Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for Nicholas Van Alstine

S.23982
State of New York
Montgomery Co. SS.

On this second day of November 1850, before me S. Beldin Jr., Surrogate in and for the county and state aforesaid personally appeared Abraham N. Van Alstine of the county and state aforesaid, who being duly sworn according to law deposes and says that he is the Administrator of Nicholas Van Alstine, dec'd who was a Revolutionary pensioner under the act of 7 th June, 1832, at the rate of $320 per annum, on the roll of the Albany Agency, but whose pension was suspended from the 4 th of September 1834, and who died on the 20 th day of August, 1836, leaving no widow, and that the following named children are the only surviving children of said deceased viz—Gilhit N. Van Alstine, Cornelius N. Van Alstine, John N. Van Alstine, Charily? Van Alstine, Nancy St. John, and Abraham Van Alstine.

Now the object of this declaration is to ask for a removal of the suspension of said pension and to obtain for the use and benefit of the above named children the amount of pension due to said Nicholas Van Alstine at the time of his death, and to which this declarant believes they are justly entitled. (Signed) Abm N. Van Alstine Administrator

Subscribed and sworn before me Nov. 2, 1850. J. Belding Jr. County Surgt.

State of New York
Montgomery County SS.

On the nineteenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three personally appeared before me—David Spraker one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the county of Montgomery aforesaid Nichols Van Alstine a resident of the town of Canajoharie aforesaid who being 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 th 1832.

That he was born in the year 1748 at a place called Smithtown now Glen in the County of Montgomery aforesaid on the 26 th day of December of that year and that he has since his birth being now is a resident of the County of Montgomery aforesaid—That he did some time in the month of August 1776, receive a commission as Lieutenant in a company of Militia in the County of Montgomery & State of New York aforesaid under Captain Daymont of said County, that this was a Company of Rangers to service in the Revolutionary War—that he resides in the County of Canajoharie in the County of Tryon now County of Montgomery where he resided said commission—that your applicant entered into actual service as such Lieutenant under the said Mark Daymont Captain in the said month of August 1776 and soon after he received said commission and continued in actual service until some time in the month of December following that during that period he served at the following places he first, after leaving his place of residence with his said company arrived at a place now called “Little Falls” in the County of Herkimer on the border of the Mohawk River & from thence they proceeded up the Mohawk River to a place then called “New Dutch Land” & within about 9 miles of the now City of Utica from thence the said applicant proceeded down the Mohawk River to the said Little Falls from e thence to Canajoharie &b immediately from thence to Lake George and from thence to Ticonderoga at Lake Champlain and that he so continued in the said service of the United States without any interruption until the month of April 1777, but that from the month of December 1776 till the month of April 1777, the said company was commanded by Captain Christian Getman as captain & by your applicant & one Lawrence Gross as Lieutenants—that he was discharged from the service in April 1777. That immediately after his return home from Ticonderoga aforesaid he was ordered into actual service as such Lieutenant to garrison fort Plank in the then county of Tryon & also Fort Ehle in said County at which said forts he served constantly from the month of May in 1777 until the month of November 1777, but that he did a part of the time during that period performed the duties of Quarter Master instead of Lieutenant—that about the first of December 1777 he was ordered by said Captain Daymont to go to Peekskill to fetch Public money for the payment of the said troops which he accordingly did and that he was actually employed in this service till the 25 th day of December 1777, being seventy five days and that he was commanded by Captain Rynear Van Evera during his services at Fort Plank & Fort Ehle as above stated—after which he performed no service until the month of June in the year 1778. When he was ordered to Fort Plank aforesaid where he went and performed active military service as such Lieutenant until the month of November 1778 and that in the following year of 1779 he served at the same fort & at Fort Ehle for the term of four months under Captain VanEvera & was during that period commanded by Col. Clyde that in the month of May of 1780—he was ordered to the said Fort Ehle where he continued to service as such Lieutenant under Captain Ryman VanEvera until the month of November of that year—that in the year 1781 he was again ordered into active service as such Lieutenant under the said Captain Van Evera and that they served during this year for the further term of four months at said Fort Ehle except that during that period the said applicant went in Company with a party of men from said fort to a place then called “Turlock” now called Sharon in Schoharie County & State of New York and that the applicant was in the battle fought at Sharon aforesaid & was then & there commanded by one McKean who was a Captain & that the party to which he belonged was volunteers for that particular service from said Fort & that Col. Willett had the command of the troops at said battle—and that in addition to the service above stated the said applicant did on [?] occasion when there were alarms during the said Revolutionary War perform trifling services of days & part of days which are not included in the services above specified amounting no doubt to three months service that he was during the time the above services were performed Commanded by the following officers of higher grades than he heretofore been stated to wit General Herkimer, Colonels Clyde, Clock, Waggoner & Campbell, & Majors Frey, Copeman & house and that he was personally acquainted with the following Regular officers to wit during said service—Col. Willett, Col. Gansevoort, General Philip Schuyler—Capt. Andrew Finck, & Captain McKean & William Wallace a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary Army—That your applicant did during the said war when moving his property and family from place to place loose his commission nor has he now any dockumentary [sic] evidence whatever relating to his commission discharges or services whatever—That he is known in the neighbourhood where he lives by the following persons to wit. Rev'd Ramsford Wells, John Roof, John Frey, the Reverend Abraham Van Horn & that he has produced before the said Judge one said John Roof & the Revd Ramsford Wells to prove his character he age & that he is reputed to have been an officer in the Revolution. And the applicant hereby relinquishes all claims whatever for a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state—and by reason of old age & infirmity he is wholly unable to attend court to make this declaration—and that Peter Sloss?, Cornelius Van Camp, John Van Alstine, Simon Veeder, can testify to his services in the said Revolutionary War as such Lieutenant and that I have no record of my age whatever. (Signed) Nicholas Van Alstine

Signed taken and acknowledged before me this 19 day of June 1833 David Spraker, A Judge of Montgomery County Court of degree of Counsellor on the Sup. Court.