Pension Application

S.15209
Lieut. in the company commanded by Captain Wittbeck in the Regt commanded by Col. VanBerger in the New York Line for 7 months, Sergeant and 10 months Lieut.
State of New York
Greene County SS.
            On this 4th day of February 1833 personally appeared in open court before the Judges, of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Green mow sitting Wessel Salisbury a resident of the town of Catskill in the county of Greene and State of New York aged Eighty five 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 7, 1832, that he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he was born in the now town of Catskill in the County of Greene and State of New York on the tenth day of December 1747. That a family Bible was kept showing the time when this deponent was born & the same in the possession of Abraham A. Salisbury of Catskill aforesaid, a nephew of this deponent. That since the revolutionary war this deponent has resided in the town of Catskill in the County of Greene and State of New York and not elsewhere. That during the year 1776, but what month, this deponent cannot state by reason of odl age and the consequent loss of memory, state, he was drafted or ordered to go to Stillwater to join the American troops there commanded by General Schuyler, that he went & was in the service there three months, that he acted as Lieutenant of the company with which he went and Captain Whitbeck who was a resident of the same place of this deponent was Captain of the said company, that after arriving at Stillwater, this deponent and the company to which he belonged were put under the command of Continental officers. That he cannot for the season & cannot [?] state the names of any of the field officers of the Regimen to which he was attached. That in the year 1777 this deponent was again ordered out to go to the north to Half Moon or Stillwater to join the American troops stationed there and then commanded by General Gates and that he went and was in the service there four months. That he acted as Lieutenant of the company in which he went and John Whitbeck before named was the Captain of the company that Antony Vanbergen then of the town of Coxsackie in the County of Greene and State of New York commanded the Regiment to which this deponent belonged. That this deponent was at the taking of General Burgoyne and was soon thereafter discharged. That this deponent had no written discharge at either of the times above mentioned after performing the service above mentioned. That in the year 1778 this deponent was drafted to go to Schoharie and that he went and was in the service there four months, that he acted there as Lieutenant of the Company but he cannot by reason of old age and consequent loss of memory state the names of the person who commanded the company nor any of the names of the persons who were there in command. This deponent recollects that the troops at that place at that time this deponent was there was commanded by a Continental Officer, but the name he cannot state. That after the termination of the said four months this deponent returned home, being discharged. But that he received no written discharge. That in the year following to wit, in 1779 he was again drafted to go to Schoharie. That he went there and was in the service there two months. That he then also acted as Lieutenant of the company, that he cannot by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory state the name of the person who commanded the company nor the names of any of the officers who commanded there. That the troops at this place were commanded by Continental officers or officer. That at the expiration of the said two months he was discharged and returned home but that he received no written discharge.   That this deponent says that the first time above mentioned when he went to Schoharie, he thinks it was in the summer or soon after harvest but the month he cannot state by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory. He recollects when he returned from Schoharie the first time, after serving the said four months, that there was snow on the ground. That this deponent cannot state by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory the month he went to Schoharie, the second time therein before mentioned. But that he this deponent thinks & believes it was soon after harvest.
            This deponent further says that on the 20th day of June 1778, he received the annexed commission given by George Clinton Esquire then governor of the State of New York. That he has no documentary evidence of his services in the war and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his services, except the affidavits of the persons hereto annexed. 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.
            That this deponent says that Isaac N. Wyckoof a clergyman and William VanBergen are well acquainted with him and have been for many years past and that they can testify as to this deponent’s character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution. (Signed) Wessell Salisbury
            Subscribed & sworn in open Court, on the day and year aforesaid. William T. G Hermance, Clerk

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