Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for John Borst

W20736
State of New York
Schoharie County

           On this third day of October 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in the County of Schoharie now sitting John Borst a resident of the Town of Sharon in said County of Schoharie, aged 77 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 dated June 7th 1832.
           That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
           That he the said John Borst enlisted for his term of nine months on the first of April 1779 (1) in Schoharie in the State of New York in the company commanded by Captain DuBois in the Regiment Commanded by Colonel DuBois (2) in the State of New York with the Continental establishment that he served his term of enlistment out faithfully in Fort DuBois in Cobleskill and in Middle fort in Schoharie and in that vicinity that he was honorably discharged on the first of January 1780 in the fort in Schoharie in the State of New York by word.
           He said that 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 for any purpose, the interrogatories to this applicant for a pension he answered that he was born at Cobels Kill and lived at Cobelskill and Sharon ever since the American Revolution at Cobelskill.
           That he has not any record of his age, that has been informed and believes the same to be true that he is seventy seven years old that he served in Cobelskill at the time when he enlisted in Captain Dubois’ company and Captain Hamtranck (3) Where [were] with the troops in Colonel Dubois’ regiment that he was discharged in Middle fort in Schoharie in the State of New York by word as he has stated in his declaration. John Borst (his Mark)
           Sworn and subscribed this day and year aforesaid in open court. John Gebhard, Dep Clk

State of New York
Schoharie County

           On this 31st day of December 1838 personally appeared in open Surrogate Court a court of record, now sitting held by Jacob Houck Junior Surrogate in the County of Schoharie Christina Borst widow of John Borst deceased, a resident of the Town of Sharon in the County of Schoharie aged 66 years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed July 7th 1838 entitled an act granting half pay to certain widows.
           That she is the widow of the said John Borst, deceased, according to the best knowledge and belief that her husband John Borst deceased was enlisted a private soldier in the Army of The Revolutionary War, that he was a pensioner of the United States until to his death that his pension certificate granted and dated March 7th 1833.
           She the said Christiana further declares that she was married to the said John Borst on the 13th day of December 1789 before the Rev. Mr. Braffer Minister of Dutch Reformed Church in Schoharie that her name at the time of marriage was Christiana Plogger.
            That her husband the aforesaid John Borst died on the 2nd day of July 1834 in the town of Sharon in the County of Schoharie, that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service that but [sic] the marriage took place previous to the first day of January seventeen hundred and ninety four viz at the time afore stated. She further declares that she never was afterward married that she remains the widow of the said John Borst deceased to this day.
(Signed with her mark) Christina Borst.
           Subscribed & sworn before me 31st day of December 1838, Jacob Houck, Jun. Surreogate of said County.

Declaration
            In order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed July 7th, 1838 entitled An Act Granting Half Pay and Pensions to Certain Widows and the Acts and Resolutions Amending the Same.

