Andrew Gray

W. 21221
State of New York
Montgomery County SS
On this twenty second day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight before me, Stephen Yates, Esquire a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Montgomery, being a court of record, Catharine Gray a resident of Stone Arabia in the Town of Palatine in the County of Montgomery and State of New York aged seventy-five years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed July 7, 1838 entitled An Act Granting half pay and pensions for certain widows.

That she is the widow of Andrew Gray who was a private and served in the boat service of the United States and also in the militia in the War of The Revolution. That this deponent was born at Stone Arabia aforesaid and has lived there all her life time. That the said Andrew Gray also lived at Stone Arabia before the Revolutionary War and continued to live there until his death, although this deponent does not now remember that she saw him until in the war when she became acquainted with him in Fort Loucks at Stone Arabia when this deponent and their family and the said Andrew Gray and her family lived for some time in the war.

That this deponent always during the life time of said Andrew heard him say and understood from other that he was enlisted and served in said war in the service of the United States in the boat service on the Hudson River in a company under command of Captain William Peterson.

That she does not now remember that she ever heard the said Andrew say for what period he was enlisted or how long he served nor can she now state to except as she is informed by others how long he served but she does remember distinctly that the said Andrew Gray’s alleged that he was in the boat service on the Hudson the same year that Burgoyne was taken which was in the year 1777.

That she remembers well hearing the said Andrew Gray say that this company with the American Army before the taking of Burgoyne had to retreat before Burgoyne and that the said Andrew at the time of their retreat was sick with the measles.

That John Gremps (the next twelve lines are too light to read, but some words are legible) she believes………Stone Arabia and he lived………..and until his death…………….and always until the time after the war and until he death (She is repeating herself here several times and tells that he served in the boating service under Captain Peterson.)……….hereto annexed and which reference is had by this deponent. That the said Andrew Gray during said war but the year or years this deponent does not remember was also enlisted in the boat service under Capt. Samuel Gray on the Mohawk River and also on the Susquehanna River in the expedition of General Sullivan against the Indians.

That she has frequently heard the said Andrew speak of this services also in his life time from the war down to his death but does not recollect how long he served nor where. Except that he served the year of Sullivan’s expedition against the Indians which she is not informed was in the year 1779 and from the continued declarations of the said Andrew in his life time upon this subject as well as the proof of the said William Feeler and Peter Sits hereto annexed to which reference is also had this deponent believes and has no doubt that the said Andrew Gray served under the Said Capt. Samuel Gray in the boat service of the United States two terms of nine months each at the times stated by the said William & Peter.

That besides the said boat service the said Andrew Gray performed militia service also as a private in a company of militia which until the Oriskany Battle in August 1777 was commanded by Capt’ Andrew Dillenbagh that Capt. Dillenbagh was killed in the Oriskany Battle when the command of the company devolved upon Thomas Cook who afterward commanded the company as she believes until the close of the war when the said company was attached to the Regiment of Col. Jacob Klock.

That she does not know particularly how long the said Andrew Gray served in the militia but she remembers well that she always heard the said Andrew say and so understood from others who served with him that the said Andrew was in the Battle at Stone Arabia in the fall of 1780 where Col. Brown was killed. That he went in pursuit of the enemy on the same day and that they came up with the enemy in the neighborhood where the Village of St Johnsville is now built and there had an engagement with the enemy in which he was also engaged.

That he was also in the Johnstown Battle in the year 1781 under Col. Willett and that he accompanied the forces under Col Willett and went in pursuit of Ross and Butler and was in the engagement on the West Canada Creek above Herkimer when Butler was killed.

That the said Andrew during the same year in the summer of 1781 as this deponent believes with some of the militia provided from Stone Arabia in pursuit of a party of Tories and Indians in with whom they fell in and had a skirmish about the three miles north of Palatine church. That the said Andrew was in this engagement also and in which it was always asserted by him and others that accompanied him that he shot an Indian belonging with the enemy.

And the said Catherine declares that she was born on the eighteenth day of May in the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty six. That she was married to the said Andrew Gary in the ninth day of July in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six. That her husband the said Andrew Gary died on the seventeenth day of December in the year one thousand eight hundred (blurred, can’t read the rest of the declaration.)

(Signed) Catherina Gray

State of New York
Montgomery County
On the 10th day of August 1838, personally appeared before me Jacob Getman, a Justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid, Peter Sits, of the Town of Minden, County and State aforesaid, aged seventy eight years past who has been duly sworn according to law, deposeth and said that he has been personally acquainted with Andrew Gray of the Town of Palatine and Catharina Gray was the widow of the aforesaid, Andrew Gray deceased, previous to the Revolutionary War, before they were married, when the said Catharina was the daughter of George Snell who was slain at Oriskany Battle.

And deponent further saith that he verily believes that the said deceased soldier and the said Catharina Snell were legally and lawfully married, but not until sometime after the war and that she did not inter marry again, and yet remaining the widow of the aforesaid Andrew Gray deceased.

