Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for Richard Casler

W.6637
Declaration to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
State of New York
Herkimer County SS.
            On this tenth 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 the County of Herkimer now sitting Richard Casler (1) a resident of the Town of Little Falls in the County of Herkimer and State of New York, aged 65 years, who being first duly sworn according by law doth on his oath aforesaid and make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
            That he enlisted in the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.  He entered the service of the United States in the spring of the year 1781 (2) as a nine months man (and he think it was in the state troops of the New York Line) at Fort Herkimer.  The name of the officers of the company into which he entered are as follows—Captain (3) Elsworth, Lieutenant ____Bloodgood____Ensign Shaw.  He is not [faded] Christian names [faded] [faded] state the day and month on which he entered in the service as he _____ thereof – the said company belonged to a regiment commanded by Colonel Marinus Willett—His first service after entering the service was to assist with the building or repairing of a redoubt near Fort Herkimer for the better defense of that place and in the building of blockhouses.  From Fort Herkimer he went with his company to Fort Dayton repaired one and built another redoubt at that place, and he went there with his company to a place called in those days Fort House which was near where the East Canada Creek empties into the Mohawk in said County of Herkimer but then County of Tryon—He was here employed as a guard to the fort & the people of the surrounding County who were at that time mostly ____  _____  That fort—This was he believes some time in the first part of September _______1781 or harvest—About that time, he ______ ____  ____ Company by order of Col. Willett to join a ____ ____ under him and he met said Willett at Caughnawaga & with that detachment under col. Willett he proceeded to Johnstown to oppose the Indians & Tories & some British soldiers who were advancing towards that place under the command of Colonel Walter Butler & Major Ross (4) and who had come from Canada, as he (Casler) was informed destroying the settlements on the said Mohawk ____ ____ ____ ____ at Johnston Hall at John’s Town, Col. Willett he believes___ and to the ___ ___ ___ that occasion the force ______ Col. Butler was greatly superior to the American ____ the Enemy drove the American from the field ______ ______ ______  Battle the Enemy retreated towards ______ ______ Col. Willett & his men whom he (Casler) was one ______ ______ _____ ______ ______ fall of the year 1781 ______ ______ ______ ______ the enemy at West Canada Creek ______ ______ ____________to the Mohawk River From Johnstown ______ ______ ______ ______ Fort Herkimer in the then County of Tryon & from that place they went on ______ ______ 30 miles when they overtook the enemy ______ ______ ______ men came where the enemy they were drying their clothes by fires & were surprised at that place Walter Butler was killed by and Indian (he believes) an Oneida Indian.  He (Casler) was there & saw the Indian who killed Butler & who had Butlers Coat and Scalp. The Indian shot Butler from across the Creek Butlers Sergeant was also killed at this place as Casler believes.  [Almost two lines crossed out]  From this place, which was named Butlers Ford, Col. Willett followed the enemy for a considerable distance, but being unable to overtake them relinquished the pursuit & went to Snell’s Bush as he believes & thence to fort Plain.  After the pursuit of Butler was abandoned, the detachment departed & each company went to different places and it was the company in which he (Casler was ) which went to Fort Plain –At fort Plain the company was dismissed & Casler returned home after lying there almost till winter or late in the fall(5) is uncertain ______ ______ ______.
            He was active in service all the time after he listed until dismissed at Fort Plain—
            He never received a discharge ______ from service.  He went in for nine months went for a Class and served out nine months.
            He was born in the Town of Little Falls, then Called German Flatts in the State of New York in the year 1767 on the 14th day of April—
            There was a record of his age kept by a clergyman, one Abraham Rosencrantz, in the Parish but said clergyman id dead & he believes the record is in the possession of one of his sons, but he does not certainly know and has not seen the said son for some years—He lived in the place of his birth when he was called into the service—and since the war he has resided in the same place but the town has since been divided; he is not in the  new town of Little Falls in Herkimer county—That he entered the service of the United States as a volunteer in this way—each company of militia obliged to send a certain number of men ______ ______ service & his father ______ who was drawn, and ____________ took his place & performed the service for nine months and he was in the service actively for a long time _______ _____His fathers name was Jacob Casler.
            That names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where he served are: Colonel Marinus Willett I knew General Nicholas Herkimer, Colonel Cox (6) & Colonel Peter Bellinger.
            That he never received any written discharge from the service & does not know that any of his company did receive one.
            That he is known to Henry Grim now residing in the town of Warren in said County & has been known to him since the war, and also to Marks Casler residing about two miles from the applicant who can testify to his character for truth & veracity, and their belief of his services as a revolutionary soldier__
            That he is not able to find any other witness than said Grim, who can give any statement of his services, all the other members of his company being now dead, nor is he known to any clergyman, residing in his neighborhood who can testify to his character for truth & veracity or to a belief of his services.
            He hereby relinquishes any 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) Richard Casler.
            Sworn in open Court this 10 day of October F ______ ______ Dept Clerk

