Pension Application

S.14422
Private, Capt. Banks, Col. Wemple, New York Line.
State of New York
County of Schenectady SS.
            On this twentieth 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 & for said County, now sitting Garret Schermerhorn—a resident of the town of Rotterdam in said county & state, aged sixty nine 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 township of Schenectady now Rotterdam in the County of Schenectady (then Albany) in the State of New York on the twenty second day of October 1763—He has no record of his age except in the family Bible & in the Register of Baptisms in the Dutch Church of the township aforesaid. When he was called into the service of the United States in the Army of the Revolution, he was living in said Township of Schenectady and since the revolutionary war he has lived in the town of Rotterdam in the County aforesaid—and he now lives in the said town of Rotterdam aforesaid.
            He entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated. In the fall of the year 1779, he was enrolled as a private in the company of Militia commanded by Captain Abraham Oothout in the Regiment whereof Abraham Wemple was Colonel. His other company & field officers whom he recollects were John Roseboom & Nicholas Barheydt, Lieutenants, Cornelius Z. VanSantvoord Ensign, Abraham Swits, & Myndert Wemple Majors.
            He continued to serve in said company whenever called upon, and this was very frequently until the end of said war.
            He served with the detachments of militia that were from time to time ordered out, also on several occasions as a scout & in reconnoitering parties. He served for a longer or shorter period every year of the war; but how long he served each year, and at what particular military posts or forts he cannot possibly recollect, nor yet in what particular years he served at these posts, yet is positive that the time he served in said war in the garrison & in the field exceeds twelve months.
            He has performed garrison duty at Fort Plank, Fort Plain, Fort Hunter, & Schoharie, Stone Arabia & Schenectady.
            The enemy under Sir Johnson having having [sic] burnt the buildings and destroyed the property of the Whigs at Caughnawaga, proceeded up the Mohawk river and destroyed every thing in their course. He was then with the militia from Schenectady in pursuit of the enemy. He was at Ballston on duty when Genl. Gordon was taken prisoner there—the year following when Major Ross & Walter Butler made a descent on the Mohawk settlements & the latter was killed he was on duty with the troops under Col. Willett at Herkimer. He was engaged in an excursion to Helderberg—a place much infested with tories – was then with a party of Indians and under the command of Capt. Thomas B. Banker.
            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: General Schuyler, Colonel Willett, Colonel Gansevoort, Colonel VanSchaick, Colonel Dayton, Colonel Cortland.
            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, John Felthousen, John J. Van Eps, John J. Schermerhorn.
            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) Garret Scheremerhorn.
            Subscribed and sworn to the day and year first aforesaid. John S. Vrooman, Clerk.

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