PENSION: Henry Ryfenburg (RW); Granger; Columbia co., NY Submitted by Donald E. Lampson, May 4, 2001, 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/ *********************************************************************** Declaration In order it obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832, & July 7, 1838, or 3rd Section of Act of the 4th of July 1836. State of New York} }Ss.: Columbia County } On this 12th , February 1846, appeared before the Justices Court of the City of Hudson in said County of Columbia, the same being a Court of Record, applicant Peter Ryfenburgh, a resident of the City & county of Albany in said State, aged Fifty four 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, for the Revolutionary services of my father Henry Ryfenburg, deceased, & application is also made to obtain the benefit of the Act passed the 7th of July 1838, or 3rd Section of the Act of 1836. That my said father, said Henry Ryfenburgh, served in the War of the Revolution as stated by him in the annexed paper in the handwriting of Charles Esselstyne, as I verily believe. Viz. That in the year 1776, he served under Captain Henry Pulver six months, as stated by him in the said annexed paper, and that said Captain Henry Pulver is the same Henry Pulver which John J. Best served under in 1776 at the same time my father did. And I am informed & believe that the same 6 months or the greater part thereof was allowed when Christina Best, widow of said John J. Best, applied for a pension under the Act of 7 July 1838. And this applicant refers to the papers of said John J. Best on file at the ****** office. Declarent further says that his said father served in the Company with Peter Shaver , who he is informed drew a pension for three months service in Philip Smith's Company, & he refers to the statement of said Peter Shaver. My father states he served under Markus Blatner, but does not state how long. He also states service under Captain Tiel (Diel) Rockefeller, a part of which the Comptroller's Certificate to be annexed hereto, he is informed, will show. & he claims **** his father's service - 6 months under Pulver in 1776 & 3 months in 1777, & 3 months under Smith, & for the length of time the Comptroller's Certificate will show under Diel or Tiel Rockefeller. How long he served under Markus Blatner declarant cannot state. This is the oldest male of his father's family &he is authorized to make this declaration by his brother & sisters, who are the following, Adam Ryfenburg, Catharine Simmons, Margarte Coon, Hannah Coon, Betsey Coon, and who were all that were living at the decease of my said Father. My father died on the 10th day of January 1836. Declarant further says that his Mother survived his said Father and Died on the 28th November eighteen hundred & thirty nine. That her name was Hannah, & she remained the widow of his said Father until her death. That his Mother Hannah Ryfenburg was married to his said Father a short time before the War or during the War, & was certainly married before the 1794. There were children of my said father older than myself, viz. Catharine Simmons, Margart Coons & Hannah Coons. The evidence which will be annexed will show the time of their marriage. His /s/ Peter X Rivenburgh (sic.) Mark Subscribed & sworn before me This 12th February 1845. /s/Richard Carrigen, Justice of the Justices Court. ____________________________________________________________ Sworn notes of attorney Charles Esseltyne submitted in the application of the children of Henry Ryfenburg and his widow: Henry Ryfenburgh ****** ******* Ryfenfenburg: Was born in Livingston and Town of Clermont, lived with Henry Coon; lived with him till 21. Continued to live in Clermont till 30 years of age; moved thence into Taghkanic, then Granger. There has lived ever since; is about 88 years of age. Was christened in Domin Fox (?) church. Has a record of his age (there is then a calculation which is difficult to make out in terms of anything that makes sense.), was born as near as he can recollect. Did one tour with Capt. Henry Pulver , around 6 months . The Colonel was Peter Livingston. Sent his men to Peekskill 1776. Drick Johnsen (Jansen) was Lieutenant Colonel. Sam'l Ten Broeck was Major, in the Spring or Summer of 1776. Was again drawn to go to Peekskill for 6 months. ***** Spickerman **** * *** *** *********., *** & went down to Peekskill . Capt. was Philip Smith from Clermont ***** **** *****. Went through Fishfill. Was at Fort Montgomery & ***and ******* Kill. Saw Gen Clinton. Stood Guard. Three months in the fall of 1777. I went with Capt. Henry Pulver, he lived at Roelef Jansens Kill. Also served under **** Markis Blatner . Also did duty under Tiel Rockefeller. (About 12 illegible words); When he went **** for to join *** he was in Capt. Pulvers & when he toured for wagons. Then he was in Capt. Smiths; First was drawn(?) for a soldier **** *** ******* on horseback. Old Peter Livingston stood on the table and ordered the **** *** **** and then he would call out the name of the soldier who was to go; Sam'l Ten Broeck