Pension Application

Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for John S. Kasselman, Private

S.10934
State of New York
Montgomery County
            On this ninth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared before Aaron Haring first Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Montgomery and State of New York John S. Kasselman, a resident of the Town of Johnstown in the County and State of New York aforesaid, aged seventy 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.
            Your applicant says that in November in the year 1777 he was drafted as a Militia Man in the Company of Captain John Breadbig,(1) entered upon duty in the spring following of 1778 (2) and served at the following places, the times when he went out and when discharged, this applicant does not recollect. The first time he went to a place now called St. Johnsville, Montgomery County does not recollect how long he was out at this time.
            The second time he was drafted as a waggoner in Sullivan’s expedition (3) and was out five or six weeks. He also served a term at Fort Plank now in Minden, Montgomery County, and the length of time he was out at this time he does not recollect. In Fort Clide (4) he served five or six weeks and also served two months at a place then called Remensnider’s Bush. And also served two months in Fort Dayton situate in Herkimer and then in the County of Tryon as was Remen Snyder’s Bush at that time in Tryon, but now Oppenheim, Montgomery County. And also, another term at Fort Herkimer for four or five weeks. And also served on month and a half at Dillenburgh, (5) situate at that time in Tryon and now Montgomery County. Your applicant says that he served three different winters during the Revolutionary War in carrying provisions and implements of war from Albany to Fort Stanwicks, a month or five weeks each winter.
            Your applicant says that he served at Fort House at that time Tryon County and now in Oppenheim about one month. (This is now in the Town of St. Johnsville. When Fulton and Montgomery Counties split, part of Oppenheim to the south was in Montgomery County.)
            (Part of next line is missing) months, in the year 1781 (6) and that he went out sometime in the months of April or May and served the full term of nine months under Captain Lawrence Gross, this company was attached to Colonel Marinus Willett’s Regiment and that they went to Herkimer and then to the battle Called Turlough, Sharon, (7) Schoharie County.
            In the year 1779 I served or this applicant served at Fort Keyser, then in Tryon County since Palatine, Montgomery County and served at this fort in all about three or four months. Your applicant says that he was out during the Revolution on scouts and alarms at different and divers times also and above the number so herein before specified. Your applicant says that at this time he was called into the service, he resided at now Palatine, Montgomery County.
Your applicant says that he was born at Palatine aforesaid in the year seventeen hundred and sixty two and has no record of his age.
            Your applicant says that he was acquainted with the following regular officers, Colonels Gansevoort, Willett, Capt Andrew Finck. (8) Your applicant says that he is acquainted with the following persons residing in his neighborhood who can testify as to his character for truth and veracity and their belief of his services as an officer of the Revolution. David Zeilly, George Walter, Peter Wormwood. Your applicant says that he has the documentary evidence. And your applicant says 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. Your applicant says that he was in the Turlough Battle and has served during the whole time he was out at least two year and nine months.
            And this applicant says that Captain Hess was his Captain one time when stationed at now Herkimer. George Klock, (9) Colonel. That Capt. Breadbake and Lieutenant Zeilly were his officers most of the time and that at one time a Lieutenant Finch was his officer. That most of the time nearly all of the beginning of the service in Col. George Klock (He must mean Col. Jacob Klock) of the latter part of the time under Col. Peter Waggoner and as to the rest of his officers he is unable to relate except that Jellis Fonda was his Adjutant for awhile of which was for the nine months service and at the frequency of calls for service for several years and this great distant period when performed and the alarms and I was daily changes of command and the constant shifts of tours renders it now out of his power to name all his officers.
John S. Kasselman (signed by him)
            Montgomery County. On this twentieth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand and eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County now sitting at Johnstown in said County, David I. Zeiley a resident of Palatine in the County aforesaid, aged sixty two years and upwards, who doth depose and say that John S. Casselman the above named applicant for a pension, lived with John Zeiley his father, to learn the art of farming, about the beginning of the Revolutionary War and until the end of this war and that during the time the said Casselman lived with Zeiley in the year 1778, the said Casselman entered the service of the United States as a Militia Man and served at different times during two years, he does not know at what time of the year 1778 he entered the service at this time he was under Capt. Bredbig of the Regiment Commanded by Col. Jacob Klock.
            This deponent further says that the said Casselman returned to his father’s house several times during the two years and that in the year 1781 he was again drafted for nine months and he served out that time.
            Deponents says that he knows that the above named applicant was engaged in the Battle at Tourlock in the County then called Tryon now called Schoharie, also in the Battle at Johnstown(10)in Montgomery County
            This deponent further says that in the year 1782 the said Casselman was in the service of the United States at different times, but how long he does not recollect. And this deponent says that the said John S. Cassleman died in the year 1832 on the twentieth day of August and he was present at his funeral, and that said Casselman was a man of truth and veracity and that he was reputed to be a man of truth and veracity in the neighborhood where he the said Casselman resided.
And this deponent further says that the said John died leaving five children by the names of John F. Casselman, Jonas Casselman, two sons, Maria, the wife of John F. Dockstater, Nancy wife of Lodewick Beck and his unmarried daughter Betsey.
            And this deponent says that these are all the children that the said John left and he further says that they are all more than twenty one years of age and upwards and this deponent further says that he died having no widow and further this deponent says not.
David I. Zeiley (signed by him)
            Sworn & Subscribed in open court the day & year aforesaid. Geo. D. Ferguson, Clerk

End Notes for John S. Kasselman
By James F. Morrison

John is enlisted as a corporal in Captain John Breadbake’s Company (Fifth) Tryon County Militia (Second Regiment). When Captain Breadbake was serving in other regiments First Lieutenant John Zeely (Ziely, Ziellie, etc.) acted as Captain and Kasselman served as a Corporal under him also.
John would have turned 16 in 1778 and would have been required by law to serve in the Militia.
This would be during May & June 1779. Actually this service would have been for General James Clinton who later joined forces with General John Sullivan.
Fort Clyde was not built until 1780.
Dillenburgh was actually Tilleborough, present day Town of Ephratah, Fulton County.
John enlisted and was appointed a corporal on the 16th May 1781 in Captain Lawrence Gross’ Company in Lt-Col. Marinus Willett’s Regiment of New York State Levies. He was discharged on the 31st of December 1781.
New Dorlach—now present day Sharon Springs, Schoharie County. This battle was fought on the 10th of July 1781.
Col. Peter Gansevoort of the 3rd New York Continental Regiment. In 1781 Brigadier General of one of the Albany County Militia Brigades. Andrew Fink served in the First New York Continental Regiment. On the first of September 1781 he was appointed Brigade Major in Colonel Willett’s Regiment. Fink also fought at the Battle of Johnstown on the 25th of October 1781.
He, of course, meant Jacob Klock.
David Zeiley’s father John Zeely (as he wrote it) was captured in this battle and kept a prisoner until the 24 of November 1782. Capt. Gross lost his horse, saddle and bridle in this battle as well.