ittig’s payroll for February 28 to November 30, 1778.  He served 12 days in August, 18 days in Sept. and 9 days in October for a total of 28 days.  He was paid £3..9..4.  He was paid $6 2/3 collars per month as a private soldier.  (Revolutionary War Rolls 1775-1783, Series M.246, Roll 72, National Archives, Washington DC.
2. Christian Schell was not take prisoner.  An attack on his home in August of 1780 which had a block house was attempted and two of his sons were captured.  The remainder of the family had gotten to the blockhouse and defended it against the Loyalists and Indians.  Christian was killed on July 8, 1781 in another Indian raid on his farm.
3. The first attempt to capture Forts Herkimer and Dayton happened on September 17, 1778.  The British and Indians were commanded by Captain William Caldwell of Butler’s Rangers and Captain Joseph Brant.
4. Captain John Van Patten’s Company was in Colonel Abraham Wemple’s Regiment of Albany County Militia, Second Regiment.

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