Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for John B. Veeder

R.10927
State of New York
County of Schenectada SS.
            On this 13th day of October one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven personally appeared before me Samuel W. Jones--First Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County John B. Veeder a resident of the town of Providence in the County of Saratoga in said State aged seventy six years and upwards 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 7 June 1832.
            He was born in the township of Schenectada in the now County of Schenectada in said State on the sixth day of November one thousand seven hundred and sixty.  He age is recorded in his family bible.
            He was living in the said township of Schenectada when he entered the service of the United States.  He lived there about fourteen years after leaving the service and then removed to said Town of Providence where he now resides.
            He entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
            He this Declarant in the fall of the year 1779, this Declarant believes in the month of September & October in said year was drafted to serve with a Detachment of Militia from the District of Schenectada at Fort Plank and Stone Arabia and marched with said Detachment to said Fort, where he served pursuant to such draft for the term of one week at least.  This Detachment was commanded by Major Myndert Wemple (1) and the names of his officers in this engagement were Captains Thomas B. Bancker, Lieutenant John B. Vrooman and Aaron or Arent Vedder Second Lieutenant, Ensign Freeman B. Schermerhorn, Adjutant John Lansing and others whose names are not now recollected.  After serving said time of one week at Fort Plank aforesaid this declarant was ordered and marched with a like detachment to Stone Arabia, or Fort Paris where he served under the aforenamed officers for the term of three weeks.
            In the month of June in 1779 he this Declarant served with a Detachment of militia from said District of Schenectada for the term of at least twelve days and this Declarant thinks fourteen days with said Detachment of Militia at Sacondaga under General George Clinton (2) & said Captain Bancker and together with a detachment of Continental troops were engaged in erecting a blockhouse.
            In the spring of the year 1780 when the enemy devastated the Mohawk Valley he was on duty with a like detachment and as this Declarant believes under command of Captain Bancker aforesaid & marched on this occasion to Caughnawaga (3) & then returned to Fort Hunter where he performed garrison duty for the term of two weeks.
            He this Declarant served for about four or five days with a detachment of Militia and Indians and marched to Beaverdam for the purpose of apprehending a party of Tories there concealed. This occurred in April 1780 & the officers who had charge of this expedition were Major Wemple and said Lieutenant Vedder.
            He served with a like detachment for a term of two days and marched to Helderburg in the month of June or July 1780 under command of said Captain Bancker.
            He served for the term of one day sometime in the summer of the year 1780 with a small detachment of Militia to the City of Albany to guard some prisoners to said city from Schenectada aforesaid.  This Declarant cannot remember who was the Captain of the guard.
            This Declarant served with other members of the Militia belonging to the Regiment of said Col. Wemple during the years 1777, 1778, 1779, & 1780 in performing patrol or garrison duty at Schenectada.  The then town of Schenectada was at that time surrounded with Pickets and block houses and there were two grand houses within the bounds of the town.
            This Declarant took his turn in serving as such guard during the year 1777 for the time of one week as a substitute for others he being at that time only 17 years of age.  The captains of the guard where named he recollects were John Clute and John Vrooman.  His term came during the years 1778, 1779 & 1780 about once a fortnight & sometimes two or three days in succession but this Declarant cannot specify on what particular days he served.  He was called upon to perform such duty as often as other numbers of said militia when not ordered away on distant expeditions.  He engaged in said patrol or garrison duty at Schenectady during the year 1778 in his own behalf for the term of not exceeding one week.  In the year 1779 for a[t] least fifteen days; in the year 1780 at least twenty days—under the Captains of the guard before named & others different and other officers of the said Regiment.
            In the latter part of the month of July or about the beginning of August 1780 (4) he this Declarant marched with a detachment of Militia from said District to Fort Plain.  On this occasion the Canajoharie settlements were destroyed by the enemy.  They followed the enemy towards Fort Plain & there remained on duty a few days.  The whole period of time he was on duty in this engagement was at least three weeks.  The following are the names of the officers who had command of this detachment.  Colonel Wemple, Major Wemple, Major Swits, Captain Bancker aforesaid Captain Abraham Oothout (5) and nearly all the other officers of said Regiment of Colonel Abraham Wemple.
            In the month of June 1781 he this Declarant served with a like detachment at Fort Plank under said Captain Bancker for the term of one week or ten days from thence he was ordered to Stone Arabia where he performed garrison duty one week under command of one Major VanBuren. (6)
            At this time Ballston was destroyed by the enemy this Declarant marched with a like Detachment to Ballston under command of said Captain Bancker where he performed garrison duty for a few days & served in this engagement for the term of two weeks.
            In and for the year 1781 this Declarant enlisted and served in the volunteer Company of Artillery commanded by Captain John Crousehorn in Schenectada aforesaid. This company was comprised of fifteen men and were particularly charged with the custody of the cannon belonging to said Regiment of Colonel Wemple aforesaid, to fire alarms on the approach of the enemy and on other occasions said company also engaged as occasion required in performing garrison duty at Schenectada aforesaid and at other places.  He served in said company during said year 1781 discharging [?] duty at the Schenectada garrison aforesaid for a term in the whole exceeding one month and when not on garrison duty was regularly every week drilled and reviewed by the officers of said Regiment who were for the time being at Schenectada aforesaid.
            Late in the fall of the year 1780 he marched with a detachment of Militia about twenty five miles up the Mohawk River for a place opposite Caughnawaga on the south side of said river.  Colonel Wemple aforesaid and Major Wemple had the command of said detachment.
            He this Declarant served with a detachment of seven militia served for the term of three days under command of Lieutenant J. H. Peek [or Peck] & John Thornton (7) in an expedition to Milton and Lake Desolation in pursuit of a noted Tory Joseph Bettis who was afterwards apprehended & hung in the year 1782 in the City of Albany.
            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: Colonel Marinus Willett, General Sullivan, Adjutant Jellis A. Fonda, General Gansevoort, Colonel VanDyck, Captain Fink, Col. Clock, Captain John Mynderse, Capt. Jess VanSlyck (8) & all the other captains of said Regiment of Col. Wemple.
            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 testimony is hereto 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 DeGraff, Richard VanVranken, John J. Shew, Jacob Shew, Nathaniel Wescot & John Fay.
            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) John B. Veeder
            Subscribed and sworn to the day and year first aforesaid. S. W. Jones, First Judge of Schenectady County.