State of New York
Schoharie County

           On this 3rd day of August 1843 personally appeared before John Westover, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Schoharie and State of New York, Christiana Borst a resident of Cobleskill in said county aged seventy years and upwards who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provisions made by and Act of Congress passed July 7th 1838 entitled An Act Granting Half Pay and Pensions to Certain Widows and the Acts and Resolutions Amending the Same.
            That she is the widow of Johannis Borst sometimes called John Borst and sometimes written John Borst Jr. or Johannis Borst Jr. late a resident of the Town of Seward in the County of Schoharie and State of New York who was a pensioner of the United States and who departed this life on the 2nd day of July 1834.
           That she is unable to state the particulars of her said husbands services in the War of the Revolution, as she was not married to him until after the said War of the Revolution. She has however frequently heard her said husband state that he did serve during said war and was stationed some of the time at Fort Edward, Fort Stanwix and Herkimer. (4)
           That in consideration of said services her said husband was previous to his death enrolled upon the pension list of the United States and received a pension as this deponent was informed of thirty dollars per annum that she has never seen the certificate of her said husband entitling him to said pension and has heard her said husband say that he had never seen the certificate it having been retained by the man who obtained the pension for him but who said the amount was thirty dollars and who annually paid over to him that amount after deducting his fees.
           And this deponent has frequently heard her said husband complain that he did not receive by the way of pension as much as he supposed his services entitled him to.
           And declarant further saith that her maiden name was Christianna Plogger. That she was married to the said Johannis Borst on the 13th day of Dec. 1789 by a minister of the High Dutch Reformed Church by the name of Coonradt L. Broeffle in the Town and County of Schoharie in the presence of Johannes Koening, Mariah Nichol, Mariah Borst & Henry Borst. That her husband the said Johannis Borst died as aforesaid on the 2nd July 1834. That she is the mother of five children by the said Johannis Borst the eldest of whom (Mariah) was born 20th Dec. 1790. That she was not married to the said Johannis Borst previous to his leaving the service but that her marriage took place before the first January 1794 to wit at the time before stated and that since the death of the said Johannis Borst as aforesaid she has remained his widow single and unmarried and is still unmarried.
(Signed with her mark) Christianna Borst.
           Subscribed and sworn the day and year aforesaid before me and I certify that the declarant Christianna Borst is unable (here the page ends).

Letter included in the pension application folder.
Rev. and 1812 War Section
May 1, 1926
Mrs. L. C. Schermerhorn
29 Buena Vista Ave.
Hawthorne, N.J.

Madam:
           I have to advise you from the papers in the Revolutionary War Pension claim W. 20736, it appears that John (Johannis) Borst was born at Cobleskill, New York of German extraction. The date of his birth is not stated.
           While residing at said Cobleskill, he enlisted April 1, 1779 and served nine months as a private in Captain Dubois’ Company, Colonel Dubois’ New York Regiment.
           He was allowed pension on his application executed October 3, 1832, while a resident of Sharon, Schoharie County, New York, aged seventy-seven years.
           He died July 2nd 1834.
           Soldier married December 13, 1789 at Schoharie, New York, Christina (Christiana) Plogger. She was allowed pension on his application executed December 31, 1838, while a resident of Sharon, New York, aged sixty-six years. In 1843 she was living in Cobleskill, New York.
           They had five children, three sons and two daughters; only name stated being Mariah (the eldest) who was born; December 20, 1790, she married Jacob Near, and was living in Cobelskill, New York in 1844.
Respectfully, Winfield Scott, Commissioner.
           In a handwritten note the following was written. "I only used the nine months service as claimed by soldier as the other services claimed by widow and witnesses, were never proven nor accepted by this bureau."

End Notes

1. John is mistaken as to the year and Colonel of the regiment he served in. 1779, Colonel Lewis DuBois was in command of the Fifth New York Continental Regiment. The Fifthy new York were quartered in Schoharie and Fort Johnstown from November 1778 to about May of 1779. Most of the Levie drafts were enlisted in May an dwent with the regiment on the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign. While the regiment were quartered in the WSchohaire and Mohawk Valleys they assisted the militia in building a blockhouse in Cobleskill and named For DuBois and another blockhouse at Sacondaga. Borst's name does not appear ont he muster rolls for this regiment.

2. Captain Benjamin Debois served in Colonel Marinus Willett's regiment in 1781. The company was stationed at the Middle Fort. Borst's name does appear ont he payroll as owed £20..16..0 and it was paid to John Thornton after the war. Revolutionary War Rolls 1775-1783, Series M-246, Roll 78, National Archives, Washington DC.

3. Captain John F. Hamtranck was a captain in the Fifth New York Continental Regiment. he was at Cobleskill so he would be remembered by Borst.

4. A Johannes Borst is listed as serving in Captain Christian Brown's Company [Cobleskill area] in Colonel Peter Vrooman's Regiment of Albany County Militia [Fifteenth Regiment]. Johannes Borst Jr. is listed also as serving as a private in Captain George Richtmyer's and Captain Storm Becker's Company in Colonel Vrooman's Regiment.

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