Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for Elijah Sabin

S.3853
From Clinton Co., Ohio.  Private in the company commanded by Captain Woodward of the Regiment commanded by Col. Swartwout in the New York Line for 1 year & 3 months.
Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June the 7th 1832.
            The State of Ohio, County of Clinton SS.  On this 5th day of September 1832, personally appeared in open court before George J. Smith President Judge and Jesse Hughes, Aaron Sewell and James Dakin Esquires his associates in office constituting the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County now sitting Elijah Sabin a resident of Union Township in the said County of Clinton and State of Ohio born March 17th 1755 in the Town of Bateman Dutchess County, State of New York.  He has no record of his age in possession but has often seen one kept by his father and believes the same now exists in possession of his brother Jeremiah Sabin executor of his father now residing in Cuyahoga County Ohio.  From the best of his recollection he is now upwards of 77 years of age, and who being first duly sworn according to law so deposes and 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 under the following circumstances & served as herein after stated to wit.  In the month of December 1775 this deponent resided in the Town of Paulding Dutchess County State of New York and as this deponent was then informed and still believes, under the direction of what was then called the Committee of Safety he entered the service aforesaid as a drafted militia man under the command of Captain Phineas Woodard, whose Lieutenants were Mark Williams and Comfort Shaw together with noncommissioned officers and privates to the number of 60 or 70 as well as he recollects.  That this deponent served therein until sometime in the month of March following  making a tour of three months.  This deponent states that said company was never attached to any greater body of troops nor does he know exactly under what particular organization they existed, only that there were similar companies in different parts of the State.  The operation of this company were principally confined to said County of Dutchess in and about the Town of Poughkeepsie and were employed for the purpose of being in readiness in case of invasion.  Said company were disbanded at the expiration of said term of service, but no written discharges were given to the knowledge of this deponent.  A few days afterwards in the same month of March in the year 1776 he again entered the service aforesaid as a volunteer in the line of New York but under what particular call or authority he is unable to state further than that it was at a time when an invasion was apprehended at the City of New York from the British forces.  There was at that time a Regiment of volunteers raised in the said County of Dutchess to which this deponent was attached belonging to the company commanded by Captain William Pearce and his Lieutenants Nathaniel Butler and Elliott.  The said company was at first paraded and mustered in the town of Paulding from whence they were marched to a place called Peakskill on the Hudson River in the county of Westchester where they joined the said Regiment commanded by Colonel Swartwout.  From thence the said Regiment was marched to a place called Kingsbridge where it was halted and encamped as well as this deponent recollects 3 or 4 months, when news arrived that an invasion of the City of New York was daily expected, with orders to march said Regiment to its relief for some reason not distinctly recollected by this deponent some of the companies belonging to said regiment were unwilling to march to said City as they were requested by their officers and an appeal was then made to said Regiment for volunteers; whereupon after some consultation the whole company commanded by said Pearce with two other companies belonging to said regiment volunteered to march to the relief of said City and were then placed under the command of Major Logan and marched from thence and landed on a place called York Island.
            From thence to the City of New York, and from thence to Long Island which march from said Kingsbridge to Long Island was all preformed as well as deponent recollects in about 24 hours a part of which time was in the night season and attended with many difficulties said Major Logan’s Battalion including this deponent arrived on the ground before the Battle of Brooklin or Long Island as it is sometimes called the British were said to be commanded by General Howe and the American Army by General Washington who together with General Putnam this deponent well knew by sight and saw them both on the battleground during the engagement.  He perfectly recollects at one time in particular when the line where he was stationed was hard pressed that General Putnam appeared personally before the troops where deponent was engaged and with an audible voice extolled then to courage and fortitude under their disasters; but the whole line were notwithstanding generally forced to give way and retreated to the City of New York, from thence to the heights of Haerlem and from thence to a place called the White Plains.  From thence the said Battalion of Logan was separated from the main body of the American Army and was marched back to said Kingsbridge where it encamped one night, and from thence across said bridge to a place called Valentine’s Hill where they again joined said Regiment aforesaid commanded by said Colonel Swartwout. The Regiment was soon removed from thence and kept on the main from one point of the County to another until after the capture of Fort Washington. After which said Regiment was employed in marching as aforesaid in different directions according to circumstances sometimes encamped for short periods and then removed but principally confined in their operations within the bounds of said County of Westchester about the 1st of April 1777 when they were discharged at a place called Crump Pond in said County.  This deponent then and there received a written discharge from said Captain Pearce which has long since been lost or mislaid so that he is wholly unable to produce it or to say what has become of it.  This deponent also stated that during the residue of the Revolutionary War he was frequently out on short tours for a few days or weeks when there were sudden alarms or apprehension of danger in the Country and particularly to said Peakskill at one time and to Danbury in Connecticut at another but how long he cannot recollect and will not undertake to say. 
            He 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.  This deponent further states that he does not at this time know of one single member of either of the said companies to which he belonged as above set forth now living or other person by whom he can now prove his said services aforesaid. 
            After the war was over he continued to reside in the said County of Dutchess, New York until in June 1816 when he removed to his present residence in Ohio where he has lived ever since.  (Signed) Elijah Sabin.      
            Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.  Isaiah Morris, Clk.
Letter in file dated July 5, 1933, written in response to a request for information.
            Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of Elijah Sabin who received a pension in 1835.
            The record of Elijah Sabin is given below as found in pension claim. S.3853, based upon his service in the Revolutionary War.
            Elijah Sabin was born March 17, 1755, at Bateman, Dutchess County,  New York.
            While residing in Paulding, Dutchess County, New York, he enlisted in December, 1775, and served three months in Captain Phineas Woodard’s New York Company.  He enlisted in March, 1776, and served until April 1, 1777, in Captain William Pearce’s company, Colonel Swartwout’s New York Regiment, and was in the battle of Long Island.  He was also out on alarms and short tours during the residue of the Revolutionary War, those designated were to Peekskill, New York, and Danbury, Connecticut.
            Elijah Sabin was allowed pension on his application executed September 5, 1832, while a resident of Union Township, Clinton County, Ohio, having moved there in June, 1816, from his former home in Dutchess County, New York.
            There is no reference to wife or children of Elijah Sabin.  In 1832, his brother, Jeremiah Sabin, was living in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. There are no further family data.

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