Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application For Daniel McGraw

Some pension applications are full of news, and this one certainly is. McGraw’s captian, Pettingall, was killed at Oriskany. He saw a lot of action during the war and seems to have taken it all in his stride. Daniel helped transport the British troops to Albany after their surrender at Saratoga. He also mentions guarding Veeder’s Mill outside of Caughnawaga because it supplied flour for the American Army.

State of New York
Montgomery County
On the 10th day of March (1834), personally appeared in open court before the judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Montgomery now sitting at the Court House in said county, Daniel McGraw a resident of the Town of Amsterdam in the County of Montgomery aforesaid and state of New York aged seventy nine 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 7th 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.

That in the year 1775 this deponent resided in the town of Florida in Montgomery County and belonged to Captain Samuel Pettingall company in Col. Frederick Fischer’s (Visscher’s) Regiment of Militia of the State of New York.

That some time in the summer of 1775 the exact time he cannot now remember, this deponent was drafted from Captain Pettingall’s Company and was ordered to Sacandaga and stationed on guard under the command of Captain Pettingall, who then commanded the forces at that place. That William Snook a Lieutenant of the company was also there on duty, and the deponent then served eight days and was discharged and returned home with his captain and the others of the company who had been ordered out.

That in the spring of the year 1776 this deponent was drafted from said company and marched to Sacandaga and was first under the command of Col. Frederick Fisher and was employed in building a block house at Sacandaga and served there ten days and was then discharged.

That in the fall of the year 1776 this deponent was drafted and marched to the block house at Sacandaga and was there placed on guard under the command of Captain Walter Vrooman and served at that time twenty days.

That sometime in the year 1776, or in the spring 1777, this deponent was drafted and went to Tripes Hill and stationed on guard to watch the Tories and Indians, and went out on scouting parties for the same purpose under the command of Captain Pettingall and was in service at that time eight days and was then discharged.

This deponent in the year 1777 in the fall of the year was ordered out under the command of Captain Snook who had succeeded to the command of the company, formerly commanded by Captain Pettingall. He having been killed in the Oriskany Battle and marched to Ballstown in the County of Saratoga and took thirty Tories. One of the Tories he recollects had been accidentally shot through the thigh by some of their own men. This deponent served in that enterprise ten days and returned home and was discharged.

That in the latter part of the year 1777 he was drafted from Captain Snook’s Company and stationed at Fort Johnson below Tripes Hill under the command of Captain Mabee; Lieutenant McMasters was also and officer under Captain Mabee, and the forces were placed on guard watching Tories and Indians, and this deponent served eight days and was then discharged.

That sometime in the fall of 1777 this deponent was drafted from Captain Snook’s Company and stationed at the Stone House near Fort Hunter under the command of Lieutenant Benjamin Newkirk on guard and continued there six days and was then discharged.

That in the same fall of 1777 this deponent was drafted from Captain Snook’s Company and placed on guard on Switser Hill at the house of one John Kitts under the command of Captain Snook to watch the movements of the British and Tories and continued there eight days in service and then discharged.

That in the fall of the year 1777 this deponent was drafted from Captain Snook’s Company and stationed on guard at the house of Ephraim Wemple in Florida about two miles below Fort Hunter on the Mohawk River under the command of Ensign Van Horne and continued in service four days and then discharged.

That in year 1777 in the fore part of the month of September this deponent was drafted from Captain Snook’s Company and stationed at Stilwater in the County of Saratoga under the command of Col. Veeder and Major Newkirk previous to the surrender of General Burgoyne. The American Army lay at Bemis Heights and this deponent served at that time thirty days and was ordered back to Mo9ntgomery County some few days previous to the Battle at Stillwater on account of some false alarms in Montgomery. That some few days after this deponent had returned to Montgomery he heard of the surrender of Burgoyne and soon returned to the British camp on a pass made for teams to transport the British prisoners and baggage to Albany. And this deponent on this occasion volunteered, furnished himself with a supplied horses and waggon and spent fourteen days in transporting British prisoners and baggage from Burgoyne’s camp to Albany.

That in the fall of the year 1778 this deponent was drafted from Captain Snook’s Company and placed under the Command of Captain Snook at the house of Jellis Fonda at Caughnawaga on guard to watch the movements of the enemy and continued in service six days and discharged.

And in the same fall, 1778 this deponent was again drafted and stationed at Veeder’s Mills near Caughnawaga under command of Captain Snook to prevent the enemy from burning the mill, which was the principle mill for supplying the American Army at that place with flour and served there eight days.

