JOSEPH NEWMAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION
SERVICE FOR MASS. AND NEW YORK # R7626
Declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. State of New York}
Herkimer County} On this Twelfth day of October [no year was
written] personally appeared in open court before Michael Hoffman first Judge,
John Mahon & A. Beardslee judges of the Court of Common Pleas now sitting,
Joseph Numan a resident of Manheim in the county Herkimer & State of New
York 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 7, 1832.
That he entered
the Service of the United States under the following named officers and served
as herein Stated; that he was born in the year 1763 as he calulates by his age
which is 69 years in the town of Coldrain in the State of Massachusetts as he
has always been informed & believes true, that there is not nor never has
been any record of his age to his knowledge.- That he entered the Service of
the United States in the revolutionary war under an enlistment for three years
the latter part of winter in December of the year 1776 at Colerain in the State
of Massachusetts in the fourth regiment of Continental troops, in a company
commanded by Capt. Olvard, Chapin was Ensign.
Garns was first Sergeant-
deponent does not recollect the name of the Lieutenant, nor the Christian names
of the Capt.-Ensign nor Sergeant- deponent has also forgotten the name of the
Colonel who commanded the Regiment to which his Company was attached- The
British had possession of Boston at the time deponent enlisted & evacuated
it in the month of March following, General Washington Commanded the army at
that time- the company to which deponent belonged continued at Boston till the
spring shortly after the British when two Regiments as deponent believes left
Boston & come to the city of Albany in the State of New York by water-
deponent & his company came off in two regiments to Albany but he does not
recollect the Colonel's or other officers that had command of the troops. Saw Gen'l Schuyler who was along- the
company to which deponent belonged was commanded by the Same officers above
mentioned- the detachment stayed at Albany two days & then marched to Saratoga- where a part of the troops took charge of
Boats loaded with provisions for Ticonderoga-& the remainder of the troops
went by land- This deponent was on that had charge of the Boats- deponent was stationed from this time in the
garrison at Ticonderoga till that fort was evacuated by the American Army which
the deponent believes was before harvest next Summer following in the year
1777- the American Army under the command of St. Claer & he believes Gen'l.
Schuyler had chief command, continued to retreat before the enemy into the
State of Vermont- deponent was in the Battle between the Americans &
British at Hubbleton and at the next battle at Beamis highths. Before this battle deponent was wounded
& taken off through the woods towards Montreal, the Indians continued their
march till about midnight as deponent believes- where they halted & buildt
a fire & while they were engaged deponent heard them say-"they would
make him dance". Deponent ran from
them. It was very dark & escaped deponent got lost & wandered in the
woods four days subsisting on roots & other vegetables- (Note: after being
very confident that he was wounded and taken prisoner before the battle of
Bemis hights, & before taking Bugoyne was pointed out his inconsistency to
him, the deponent says with considerable confidence that he was taken prisoner
at that Battle- as his deposition had been drawn up out of court.) he came to a
Settlement in Bennington in the State of Vermont where he Stayed a few days
& then went to Colerain & remained there about a week he here went to the
Colonel in Chelsea & told him about his being made prisoner & his
escape & offered to go on to Albany to the army but the Colonel told him he
need not but he then went to Albany in the State of New York with a view of
joining his company again- deponent was told that the American Army had gone
South,& he then came up the mohawk river to the place where he now resides
at that time called Snyders Bush in the county of Montgomery it was in the fall
of the year 1777 when deponent arrived at the now town of Manheim now &
Soon after was enrolled in a company of Militia commanded by Capt. John Keyser,
Lientenant Marks Bellinger, John Smith was Ensign & John Miller first
Sergeant, deponent was frequently out on scouting parties to different parts of
the town & county- he helpt build two block houses & picket them- the
Spring after deponent came to Manheim being the spring of 1778 he was out on a
scouting party of militia of his neighborhood, they went north into what is now
called Jerseyfield in pursuit of Indians & Tories- they were out five or
six days- the Scout was commanded by Sergeant John Miller, his next service was
on a scouting party to Anderstown, about Six miles west of fort Herkimer &
about Sixteen miles west of Manheim, the Indians & Tories had burned
Anderstown a neighborhood on or near the Mohawk river, deponent was out at this
time about a fortnight, he was a part of the time at fort Herkimer which was
Commanded by Col. Bellinger- deponent has forgotten the season of the year in
which this service was rendered- deponent cannot recollect all the Scouts he
was out on but ordered to hold himself in readiness at all times, & was
called out quite often & was Some times out one day, sometimes two &
sometimes a week or more, sometimes work a few days & then obliged to run
to fort- deponent had his home alittle more than two years in Manheim
discharging the aforesaid duties when he was taken prisoner by the Indians- It
was the 2nd day of April but he cannot state the year- knocked one Indian down-
the deponent was taken prisoner of war- his _____ by two Indians, who
immediately commenced stripping him- deponent had a whip in his hand &
knocks down one of the Indians & the other raised his tomahawk to strike,
