PENSION: Jacob Becker; formerly of Clermont, Columbia Co., NY

Submitted by Donald. E. Lampson, dlampson@earthlink.net.
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State of New York}    
County of Erie      }Ss.
City of Buffalo     }
     On this fifteenth day of September AD 1847 personally appeared in open
court before the Recorders Court of the City of Buffalo now sitting, Jacob
Becker, a resident of the Township of Walsingham in the the County of Norfolk,
Talbot District in the Province of Canada, that now aged Eighty six years the
twenty second day of May last according to his best recollection, 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 be reason of old age and consequent loss of memory he cannot swear
positively but according to his best recollection he was born on the twenty
second day of May 1760; that he was born in the then County of Albany in that
part thereof which has since been ***** into the County of Columbia in the
State of New York and he believes in that part of said County of Columbia
known as the Town of Clermont; that he has no record of his age; that a record
of his age was made in his father's family bible, but that the same is lost;
that he resided at the place of his birth when called into the Service of the
United States as hereinafter set forth; that he subsequently resided (***
three & a half illegible lines ***) hence in Canada West, where he has since
continued to reside; that he was drafted into the Service of the United States
for the term of nine months and served until he was duly discharged as
hereinafter mentioned; that he subsequently volunteered under Captain
Rockefeller as hereinafter particularly set forth in the same Regiment with
Capt. Smith under whom he served when he was drafted, as aforesaid.

     And this he declared on his oath aforesaid further declares that he
entered the Service of the United States and served as herein stated: 

He was first drafted into Capt. Philip Smith's Company subsequent to the
Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress and as he believes in
the year following, to wit the year 1777, and in the forepart of that year,
but by reason of of his age and impaired memory he cannot state precisely the
year or month in which he was drafted; that to the best of his recollection
the Regiment in which he served was commanded by Colonel Henry Livingston or
Colonel Van Rensselear: Bartel Henricks or Hendricks was Ensign in said
Captain Smith's Company and he thinks Frederick Meyer was Second Lieutenant in
said Company; he also recollects that John Meyer, Adam Minkler, Simon Barnett,
Philip More, Simon Coon, Henrick Lasher, Peter Sagendorf and several by the
name of that served in Captain Smith's Company; that when first drafted he
marched with Capt. Smith's Company to Greenbush which was the headquarters of
the Regiment, thence to the vicinity of Saratoga where he remained a few days,
but does not recollect the precise length of time; that from thence he marched
to Fort Stanwix where he was placed under the command of Captain (Ellsworth?)
who was stationed at Fort Stanwix; that while at Fort Stanwix volunteers were
called for to pursue Col. Butler who had been in the vicinity of said Fort and
that this Declarent volunteered under an Irish Officer whose name he does not 
now recollect; that Butler and his party were overtaken by the party with
which this Declarant volunteered; after a forced march of one day from that 
fort; the said Butler having two days the same distance; that the said Butler 
was overtaken on the bank of a creek which Declarent believes Woods Creek and
was killed by one of the American Indians in the engagement or skirmish which
*** took place; that Declarent returned with the party to Fort Stanwix where
he remained until discharged some time in the fall of the year; that the whole
time of his service from the time he was drafted as aforesaid and up to the
time of his discharge at Fort Stanwix was more than four months, but the
precise time he does not now recollect, but he declares that he served the
full period for which he was drafted; that after his return from Fort Stanwix
he remained under the command of this aforesaid Capt. Smith; that he (*** four
and a half illegible lines ***)

    Company to which he belonged was employed in this duty service for the
purpose of capturing officers or other persons who might be employed in
carrying communications between the British under General Burgoyne and the
(British?) at the south; that while under the Command of Captain Smith and
engaged in the last mentioned duty he volunteered under Captain Teal
Rockefeller of the same Regiment and was employed under him in guarding
Ammunition & Baggage Wagons from Albany to Schenectedy; that when he was
drafted as aforesaid he was drafted for the term of of nine months, the whole
of which time he served; and that he then after such time of service had
expired hired a substitute to do his duty as a militia man named Peter Huff,
who remained his said substitute during the war.  

     This Declarant further declares that during his term of service when
drafted he was not employed in any civil pursuit and he hereby relinquishes
every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except for the present and
declares his name is not on the pension roll of any agency of any State
whatever. 

     Declarent further states that he ***** his discharge which he received 
(*** about seven words illegible ***).
/s/ Jacob Becker
(Verification Illegible.)
[Note: Jacob Becker appears to be confused and has jumbled the time periods of
his service, and a part of his Declaration setting forth his service is
illegible. 

      Butler was caught and killed on October 30, 1781, not 1777. 

     The Sworn Statement of George B. Lasher below places Becker at Saratoga
in Capt. Smith's Company in 1777 during the Burgoyne Invasion in 1777.]
_____________________________________________________________
State of New York}   
                              }Ss.
Columbia County }
      George B. Lasher of the Town of Clermont in the County of Columbia
aforesaid being duly sworn says that he is eighty six years of age. That he is
acquainted with Jacob Becker who now resides as this deponent is informed and
believes in the Township of Walsingham in the County of Norfolk, in Canada
West, and that he knew him in the Revolutionary war.  That the said Jacob
Becker was born in what now is the Town of Clermont in the County of Columbia
aforesaid and resided there during the Revolution.  And this deponent further
says that in the year 1777 he together with others belonging to Captain Philip
Smith's Company ***** among them, the said Jacob Becker, were ordered to go to
Saratoga.  That they went *******to such orders.  This deponent went as a
Wagoner and the said Becker as a soldier in the ranks in the Company and under
the Command of the aforesaid Captain Smith.  That about ten days after they
reached Saratoga this deponent was discharged and returned home and that he
left said Becker there in service as a soldier.  And this deponent says that
he does not recollect or know how long the said Becker remained or was engaged
in that tour of Service.
                                                                              
His
/s/ George   X    B. Lasher
                                                                              
Mark


Subscribed & Sworn before 
me the 11th day of July 1847
and I certify that I know the 
said George B. Lasher & that
he is a credible person and his 
statement entitled to credit.                                              
/s/ Alexander Potts, Justice of the Peace. 
____________________________________________________________

State Of New York}   
                               }Ss.:   
Columbia County  } 
      George A. Sagendorf of the Town of Clermont in the County of Columbia
aforesaid being duly sworn says the he is in the eightieth year of his age.

That he is acquainted with Jacob Becker who formerly resided in the said Town
of Clermont and who now resides, as this deponent is informed and believes in
Walsingham Township, in Norfolk County, Canada West, and that he remembers him
during the Revolutionary War.

And this deponent further says that he, the said Becker, went at the time
during the Revolution (but at what particular time deponent does not
recollect) to the north, and deponent understood to Saratoga as a private in
the service of the United States under the command of Captain Philip Smith. 

And deponent further says that his father was Lieutenant in Captain Smith's 
Company at the time and went on the same tour of service and was absent in 
said service six months.

And deponent further says he saw nothing of the said Becker during that
period, but saw him afterwards & after the return of deponents father.

And deponent believes that the said Becker served as long as six months in 
that tour. 

/s/ George A. Sargendorph (sic.)
Subscribed & sworn before 
Me the 16th day of July
1847, and I certify that I 
know the said George A. Sargendorf and that he is a credible person and his
statement is entitled to credit.
/s/ Alexander Potts, Justice of the Peace 
Jacob Becker pension file. (10th Albany)