Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for William Anderson

R.188
(Widow: Isabella Newkirk, maiden name.)
State of New York
Sullivan County SS
            On this 27 day of July 1839, personally appeared before me, the undersigned one of the Judges of the Court of common Pleas in and for the aforesaid County of Sullivan in said State the widow Isabella Anderson widow of William Anderson, now deceased a late resident of the Town of Mamakating in the aforesaid County and State aged 73 years who being duly sworn by me according to law and doth on her oath make the following deposition in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 7th 1838 Entitled “An act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows that she is the widow of William Anderson deceased who was a soldier in the War of the Revolution and that she has often in the life time of her said husband the aforesaid Wm. Anderson heard him speak of his services in the War of the Revolution and tell of being out in the year of 1775 at Fort Constitution under Capt. Peter Hill and that he served five or six months as a minit [Minute] man in said service and that in the year of 1776 at the White Plains and on the Western frontier & under Capt. William Gross and other officers but will [?] their names.  She does not recollect and that in the year of 1777 and 1778 & 1779 was out under Capt. William Gross on the western frontiers in Ulster County in Cornel [Colonel] Contines? Regiment of Malitia [Militia] to guard the inhabitants against the Indians but she cannot [recall] the length of time that her husband served under the afore said Wm Cross but that she well Recollects of hearing her husband tell of his services and that he was a Sargeant part of the time during said war and that she has often in their life time of her said husband the aforesaid William Anderson herd him tell the names of several other officers that he had served under and that he had serviced three years or more during said war but on the account of her age, length of time and loss of memory, she cannot state the names of all the deponent officers which she has heard her said husband tell of being out under in said service and that she has no documentary evidence in her possession to prove the services of her said husband and she must rely on the records in the department of the Secretary of War and the proof of what even living witnesses she may be able to procure to support her said husbands services.  She further declares that she was married to the said William Anderson on the first day of September, seventeen hundred and eighty one and by the Reverend Mr. Clark in the Town of Walkill in the County of Orange in said State that her husband the aforesaid William Anderson died on the 4th day of August in the year of 1824 and that she was not married to him prior to his serving the services but that the marriage took place previous to the first of January seventeen hundred and ninety four viz at the time above stated and that she had not intermarried since the death of her said husband but remained his widow ever since, his death which will more fully appear in reference to the proof hereunto annexed and she further states that the [?] leaf is correct record of her family and taken from her family Bible.  (Signed)  Isabella Anderson
Pension Office, April 18, 1840
Sir,
            The papers of Mrs. Isabella Anderson widow of William Anderson, have been examined and filed.  It is alleged that the claimant’s husband served under Capt. William Cross at White Plains in 1776; and that he continued in the service under Cap. Cross from 1777 till 1779.  There is no evidence in this office that either Capt. Peter Hill or Capt. Cross was in this service described in 1775 or 1776.  If the claimant’s husband served under Capt. Cross from 1776 to 1779, unless under a draft, he could not have been engaged long enough during that time to entitle him to a pension.  The proof in relation to the date of the marriage is insufficient.  The date in the family record appears to have been altered; and the ages of the witness William Anderson, one of the claimant’s children, as stated in his affidavit and the record do not correspond.
            By the certificate of the Comptroller of New York it would appear that a Private of the name of William Anderson served 9 days under Capt. W. Martus, Col. Killian Rensselaer in 1779.  The claimants husband resided in what was at that period the county of orange, and belonged to a company of militia in what is now the Town of Mamakating.  Capt. W. Master’s? commanded a conspiracy of militia on the Mohawk River in what is not the Town of Charlton.  The residence therefore of the claimants husband and the private in Capt. W. Master’s company were at least 150 miles apart.  Therefore no reason can be imagined for offering the comptroller’s certificate as evidence on this case.
            I have the honor to be very respectfully Your Obed Servt.  J. L. Edwards.

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