Pension Application

S.11933
Conn. & New York. Private, company commanded by Captain King, in the Regiment commanded by Col. Waterman.
State of New York
Columbia County SS.
            On this fifteenth day [of] August one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared before Walter Patterson a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Columbia & State of New York Benjamin Abbott, a resident of the town of New Lebanon in the County & State aforesaid 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 7th 1832.
            That he entered the service of the United Stated under the following named officers & served as herein stated viz—In the month of August 1779, his father Seth Abbott with whom the applicant then resided in the town of New Lebanon (then the town of Canaan) in the County of Columbia and State of New York was drafted as a militiaman and ordered to repair to Fishkill in said state—that he went as a substitute for his father—The captain of his company was Gideon King—the Lieutenant Allen and the Colonel of the regiment to which he was attached was Waterman—that he repaired to Fishkill in the said month of August (but on what day he does not remember) in company with the captain above nemed –the rest of the company had for some cause not more remembered—marched a few days previous—General VanRensselear commanded the Brigade to which his regiment belonged—he recollects that the adjutant of his regiment was named Penmoyer and the Quarter master Fisher and recollect also an officer there by the name of Essertyne who was a major—There were no regular troops at Fishkill at this time as he thinks nor did any incident of movement occur while he was in the service—that although his father for whom the applicant was a substitute was drafted for six months—yet in the month of December and before the six months had elapsed his regiment was discharged—but the applicant received no written discharge—immediately upon dismissal of the regiment the applicant returned home having been engaged in the service as aforesaid during the said tour four months & three weeks—
            That late in the summer of the year 1780—the precise time he cannot remember--& while he resided in New Lebanon aforesaid he was drafted as a militiaman and ordered to repair to Schenectady to repel an attack there apprehended from the British & Indians on the Mohawk—he marched with his company under Captain Gideon King with Lieutenant Baker & in the regiment commanded of New York Militia commanded by colonel Whiting whose Lieutenant Colonel was Waterman. They marched first to Troy & from thence to Schenectady where they arrived on the third day. After halting at Schenectady ten or twelve days they were ordered to March South Westerly into the wilderness and were about and were about [sic] some days in that direction in pursuit of the enemy and then returned to Schenectady—where after remaining some weeks, they returned home in the latter part of September—being dismissed but receiving no discharge in writing—That he was about and on duty during this tour about six weeks—he is confident it was more than five weeks—And the said applicant further declares that in the fall of the year 1781 and while he lived in New Lebanon aforesaid the militia in his neighbourhood were again ordered out to pursue the enemy which had again appeared in the neighbourhood of the Mohawk river—that in pursuance of the orders to that end he marched under the command of Captain Elisha Gilbert & Lieutenant Raseford of the New York Militia—the name of the colonel who commanded the regiment he has forgotten—to Albany & from thence up the river Mohawk as far as Stone Arabia—they did not meet with the enemy and recrossed the Mohawk as or near Stone Arabia & proceeded down the river & one the South side thereof as far as Schenectady where they were dismissed—having been absent and on duty about two weeks—he received no written discharge—and the said applicant further states that he was born in the year 1762 in the town of Cornwall in the county of Litchfield and state of Connecticut—That he had a record of his age which is now in possession of Rene his sister, the wife of Seth Abbott living in the town of Parstore, County of Chenango and State of New York—that he has no other record than the one last mentioned—Since the revolutionary war he has lived in the town of New Lebanon County of Columbia & State of New York where he now resides—that he does not recollect the names of any regular officers who were with the troops where he served—nor of any regiments continental or militia other than those already named—He further says that he is known to the Reverend Silas Churchill, Elam Tilden & John King who reside in the neighbourhood where the said applicant lives & who can testify to his character for truth and veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution—He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except eh present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. (Signed) Benjamin Abbott
            Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid. W. Patterson

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