End Notes—John B. Veeder R.10927

1. Second Major Myndert Vrooman and Captain Thomas Bancker’s Company were in Colonel Abraham Wemple’s Regiment of Albany County Militia; Second Regiment.
2. It was Brigadier General James Clinton who had ordered the Sacondaga Blockhouse to be built in April of 1779.  Colonel Frederick Visscher with a detachment of the Third Regiment of Tryon County Militia and a detachment of the Fifth New York Continental Regiment were also there in helping to build the blockhouse.
3. Caughnawaga and the surrounding area were destroyed on May 22, 1780 by Sir John Johnson and his British and Indian Forces.
4. The area is present day Village of Fort Plain and the Town of Minden, Montgomery County.  Captain Joseph Brant destroyed this area on August 2, 1780.
5. First Major Abraham Swits and Captain Abraham Oothout (Oathout, etc.) were from Colonel Wemple’s Regiment.
6. There were two different Major VanBurens.  Major Cornelius VanBuren of the Fourth Regiment and Major Herman VanBuren of the Seventh Regiment.  Both were Albany County Regiments.
7. Jacobus Peek (Peake, Peck, etc.) and John Thornton were both lieutenants in Colonel Wemple’s Regiment.  John’s name also appears on a roll in Captain Jesse VanSlyck’s Company also in Colonel Wemple’s Regiment.
8. Major General John Sullivan, Brigadier General Peter Gansevoort.  Gansevoort was colonel of the Third New York Continental Regiment from November 21, 1776 to January 1, 1781.  March 26, 1781 he was appointed to the First Brigade of Albany County Militia because General Abraham Ten Broeck had resigned because of his health. Lieutenant-Colonel Cornelius VanDyck of the first New York Continental Regiment, Captain Andrew Finck of the First New York, Colonel Jacob Klock of the Second Regiment of Tryon County Militia and Captain John Mynderse (Mynderson) of Colonel Wemple’s Regiment.  Marinus Willett had been Lieutenant-Colonel of the Third New York and Fifth New York, and colonel of a regiment of New York State Levies 1781-1783.  Jellis A. Fonda had been an ensign in Wemple’s Regt and a lieutenant and adjutant in Willett’s Levies 1781-1782 and captain November 1782-November 1783.

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