Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for Martines Borst
W.18,630
State of New York
Schoharie County
On the third day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, personally appeared in open court before the Honorable William Beekman, William Mann, Henry Shafer, Marvin Judd and Thomas P. Danforth, Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Schoharie and State of New York, Martinus Borst, a resident of the Town of Middleburgh in the County of Schoharie and State of New York, aged sixty nine 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.
That he was born in that part of Albany County now Town of Middleburgh and County of Schoharie and that he now is and always has been a resident of said town & county.
That he was enrolled in the militia in the fall of the year 1779 in the month of September, that he belonged from that time until the close of the War of the Revolution to a regiment commanded by Col. Peter Vrooman,(1) Lieut. Col Peter W. Zielie and Major Thomas Eckerson, and was a member of the Company Commanded by George Richtmyer (2), Lieutenant Martinus Zielie & Ensign John L. Bellinger that from the time of his enrollment in the fall of the year 1779 untill the close of the war in the year 1783, he was repeatedly on active duty in the service of the United States and conceived himself at all times liable when called upon by his commanding officers from the time of his enrollment until the close of the war to obey the call.
That he was for the most part of the time stationed at what was called the middle fort and a block house, situated between the Middle & Lower forts when at either of the above named places his duty mostly consisted in standing guard and picquet guard and was frequently on scouting parties.
That his military duties were mostly confined to the now County of Schoharie. That he marched from the Middle Fort as near as he can recollect sometime in the summer of the year 1781 to the to the little lake at the head of the Delaware River distance about thirty miles in the now County of Schoharie. That he was in a battle at that place with the Tories and Indians and was under the command of Capt. Hale. (3)
That he was in the Middle Fort situated in the Town of Middleburgh in the fall of the year 1780 when the fort was attacked by a party of Tories and Indians under the command of Sir John Johnson. (4) That he was ordered and went under the command of Capt. Dubois (5) in pursuit of a party of Indians to what is now called the Town of Sharon sometime in the latter part of the year 1781 or the commencement of the year 1782. That the troops at the Middle Fort at the time of the attack by Sir John Johnson when under the command of Major Melanchton Wolsey (6) when it was said was a Continental officer. That when on duty at the block house before mentioned he was under the command of Ensign Bellinger and when at the Middle Fort was under the command of Capt. Richtmeyer.
That he was on several occasions commanded by other officers but cannot now recollect their respective names. That there was a regiment said to be the 4th Reg. Pennsylvania Regiment Commanded by Col. Butler (7) stationed at the Middle Fort and they remained there about one year, but does not recollect the names of any of its officers excepting Major McKown (8) or McGown and Capt. or Lieut. Boyd.
That he has no documentary evidence of his services above stated. That he at no time had a written discharge. He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present and he claims that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. (Signed) Martines Borst
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court.John Gebhard Jr. CLK
Explanatory of the Declaration of Martines Borst
Personally appeared before me, William Mann, a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Schoharie, Martinus Borst, who being duly sworn deposeth and saith that by reason of old age the consequent loss of memory and the great length of time since he rendered the service for which he asks a pension he cannot swear positively as to the precise time that he did garrison duty. But to the best of his recollection he served in the manner mentioned below.
That in the month of September 1779 he was enrolled in a militia company, commanded by George Richtmeyer as Commandant, Martinus Zelie as Lieutenant & John L. Bellinger as Ensign.
That said company was attached to and belonged to a regiment commanded by Peter Vrooman as Colonel, Peter W. Zielie as Lieutenant Colonel and Thomas Eckeson as Major. That the number of the regiment he does not recollect. That said company at the time of his enrollment aforesaid was stationed for the defence of the Common country at the Middle Fort situated in the now Town of Middleburgh Schoharie County. That he entered said company immediately after his said enrollment and commenced doing duty as a private soldier therein and under the above named officers that he is confident that he entered said company and commenced doing duty in the early part of Sept. 1779.
That from the time he first entered said company as aforesaid until the month of April In the year 1780 he was stationed at said fort.
That the duty which he and the company performed during that time consisted in guarding said fort against the invasions and incursions of the Indians and Tories and also on garrison duty.
From April until the month of October following he not only did duty in the fort but was frequently sent out on scouting parties and he further testified that he was in the fort in the month of October when the fort was attacked by a party of Indians & Tories under the command of Sir John Johnson and took an active part during that engagement.
That from the time of the attack upon the fort in the month of October 1780 untill as early as the month of April 1781 he was stationed at Middle Fort and did garrison duty.
And that as early as the month of May in said year he was ordered to assist in erecting a small fort situated between the Middle Fort situated in the Town of Middleburgh and the Lower Fort being in the Town of Schoharie which fort was distinguished by the name of the block house.
That he and a part of Captain Richtmyer’s Company were stationed during the summer at the block house under the command of Ensign Bellinger that the duty of the aforesaid party after completing the fort (does not now recollect the time engaged in building the fort) mostly consisted in standing guard and picauet guard untill in the month of August or September following when he was marched to the Little Lake at the head of the Delaware River and that he was in an engagement with the Tories and Indians and was absent from the fort three or four days continued from that time to do clamp duty at the block house until the latter part of the year 1781 or the commencement of the year ’82 when he with a part of Captain Richtmyer’s Company when sent in pursuit of a party of Indians and did pursue them as the now Town of Sharon distance of about eighteen miles, was absent from the fort two days and one night.
From which period untill as late as March 1783 he continued to do camp duty at the block house when he and the company were discharged that from the time of his enrollment as aforesaid in the month of September 1779 untill the month of March 1783 he continued to do duty as a private soldier in the said company commanded by said George Richtmyer. That said company was not disbanded nor discharged during any part of the time aforesaid but continued organized and on duty in defence of the country during all the time aforesaid. That the country now called Lake Haris was at that time a frontier settlement and was required to be guarded continually against the numerous and powerful tribes of Indians and Tories who were constantly molesting the frontier. And he doth further testify that he served not less than three years during the War of the Revolution and that he served in the capacity than that of a private soldier and for which service he claims a pension. (Signed) Martines Borst (9)
Subscribed and Sworn to before this first day of February 34. Wm. Mann, a Judge, Schoharie County Court.
End Notes