was there. Always as (at?) the open air on the flat ground *** **** ***** ******. The 2nd Draft took place at the ******* or at Drick Johnsens (Jansen's). The next draft took place at ****** *****. Stood Draft to go 6(?) months. This was in Henry Pulver's Company. When he had stood guard this Pulver was Capt. Also Co. ******* from ****** Point from Kingsvile to old *** ******. This draft was in the Summer of 1778. George Lasher was with this Deponent. Also John Smith of Clermont. Chst. Donnally was in the Company with the Deponent. Columbia County}Ss.: I, Cha'ls Esselstyen, hereby certify that the within statement was drawn up by me many years ago . I cannot state exactly but should say about the year Eighteen hundred and thirty two or three. My present information is that the Statement within was drawn up by me as Statement by Henry Ryfenburgh at that time. /s/ Cha'ls Esselstyne Sworn to & subscribed before me this 30th December 1845 by Charles Esselstyne who is a * ***** **** ****** /s/ Wheeler H. Clarke Commissioner of Deeds (Attorney Esselstyne's notes are impossible to make out at some points. They obviously were made by him to present a pension application. Henry's name is in the 1850 List of Suspended or Rejected Applications for insufficient proof of 6 months service. Unfortunately, it appears to be another of the 1832 Act pension application files that were lost.) _____________________________________________________________ (NOTE: The following letter to the Commissioner of Pensions by Wheeler H. Clarke, attorney for the children of Henry Ryfenburgh, is his attempt to make out Esselstyne's notes and tie them to other pension application statements. He becomes muddled in this attempt. Clarke did handle a great number of applications for the men or their widows in this area, including some in which Esselstyne had been unsuccessful in. The Rockefeller file indicates that he even had made a trip to Washington to inspect other pension files. His correspondence frequently is helpful, but not in this case. Attorney Esselstyne's notes do not mention Col. Hay, only Capt Pulver. The notes also mention "wagons" in connection with Capt. Pulver about three fourth of the way down in the notes However John J. Beat in his pension application says that he served under "Col. Hay, Capt Henry Pulver and Lieutenant John Stall for several months from the 1st of April 1777. Other pension flies & the minutes of the Albany Committee of Safety indicate that the service under Capt. Henry Pulver and Col. Hay was in 1777, not 1776, as mistakenly stated by Attorney Clarke. The Col. Hay was Lt. Col. Udney Hay, Deputy Quartermaster General, who kept the Continental Army under Gen. Schuuler and then Gen. Gates supplied during the time of Burgoyne's invasion and the Battles of Saratoga. Among other records, John J. Best's pension file shows that a number of the Livingston Militia were drafted in April 1777 as wagon drivers and guards, taking with them teams and wagons that were impressed for that service in Livingston Manor. The pension files of the men who drafted for service with the wagons in April 1777 show Henry Pulver as their Captain for the service. Attorney Clarke may have been confused by the indication towards the top of the notes that Ryfenburgh also served a tour in Capt. Pulver's Company in the Spring or Summer of 1776, the year before he served under Capt. Pulver And Lt. Col. Hay with the wagons. The key to Ryfenburg's service in 1777 in Esselstyne's notes appears to be the mention of service under Capt. Pulver and the word "wagons", then immediately followed by mention of service in Capt. Marcus Blatner's Company. The service under Pulver with wagons does tie to the Statement of John J. Best and others about the service from April 1777 for 5 months or so under Pulver and Deputy Quarter Master General, Lt. Col Hay. The following service under Capt.Marcus Blatner ties to Peter Shavers statement about the march to Bemis Heights in September 1777. Obviously, Ryfenburg saw a great deal of other service, which is more difficult to identify. It appears that most of the men with the wagons served from April 1777 for about five months or so until August or even later in September 1777. John J. Best was still with the Army when Gen, Gates assumed command in late August, and even when Gen. Schuyler had his crops destroyed so the British could not forage them. Peter Shaver's pension file, which Attorney Clarke also relies on, shows that he had returned from a month in Capt. John A. Fonda's Company with the Army facing Burgoyne around the beginning of September 1777. The very next day he marched back with the Company of Capt. Markus Blatner to the Continental Army, joining the Army at Bemis Heights. Since the only mention I have found of Capt. Marcus Blatner being in service with the Army is the single tour in the pension files of Peter Shaver and Henry Ryfenburgh it would appear that Ryfenburgh also returned to the Army at Bemis Heights in September 1777. This definitely places Ryferburgh at the Second Battle on Oct. 7th and possibly at