State of New York
County of Herkimer
            On this twenty sixth day of September A.D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty five personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace within and for the county and state aforesaid, Margaret Casler aged seventy five (7) years a resident of the Town of German Flatts in the State of New York who being duly sworn according to law declares that she is the widow of Richard Casler deceased who was a private in the company Commanded by Captain Elsworth in the Regiment of Volunteers Commanded by Col. Willett in the War of the Revolution that her said husband volunteered at German Flatts in the month of November A. D. 1782 for the term of nine months and continued in actual service in said war for the term of about nine months and was honorably discharged at Fort Plain in the County of Montgomery state aforesaid in the month of July A. D. 1783 that her said husband the above named Richard Casler deceased was at the time of his death a pensioner of the United States.  The certificate granting his pension is numbered 28756.
            She further states that she was married to the said Richard Casler in the Town of Herkimer on the tenth day of September A. D. 1799 by one, Beak a German Clergyman and that her name before her said marriage was Margaret Casler; that her said husband died in the Town of German Flatts on the sixteenth day of September A. D. 1855, and that she is now a widow.
            For further proof to establish this claim references may be had to the application for bounty land numbered 60,043 made by her said husband the above named Richard Casler under the act approved March the 3, 1855.
            She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty lands to which she may be entitled under the act approved March 3 1855.  She also declares that she has not heretofore made any other application for bounty lands.
(Signed with her mark)  Margaret Casler
(The Justice of the Peace is Robert Casler.)

The following letter is included in the pension application folder.

