Morrison's Pensions


Pension Application for Heinrich Grem

Note, sometimes he referred to himself as I and other times as he.  The word I or he was overwritten and hard to distinguish which was intended.  Ajberry, transcriber.)
S.23,244
State of New York
Herkimer County SS.
            On this eighteenth day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, personally appeared before Michael Hoffman First Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the said County of Herkimer at his office in Herkimer, Henry Grim, a resident of the Town of Warren in the County of Herkimer and State of New York, aged Seventy 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 7, 1832.
            He, the said Henry Grim originally entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated, viz, he was drafted into a company commanded by Captain Putman, out of a Company of Militia commanded by Captain Frank and a Mr. Putman a relation of Capt. Putman was his Lieutenant.  That the regiment was commanded by Colonel Harper.  --  He was drafted as above mentioned in the month of April (the day he cannot possibly state) in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighteen—At the time of said drafting, he resided in the German Flatts, in the then county of Tryon (now county of Herkimer ins aid state of New York—My company assembled the first time at Fort Herkimer on the Mohawk river in German Flatts—he was drafted for nine months according to my best recollection & belief—he & My company were chiefly employed during this nine months, in standing guard, & marching as they were commanded & as the [?] of the times and the operations of the Indians & the enemy descended from Fort Herkimer to Fort Dayton, to Stone Arabia to Johnstown to Fort Plank, Stanwix and Schuyler—That during this time he was sometimes sent out on scouting expeditions and to guard supplies sent to Fort Stanwix but was not engaged in any battles though he had skirmishes with the Indians, he endured the hardship incident to the service during this time.
            That at the expiration of my term, my company was disbanded & he returned home but did not nor did any of my company to my knowledge receive any written discharge from service.  During that time he did not attend to any business or labor for myself a part of the time we staid at Fort Stanwix in place of the [?[
            He listed again for nine months in the month of April in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty one at Albany in the State of New York to which place he & my brother in law who had been a soldier & who enlisted for nine months repaired for that purpose—that he then enlisted in a company commanded by Captain Ellsworth, Lieutenant Bloodgood attached to the regiment commanded by Colonel Marinus Willett—That he cannot state the day of the month when he enlisted he never having kept any written memorandum thereof.  That after my enlistment, but he cannot fix the exact time his company including myself moved from Albany to Schenectady and thence to Batteaus to Fort Herkimer and Fort Dayton to garrison those posts—About two months after his arrival at those places my captain and about eighteen or twenty others including myself went out on a scouting party towards fort Schuyler to a place called Heels Creek about three miles from Fort Herkimer, that we were discovered by a party of tories & Indians a skirmish ensued in Which Captain Ellsworth sergeant Montgomery and one John Teats private were killed—There had formerly been a settlement at Heels Creek, but previous to the time that Grim & his associates were there it had been laid in ashes by the Indians—that I (Grim) was wounded in this skirmish by a rifle ball in my side.—That the part returned to Fort Dayton, but next day a party was sent back to bring in the bodies of the deceased which were interred in the burial ground of the Old Stone Church near Fort Herkimer.  he believe a Captain Henry was charged with the command of the company to which he belonged but of this he will not be positive he went home until my wound was healed & joined again in March to Fort Dayton, I (Grim) with others of my company were dispatched to Fort House which stood at the juncture of the East Canada Creek & Mohawk River—That he recollects one Richard Casler was of their number—That they remained for a short time only at that place, and were called to Johnstown he thinks, about the month of September in the night time to join Colonel Willet—that they met Willet at Caughnawaga—That I (Grim) was in the battle fought soon afterwards at or near Johnson Hall in Johnstown, now Montgomery County, between the Indians & Tories he thinks, some British soldiers, commanded by one Butler & Major Ross, and the Militia & volunteers under Col. Willet.  The Indians & Tories over powered the Americans & drove them from the bush, took a field piece the Indians & Tories were much superior in numbers to Col. Willets force—That he (Grim) remained at Johnstown from about 2 or 3 oclock until [?] oclock [?] were moving for Fort Herkimer to go in Chase of the Indians & Tories & endeavoured to over take & get ahead of them—Col. Willet also with his regiment & some militia came on, for the same purpose—That the Indians & Tories were overtaken & one Walter Butler was killed but that he (Grim) was not present at this even, he having been station at Fort Herkimer when they got to that place in this chase, to guard that post with several others—From Fort Herkimer he was ordered to Fort Plain, late in the fall of 1781, to do duty there, where he remained about three weeks and was then ordered back to Fort Herkimer—After remaining at this for some time as a guard, he was dismissed with the rest of my company he believes  in the month of December or early in January and returned to my mothers but he never received any written discharge from service.
            I the said Henry Grim also further states that he has a record of his age which he believes to be correct, it having always been in my family, and received as a true and correct record—That he resided in the now Town of Little Falls where he entered the revolutionary service, but after the war he removed to the place of my present residence & have ever since resided there in the Town of Warren.  That he is acquainted with Richard Casler, and Christian Bellinger now residing in my neighborhood, who can testify to my character for veracity & their belief in my services as a soldier of the revolution.  And I, the said Henry Grim also further declare that I was born in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty tow, in the now town of Warren in the now County of Herkimer and State of New York.
            That when I entered the service I resided in the now town of Little Falls in Herkimer county, but after the war I removed to the Town of Warren where he has ever since & does now reside.—
            That he belonged to the militia when he entered the service & when he went on service he was drafted out of his company & served his tour & then returned—and afterwards enlisted at Albany as above—
            That the first year Colonel Harper commanded the regiment & next year Colonel Willett.  That he never received any discharge for the army in writing.
            That he is acquainted with Richard Casler & Nicholas Shoemaker to whom he is at present known & who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his service as a soldier of the revolution, that there is no clergyman to whom he is known & who resides in his neighborhood, who can testify to his character for veracity or his services in the revolution.
            I the said Henry Grim, hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state—(Signed) Heinrich Grem
            Sworn and subscribed Oct 18, 1832 before me, Michael Hoffman, First Judge of Herkimer County.
Reply to query for information dated April 29, 1938.
            The data concerning Heinrich Grem furnished herein were obtained from papers in file in pension claim, S.23244, based on his military service in the War of the Revolution.
            Heinrich Grem (also referred to as Henry Grim) was born in the year 1762 in Warren, Herkimer County, New York.  The names of his parents were not given, his mother was living during the Revolution.
            While residing in German Flats (later Little Falls), then Tryon County, later Herkimer County, New York, Heinrich Grem enlisted sometime in April, 1780, served nine months as a private in Captain Putnam’s company in colonel Harper’s new York regiment, during this service he was in an engagement with the Indians, near Fort Stanwix, was stationed at Forts Stanwix, Herkimer, Plank, and Schuyler, did much scouting in pursuit of Indians.  He enlisted in Albany, New York, sometime in April, 1781 and served in Captain Elsworth’s company in Colonel Marinus Willet’s regiment, and while on a scouting party about three miles from Fort Herkimer, was wounded by a rifle ball in his side, his captain was killed at this time; when his wound had healed he returned to the same regiment, and was in the battle of Johnstown, and was discharged at Fort Herkimer in the month of September, 1781.
            He was allowed pension on his application executed October 18, 1832, at which time he was a resident of Warren, New York.
            The papers on file in this claim contain no reference to wife or children of the soldier, Heinrich Grem.  His brother-in-law was referred to as having served in the Revolution, his name is not stated.

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