Morrison's Pensions
Jacob A. Young
R.11960
Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June
7, 1832.
State of New York
County of Herkimer
On this 11th day of October one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, personally
appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for
the County of Herkimer now sitting Jacob A. Young, a resident of the Town
of Stark in the County of Herkimer and State of new York, aged seventy seven
years on the sixth day of April last past.
Who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on this oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
That he was a private in Captain Henry Eckler’s Company in Colonel Peter Bellinger’s Regiment and General Nicholas Herkimer’s Brigade of Infantry of the Militia of the State of New York. Conrad Orendorff was first Lieutenant Timothy Frank was second Lieutenant, and Adam Starring was the Ensign.
That the whole regiment was called out and rendezvoused at Fort Herkimer in the Town of German Flatts in the month of January 1776 and marched from there down to Caughnawaga on the Mohawk River in the present County of Montgomery in said state, a distance of about forty miles.
That he recollects of being paraded on the ice of the Mohawk Rivers, That the Regiment was at that place about three or four days when they went to Johnstown and were employed in drawing a piece of artillery up a hill south of that village which commanded the village and returned from there to Caughnawaga and then returned home again, being absent about twelve days that this deponent had been in his company about a year although he did but little actual service.
That in the same year, 1776, deponent removed down to Palatine in the present County of Montgomery to reside with he grandfather where he was enrolled in Capt. Bigbread’s Company in Col. Peter Waggoner’s Regiment. In Gen’l Nicholas Herkimer’s Brigade.
That the Lieut. Was Jacob Eckler but he cannot recollect the name of the ensign.
That the company was divided into three subdivisions, and numbered so that when they were called upon to do duty our subdivision would go at one time and another when its turn came. That the first duty this deponent recollects doing, he was called out as one of a guard under Lieut. Samuel Gray, to protect a grist mill belonging to Sir John Johnson but which now used by the Whigs and the American troops and which was threatened to be burned by the Tories and Indians. When he remained one week, that in the same year this deponent was out several times in his turn on scouts to Johnstown and other places in the neighborhood.
And this deponent further says in the year 1777 he went out again as part of the company aforesaid and was under the command of Christopher Fox, as Captain in the same regiment. That the regiment rendezvoused at Cherry Valley, a distance of about sixteen miles when Gen'l. Herkimer took the command of the brigade. That after remaining there three or four days, they marched down to the foot of Otsego Lake and from there down a foot path through the woods to the Unadilla River.
Then they met the Indians under Joseph Brandt an Indian Chief when a treaty was formed with the Indians as he was informed. Staid (stayed) there three or four days and perhaps longer as this deponent is not certain of the time. That the place of meeting according to deponent’s recollection must have been about forty miles from the foot of Otsego Lake. That they came back the same way they went and were absent on the expedition about twelve or fourteen days, that this was in the month of July in the year aforesaid.
That in the month of August in the same year 1777, Capt. Bigbread’s whole company was called out to assist in repelling the Indians and English from Fort Stanwix which they had infested and besieged. Col. Peter Gansevoort and his Regiment. That the company came up the river as far as Fort Dayton a distance of about twenty five miles when they were overtaken by an express stating that the Tories had commenced burning near the Indian Castle that the company was immediately ordered back by Gen’l Herkimer who was then at Fort Dayton. They found on their return that this was a false alarm. Supposed to have been made by the Tories for the purpose of weakening Gen'l Herkimer’s force. That deponent remained there a short time in searching out and making prisoners of Tories and their families and bringing them into forts along the river. That while deponent was so employed the Battle of Oriskany was fought in August of that year that when the whole army was routed and driven back this deponent (the rest of the company having gone before) was moved to return home. That the whole time he was out was about ten or twelve days. That in the fall of the year 1777 he returned to live with his father again in the present Town of Starks, in the County of Herkimer.
That in the spring of the year 1779 his father’s family was obliged to quit the farm and take refuge in the forts along the Mohawk River.
That this deponent assisted in the spring of that year to build fort Windecker on the Mohawk River and worked again on the same fort the ensuing year. That for the most part of the time deponent was with his father on a farm in the neighborhood owned by one John Pickert but had compelled from time to time to take refuge in the fort. When deponent did duty and stood on guard this the next year this deponent was again in said fort until the month of August when he had engaged in escorting Gen'l Van Rensselaer and the provisions and boats under his charge to Fort Stanwix. That deponent was at this time and was since he returned to live with his father as aforesaid.
In a company commanded by Lieut. John Windecker that the men marched up both sides of the river to Fort Stanwix. That when they arrived there Gen’l Van Rensselaer was saluted with a salute of thirteen guns from the fort and a general cheer given. That while Gen’l Van Rensselaer was there the Indians and Tories eluded him and came down the river and burned off the houses and barns. Fort Walrad and the house where the deponent’s family resided when they were out of the fort, that all this deponent’s household stuff and furniture was destroyed by said fire. That he returned in about eight or ten days and from that time deponent and his family remained in the fort.
And this deponent further says that he remained in said fort from the month of August 1777. In the winter they were not in the fort but lived at father-in-laws until the spring of the hear 1778. That during this whole time this deponent was under the command of Lieut. Windecker who was the commanding officer in said fort when he performed regularly in the summer season in the winter season no duty was performed as they were not under an apprehension from the enemy. The fort was Windecker’s home fortified.
