Pension Application

Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for John L. Nellis

S.23820
State of New York
Montgomery County SS.
            On this Twentieth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally came before the Open Court now sitting, vizt: Court of common Pleas.
            John L. Nellis Now and always from his birth a resident of the town of Palatine in the County of Montgomery then the County of Tryon aged seventy years the third day of December next if living then 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 Passed by Congress June 7th 1832. That he entered the Service of the United States under the following officers herein mentioned and served as herein Stated [?]
            That he did duty under Captain Christopher Fox before he was sixteen years in the forepart of the year 1778 that after that Henry Miller became Captain and that the said John L. was enrolled in said company and that he from the year 1778 did duty wherever required by his superior officers, and that he was engaged at Stonerabia in Palatine in Brown’s Battle under the command of Colonel Brown in the Company of Captain Henry Miller until the battle ended in the death of Colonel Brown which caused the retreat of our forces to Stonerabia and other Forts, which battle was fought in October 1780. And that he was engaged in pursuit of the enemy who were at what was called [?] about thirty miles under the command of Col. Willett arrived about Fort Timmerman where the Incendiaries caused a great conflagration [?] the Mohawk River Scapling and massacring our Citizens. And that he went in the Company of Captain Henry Miller to Fort Stanwix under General Van Rensselaer to guard our boats and Provisions taken for our army. And that he went another trip to Fort Stanwix for our Army, to drive living Cattle. And that he once went to fort Stanwix with a sleigh I have and carried provision to the army and that he carried to Albany of his own Peese thirty seven bushels for our soldiers delivered at the Continentille store & that he went one other trip to Albany and carried a load of Peese from Van Slyck’s in Palatine & delivered a the Continental Store—And that he went to Otsego from the Mohawk with a team four trips aiding and assisting our men to supply General Sullivan and his Army with boats to perform his pursuit after the Tories & Indians in the Susquehanna Country. And that he went one tour under Captain Miller Commanded by Colonel Jacob Klock to repel the enemy at the German Flats on the Mohawk River. And that he went one trip to Fort Dayton at Herkimer Then Tryon Under the Command of Captain Henry Miller and Colonel Jacob Klock. And that he went one tour to the north and was stationed at one John Sholls under the command of Captain Henry Miller and remained there for four days as a scouting party. And that he went in the year 1781 Under Captain Henry Miller to Oppenheim then Palatine And was with others engaged in a battle commonly called Lampman’s Battle with a party of Indians & Tories. And that he was at the Battle of the Hall otherwise Called Willett’s Battle which was terminated in October 1781. And that he went to said Battle under Captain Henry Miller and that said battle was fought near the village of Johnstown in the County of Montgomery then County of Tryon and under the command of Colonel Willet—And that from the time of his being enrolled in pursuance to a Resolution of Congress passed May 27, 1775 and the command of his superior officers, until the close of the Revolution, he has been armed and Equiped with a Musket, Powder & Balls ready at all times on a minutes warning. And that he was Stationed at Fort Stonerabia for the time of about five months in each season and that he also was called out under Captain Miller to a Post in the north part of the town of Palatine near Empies where he remained for five days.
            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) John L. Nellis
            Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Geo: D. Ferguson, clerk.
            Included in the file is a letter regarding an inquiry into John L. Nellis’s service. Most of the letter is not legible however, this part is: “Born December 3, 1762 or 1763 at Palatine, Tryon (later Montgomery) County, New York. While residing in Palatine, New York, he enlisted early in the year 1776, and served at various times until the fall of 1782, on short tours, amounting to one year, eight months and ninetten days in all, as a private, corporal and drummer under Captains Chirstopher W. Fox, Henry Miller and John Sholl, Colonels Jacob Klock, Waggoner, Harper, Brown and Willett, in the New York Troopos. He was in the battles of Stone Arabia, Lampman, Turlock and Johnstown. He was allowed pension on his application executed September 10, 1832, at which time he was residing in Palatine, New York.”