PENSION: Jacob Ford; Austerlitz, Columbia co., NY Submitted by Donald E. Lampson, (dlampson @ earthlink.net) ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** State of New York } }Ss.: County of Columbia} On this 25th day of August One thousand eight hundred and thirty two, Personally appeared in Open court before the justices of the Justices Court in the City of Hudson, now sitting, Jacob Ford, a resident of Austerlitz in the County of Columbia and State of New York, aged Eighty Eight 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. When and in what year were you born? -- Answer: I was born in the Town of Hebron, County of Hartford and State of Connecticut and on the 22nd day of April in the year 1744 old style. Have you any record of your age, and if so where is it? -- Answer: The record of my age is at home written in my Bible. It was written in my father's Bible and I transferred from his Bible to mine. --- Where were you living when called into Service, where have you lived since the revolutionary War and where do you now live? -- Answer: I resided on the same farm that I now live on when called into Service and have resided on the same farm ever since the first time. --- How were you called into Service, were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute, and if a Substitute for whom? -- Answer: I was called into the Service by order of my Superior Officers, Col. Peter Van Ness of the 9th Regiment of militia of foot in the County of Albany, and now Columbia. And served under him as first Major from the time I Rec'd my Commission to the Close of the War. --- State the names of some of the regular Officers who were with the troops where you served, such Continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your Service. -- Answer: I was called out by my Col. to perform duty in the Northern Campaign against the British troops under General Burgoyne, and was serving in that Campaign under Generals Schuyler and Gates till the Surrender of Burgoyne, and was there present when he did surrender; and further says he was out in that or the above Campaign from the best of his recollection four months or more. In that same time I had command of the troops and Barracks at the City of Albany about one month , all according to the best of his recollection. --- And further says in the year 1776 (1778 - 1776 is an obvious error by the Court. See the note below) he went under Col. Peter R. Livingston with the militia from his or this deponents regiment from home to Albany and from thence up the Mohawk river to Johnstown to defend the Inhabitants against the Indians and tories, and from Whence was sent to Cherry Valley to take charge of the troops that was there at that time, and remained in command until relieved by Col. Alden a Continental Col. according to the best of his recollection and then returned home, and was in Service at this time two months and a half or there about according to his best recollection. --- And further states that he was a member of a Court Martial in the year 1776 or 1777 (which year he does not recollect) which sat at the City of Albany for the trial of a man by the name of Husen for the Crime of High Treason. The Court after an adjournment met together and heard the ***** and found the man guilty of the Offence, and was executed. Further says that Col. Varick was Judge Advocate. Col. Whiting, Col. Waterman and Major Duglass (Douglass) was on the Court Martial, does not recall all the others, and Further Says was Several times out in defending the Inhabitants against the Torties. Took charge of seventeen Tories and commanded the guard, Carried them to Kingston (formerly Esopus) and there ****** them aboard a Sloop in the River, by whose order does not recollect. The last time I was in the Service on Court Martial and in defending the Inhabitants against the Tories and Indians cannot positively say, But agreeable to my beat recollection it was one month and a half or more. ------ Did you ever have a Commission and, if so. By whom was it signed and what has become of it? Answer: I rec'd a Majors Commission as stated before Dated October 20th 1775 from the Continental Congress (Sic. - Another error by the Court. The Commissions were issued by the Provincial Congress) and signed by Order of Nathanial Woodhull (Woodhull was then President of the NY Provincial Congress), President, and Rob't ******, Secretary. Recapitulating, the time he served his Country in the Revolutionary War amounts to Eight months or more. (s) Jacob Ford Sworn to and subscribed The day and year aforesaid. (s) Hiram Wilbur, Clerk __________________________________________________________________ (Note 1. Vol. III of The Public Paper of George Clinton, at pp. 513-514, 517- 518, 563, and 591-592 establish beyond doubt that the tour in which he served under Col. Peter R. Livingston was around the beginning the summer of 1778. That was the only tour served in the field by Col. Livingston. Note 2. The copy of Major Ford's commission below evidences that it was issued by the NY Provincial Congress, not by the Continental Congress. Note 3. A hand written note in this pension file indicates that Major Ford died on July 24, 1837.) __________________________________________________________________ State of New York } County of Columbia} Personally Came before me Anson Browen, one of the Justices of Peace of the Town of Austerlitz in Said County, Benjamin Doty of the Town of Austerlitz in the said County, who being duly sworn deposeth and saith, That he was well acquainted with Jacob Ford during the Revolutionary War, and has been ever since, and do say that he is a man of first Integrity; And that he served as a Major in the Regiment of militia commanded Col. Peter Van Ness in the New York line. That he, the said Ford, was in the Service of the Said State of New York with the militia more or less during the Revolutionary War, and he, the Said Doty, was in the Service under his command at various times, to wit; I went from home with the Said Ford about the middle of April 1777 under his command, and was out all summer with him. Served through the Northern Campaign under General Schuyler and general Gates till the surrender of Burgoyne and then returned home. And was several times from home under his command for the purpose of preventing the Tories from killing the Whigs and destroying their property. I further depose and say that I am 77 years of age and am sensible that my memory is not as good as it was once. In consequence of poor memory I cannot designate the precise day said Ford and myself went from home and the day I returned, But I am positive that the said Ford was out in the above Campaign the year Burgoyne was taken more than six months. His Benjamin X Doty mark The Subscriber do Certify that Benjamin Doty is a person of Credibility, and further say that He signed his name by making His mark, and made oath to the above affidavit before me. Subscribed and Sworn November 20th 1832 Before me. (s) Anson Browen, Justice Peace