Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for John Darrow

W.25511
State of Pennsylvania
Susquehanna County
            On the tenth day of September 1832 personally appeared in open court before Hon's Wm Thomson and Davis Dimvoc, associates, Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of said county now sitting John Darrow of Middletown township in the County of Susquehanna and State of Pennsylvania aged sixty eight 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 th 1832.
            That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated to wit:
            That in the month of May 1777 at the Town of New Concord in the County of Columbia and State of New York, he entered the service of the United States as waiter to his father, George Darrow (1), Adjutant of a Regiment of Volunteers, commanded by Colonel McInster (2). The regiment to which he belonged marched from New Concord to Bennington in Vermont, was stationed at that place about four weeks when the Battle of Bennington (3) was fought in which his father was engaged but he being but a boy remained during the engagement in the rear of the main army. The battle commenced in the afternoon. The Americans were forced to retreat before the enemy to a place called Bemus Heights (4), was stationed at Bemus Heights as near as he can recollect about five weeks during which time the Battle of Bemus Heights was fought. During the engagement he, with other waiters was constantly employed in carrying water to the men engaged with the enemy. The Americans remained master of the field. The British retreated the same night to Saratoga. The whole of the American forces pursued them on the following morning to Saratoga; found them entrenching themselves and preparing to make a bold defense. The American Army immediately commenced throwing up entrenchments , planting batteries and redoubts and in the meantime reinforcements came in until he enemy were literally surrounded. Frequent skirmishes took place between the armies. The armies lay at that place as near as he can recollect, about a month, when a smart action took place between a part of the American Army commanded by General Arnold and the enemy and on the next day the whole British Army under General Burgoyne surrendered prisoners of war.
           That he went with his father to Albany to guard the prisoners who were taken to that place. After the arrival of the army at Albany & about the first of November he with his father were discharged and returned to New Concord having been in the service five months.
           And the said John Darrow further saith--That in the month of March 1781 at the Town of New Concord in the County and state aforesaid he enlisted in a company commanded by Captain James Cannon (5) for the term of nine months. Marched to Albany where he remained about three days. The company to which he belonged was then attached to a regiment under the command of Colonel Marinus Willett which regiment marched to “Fort Plain” on the Mohawk River. He remained with the regiment at Fort Plain until as near as he can recollect about the first of November when a battle was fought between a party of British troops and the Americans at Johnstown in which he was engaged. The enemy were repelled and driven from the field and sometime in the month of December 1781 he was discharged by Col. Willett at Fort Plain and returned back to New Concord.
           And the said John Darrow on his oath, further saith that in the latter part of March1782, at the town of New Concord in the County and State aforesaid, he enlisted a volunteer in a company commanded by Captain Whelps (6) for the term of nine months, went to Claverack and that the company to which he belonged was attached to a regiment of State Troops under the command of Colonel Van Schaick (7). He marched immediately to West Point on the North River (Hudson), was stationed at West Point according to the best of his recollection about four months. That then the company to which he belonged was removed to a place called Smith's Clove (as near as he can recollect) about eight miles distant from West Point back from the river. He remained at that place in garrison until the expiration of the term of his enlistment and was there discharged about the first of January 1783 and returned to New Concord.
           And the said John Darrow on his oath further saith that he does not now recollect the names of regular officers under whom he served (other than herein stated) except General Gates and General Arnold who commanded at Saratoga both of whom he well knew. He further states that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his services.
           He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any state. To his knowledge.
           John Darrow (signed by him)
           Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court. Asa Dimock Pros.[?]

           From the file W25511 we learn John was born December 1763, son of George Darrow, name of mother not given, in New Concord, Columbia County, New York. John Darrow married May 2, 1781, Martha, date and place not given nor names of her parents. He died in Middletown Township, Pennsylvania July 4, 1854 at the residence of his son-in-law, name not given. The widow, Martha Darrow, was allowed pension on her application executed September 1, 1854 at which time she was eighty-nine years old and a resident of Bridgewater Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

