Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for Christian Hess

State of New York
Herkimer County
W17068
            On this eighteenth day of October in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty eight personally appeared before me John B Dygert Esquire a judge of the court of common pleas of said county Elizabeth Hess resident of Brighton; in the county of Monroe in said state aged ninety four years who being, by me first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the act of Congress passed July 4, 1836.  That she is the widow of Christian Hess late of Pittsford in the said County of Monroe deceased who was a private a part of the time and a sergeant a part of the time during the Revolutionary War in the army & Militia of the United States.
            That her husband enlisted first about the commencement of the war for and served nine months under Captains Eyesler (1) and Bigbread (2) and that during this term of service and in the month of April she was married to him, that after he served out this term, he soon or immediately after went to Stone Arabia now in the county of Montgomery in said state and enlisted again as she was then informed, understood and believes for three years, but this deponent has forgotten the names of his officers on this occasions though she thinks the name of one was Willett (3), Willims or Wilkis or some such name.
            That he was absent from home on this occasion in the service nine or ten months and then returned home and stayed some five days perhaps two or three and then went off again to serve and in this way he served occasionally returning home & remaining a few days until about or to the final close of the war, but whether he enlisted for any other term or terms than those above stated, she cannot state through he was off in the service as have stated that during the Revolutionary War, the place of residence of this deponent and her said husband was in part of the time in Schuyler in the County of Herkimer & State aforesaid and a part of the time in Stone Arabia aforesaid.
            That when the nearness of the enemy rendered it necessary this deponent went to the nearest fort for protection, that her said husband was absent when Stone Arabia was burnt in the service, but this deponent was then there and went into the fort after that on such occasions she went into Fort Plain that the reason of her making her statement before an officer in Herkimer county is because his relatives reside in that county as well as the persons or most of the persons now living who know of the service of her late husband, that she is not able owing to her advanced age & bodily infirmity to attend court to make her declaration and she further declares that she was married to the said Christian Hess in the month of April in the first year of the war but on what particular day of the month or in what particular year she is not able to state, that her husband the aforesaid Christian Hess died on the fifth day of August 1804 and that she has remained a widow ever since that period as will more fully appear by reference to the proof here to annexed that she & her husband removed from Herkimer County aforesaid to the county of Monroe aforesaid about forty years since.  (Signed with her mark)  Elizabeth Hess
            Sworn to & subscribed on the day & year above written before me. John B. Dygert, Justice, Herkimer County Courts

State of New York
County of Livingston
In Open Court
            On this 31st day of January A.D. 1855 before the county court held within and for the county and state aforesaid personally appeared Catherine Stilwell aged Sixty Nine years a resident of the Town of Livona in the County of Livingston and state of New York who being duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provisions of the Act of Congress of the 7th June 1832 and all other acts of Congress granting pensions and arrears to the Widows and children of Officers and soldiers who served in the War of the Revolution.
            That she is one of the children and heirs at law of Elizabeth Hess deceased who was once the wife and afterwards the widow of Christian Hess deceased who was a private as she has been informed and believes in Colonel Willetts Regiment for which service the said Elizabeth Hess Declarants mother received a pension to an amount less than thirty dollars per annum as she has been informed and verily believes that where and when he entered the service & how long he served and where and when he was discharged and under what officers he served except said Col. Willett or in what battles he was engaged, declarant does not know.
            Declarant further states that she has heard her said father Christian Hess and her said mother Elizabeth Hess frequently say and declarant states that fact to her that said Christian Hess her said father served in said war as a sergeant in Col. Graham’s Regiment but when and where he entered the said service and under what officers he served except Col. Graham or in what battle he was engaged in or how long he served and where and when he was discharged declarant does not know but she believes that he served as such sergeant in said regiment more than two years.
            That she has no documentary evidence of his service but for the proof of his service she must rely on the proofs and records now on file in Washington.
            That her said father Christian Hess died on the 23rd day of August in the year 1808 according to the best of her recollection in the town of [Opurietta?] in the County of Monroe in the State of New York and left a widow surviving him the said Elizabeth Hess who died in the town of Perrington in the said county of Monroe on the twenty second day of February in the year on thousand eight hundred and forty three.
            That the following are the only surviving children of the said soldier Christian Hess and are the surviving children of the declarant’s mother the said Elizabeth Hess to wit Catharine Stilwell, the declarant, Augustus Hess, Joseph Hess, Daniel Hess and Elizabeth Allen.
            The declarant refers to the proofs and papers now on file to obtain the said pension for her mother the said Elizabeth Hess to establish the death of the said Christian Hess and the Marriage of the said Elizabeth Hess to the said Christian Hess.
            The declarant makes this declaration in behalf of herself and the said other children for the purpose of  obtaining an increase of the said Elizabeth Hess’s pension for more service than she [?]  and for services which the said Christian Hess performed in the said Col. Grahams Regiment as a Sergeant or otherwise or in any other regiments [4] and capacity which increase is now in arrears and unpaid and has never been claimed or applied for by her mother the said Elizabeth Hess or by any other person.  (Signed) Catherine Stilwell
            Sworn to and subscribed before me on the day and in the year first above mentioned and I hereby certify that I know the said deponent Catharine Stilwell and believe her to be as above stated and further that I am not interested in this claim as Attorney as otherwise, nor am I concerned in the prosecution thereof.
            Witness my hand and the seal of said court affixed by order of said court now in session.  Jas. S. Orton Clerk of said county & of the County Court of aforesaid county.

End Notes—Christian Hess W.17068

  1. Christian served as a private in Captain John Eisenlord’s Company in Colonel Cornelius Van Dyck’s Regiment of Additional Continentals in 1776.  This company assisted the Third New Jersey Continental Regiment in building Fort Dayton.
  2. Christian served as sergeant in Captain John Breadbake’s Company of Tryon County Rangers attached to Colonel Morris Graham’s Regiment in 1778.  (Revolutionary War Rolls 1776-1783, M-246, Roll 74, National Archives, Washington D.C.
  3. Christian appears to have enlisted as a private in Captain Guy Young’s Company in Colonel Marinus Willett’s Regiment of New York State Levies in 1782.  On November 1, 1782, Captain Young retired and Joel Gillett was promoted Captain of the Company.  Christian does not appear to have served past 1782.
  4. Christian also served as a private and Sergeant in Captain John Zeely’s Company in Colonel Jacob Klock’s Regiment of Tryon County Militia, (Second Regiment).

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