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Pension Application for Peter Gettman

State of New York
County of Montgomery

On this 20th day of September 1832, personally appeared in open court before Aaron Horning, Abraham Morrell, Samuel A. Pickert, John Hand and Henry I. Dievendorf, Judges of the Court of Common Pleas now sitting Peter Getman, a resident of Ephratah in the County of Montgomery and State of New York aged Sixty Eight years and eight months 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 entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.

That in the month of April 1777 he was enrolled in the Militia Company of Captain Henry Miller in Col. Klocks Regiment and marched with said company to the Royal Grant and was there stationed to guard the then new settlement from the numerous marauding parties of Tories and Indians that were at that time infesting the country with Butler and Brant as their emissaries. That he continued in said Millers Company until the spring of 1780.

That in April of that year he enlisted into the company of Captain John Casselman. This was a company of Rangers raised by order of the Committee of Tryon County and attached to the regiment of Col. Jacob Klock the officers in this company were at the time the applicant enlisted was John Casselman, Captain; Adam Empie, Lieut; and George Getman, Ensign.

That the services rendered while in this company were the company was divided and a part stationed at Fort Paris under Captain Casselman a part at the forts on the Mohawk River under Lieut Empie and a part at the block house in the north settlement of Palatine under Ensign Getman from which station parties called scouting parties were sent to range and watch the movements of the hostile Indians and Tories and to give an alarm in case of danger that this applicant enlisted in said company for two years and served the full period of his said enlistment that while in this company he was the whole time in actual service, going on scouts both in summer and winter or when not in this service was with the company at the forts or in the service as ordered by the captain or other superior officers.

That he was at the Battle at Stone Arabia and saw Col. Brown after he was slain; and assisted at the funeral this was in October 1780. That this applicant was also (while in Capt. Casselmans Company) at the Battle of Johnstown on the 22nd October 1781.

That when his term of service expired in Capt. Casselmans Company in March 1782, the applicant enlisted into a company of nine months, men under the command of Capt French in Col. Willetts Regiment.

That he enlisted into said company about the 1st April 1782 at the Block House in Palatine and marched from there to Fort House, near the East Canada Creek and from there to Fort Herkimer and was there stationed doing duty at garrison and going on scouting parties from the Fort at Herkimer to Fort Stanwix and the Oneida Lake and into the interior and then wilderness towards the river St. Lawrence until the 1st Jan’y 1783 when he was discharged and returned to his home at Stone Arabia. He knows of no more or other testimony than the affidavits herewith annexed, all from his fellow soldiers and who served with (him) in the Revolutionary War.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the roll of any agency or any state.

To the questions directed to before omitted, he answers,
1st he was born in the now Town of Ephratah, County of Montgomery and state of New York on the 5th day of January 1764. He has a record of his age made by his father in his Bible, it is now at the house of Mr. Philip Empie in the Town of Ephratah. He lives at Stone Arabia (now Palatine) when he entered the service. After the Revolutionary War he continued to live with his father at Stone Arabia about four years. He then married and settled in now Ephratah, then Palatine about four miles from his father then removed to Manheim Herkimer County, lived there seven years and has resided since that time in Ephratah his present place of residence. He was first enrolled as a Militia Soldier in Capt Henry Millers Company and afterwards enlisted into the company of Captains Casselman and Finch as stated above.

He served with Col. Willett, Col. Klock, Major Finck, Col. Brown and the officers in the stations along the Mohawk River and In Tryon County.

Sworn to and subscribed at this 20th Day of September, 1832. Signed Peter Getman.


State of New York
County of Montgomery

On this 16th day of March 1847, personally appeared in open court before the judges of the county courts in the aforesaid county, Elisabeth Getman (or Kitman) a resident of the town of Ephratah in the County of Fulton formerly Montgomery aforesaid aged Eighty Four years on the 28th day of February last past, and she being duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the pension made by the act of Congress passed 7 July 1838, entitled “an act of granting half pay and pensions to certain widows” and acts explanatory of amending and extending the same. That she is the widow of Peter Getman who served in the war of the revolution as herein after stated.

That she was married to said Peter Getman on the tenth day of March in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty five by the Reverend Mr. Rees, at his house, Pastor of the Lutheran Church at Stone Arabia. That previous to her said marriage she resided in Dillenburgh (Tillaboro) in the District of Palatine NY and her maiden name was Richter (or Rightor).

That her husband the said Peter Getman died on the twenty second day of May one thousand eight hundred and forty-five.

That since his death she has remained single and unmarried and is still his widow and unmarried.

That said husband Peter Getman was a pensioner of the United States under the act of June 1832, at the rate of $80 per annum on account of his services in the war of the revolution. Declarant is unable to specify said services, but remembers hearing her said husband say many years ago before any pension laws were passed that he served at the Stone Arabia when that place and other along the Mohawk Valley were destroyed by the British and their Indian & Tory allies, that he served under Captain Kisselman or Casselman on several occasions, under Captain Finch and Colonel Willett also at Tacondossa? and Johnstown and Fort Herkimer and other forts along the said valley. That her husband the said Peter Getman was a son of Christian Getman Captain of a Company of Rangers during said war.

And this declarant further saith that she had children by said Peter Gitman as follows.

A son named Peter who was born on the 29th day of July one thousand seven hundred and ninety two, another son named Arendt who was born on the 7th November one thousand seven hundred and ninety four, a daughter named Mary born 19th September one thousand eight hundred and eighty six, Anna born September 4th one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight and further declarant said.
Subscribed and sworn this day and year first aforesaid in open court as aforesaid. Elizabeth Getman (her mark)

State of New York
County of Montgomery

I, Charles Junkes of the town of Palatine in said County, do hereby certify and depose that I am pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church of Stone Arabia in said town that as such I have the custody of the records of said church.

That on examining the record of Baptisms, I find the following entry in fair legible figures and records word for word and figured for figure vix-
1792 Eltern Kinder Gevattern
n. 29: July B 5 Aug Peter GettmanElizabeth , nat: Richter Peter Peter RichterCatharina Gettmann
1794
n. 7 NovemberB 7 Nov Peter GettmannElizabeth (Richter) Arendt Arendt BrowerCornelia Richter

From which it appears that “Peter” a son of Peter Gettmann and Elizabeth his wife, whose maiden name was “Richter” was baptized according to the rites of said church and by the then pastor thereof on the fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and ninety two and said son is noted as having been born on the 29th day of July in said year last named (1792).

It further appears that another child of said Peter Gettman and his wife Elizabeth named “Arendt” was born on the seventh day of November one thousand seven hundred and ninety four and baptized on; the 9th day of said month of November last named.

Signed Charles Junkes

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