That in the month of August 1780 or 1781 this deponent volunteered under the command of Col. Marinus Willett and assembled at Fort Plain in the present County of Montgomery and marched thence to Fort Clyde. From thence to Bowman’s Creek and there deponent with two others were chosen by Col. Marinus Willet to spy out the enemy’s camp and found them posted at Sharon, then called Turlough in the County of Tryon, that met the army after performing the duty on which they had been sent at a certain place which had been agreed on. That Col. Willett did not come upon the enemy in time to surprise them before day light and abandoned the project. That in the morning he sent Lieut. Sammons with a small detachment for the purpose of drawing out the enemy in pursuit while the rest of the men were divided in two lines nearly parallel in the woods. Sufficiently distant to receive the enemy in the middle. That the Lieut. succeeding in part in dragging them into the ambuscade prepared for them by Col. Willett and the enemy were routed. That they were absent on this expedition about three days, when he returned to his post at the fort aforesaid.
That while this deponent was at Fort Windecker and after the burning of Stone Arabia by the enemy and when they were on their retreat this deponent and those in the fort with him, took during one night thirteen prisoners that among them was a man who had the waiter of Sir John Johnson as he alleged and he had with him fine shirts, silk handkerchiefs, watches, pistols and other things, as evidence of what he said that they also took twenty seven horses and killed one Indians. That deponent recollects that the waiter had one thumb cut off that deponent got the horse which he rode and the musket which he carried that deponent used the same musket at the Battle of Turlough and that it is now in the family of this deponent. That this deponent while in said fort was called upon to do duty at Fort Dayton, where they had not enough to protect the fort and do the ordinary duty. That while there the deponent was under the command of Capt. Brown who then resided and as this deponent believes now resides at Sharon in the present County of Schoharie.
Went as one of a guard up the Mohawk River to Fort Stanwix to protect boats that were loaded with provisions for the use of the troops at that place.
That with the exceptions above stated this deponent for above four years in the summer time was constantly in said fort and doing duty as a regular soldier but never received any pay therefore that this deponent had no documentary evidence in support of his claim but expects to prove a greater part of the above services by John Duesler who was with this deponent a part of the time.
And this deponent further says he was born in the present town of Minden in the County of Montgomery in the State of New York on the sixth day of April 1755. That this deponent had a record of his age in a German Testament now in his possession and ready to be produced in court. He is seventy-seven years old.
That this deponent resided when first called into the service in the present Town of Stark in the County of Herkimer, has lived there since the Revolutionary War and still continues to reside there.
That this deponent was subject to do duty as a militia man and was ordered out from time to time to duty as above stated besides as one of a ??? hiring a substitute to stand the nine months and three drafts made during the war.
That this deponent was acquainted with Major Andrew Fink and Col. Marinus Willett of the regular army and served part of the time in Col. Bellinger’s Regiment and part of the time in Col. Waggoner’s Regiment but in no other.
That this deponent never received any discharge during the time he so served as aforesaid.
That this deponent can prove his character for truth and veracity and the belief of the service of this deponent as a soldier of the Revolutionary War by Cornelius Delong and others I had of said neighborhood.
Hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
(Signed with his mark) Jacob A. Young
Sworn in open court this 11th day of October 1832. F. E. Spinney, Dep. Clerk
The following letter was in the pension application file.
November
6, 1937
Mr. Clifford M. Young
36 Oneida Terrace
Albany, New York
Dear Sir:
Reference is made to your letter relative to Jacob, Adam and Lodewick Young, soldiers of the Revolutionary War.
Revolutionary War data furnished by this office are obtained from claims made to the United States for pension and bounty land based upon military service of soldiers in that war.
A careful search of the records fails to show such a claim on file on account of the services of Adam Young or Ludwich Young, all spellings of the names searched.
The record of the only Jacob Young of New York found on the Revolutionary War records of this office is furnished you herein as found in the claim for pension R.11960, based upon his military service in that war.
Jacob A. Young was born April 6, 1755, in Minden, Montgomery County, New York. The names of his parents are not shown.
He applied for pension October 11, 1832, while a resident of Stark, Herkimer County, New York, and stated that while a resident of Stark, New York, he enlisted in January 1775 and served twelve days as private in Captain Henry Eckler’s Company, Colonel Peter Bellinger’s New York Regiment; that later in the same year he was called out and served one week as guard in Captain Bradbick’s Company, Colonel Peter Waggoner’s New York Regiment; that in July, 1777, he served twelve or fourteen days as private in Captain Christopher Fox’s Company, Colonel Peter Waggoner’s New York Regiment and was present at the signing of the treaty with the Indian Chief Joseph Brandt; that in August 1777, he enlisted and served ten or twelve days in Captain Bradbick’s Company, Colonel Peter Gansevoort’s New York Regiment; that from August 1779 to the spring of 1783 he lived during the summer in Fort Windecker on the Mohawk River, the fort was commanded by Lieutenant Windecker and the soldier went out at various times when called upon as a guard and Indian spy, one for three days under Colonel Marinus Willett and again at Fort Dayton under Captain Brown and was in the Battle of Turlock.
His claim for pension was not allowed as he failed to furnish proof of six month’s actual military service as required by the pension law. He service in a frontier fort for protection of the inhabitants not being considered military service and not provided for in the pension law under which he applied.
Jacob A. Young died May 26, 1833, in Stark, New York.
His son, Jacob A. Young, was a resident of Stark, New York, in 1833, and aged forty-nine years.
The name of soldier’s wife is not stated, and there are no further family data.
Very truly yours,
A.D. Hiller
Executive Assistance
To the Administrator