Pension Application

R.8186 (Widow: Catharine. Marriage date according to A.G. Rosencrantz, son of Revd Abraham Rosencrants, was 1784, 21 November.)
State of New York
Herkimer County
            On this third day of October one thousand eight hundred and forty three before the Court of Common Pleas of said County in Open Court before the Judges thereof the same being a Court of record personally appeared Catharine Phillips a resident of the town of Cicero in the County of Onondaga in said State aged Eighty five years the thirteenth day of June last past who being first duly sworn according to law does on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 7th 1838 Entitled “An act granting half pay & pensions to certain widows.” That she is the widow of John Phillips who was a private, Corporal and Sergeant in the service of the United States in the Revolutionary war. That she often heard her said husband in his life time say that the year in which Burgoyne surrendered, he was in the service at and about Saratoga, Stillwater & that vicinity a long time and [?] to the surrender of Burgoyne and she thinks he then served under Capt. Jacob Phillips under Genl or Col. Robert Van Rensselaer. That her husband the said John Phillips then resided at Claverack below Albany where this deponent also resided several years. That she often heard him say that he was in service at and about Fort Plain some length of time. Also that he was stationed at Schenectady some time that he was in an expedition to Susquehannah Country, heard him speak of the Carr place at which place John Moyer the brother of this declarant was killed by the enemy in an Engagement that she heard him say he was in the service at Johnstown and in that section of country & in Command but she cannot recollect the year of any particular service except the year in which Burgoyne surrendered, nor can she recollect the length of time of any particular services, nor can she remember particular officers under whom he served at all the different times he was in the service that she often heard him say he was Enlisted under and served under Col. Willett with whom this deponent was acquainted but she cannot state the term of said Enlistment nor the length of service. She heard him speak of several other officers under whom he served but she cannot now recollect their names neither can she now recollect all the places he stated he was at in the service.
            And she further states that she was married to said John Phillips in the fall of the year when the war closed in the Spring or Summer previous. She cannot recollect the month for certainty but it was the last fall month or the first winter month. She recollects the marriage took place on the twenty first of the month. Her husband’s birth day came on the twenty Eighth day of the same month, that the marriage was solemnized at the house of John Frank about a mile west of Fort Herkimer. That the marriage was solemnized by the Revd Abraham Rosencrans that they afterwards resided for many years in the said County of Herkimer where many of her friends & relatives now reside. That from there they removed to Onondaga County where her said husband died Eighteen years ago the fourth day of April last. That she has not intermarried, but still continues the widow of the said John Phillips. That she was not aware of the provision made by the said act until last Spring and she makes her declaration in this county for the reason that her friends reside therein and there proofs are easily obtained. (Signed with her mark) Catharine Phillips
            The foregoing affidavit was duly Subscribed and sworn in Open Court Oct. 3rd 1843.   Witness my hand & official seal. E. A. Anison? Clerk

State of New York
Herkimer County SS.
On this fifteenth day of August one thousand Eight hundred and forty three before the undernamed Justice of the Peace in & for said County, aged Eighty two years the twenty fifth day of April last past who being first duly sworn does on his oath say, that in the Revolutionary war his brother John Philips who was about four years older than this deponent was called into service in the militia under Capt. Jacob Philips under Col. Van Rensselaer, that they then resided at Claverack in Columbia County he recollects that in the early part of the war in the seventies & he thinks in the winter of 1776, a portion of the company were down among whom was then said John Philips his brother to go to Johnstown then into Canada that he said there it was cold, that his brother John was absent in that expedition about two months and when they returned & some of the company had their feet frozen—that his brother John was in service before he this deponent was, that he and his brother John were together in service in the same company on several occasions. That the said John served as a private and Sergeant under Capt. Jacob Philips and went as an expedition from Claverack to Fort Plain this deponent was in the same Expedition one month that they were in service at another time a month at and about Schenectady, that at another time this deponent and a portion of the Regiment were on duty at Fort Plain one month and were relieved by an other portion of the same Regiment—that his brother John was one of the relief party and they then served one month when he returned to Claverack. That his brother John was in service at different places under different officers once he served under Col. Brown—recollects he served Col. Willett & he thinks under an enlistment for nine months under Ensign Dean as he was called. They were stationed at Stilwater at one time, he cannot now recollect the years in which any particular Service was rendered. That he this deponent served in each of the years 1778, 1779, 1780 & 1781 and his brother John was in service before he (this deponent was) and was in the service in each of the years of the war but this deponent cannot recollect all the officers in all the particular services, recollects Capt.Houpt?, Capt. Conyne, Capt. Whitbeck, he was under Col. Robt. VanRensselaer and afterwards under Col. Henry VanRensselaer, he cannot recollect that his brother John was in service under each of the captains named but he this deponent was & he thinks his brother John was. They were in the same service together four times but he cannot now recollect the particulars of but two at Fort Plain; and one at Schenectady. That his brother John Philips was married to Catharine Moyer, this deponent was present , the marriage was solemnized by the Revd Abraham Rosencrants at the house of John Frank Esquire Fort Herkimer, that his brother John has been dead near twenty years, leaving the said Catharine his widow who now resided in the town of Cicero in Onondaga County as this deponent is informed and he believes true that the marriage took place within a few years of the war. (Signed with his mark) Adam Philips
Subscribed and Sworn before me August 15, 1843. J.A. Rasbach Justice

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