State of Pennsylvania
Susquehanna County
           Personally appeared before me David Post one of the Justices of the Peace in and for this County of Susquehanna aforesaid John Darrow of the township of Middletown in said County and applicant for a pension under the Act of Congress of the 7 th June 1832 and being duly sworn according to law, in answer to the interrogatories prescribed in the regulation of the War Department under the Act of Congress aforesaid. Doth depose and say.
           1 st That he was born in the town of New Canaan in the County of Columbia and State of New York, in December 1763.
           2 nd That he has no record of his age other than traditionary—He is certain of his age at the birth of his oldest son of whose age he has a record and by which he is positive as to the correctness of his own age and the year in which he was born.
           3 rd That he lived with his father in the town, County and State aforesaid—when called into service—That he resided in the same place three years after the close of the Revolutionary War-removed from thence to Cherry Valley in the County of Otsego in the State of New York where he resided seven years—removed from thence to [?] (now) Susquehanna county Pennsylvania where he now resides.
           4 th That in his first tour of five months service [?] into the service as waiter to his father who was an adjutant in a Regiment of volunteers under the command of Colonel McInster—That in his second and third tours of nine months each he entered the service by voluntary enlistment, in the New York State Troops.
           5 th That he recollects General Gates, Arnold, Colonel McInster, Colonel Hessick & Colonel Wattaman—all of whom he saw in his first campaign and knew—That he was well acquainted with Colonel VanSkoyk at the time he was stationed at West Point in the year 1781 and also with Colonel Marinus Willett and Major Rowley at Fort Plain on the Mohawk, in his last campaign in the year 1782. That as to the “general circumstances of his service” was in addition to them as set forth in his declaration he on his oath further saith—That in his first campaign as a waiter he intered [entered] the service well armed and mounted—and that during the said service of five months he was always punctual in the discharge of his dutys and although a boy of but fourteen years of age—served his country faithfully.
           That in his second tour of service in the company commanded by Captain James Cannon in Colonel Willetts Regiment in the year 1781 (8) for the term of nine months he marched to Albany and from thence to Fort Plain where he remained until about three days previous to the battle of Johnstown, when an express arrived with news of the advance of the enemy. The Regiment was ordered to march and meet them, That this deponent went on with said Regiment a distance of about twenty miles and met the enemy at Johnstown, When an engagement took place, That the deponent was in the right wing of the American forces. The Regiment having been divided and a part of them sent under Major Rowley around them, a piece of woods. That the party under Col. Willett in which this deponent was first engaged with the enemy and those under Rowley not coming up at the time as was expected. The American were obliged to retreat a short distance in which they lost a field piece which fell into the hands of the enemy but they soon rallied made a charge and retook the field piece—which they found spike and useless—The enemy were repulsed and driven from the field. That the day following—a part of the American troops pursued the enemy and overtook them above Canada Creek where a second engagement was had in which a British Captain (Butler) and several others were killed and the party dispersed. That in his third and last tour of service under Captain Whelps in 1782 in Colonel Van Skoyks Regiment for the term of nine months the company to which he belonged remained stationed at West Point about four months. I was then sent on to Smiths Clove a distance of ten miles from West Point where he remained in Garrison till the expiration of the term of his enlistment.
           6 th That at the expiration of his first tour of service—he received no written discharge. That at the expiration of his second tour of service he received a written discharge from Colonel Willett and also at the expiration of his third tour of service he received a written discharge from Captain Whelps which discharges were put among his fathers papers where he left them when he removed from New Concord—and that he has no further knowledge of them.
           7 th That in addition of the names of Rev'd David Dimock and Daniel Curtis whose testimony as to he character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution which accompanied his declaration, he states the names Asahe Gregory Esquire, Andrew Canfield, Philo Bostwick Esquire, Joseph Ross and Amos Canfield—persons to whom he is well known in his neighborhood and all of whom he verily believes would testify to the same.
           Sworn and subscribed before me by the said John Darrow to me well known and whose statement is entitled to credit, at Montrose the sixth day of June A.D. 1833. (Signed) David Post, J. Peace; John Darrow.

End Notes

  1. I found no evidence of George Darrow serving as an officer until April 28, 1781. John would not have been counted as a soldier because of his age which is why he was a waiter.
  2. He reported he was commanded by Colonel McInster but the closest I can find to that name is McKinstry. John McKinstry was the Second Major in Colonel Peter Van Ness' Ninth Regiment of Albany County Militia.
  3. The Battle of Bennington was fought on the 16 th of August 1777. It appears there were no New York troops in that battle. It is possible that George, who was John's father, might have been in a New England regiment.
  4. The Battles of Saratoga were fought on September 19, and October 7, 1777.
  5. James Cannon was a Lieutenant in Captain Elihu Marshall's Company in Colonel Marinus Willett's Regiment of New York State Levies. John's name does not appear on this payroll but a George Darrow does appear on the roll. It is hard to ascertain given names and when more than in the same regiment makes it more difficult. Another George Darrow also served in Captain Silas Gray's Company in Colonel Willett's Regiment but they were stationed at Stillwater in then Albany County on or near the Hudson River. By going over John's Declarations carefully it is my belief that he was indeed in Marshall's Company. It would have been easy for him to think Cannon was the captain because he had command of the company most of the time since Captain Marshall was in Albany, trying to keep supplies and recruits moving up the river to Colonel Willett at Fort Rensselaer. Also Lieutenant was appointed captain in the regiment in 1782 and served as such until the end of the war. Other Darrows in Willett's Regiment were Ammarias in Captain Lawrence Gross' Company, Pension No. W.19154. Thomas, Pension No. S.10526 who claims to have been in Captain Thomas Skinner's Company but on Skinner's payroll, Daniel is listed. Jedediah Darrow served in Captain Aaron Hale's company. This company of Willett's was stationed in the Schoharie Valley. According to Marshall's payroll, George Darrow's pay was paid to Frederick Young in October of 1785. He was paid £12..3..6.
    Source: Revolutionary War Rolls 1775-1783, Series M-246, Roll 78, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
  6. Captain Anthony Whelp was appointed on the 10 th of April 1782 in Colonel Marinus Willett's Regiment of New York State Levies. But on the 29 th of September 1782 no commission was ordered as he was supernumerary. Captains Silas Gray and Nathanial Henry were also discharged. There were more officers than what was needed for the amount of enlisted men. These enlisted men were put in other companies. Unfortunately there are no muster or pay rolls for Whelp's or Gray's 1782 companies. On the July 1, 1782 return of troops, Whelp's and Gray's Companies were already disbanded. Henry's was disbanded by the end of July. The return is in the Revolutionary War Rolls 1775-1783, Series M-246, Roll 78, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
  7. It appears that Captains Whelp's and Gray's companies were supposed to reinforce Colonel Goose Van Schaick's First New York Continental Regiment. Darrow is right about being stationed at Smith's Clove near West Point, N.Y. as a part of the First N.Y. Regiment were stationed there.
  8. This part of his second declaration is what makes me believe that the George listed on Marshall's Company Master Roll is this John. His recollection of what happened at the Battle of Johnstown leads one to believe he was really there plus what he says about his enlistment in Captain Whelp's company.
Return to opening page of Morrisons's Pensions
Copyright © 1998, -- 2005. James F. Morrison and Berry Enterprises. All rights reserved. All items on the site are copyrighted. While we welcome you to use the information provided on this web site by copying it, or downloading it; this information is copyrighted and not to be reproduced for distribution, sale, or profit.