That late in the fall of the year 1778 this deponent was drafted from said company and stationed at the Black House in Sacandaga on guard under the command of Captain Andrew Wemple and served then twenty days. John Wemple was Lieutenant and Conradt Steene was Ensign and was then discharged. That some time in the year 1778 he cannot recollect the particular time this deponent was ordered out by Captain Snook with others of his company and went to Curry Fly now called Duanesburgh in Schenectady County to take some Tories who were looking about at the place as spies. This deponent was about four days in this service.

That in the year 1778 the particular time does not remember, this deponent was ordered out by Col. Veeder to go on a scouting party through Stone Arabia in Palatine to Canajohary and tarried at the house of one Rooff a number of days. The party were only three in number and had no commanding officer. This deponent served eight days at this time. That in the same year this deponent was sent on a scouting party to the North River, north of Sacandaga by Col. Veeder and was absent eight days and then returned to Johnstown and found the company of Captain Snook who then say other with his company.

That in the year 1778 about the commencement of the wheat harvest this deponent was ordered out by Captain Snook with a part of his company and marched up the Mohawk River near the pace called the Nose at the house of Abraham Yates and was stationed there on guard and sent out on scouting parties at this time he served six days.

That during the same year the particular time he cannot remember he was ordered out by Captain Snook and marched to Currytown in company with his captain and stationed on guard at the house of one Lewis and continued in that service seven days and was then discharged. And very soon thereafter this deponent was again ordered out by Captain Snook and marched up the Mohawk River to the house of one Robert Yates and stationed on guard under the command of his captain for the term of six days and from thence he was ordered by his captain to go through Currytown and turned west about six or eight miles to the house of one Hartman. The place was then called Hartman’s Dorf and lay there three days on guard. From thence he went by the order of the captain up the Mohawk River as far as Fall Hill at the house of Warner Dygert and lay there on guard four days under the command of Captain Snook and was discharged and returned home. That during the year 1778 this deponent was ordered out by Captain Snook and stationed at the house of one Mart Van Alstine near Canajoharie on guard under the command of his capt. for the term of at least forty days.

That he was also stationed in like manner under the command of his captain at the house of one Gotia Van Alstine at Canajoharie Village on guard for the space of thirty days.

That in the year 1779 this deponent was ordered under the command of Captain Snook and marched up the Mohawk River to Fort Plain and stationed there on guard thirty days; during the same year he was drafted and stationed at Fort Plank under Captain Snook on guard thirteen days. He was also drafted and stationed at Fort Windecker in the year last aforesaid under the command of Captain Snook on guard four days on alarm. In the same year 1779 the deponent was drafted from said company and marched to Fort Herkimer under the command of Captain Snook and served there on guard ten days.

This deponent then marched from Fort Herkimer in the company of Captain Snook, the whole of the American forces were then under the command of George Clinton who had come from Albany and pursued on west in pursuit of Sir John Johnson and Col. Butler, whom it was then supposed was seven or eight hundred strong. The march was principally through the woods and the British took two companies of Rangers belonging to the Americans and this time the deponent served thirteen days and then returned home. That some time in the year 1779 he cannot state the exact time this deponent was drafted to go to Oneida to build a fort. And went as far as Connoleys Tavern when the company was rendezvoused under Captain Robert Yates who did not arrive and the expedition was given up and this deponent returned home. He served five days at this time.

That in the winter 1777 this deponent was ordered out by Captain Snook to meet at Col. Fisher with a view to draft a corps of men to go to Ticonderoga. This deponent met at Col. Fishers and a body of men was raised as volunteers and ordered on to Ticonderoga but the deponent after the company was formed by??? and returned home having served at that time six days.

That in the year 1778 this deponent was ordered out by Captain Snook and marched with others of the company up the Mohawk and crossed below Fort Plain on the north side of the Mohawk River and stationed at the house of one Garret Walradt on guard under the command of Captain Snook. This deponent served then seven days and was then discharged.

That in the latter part of the year 1779 or 1780 cannot say which this deponent was ordered out by Captain Snook and marched up the Mohawk and crossed on the north side and stationed on guard three days under command of Captain Snook and then discharged.

That in the year 1781 at the time Warrensbush was burnt now called (a line is missing here) joined Captain French’s Company and they marched for Johnstown and found Col. Willett’s forces at Johnstown and arrived there just as the battle was over between the British and American forces. Willett commanded the Americans and Major Ross the British, at this time the deponent served four days.