when deponent clinched him & threw him down & would have killed him
when, Capt. Sefrenus Casleman A tory came up & Said he would blow him
through if he did not desist- deponent was then forced to go with Casleman
& the Indians about three miles north where they found another party of
Indians & Tories, of about 60, & Several prisoners. They all started
immediately for Canada- Deponent was compelled to Carry a load of provisions,
as much as he could walk under, till it was consumed- the Indians gave him but
very little to eat, & he had to subsist on bark & twigs of trees- they
were five days in the woods when they came to a place called by the Indians
Carlton Island on which was a fort occupied by the British- when the Company
came near the fort the Indians & Tories formed two lines & deponent
& the other prisoners were compelled to run between them and each Indian
& Tory gave them a blow- deponent was knocked down twice & then his
master called out to the Indians & Tories not to kill him & he ran
through the line without much more injury- deponent was kept at Carlton Island
about three weeks & was then removed to Niagara where he Stayed till he was
exchanged, which was about three years from the time he was taken prisoner-
while at Niagara he saw Stephen Eysamler there who was also a prisoner-
deponent & other prisoners were exchanged at Saratoga to which place they
went under a British guard & deponent then returned to Manheim, during the
time deponent was a prisoner he Suffered great hardships for want of food &
Clothing- he was compelled to labor very hard & was often whipped &
abused- that deponent has resided in the said town of Manheim ever Since the
war- That he was born in Colerain in Massachusetts in the year 1763- That he
has no record of his age-That he lived at Colerain where he entered the service
first, then in Manheim in the State of New York he served in the militia- and
since the war he has continued to reside where he now does in Manheim- That he
was called into service first by enlistment & in the previous part of his
statement mentioned- and then he was in as a minute man in the militia- That he
can name as some of the regular officers who were with the troops where he
served, viz: General Schuyler; General Arnold- Major Coffin, General Herkimer,
Colonel Bellinger, Major Eysler, Colonel Cox- That he never received a
discharge in writing from the Army or service- That he is unable to obtain a
witness to state in detail his services tin the State of Massachusetts- as he
is poor & very infirmed & unable to go to that state & he has not
seen any of his company in that service in twenty years or more- that he
believes his name is on the roll of state troops or the continental troops at
the War department as he has been informed, but of this he is not certain- That
he is not able to obtain a witness to give detailed statement of his services
in the militia in Manheim, all of his company being dead, but he has the
affidait of Henry Ritter who was with him a part of the time, which are the
proff he is abel to make on that subject-
That he is known
to Henry Ritter, Peter Woolaver and William Feeter residing in his present
neighborhood & who can testify as to his character for truth & veracity
& their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution.
He hereby relinquishes any claim whatever to a pension or annunity
except the pursuit & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of
the agency of any State-
Sworn to &
subscribed the day of year aforesaid-
Julius C ____ Clerk his
Joseph X
Numan
Mark
Declaration to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress
pass July 4, 1836
State of New York
Oneida County:
On the 21st day of April A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty three personally
appeared before the Honorable Ralph McIntosh Special Surrogate in and for the
County aforesaid, David Newman a credible person aged 53 years, a resident of
Verona in the county and State of aforesaid, who is the child and one of the
legitimate heirs at law of Joseph Newman & Elizabeth Newman bothe deceased,
and who being duly sworn according to law make oath to the following
declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the 3rd section of the Act of
Congress passed July 4, 1836- That Joseph Newman his father was a resident of
the Town of Menham in Montgomery County & said State of New York when in
the latter part of the war of the Revolution or in the year of Our Lord 1779 or
early in the year of 1780 he enlisted into the military service of said war and
was at one time a guard of General Herkimer that early in the spring of 1780 he
was a private in the company commanded by John Kuff in a regiment of the New
York militia commanded by Colonel Jacob Klock and continued under said Klock in
said town of Menham when in the month of March or April at Menham aforesaid he
was taken prisoner by the Indians who were friendly to the British government
& was kept prisoner by the British for the full period of three years &
upwards until the close of the said war, when the government interceded and
obtained his freedom. That after he was
released as aforesaid he received from his said Colonel his pay as a private
for all the time he remained in captivity aforesaid at the rate of $6.66 per
month it being about $250., for the time he remained a prisoner aforesaid- That
he received an honorable discharge from Col. Klock which he kept in his
possession during his lifetime, that since his death this declarant is unable
to set forth what ever became of it, but he says it had been lost or destroyed-
This declarant
further says that his said Father died at Menham aforesaid in the said State of
New York on the 20th day of March in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and forty three (1843)- Elizabeth Newman the Mother of this declarant,
formerly Elizabeth Boyer to whom he was married it is supposed by the Rev.