And deponent further saith that the said Andrew Gray was a brave and an enterprising soldier, from the year 1776 and continued from year to year and in each and every year and every year to the final conclusion of the said Revolutionary War, that he belonged to the Company of Militia commanded by Lieut. Andrew Dillenbagh or Captain John Keysor, joined the American Army forepart in summer or late in spring under Capt. Christph’r P. Yates in the year 1775 on the campaign to Canada, taken sick and he was returned, died, when Lieut. Dillenbagh continued in command until that ever memorable Battle at Oriskany when he was slain in Battle at Oriskany, under the Gen’l command of Gen’l Herkimer who likewise was formerly wounded and soon after died, when Servenius Cook emadietly after said battle succeeded to the command of said company, Reg’t belonging to the Reg’t commanded by col. Jacob Klock from the commencement of the said Revolutionary War to the conclusion thereof.

Deponent further saith that the deceased soldier has and did render faithful service to the United States as a brave militia soldier, commending in the year 1776 and so continued during the whole war, excepting deponent says that he has reason to belief that the deceased soldier was enlisted in the year 1777 under the command of Capt. William Petterson in the bateau service and engaged in rendering boat service on the North (Hudson) River on behalf of the United States of which tour deponent has no doubt in his mind, but that the said Andrew Gray, did belong to the said company of boatmen commanded by Capt. William Peters, otherwise called Peterson, although deponent saith that himself hath no been enlisted in said company within and belong to.

And deponent further saith, that the deceased soldier vizt the aforesaid Andrew Gray was enlisted under the command of Capt. Samuel Gray two different tours or years, in the year 1779 and 1780 and that the said company were ordered to west at Schenectady, when considered under the direction of Henry Glen deputy, quartermaster. When the said Mohawk River was not passable in consequence of the ice, when ordered and directed by the said Quartermaster in being engaged in rendering other United States service until the Mohawk had became passable in transporting provisions and other supplies to supply the garrison at Fort Stanwix.

That deponent further saith, that the first year vizt in the year 1779 the said company under the command of the said Capt. Gray did commence in the early part of spring in transporting provisions and other necessaries in supplying the garrison at Fort Stanwix and other forts up along the Mohawk River, as also providing and carrying and transporting provisions and baggage up the said Mohawk for the supply of Gen’l Clinton and Gen’l Sullivan’s army. When the farmers up along the said Mohawk Were pressed? And constraint in drawing boats baggage and provision to Lake Otsego distance about twenty miles and not until about the latter part of July or forepart of August when Cap’t Sam’l Gray with his batteauman left Otsego Lake, with that section of the army under the command of Gen’l James Clinton and went down the Susquahanna River to Tioga point there awaiting the arrival of Gen’l Sullivan with his army, when both armies were joined under the Chief Command of Gen’l Sullivan at the at the time when our army went into the Indian Country in dispersing the Indians and Tories and their ??? when the said Cap’t Gray with his company did not return home to their places of residence until forepart in winter.

And deponent further saith that not only the said Andrew Gary did belong to the same company with himself said deponent but also that William Feeter, George Kelly, Peter Keysor at the same time and year and John Gramps and many other who did belong to the same company and went on the same campaign.

1780. And deponent further saith and declare that all the same above ??? batteaumen were again engaged and enlisted under the command of the said Capt. Samuel Gray besides Henry Genter, Henry Waufle, John J. Suts, and Peter N. Kilts, in addition this year was joined to the said company and that they again commenced their bateau service again early in spring as soon as it was found practicable in consequence of the ice in the Mohawk River and continued boating from Schenectady up the Mohawk River to Fort Stanwix and other forts up along the Mohawk River until again constrained to quit in consequence of the said river being shut so as to stop the progress of boating.

Deponent further saith, that during said tour that they have mett with frequent obstacles in consequence of their common enemy who have stopped the progress of boating and in particular on the 19th of October said year at the time when Col. Brown was slain in battle satisfied that the deceased soldier was engaged in battle at the same time, and that again on the same day in pursuit of the enemy deponant says that he is personally known that the said deceased soldier with himself said deponant was engaged in battle under the command of Col. Dubois on Klock’s and Failing’s field now St. Johns Ville with said deponent when the enemy withdrew themselves.

Deponent further saith that the said Andrew Gray after the said year 1780 did prove a true and faithful soldier during the continuance of the said Revolutionary War, that he was engaged what is called Landman’s Battle and that he shott, the Sachem or Indians who was killed, cannot be disputed, latter part of July 1781, again on the 25th Oct same year engaged in Johnstown Battle under the command of Col. Willett and again the next day went under the command of Col. Willett in pursuit of Maj’r Ross and battles with their incendiary associates from Canada, to the West Canada Creek when Cap’t Butler was killed with others. Which are facts which never have nor can be disputed.

Deponent further saith, that he do not hesitate in declaring that Catharina Gray the widow of Andrew Gray is entitled to full pension.

And further deponent saith not.

(Signed with his mark) Peter Sits