That in the year 1780 in the month of May when the Village of Caughnawaga was burnt by the British the deponent volunteered and went to Johnstown and joined the forces commanded by Major Newkirk and Sir John Johnson commanded the British the Americans found themselves too weak and made no attack on the British. This deponent served four days and was discharged.

In the year 1778 Captain Snook’s Company was ordered out and marched to Stone Arabia on an alarm at that place. The deponent believes that Col. Veeder commanded the American’s at this time. This deponent served six days and was then discharged.

That in the year 1780 Captain Snook’s Company was ordered to the German Flats and stationed on guard and this deponent served twelve days. He believes that Col. Dayton had the command. This deponent had volunteered. From the German Flats they were ordered as far back as Fort Dayton and lay there ten days under the command of Col. Dayton and dismissed.

That in the year 1778 this deponent was ordered out with Captain Snook’s Company and marched to Stone Arabia a second time on an alarm and placed on guard and served eight days under the command of Col. Veeder’s. That in the same year Captain Snook’s Company was ordered out a third time on an alarm and at Stone Arabia at the house of one Countryman under the command of Col. Veeder this deponent served six days and was discharged. That with the same year said company was ordered out a fourth time on an alarm and stationed at the house of one Cook? in Stone Arabia under the command of Col. Veeder. This deponent served at this time nine days and was discharged.

(There doesn’t appear to be any more of the deposition of this soldier.)

State of New York
Montgomery County
John McGraw of the town of Florida in the said county being first duly sworn doth depose and say that he is aged eighty one years and upwards and a brother of Daniel McGraw and has known him from a boy.

That said Daniel lived within one mile of this deponent during the whole of the Revolutionary War. That in the year 1775 the same Daniel belonged to Captain Samuel Pettengalls Company in Col. Frederick Fisher’s Regiment of Militia in the sate of New York of which deponent also belongs.

That in the year 1775 as near as he can recollect Daniel McGraw was stationed at Sacandaga, guard at that place and was drafted from Captain Pettingalle’s Company and continued there as guard a number of days, but the precise number days he cannot now remember.

This deponent further testified that in the forepart of the season in the spring of the year 1776 the said same Daniel at Sacandaga having been drafted from said company with deponent and others and was engaged in building a new block house at which time this deponent believes that Col. Fisher, then commanded and this deponent and the said Daniel continued in service at that time while the fort was finished and was then discharged and returned home but the number of days said Daniel was engaged in building said fort he cannot now remember but believes it to be nearly two weeks.

That in the fall of the year 1776 this deponent and said Daniel were again drafted from said company and stationed at Sacandaga on guard under the command of Walter Vrooman that he cannot testify as to the number of days then employed, but believes it was upwards of two weeks and then discharged.

That this deponent well does think that the said Daniel at one time was drafted and stationed on Tripes Hill to guard the Tories and Indians but is unable to remember who then commanded or how many days the said Daniel served.

That some time in the year 1777 the deponent recollects that said Daniel was stationed below Tripes Hill at Fort Johnson on guard under command of Captain Mabee to watch the Tories and Indians. Then said Daniel served between one and two weeks at this time and was then discharged.

That the same fall this deponent remember that said Daniel was drafted and placed on guard at the Stone House not far from Fort Hunter and in the command of Benjamin Newkirk but that deponent cannot remember how long he served as this deponent did not stay there all this time that said Daniel did serve. That during the same fall of 1777 the same Daniel s=was drifted from Captain Snook’s Company and stationed on Switser Hill at the home of John Kitts to guard the British and Tories does not remember who commanded but (next line was not copied) bur recollects said Daniel served at that time between one and two weeks and was then discharged.

This deponent also remembers that said Daniel was stationed at the house of Ephraim Wemple in Florida under the command of one Van Horne who was either an Ensign or Lieutenant and the same fall of 1777 but does not have any distinct recollection how long he served at that time in.

That in the fall of 1777 served in the battle with Burgoyne’s army said Daniel was drafted and went to Still Water and was stationed there under the command of Col. Veeder, he recollect this Major Newkrik was also there and thinks it was in the month of September but not certain. But he well remembers that it was before the surrender of general Burgoyne to the American Forces, he cannot testify how long said Daniel served this time but he remembers that said Daniel stayed in several days longer than this deponent. That after the surrender of Burgoyne’s army the deponent well recollects that said Daniel was supplied with wagon and team to transport British prisoners and baggage from Stillwater to Albany but this deponent was not present when the service was performed and cannot say how long said Daniel served in that capacity.