Abraham Rosecrantz on the ___ day of ___1776 [no day or month written], before
he entered the serviced aforesaid, died at the town of Menham aforesaid
anterior to the death of his said father at Menham in said county of Herkimer
and said State of New York as will be seen by proof here unto annexed without
having applied for a pension on the arrears to which she was entitled as he
understood & believes true; That as husband and wife the said Joseph and
Elizabeth Newman raised a large family of Children, whose names were as
follows, to wit.
Nancy, John
Joseph, Robert, Stephen, Elizabeth, Mary and David Newman, of whom Joseph,
Robert, Stephen, Mary and David Newman this declarant are living and this
declarant now makes application for the arrears of pension due his said Father
and Mother as aforesaid for himself and the other children of the said Joseph
& Elizabeth Newman both deceased-
Sworn to and subscribed }
Before me this 21st day of April} David Newman
1853 Ralph
McIntosh} (L.
S.)
Special Surrogate}
State of New York
Oneida County:
I Ralph McIntosh
Special Surrogate of the County of Aforesaid in my capacity as said Surrogate
do hereby Certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings heard
before me as Surrogate aforesaid in the matter of the application of David
Newman for certain arrears of Pension, and I do hereby declare my opinion to be
that said David Newman is one of the lawful and legitimate heirs of Joseph and
Elizabeth Newman deceased & that said Joseph died on the 20th day of March
(1843) eighteen forty three-
In testimony
whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Surrogates
Court this 21st day of April A. D. 1853-
Ralph McIntosh
Special Surrogate
State of New York
County of Oneida;
Before me
personally came Conrad Boyea, a resident of the town of Siscox [Sauquoit] in
the county of Madison and state aforesaid. A credible witness aged 82 years and
Elizabeth Boyer a resident of the same place, a credible witness age 79 years
who being duly sworn doth depose and say, that they were formerly residents of
Menham in Herkimer County and State aforesaid, where they were well acquainted
with Joseph Newman, and his wife Elizabeth; that they lived together as husband
and wife a such were generally respected to be, and as they raised a family of
8 children, whose names were as follows, to wit, Nancy, John, Joseph; Robert,
Stephen, Elizabeth, Mary and David, all of whom these deponents were well
acquainted with. That David the above
named declarant is the lawful and legitimate son of said Joseph and of there
own knowledge; that he was born of Elizabeth when she and said Joseph lived
together as husband and wife, and that they claimed said child as there own
lawful and legitimate offspring. They
further depose and say that said Joseph was a private in Col. Jacob Klocks
Regiment of N. Y. Militia, and was a prisoner from the year 1780 to the close
of the Revolutionary War. That it was
generally respected in the town of Menham that said Joseph was a private in
Col. Klocks Regiment and that he was a prisoner to the end of the war as
aforesaid, and that said Joseph (the father of said David) informed these
deponents that he was such a prisoner and that his wages while he was a
prisoner amounted to about $250 or thereabouts, all of which these deponents
verily believes to be true, they further say that said Joseph Newman died on
the 20th day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
forty three. (1843) these deponents further say that they are informed and
verily believe that the only surviving children of said Joseph and Elizabeth
Newman are Joseph, Robert, Stephen, Mary and David which they verily believe
true- They further say that they are entirely disinterested in the application
of said David Newman for certain arrears of
Pension and further deponents say not-
Witness to Mark his
Ralph
McIntosh Conrad X
Boyea
mark
her
Elizabeth X
Boyer
Mark
Sworn to and subscribed before me the 21st day of April 1853
and I hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Conrad Boyea and Elizabeth
Boyer and their characters. That I
believe their affidavits is entitled to the fullest faith and credit.
Ralph McIntosh
Special Surrogate
We the undersigned do hereby certify that we are acquainted
with Conrad Boyea & Elizabeth Boyer & their characters that we believe
them entitled to the fullest faith and credit-
Dated Oneida Apl. 23 1853 Timothy ______