Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for Christopher Shoemaker

W.19,031 (Widow: Elizabeth)
The widows declaration is in poor shape and not legible for the most part.
Herkimer County SS. 
            Conrad Ittig of Frankfort in said county being duly sworn saith that he is seventy five years of age—that he was acquainted with Christopher Shoemaker deceased in his life time from the infancy of this deponent until the death of the said Christopher—that said Christopher died about seven years ago—that this deponent was acquainted with the said Christopher during the whole period of the Revolutionary War—that said Shoemaker and this Deponent were both born in German Flatts, Herkimer County and where they both resided during the whole period of the war except the time that they were absent in the service—that said Shoemaker continued to live in said Town of German Flatts, until his death and this deponent also for many years after the war lived in German Flatts but has of late years resided in Frankfort & said County of Herkimer where this deponent now resides—that in the said Revolutionary War in the year 1778 in the spring the said Shoemaker and this deponent at Fort Herkimer in German Flatts enlisted together for the term of nine months into a company of Rangers commanded by Capt. Bigbread, Lieut. John Adam Helmer & Ensign John Smith—That after their said enlistment they were ordered and proceeded together to Palatine now Montgomery County to the house of Col. Peter Waggoner where they were mustered and joined the rest of the company—that the said company –that the said company  was therefore ordered and marched to Fort Dayton now Herkimer in said County of Herkimer where they were stationed and remained on duty for residue of the said period of nine months enlistment that this deponent cannot now state the precise day of their enlistment but knows that they were both enlisted for nine months during the said year 1778 that they both served the said term of nine months and that they were both discharged together on New Years Day after their Enlistment—That the said nine months service was [?] started and interrupted and was performed chiefly in garrison duty at said Fort Dayton with occasional express went from said Fort in pursuit of the enemy or in watching the approach of the enemy by scouting – That this deponent is quite positive that this service by the said Christopher Shoemaker was rendered in the year 1778 from the fact that It was the year after the Oriskany Battle which was fought in the year 1777 and the same year that Herkimer was burnt which was in the year 1778—that at the time of the burning of Herkimer that deponent and said Christopher were stationed at Fort Dayton and that deponent was at the time out on a scout when the scouting party was attacked by the Indians & Tories and when there were three men of their part killed—the scouting party had been out from Fort Dayton to the Susquehanna River to a place called the Carr place from these facts this deponent is certain that this service was rendered in the year 1778—
            And this deponent further saith that Elizabeth Shoemaker, the Widow of the said Christopher Shoemaker who as this deponent is informed is applying for a Pension under the act of Congress of the 4th July 1836 entitled “an act granting half pay to the widows and orphans where those husbands and father have died of wounds received in the Military Service of the United States in certain cases and for other purposes is a sister of this Deponent and that she is about two years older than this deponent—that the said Elizabeth was married to the said Christopher Shoemaker during the said Revolutionary War and that they had several children together during the said war and before the close thereof—that this deponent does not remember that he attended the wedding of his said sister Elizabeth with the said Christopher but from the time of their reputed marriage in the War and which this deponent thins was in the spring of the year 1779 until the death of the said Christopher the said Elizabeth & Christopher were reputed to be intermarried and always acknowledged the [?] to be so and always lived together as man & wife and resided as a family of children having now fourteen in all as this deponent believes—that this deponent remembers of hearing the Banns of their marriage published by Dominie Rosegrantz the minister of the parish as was the custom of that day but did not attend the marriage that he can now state that he has no doubt they were lawfully married—and this deponent further saith that the said Elizabeth since the decease of the said Christopher has not been intermarried with any other man and that since the said death she always has remained and still remains the widow of the said Christopher Shoemaker and further said not.  (Signed Conrad Ittig
            Subscribed & Sworn to this [?] day of March 1837  Edward P. Seymour, Justice
Reply dated May 3, 1838 to a letter of inquiry.
            Reference is made to your letter relative to Christopher Shoemaker, a soldier of the Revolutionary War.
            The data contained herein were obtained from the papers on file in the Revolutionary War claim for pension, W.19031, based upon the military service of Christopher Shoemaker in that war.
            Christopher, the son of John Showmaker, was born in German Flats, Herkimer County, New York, date, and name of his mother are not shown.  He was called Stoffel Shoemaker, Stoffel being the German for Christopher.
            While a resident of German Flats, New York, Christopher Shoemaker enlisted February 19, 1777, and served three months as private in Captain Michael Ittig’s Company, Colonel Peter Bellinger’s New York Regiment.  He enlisted the spring of 1778 and served nine months as private Corps of Ranger under Lieutenant John Adam Helmer, Captain John Bradbick and Colonels Harper and Klock.  He enlisted in the spring of 1779, and served nine months under Captain Samuel Gray and Colonel Christopher Yates in the boat service on the Mohawk River; was in General Clinton’s Expedition and in General Sullivan’s Expedition.  He enlisted in 1780, served as private in Captain Frederick Franks’ Company, colonel Bellinger’s New York Regiment; was in the engagement in 1782 when Fort Herkimer was attacked by the Tories and Indians and served to the close of the war.
            He died March 19, 1831, in German Flats, New York, he age not given.
            Christopher Shoemaker married in the spring of 1779, in German Flats, New York, Elizabeth, the daughter of Christian Edick or Ittig.  She was born between Christmas and the New York in 1758, in German Flats, New York.  The name of her moths is not shown.
            Elizabeth Shoemaker, the widow of Christopher Shoemaker, was allowed pension on her application executed October 3, 1838, at which time she was a resident of Herkimer, Herkimer County, New York.
            She died February 8, 1846, place not stated.
            Christopher and Elizabeth Shoemaker had fourteen children.  Their first child, was still born in the fall after their marriage, name not stated. Their second child, Margaret or Margretha, was born September 20, 1780.  She was baptized September 27, 1780.  John Thomas Shoemaker and Maria Frank were her godfather and godmother, no relationship stated.  Said Maria was the daughter of Timothy Frank.  In March 1839 said Maria was the widow of Conrad Getman.  She was aged seventy-three years on May 26, 1838.
            Christopher Shoemaker had a younger cousin by his name, who died many years prior to 1838. 
            In 1837 Conrad Ittig or Edick, a brother of soldier’s widow, Elizabeth Showmaker, was aged seventy-five years, and a resident of Frankfort, Herkimer county,New York.  He was born in German Flats, New York.
            In 1838 Micahel Ittig of Ittick was aged sixty-seven years and living in German Flats, New York.  He was the son of Captain Michael Ittig or Ittick, a German who had been dead over thirty-two years, no relationship to the family stated.
            In 1839 one George Ittick or Ittig was a resident of Manlius, Onondaga County, New York, no relationship stated.  He was eighty-one years old on December 13, 1838.  There are no further family data.

 Return to opening page of Morrison's Pensions

Copyright © 1998, -- 2007. James F. Morrison and Berry Enterprises. All rights reserved. All items on the site are copyrighted. While we welcome you to use the information provided on this web site by copying it, or downloading it; this information is copyrighted and not to be reproduced for distribution, sale, or profit.