Pension Application

R.7419
State of New York
County of Saratoga SS.
            On this 25th day of December 1832, personally appeared before me Thomas Palmer, Justice of the Peace in & for the said County of Saratoga, John Whitehead of the Town of Milton in said County aged seventy years with whom the said Justice has been personally acquainted for more than 50 years & believes him the said John Whitehead to be a person of Character for veracity & that his statement is entitled to credit—who being by me duly sworn & examined says that he now and was during the Revolutionary War well acquainted with Hugh Morison of Milton in the County of Saratoga aforesaid the applicant named in the declaration hereto annexed made in order to obtain a pension under the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832, that he the said deponent further says, he served as a private in the Regiment commanded by Colonel James Clinton at Fort Montgomery in the year 1776 & also under Colonel Lewis Dubois in the year 1777 (1) that Doctor Robert Morison (2) of Newburgh was surgeon under the said Colonel James Clinton & Colonel Lewis Dubois that the said Hugh Morison served as waiter to the said Robert Morison surgeon as aforesaid that the said deponent did frequently see the said Hugh Morison (during the period aforesaid) performing duty as a waiter to the said surgeon in the Hospital at Fort Montgomery as by him stated on his said application that he served as waiter aforesaid from June 1776 until October 1777. (Signed) John Whitehead. (3)
            Subscribed and sworn to before me the 25th day of December 1832. Thomas Palmer Justice of the Peace in & for the County of Saratoga.
State of New York
County of Saratoga SS.
            On this 25th day of December 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in & for the County of Saratoga, in said State, now sitting Hugh Morison of the Town of Milton in the County of Saratoga & State of New York aged sixty four 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 7, 1832.
            That he entered the service of the United States, under the following named officers, and served as herein stated,

To the question, when & in what year were you born? He answers, in Newburgh in the County of Ulster and State of New York December 22d 1768.
To the question have you any record of your age; and if so, where is it? He answers that his Father Doctor Robert Morison in him lifetime kept a Family record, in which the age of this deponent was recorded, in his Father’s handwriting, that at the decease of his Father (about forty years ago) the said record, came into the possession of this deponent and is still in his possession in Milton County of Saratoga aforesaid.
To the question where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live? He answers in Newburgh in the County of Ulster and State of New York, where he lived until the spring of 1788 when he left his Father’s house in Newburg aforesaid & went to Ballston in the then County of Albany, now Saratoga, and State aforesaid where he lived about one year, then he returned to his Father’s in Newburgh aforesaid, where he continued about two years when he returned to Ballston aforesaid and continued to live in Ballston in the adjoining town of Malta in said County of Saratoga, about seventeen years, when he removed to the Town of Milton in the County aforesaid, where he had continued to live ever since and where he now lives.
To the question, how were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom? He answer, in 1776 he entered into the service of the United States at Fort Montgomery as a volunteer in the Regiment of New York Troops commanded by Colonel James Clinton and served as waiter to Doctor Robert Morison Surgeon of said Regiment (who was this deponent’s father, he entered the service at the time of place aforesaid and served as Surgeon’s waiter from the 1st June 1776 until about the 7th of October 1777, being about one year & four months & four days and served as herein after stated.

            That in May or 1st June 1776, he went with his Father Robert Morison (surgeon as aforesaid, from Newburgh to Fort Montgomery and there served as waiter to the said surgeon in the Hospital, he continued doing duty as Surgeon’s waiter aforesaid until December following, when colonel Clinton was advanced to the Rank of Brigadier General and Colonel Lewis Dubois took command of the said Regiment at Fort Montgomery (4) and the said Doctor Morison Continued as Surgeon of the said Regiment under the said Colonel Dubois and this deponent continued to serve as waiter to the said Surgeon & do duty as such at the Hospital at Fort Montgomery aforesaid. That in October 1777 the enemy attacked the Fort, during the Battle this deponent was employed by his Father the said surgeon in scraping lint & preparing bandages in order to dress the wounds of those wounded & brought into the Hospital, while in the act of his duty as aforesaid, a ball from the Enemy penetrated through the side of the Hospital & wounded this deponent on his head, the ball made a deep incision, he fell, his Father took him up and dressed his wound, it was a flesh wound & he returned to his duties as aforesaid, until the time the fort was surrendered to the enemy, when those who could made their escape his Father directed him to escape and follow him but was separated from his Father at the River. He this deponent swam the river above the chain the enemy’s shipping lay below, several others escaped in the same way & arrived safe on the East side of the River & marched up to Fort Constitution, he father escaped also, that he this deponent arrived home at Newburgh aforesaid on the 7th October 1777 at night. He has no documentary evidence of his said services he does not recollect the name or names of any continental or militia regiments or the names of any officer except those names above, he has no documentary evidence of his said services, he knows of no living witness to his said services except John Whitehead of Milton aforesaid.
            In answer to the question, State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served; such continental and militia regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services. He says, he can answer no further than he has already answered herein.
            To the question, Did you receive a discharge from the service; and if so, by whom was it given, and what has become of it? He says he received no discharge in writing.
            To the 7th question, State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution. He states the names of Thomas Palmer a Justice of the Peace of the Town of Milton & John Whitehead of said Town, Aaron Nash, Hugh Hawkins.
            He relinquishes every claim 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) Hugh Morison (5)
            Subscribed & sworn to the day & year aforesaid in open court. Wm. L. Goodrich Dep’t Clerk