December 12, 1936
Emma P. Barrow
Box 33
Broadalbin, New York

Dear Madam:
            The data given herein were found in pension claim W. 6637, based upon service of Richard Caslar in the Revolutionary War.  He signed his name Caslar, but his name was borne as Casler on the pension rolls.
            Richard Caslar, a son of Jacob Caslar, was born April 14, 1767 in German Flatts, (a part of which town was later Little Falls) in Herkimer County, New York; the name of his mother was not given.  He lived there during the period of the Revolutionary War and, with many of the other inhabitants of that place, sought safety from the Indians in a block house, a few miles from Fort Herkimer.  Richard was an unusually large, robust boy and at the age of fourteen years, was better fitted for service than many of the older men.
            Richard Caslar enlisted in the spring of 1781, and served nine months as private, as substitute for his own father, in Captain Peter Elsworth’s company, colonel Marinus Willett’s New York Regiment against the Indians; during this service, he assisted in building Fort Dayton, was at Fort House, was in the engagement at Johnson Hall, went in pursuit of the enemy to Canada Creek, was in the battle at Butler’s Ford, where he watched the Indian shoot Walter Butler from across the Creek and take his scalp, went in pursuit of the Indians, then returned home.
            Richard Caslar was allowed pension on his application executed October 10, 1832, at which time he resided in Little Falls, Herkimer County, New York.  In 1855 he resided in German Flatts in that county and died there September 16, 1855.
            The soldier married September 10, 1779 [sic—1799] in the town of Herkimer, New York, Margaret Caslar; they were married by the German Minister.  The names of Margaret’s parents were not given.
            Margaret Caslar, the soldier’s widow was allowed pension on her application executed January 31, 1856, at which time she was aged seventy-five years; the date and place of her birth were not given.  She was living then in German Flatts New York.  She was pensioned Casler.
            In 1856, Margaret Casler, the soldier’s widow, stated that she had by her husband the following children; Nancy Casler, Delia Getman, wife of Rudolph Getman, Jonas R. Casler, Joseph Casler, Peggy Casler, wife of Marks Casler, Lydia Coal, wife of Charles Coal, Elizabeth Shell, wife of Jacob Shell, Phidelia Maxfield, wife of Jacob Maxfield, and Melinda Passage, the wife of Adam Passage; all were then more than twenty-one years of age.
            In 1832, one Marks Casler was a resident of Little Falls, Herkimer County, New York, he made affidavit in behalf of Richards Casler’s claim for pension.  In 1856, Joseph R. Casler and Amelia Getman were residents of German Flatts, New York then.  Robert Calser was a Justice of the Peace for Herkimer County, New York.  No relationship between these persons and the soldier’s family was stated, they signed Casler.
            In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, name of person paid, and possibly, the date of death, of Margaret Casler, you should apply to The Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and cite the following: Margaret Casler, certificate #1204, issued February 29, 1856, rate $30 per annum, commended September 16, 1855, Act of July 29, 1848, New York Agency.
            Richard Caslar, the soldier, was allowed 150 acres of bounty land on warrant #26707, under the act of 1855 on account of his services in the Revolutionary War.  Information regarding the location of this land, might be obtained from the Commissioner, General Land Office, this city.
Very truly yours,
A.D. Hiller
Executive Assistant
To the Administrator
End Notes for Richard Casler
By James F. Morrison

  1. Richard was born on 14 April 1767 and baptized on 28 April 1767.  Reformed Dutch Church of Stone Arabia page 74.  Dieterich Richard’s full name was Johann otherwise known as John Richard.  His parents were Jacob John & Maria Catharina Casler [Castler, Kassler, Kessler, etc.]  John Joh. Did serve in Colonel Peter Bellinger’s Regiment of Tryon County Militia [Fourth Regiment]
  2. Richard was only 14 years of age and should not have been able to enlist as a private in the military service but I have found at least 20 or so exceptions in the Mohawk Valley.  He went by Richard but there is no Richard Casler listed in New York State for military service.  The puzzle was solved when it was discovered that his Christian name was John.  There is a John Casler listed in Colonel Marinus Willett’s Regiment of New York State Levies Oddly enough he does not mention the death of Captain Elsworth who was ambushed and killed on the 6th of July 1781.
  3. The officers names of this company were Captain Peter Elsworth, Lieutenants Bartel Hendricks and William Bloodgood and Ensign John Shaw.
  4. The invasion was led by Major John Ross, Captain Walter Butler and Captain Gilbert Tice [of Johnstown who was in charge of the Indians].  The Battle of Johnstown was fought on the 25th of October 1781 and the skirmish at West Canada Creek on the 30th of October 1781.
  5. Richard was discharged on the 31st of December 1781.  According to the company payroll he had £19..5..9.. owed to him which was paid to Isaac Hutton.  The company payrolls were sworn to Marinus Willett, Christ. and to Tim. Hutton on Octo. 28, 1785.  Revolutionary War Rolls 1775-1783, Series M 246, Roll 78, National Archives Washington D.C.
  6. Ebenezer Cox, Colonel of the First Regiment of Tryon County Militia and also known as the Canajoharie District Regiment.
  7. Margaret casler was born about 1781.  Fourteen years younger than her to be husband Richard.

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