Morrison's Pensions
Partial Pension Application for Jacob Tanner
Pension No. S11513
(N.Y.), April 18, 1833, Town of Sharon,
Schoharie County. Private Captain Garret Putman's Company in Colonel
Marinus Willett's Regiment of Levies.
"That
he remained there until the beginning of October 1781 when two of Colonel Willets
companies were dispatched to the town of Sharon now a town of Schoharie County
lying South of Montgomery County, for cattle for the use of the Soldiery stationed
at the afore mentioned place the two companies were commanded by Captains Putnam
and Gross ‑ they marched through the wilderness fifteen miles to Henry
Haines Mills where they remained over night Not being able to obtain any cattle
the two compaines started the ensuing day upon their return to the fort. The
Deponant and one Frederick Olman neighbors had families residing at Currystown
in the County of Montgomery who were exposed daily to some struggling club
of Indians were advised by the commanding officers to return to the fort by
the way of their homes ‑ The deponant and his comrad Olman and the company
seperated near the place of the present site of the Dutch Reformed Church in
Sharon and while on their way were benighted in the cedar swamp in the North
of Sharon when they were obliged to stay during the night ‑ On again
advancing the suceeding morning about one hundred and eighty yards they were
surprized by a party of Indians eleven in number and a white tory by the name
of John Har who had lodged the same night within about two hundred yards of
them in the same swamp ‑ As soon as the Indians discovered them they
pursued this deponant and Olman about three miles when they crossed the Indians
by prostrating themselves flat upon the ground on the top of a hillock while
the Inidans curved around the hill into the valley below ‑ Deponant and
Olman took advantage of this circumstance and immediately started in a different
direction and pursued their course without interruption until they arrived
at Currytown but before they reached their houses deponand and Olman were captured
by a company of Indians in ambuscade who were headed by Henry Brandt a cousin
of Colo. Joseph Brant who took them after making prisoners of Mr. Olmans father
and mother, to Fort Hunter where they were with deponant put under guard the
24 Oct., 1781. On the succeeding morning Deponant, Olman and his father
in law together with thirteen other prisoners were drove back of Johnstown
where they were detained two days ‑ From this place deponant with others
were escorted as prisoners by the savages to fort Niagara and then kept as
a prisoner until the spring of Seventeen hundred and Eighty two ‑ "