Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for George Staley

W.19123 (Widow: Janette) 
From the family Bible
Births
            George Staley was born July 6th 1753.
            Janet McCall was born August 21st 1753.
Their Children:
            Ann Staley was born September 21st 1775.
            Henry Staley was born Aug 13th 1777.
            Oliver Staley was born July 4th 1781.
            Jacob Staley was born August 16th 1783.
            Janet Staley was born January 18th 1780.
            Mary Staley was born June 12th 1788.
            Betsy Staley was born March 18th 1791.
            Susan Staley was born August 4th 1793.
            George Staley was born January 13th 1796.
State of New York
County of Schenectady SS.
            On this nineteenth day of October in the [year] of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County now sitting George Staley a resident of the Town of Princetown in said County & State, aged Eighty 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 7th 1832.
            He was born in the town [of] Truxberry in the County of Hunterton, New Jersey on the sixth day of July 1753, he has no record of age, except that contained in his family Bible.
            When he was called into the service of the United States in the army of the Revolution, he was living in the then township of Schenectada, and since the revolutionary war he has lived in the same place then called [Corriesbush?] & he now lives in the town of Princetown aforesaid.
            He entered the service of the United States under the following names officers and served as herein stated.
            Early in the year 1775, he was enrolled in Captain Thomas Wasson’s company of militia in the Regiment whereof Abraham Wemple was Colonel.  The names of his other company & field officers whom he recollects were John Little Lieutenant, & George Wasson 2d Do [Lieutenant], Abraham Swits & Myndert Wemple Majors, Christopher C. Yates Lieutenant Colonel.
            He was not called out until the year 1776 from which time until the end of the revolutionary war he did military duty every year.
            In the year 1776 after Genl. Waterbury was defeated on lake Champlain he was called out in part of Colonel Wemple’s Regiment under General Gen Broeck, and was employed with a detachment of men from said Regiment to guard the ammunitions conveyed from Albany to Renesborough & from thence to Butlersbury.  The enemy was then expected to make an incursion in that quarter.  But the alarm then subsiding, said detachment was dismissed.  On this occasion he was from Corrisbush aforesaid about one month and a half.
            Early in the summer of the year 1777, he was ordered out with a large detachment of men from said Regiment to join the northern American Army and served with said army from the time Genl St. Clair evacuated Ticonderoga until the surrender of Burgoyne.  He stood sentry at Fort Edward when an express arrived to give information that Ticonderoga had been abandoned by the Americans.  He served during the whole of this northern campaign except for about three weeks when he hired a substitute—He was in the uncounter at Snookkill, and at Kingsbury (between Fort Edward & Fort Ann) but was not in the battle of Bemis’s Heights.  He then stood sentry and was among the troops not called upon.  He was on duty during the whole of General Schuyler’s retreat.
            In the year 1778 he was drafted & served with a detachment of militia under Colonel Wemple who aided in bringing cannon & ammunition from Ticonderoga aforesaid to Albany.
            He was in several tours to the upper, middle & lower forts of Schoharie also at Cobleskill—once at Fort Paris in Stone Arabia under Captain Jellis A. Fonda for one month or more.  He thinks this was in the year 1779.  He was there three or four times at Schoharie once under Captain Vrooman.  He has performed garrison duty at Fort Plain & Fort Plank also—was often with the militia when called out on alarms, but on these alarms subsiding were sent home.  He was in the several expeditions with the militia when Cherry Valley, Warrenbush & Caughnawaga were destroyed by the enemy, & In the fall of the year 1781 when Walter Butler was killed.  He has been out on numerous occasions as a scout, & in pursuit of the Indians & Tories to Ballston, Helderbergh, Beaverdam, Norman’s Kill & other places.
            The whole period for which he was from Corriesbush aforesaid in these different expeditions, & tours of duty exceeded greatly [?] years.
            The following are the names of some of the regular officers whom he knew, or who were with the troops where he served, and such continental and militia regiments or companies with which he served, or as he can recollect, viz: Generals Gates, Arnold, Schuyler, Gaansvoort, Capt. Butler or the Rifle Corps, Weisenfelt’s Regiment & colonels Willett, Dayton, Cortland, Dubois, Harper &c.
            He never received any written discharge from the service.
            He has no documentary evidence, and knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service except those whose depositions are hereunto annexed.
            The following are the names of persons to whom he is known in his present neighborhood, and who can testify as to his character for veracity, and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution, to wit, James Walker and Alexander Kelly.
            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.   (Signed with his mark)  George Staley
            Subscribed and sworn to the day and year first aforesaid, John S. Vrooman Clerk
Letter dated November 18, 1937 in reply to a request for information.
            Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of George Staley who was pensioned on his application made October 19, 1832.
            You are furnished herein the record of the only George Staley found in the Revolutionary War records of his office.  The data therein were obtained from pension claim, W.19123, based upon his service in the Revolutionary War.
            George (sometimes referred to as Jerry) Staley was born July 6, 1753, in Truxberry, Hunterdon County, New Jersey.  The names of his parents were not given.      
            While residing in Corrisbush which was later called Princetown in Schenectady District, New York, he enlisted early in 1775 but was not called out until in 1776 when he served one and one half months as private in Captain Thomas Wasson’s company, Colonel Abraham Wemple’s New York regiment.  He enlisted in May 1777 in the Northern Campaign to Ticonderoga, was serving at the time General Saint Clair evacuated that place and until the surrender of Burgoyne, October 17, 1777, names of officers on this tour not stated.  He enlisted in February 1778, served not less than six weeks as private under Colonel Wemple in the New York troops and assisted in bringing cannon and ammunition from Ticonderoga to Albany.  He enlisted in 1779 and served on several tours at Forts Schoharie, Paris, Plain and Plank under Captains Jellis Fonda and Vrooman and Colonels Wemple, Christopher Yates and Volkert Douw in the New York troops, was out on numerous occasions as a scout in pursuit of Indians and Tories, he service in all amounting to between one and two years.  It was stated that during his service he was in the battle of Saratoga and other battles.
            The soldier was allowed pension on his application executed October 19, 1832, while a resident of Princetown, Schenectady County, New York.  He died there March, 26, 27, or 29, 1839 (all dates given).
            George Staley married early in January, 1775, Janette (name shown also as Jane, and Janet) McCall or Mackall who was born August 21, 1753, the place of her birth and names of her parents not stated.  They were married in Schenectady, New York.  Janette Staley died July 5, 1846, at the home of her son, Oliver Staley, with whom she lived in Rotterdam, Schenectady County, New York.
            The following names of children of George Staley and his wife, Janette, are shown in the claim:
            The following names of children of George staley and his wife, Janette, are shown in the claim:
            Ann born September 21, 1775
            Henry or Hendrick born May 13, 1777, and baptized June 19, 1777.
            Oliver born July 1, 1781.
            Jacob born August 16, 1783.
            Janet born January 15, 1786.
            Mary born June 12, 1788.
            Betsy born March 18, 1791.
            Susan born August 4, 1793.
            George born January 13, 1796.
            The only children who survived their mother, Janette Staley were the following:
            Janet Dunce who in 1846 was a resident of Madison Co., N.Y.
            Mary Chambers who in 1846 was a resident of Schoharie Co., N.Y.
            Betsy McCarley who in 1846 was a resident of Michian
            Susan Swart who in 1846 was a resident of Florida, N.Y.
            Oliver Staley who in 1846 was a resident of Princetown, N.Y.
            The following data are shown in the claim with no explanation of relationship to the soldier’s family: “Peter Erven and Mary Gilmore were married May 12, 1842.”

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