Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application of Elnathan Sears

S.46523
B.L.Wt1614-100
Lieutenant in NY Line, also listed as Sergeant of the Artillery.  Died 2nd February 1840.  Surviving children, “Elnathan H. Sears a late resident of the City of NY, William B. Sears who has died since without issue, Sarah Sears and Mary Miller”, according to a deposition by Mary Miller.
State of New York
Sullivan County SS.
            I, Elnathan Sears of the town of Mamakating in said county do hereby for and as an amendment to the declaration heretofore by me made for the purpose of obtaining the benefits of an act, entitled “An act for the relief of certain surviving officers & soldiers of the army of the Revolution” approved on the 15th of May 1828—and which declaration is now at the War Office in the City of Washington, make oath and declare as such laws—That I enlisted as a soldier for six months under Captain James Milliken in Col. Paulding’s Regiment in the year 1776; and in the year 1777 I also enlisted to serve for three months in Captain William Faulkner’s Company in Col. McLaughery’s regiment and while so serving was made a prisoner of war by the enemy on the 7th of October 1777 at Fort Montgomery and was taken by the enemy to New York City and there kept in confinement as such prisoner until sometime (and as I believe month August in 1778—That in 1779 I enlisted into a company of Captain Joshua Drakes for and during the war in the Continental Establishment; at this time it was said by said Drake and Captain Black & other officers who were then enlisting soldier in Ulster, Orange & Dutchess Counties in said State that they were so enlisting them to make a regiment to serve under Col. Lewis Dubois—There were about 140 men so enlisted, when orders came to raise three months men who being so raised or enlisted were just under command of Col. Dubois, land I with the 140 men above mentioned were thereupon marched to New Jersey to be placed under Colonel. Gansevoort but before we were joined to any regiment the men & soldiers under said Drake & other troops were sent to the Northern frontiers among which I was so sent—and when we had then marched near to Stone Robby on the Mohawk River we met and fell in with some Continental Troops and Col. Dubois with said three months levies; we were then considered under Col. Brown and soon met Butler and Brandt and had a battle in which Col. Brown & a number of soldiers were killed & wounded—Some little time after, said Drake was taken prisoner & taken into Canada & kept such prisoner as I believe until the close of the war.
            Sometime after said Battle and in the year 1779 or 1780 I received a regular commission to serve as Lieutenant on the Continental Establishment during said war—Shortly thereafter I went out as such officer in pursuit of the Indians and by crossing streams of water my commission was wet and much mutilated and injured as may appear by the remained of it hereto annexed which is the same identical commission by me received as aforesaid so far as the same is preserved or can be found and I also make oath & declare that at the time I made my original declaration said commission or the remains of it not by me known to be in existence & that I have since found the same unexpectedly among my old papers I also declare that I served as and did the duties of a Captain from December 1782 to the end of the war and received pay as such.  (Signed) Elnathan Sears
            Sworn to & subscribed before me this 6th day of February 1829.  Obadiah Beaty, Justice of the Peace.

Fort Stanwicks.  Dec. 25 178(the other figure not legible)
            Lieut. Sears.  You will take the forty-five men under your command and, goe down to Stone Robbey and take charge of that line and send a Seargent and Corporal and 12 men to Cherry Valley  to take charge of that place till Colo. Ceases which work til in the spring.  (Signed) S. Moose, Maj’r.  Elnathan Spears, Lieut.