That in the fall of the year 1778 this deponent remembers that it was reported in the neighborhood that said Daniel was stationed at the house of Jelles Fonda in Caughnawaga and at Veeder’s Mills from Caughnawaga on guard at their places but this deponent was not present and cannot testify from his own knowledge he knew that he was absent from home at the time and reported to be in the service as stated.

That in the fall of 1778 this deponent recollects the same Daniel was drafted and stationed at the block house at Sacandaga and was stationed there between two and three weeks but will not say precisely and was then discharged.

This deponent remembers that during some of this service stationed at Sacandaga Captain Wemple commanded.

That some time in the year 1778 this deponent was drafted with said Daniel from Captain Snook’s Company and stationed at the house of Abraham Yates on the south side of the Mohawk River as a scouting party. This deponent does not remember how many days said Daniel served at this time. The deponent also recollects that said Daniel served six days at the house of one Lewis in Currytown and was commanded by Captain Snook and was then discharged in the year 1778.

He also testifies that said Daniel was several times ordered out and stationed at the house of one Mart Van Alstine near Canajoharie in 1778 as this deponent was stationed then with said Daniel during a part of this time and knows that a portion of service was rendered by him and this same Daniel served forty days at the (this part is missing) home of Mart Van Alstine. This deponent also testifies that said Daniel was stationed also at the home of one Gotia Van Alstine in Canajohaire on guard several times under command of Captain Snooks and performed service at this place at least to the number twenty five days.

The deponent testifies that some time in the year 1779 said Daniel was ordered out by Captain Snook and marched to Fort Windecker on an alarm and served then four days at the least with this deponent. The witness also remembers that said Daniel served at Fort Herkimer in the year 1779 under the command of Captain Snook between one and two weeks. That the armed forces left Fort Herkimer and pursued Sir John Johnson and Col. Butler that the said Daniel was ordered with forces and they pursued principally through the woods once the same Daniel served at this time eight or ten days as near as he can recollect and was then discharged.

That in the year 1778 the witness recollect that the said Daniel was drafted under command of Captain Snook and stationed at the house of one Robert Walradt on the north side of the Mohawk River opposite Fort Plain for upwards of a week the company was then discharged.

That in the year 1780 Caughnawaga burnt and Samuel McGraw with the witness volunteered and joined the Americans at Johnstown commanded by Major Newkirk the same Daniel served several days at that time but cannot state precisely how many.

That in the year 1780 the witness testifies that I and Daniel served in Captain Snook’s Company on an alarm at Stone Arabia for upwards of a week and in the year 1780 he was ordered to the German Flats and stationed him on guard under command of Col. Dayton and then returned back to Fort Dayton and they then were dismissed, under this engagement the said Daniel served upwards of three weeks to the best of his recollection.

That the witness testifies that he knows this said Daniel McGraw was ordered out as many as four different times and stationed at Stone Arabia on alarm at Stone Arabia in the year 1778. But the number of days he served he is unable now to remember.

That some time in the year 1779 the witness testifies that same Daniel was drafted under the command of Captain Snook’s Company on guard at the house of one Andrew Wemple near Caughnawaga and placed under the command of Captain Wemple and said Daniel served then one week as near as he can recollect. (The next part is missing.)

This deponent further testifies that said Daniel was stationed on guard at Fort Hunter under Captain Putman in the year 1781 and served a number of days but cannot relate to how many. The witness further testifies that in the year 1781 as near as he can recollect said Daniel was stationed at the house of Samuel Gardinier in glen under the Command of Captain Snook and also at the house of John Wemple in or near Gagnawage under the same captain on guard that said Daniel served at those places then days to the best of his memory and belief.

And this witness further testifies that he knows that the same Daniel has been repeatedly stationed and drafted at the Johnstown Fort during the years of 1777 and 1778 on various and different occasions but is unable to state the months and days with accuracy and precision as this fort was always kept as a guarded fort during the whole war and regular drafts from the militia were made from time to time to keep the same defended. The witness recollects that Walter Vrooman, Joseph Printup, Henry Snook and Jacob Sammons were officers who commanded at the Johnstown Fort during the Revolutionary war. And further this deponent says not.

John McGraw (his mark)

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.