Rec 2d March 1829
            --In addition to the Declaration heretofore by me made for the purpose of obtaining the benefit of the act of Congress of the 15th day of May last, for the relief of certain surviving officers and soldier of the Army of the Revolution.
            I Elnathan Sears do hereby further declare that some time in the year 1776 I enlisted into a Corps of six months men—that I enlisted in the 1777 in a Corps of three months men & in that year was taken Prisoner by the enemy at Fort Montgomery—that I was carried into the City of New York & was confined in a Church there and afterwards carried on board the Jersey Prison ship & from thence to the Hospital, and from thence to the Sugar house from whence I was exchanged in the year 1778—that in the year 17779—I enlisted into the Continental Service & was appointed a Sergeant & with other recruits was sent to the Northern frontiers on the Mohawk River & was with the Corps to which I was attached in engagement with the Indians commanded by Breat [Brant] and Butler at which  time Col. Brown with a number of his officers and men were killed—that the Captain of the company to which I belonged was soon after made prisoner & the company having but one officer I was appointed to act as a Lieutenant under the expectation of receiving a regular Continental Commission, that I continued to serve until the end of the war & was discharged at some place near New Windsor in Orange County on the North River, but as the Commission delivered to me appears to be irregular I submit to be received to the benefit of the Law acting as a sergeant.  (Signed) Elnathan Sears.  March 2d, 1829.

To the Honorable, the Representatives of the United States in Senate and Congress Conveened.
            The Peititon of Elnathan Sears, aged 82 years the 7 of January next, now a resident of the Town of Mamakating, County of Sullivan, and State of New York, respectfully sheweth that your petitioner, entered the service of the United States in 1776 in a company commanded by James Milikin, Col. Paudling Regt, and was in the Battle of Long Island, and white Plain and in the year 1777 was in the battle at Fort Montgomery, and after receiving a wound by a musket ball in his right leg, and a wound by a boayonet in his left side, which wounds filled his shoes with blood, and after being knocked down with the but of their guns, and trampled underfoot, was made a prisoner by the British, and was confined on board the old Jersey, prisoner Ship, the Sugar House, and Hospital for twelve months and twenty days, during which time he suffered every thing but death, with hunger and cold, that his feet were so badly frozen, that the ends of his toes dropt off, and was not able to walk in three months. After being exchanged in the year 1779 he enlisted in Capt. Drake’s Company for during the war, and was marched to the Northern Frontiers, and was attached to Col. Brown’s Regt at Stone Robby, and in 1780 in the battle of Butler and Brant, Col. Brown was killed, and the some of his men- - Our Capt. was made a prisoner, our Lieut. was wounded, and returned home, Lieut Sacket took charge of the company and in the month of November 1780, took sick and he returned home, I was the Orderly Sergeant, got the appointment of Lieut, and served as such, about three months, when I received a Lieut commission, and in 1781 were attached to Col. Graham’s Regt, when he left the line, we were sent to Fort Stanwicks and placed under Capt. Johnson and Capt. Moody, from there ordered to Fort Plain, and were sifted from place to place as necessity required to meet the enemy, and were- - -commanded by different officers until the month of November 1782 when Capt. Moody and the principal part of the officers, left the line, and left the charge with the Subaltern officers, who continued on the line till June 1783, when we were ordered to head Quarters, the man body of the army were discharged, in the fore part of June, and we did not arrive at head Quarters till the 22 of the same month, and many of the soldiers returned home without receiving their discharge, by which reason many of them has not been able, to obtain their rights under the pension laws and it was my misfortune on having my commission destroyed by the water in waiding in the Mohawk River, and other streams, several times in pursuit of the Indians, and having applied under the law of 15th of May 1828, for my pension as a Lieut, but for the want of my commission I have been compelled to receive that of a Sergeant, and likewise only one hundred acres of land as a bounty from Government.
            And now your humble petitioner, therefore prays that your honorable body, will take into consideration his services and sufferings and by your special act, direct the Secretary of War to pay your petitioner, under the said act of 1828, as a Lieut, according to his grade, and your petitioner further prays that you will authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to pay your petitioner the amount equal to five years full pay, which sum was offered by the resolve of Congress of the 22nd of March 1783, instead of half pay for life, to which I was entitled, under the resolve of the Congress of the 28th of October 1780, together with the - - instead the sum under said Act, and your petitioner, in duty bound will ever pray.  (Signed) Elnathan Sears
            Sworn and subscribed December [?] 1837 before me, James Devins Justice of the Peace.

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