the First Battle on Sept 19th. ) Also, various pension files indicate that after Burgoynes surrender part of the Militia in service marched south from Saratoga to Dutchess County because of the threat from the British Army from NY City. This could account for additional time in service in the Fall of 1777. The pension file of Diel Rockefeller shows that Clarke even made a trip to Washington to inspect the statements in then existing files.) Hudson, New York January 7th 1846 Sir, I enclose the Appl' (application) of Peter Ryfenburgh, one of the children of Henry Ryfenburgh. Henry Ryfenburgh died in 1836 & his widow died Nov. 29, 1839. Henry Ryfenburgh's last service was in Nov. 1779. The first child was born July 1779. Consequently, he served after he was married. In this case it is not very material. The statement in the hand writing of Mr. Esselstyne has been the guide in the making of this claim. The evidence is principally circumstantial, but the circumstances are nearly as strong as record proof. In that statement Henry Ryfenburgh says his first service was in 1776 - 6 months under Capt. Henry Pulver. No evidence that I know of can be found of this service. - John J. Best, a neighbor of Ryfenburgh describes this service the same way, & recently in Christina Best's case, who is john J. Best's widow, you allowed 5 months service in this tour. See John J. Best Papers. He was this Columbia County & was pensioned under Act of 1832, & Christina Best, his widow, under the Act of 1838. Pulver was Captain in 1776 (This tour was in 1777. See: Note above) under Col. Hay. See Mr. & Mrs. Best's papers & the circumstances showing that Col. Hay had a Regt. under his command from 1776 to 1777. I intend to show in this case in a few days a Certificate showing the service of this Col. A. Hawks Hay. (Attorney Clarke has the wrong Col. Hay. See the Note above.) You will find the Comptroller's Certificate in said Christina Best's case, to which I refer you for a full description of these 5 months service. This statement of Henry Ryfenburgh was made in 1832 or 1833 when no records of these facts were known to be in existence, & yet these two persons, Ryfenburgh & Best, state the facts alike & Hay is found in Command of a Regt. From 1776 to 1777 as they describe. After a full examination of Mr. & Mrs. Best's statement & the Certificate you will then find you will feel that there is no difficulty in allowing 5 months in this tour as you did in Mrs. Best's case. Col. A. Hawks Hay's services com'd (commenced) in March 1776& the months would end about the 1st August 1776. Then Ryfenburgh went to Fishkill 3 months under Captain Philip Smith. There was such a tour. See Peter Shaver's papers & his widow Barbara Shaver's papers. Shaver & widow lived in this County, & obtained pensions under the Acts of 1832 & 1838. (Actually, Shaver mentions 2 tours in Ranger Companies to Dutchess, but neither one was under Capt. Philip Smith. One was under Capt. Gaasbeck in 1776 ant the other was under Capt. John Shaver in 1777.) The 3 months in 1777 was when Burgoyne came down. This amount of service for the tour in 1777 has been allowed by you. See the papers in the case of Peter D. Rockefeller, only surviving child of Elizabeth Rockefeller's claim for the services of Captain Teil or Diel Rockefeller. See Abraham Gardner's application for the Services of John Shaver in Oct. of 1836, Mary Shaver widow of said John, making 11 months besides what is contained in the Comptroller's Certificate annexed, & also what he served under Marcus Blatner. It is claimed that he served 12 months in all, & which it is thought is not asking too much payable to 28th November 1839. But with respect to time of service, the claim ******* stated is respectfully submitted. It is a rule you have adopted, in some of the cases , that when a statement has been made at a time when records were not known to be in existence, to allow the services thus stated provided it coincides with the records since found. When there is a record & provided the the residue of the statement coincides with said item & other circumstances that the rule you adpoted in the case of the heirs of Jonathan W. Race & granted a certificate under date of 27th Dec. 1645, and you generally offered to adopt the same rule in Jeremiah Burgher's case. See your last letter to me in that case. For the 5 months under Pulver, see the papers of John J. Best. And see your letter to me in Christina Best's case dated August 23rd 1843. In the letter above mentioned you say among other things, as follows: "The testimony upon a very liberal estimate may be deemed sufficient for the following terms. Five months in 1776 in Hay's Regiment." Pulver's Company was in Hays Regiment in 1776. Mr. Ryfenburgh in the rough statement made, speaks of the Colonels of him of the Regts. To which he belonged, but not under & with whom he did this 5 months service in 1776. For the 3 months in Philip Smith's Company, see Peter Shaver's & widow Barbara Shaver's papers. Your letter to me dated 13th April 1839 in Barbara shaver's case says that "the evidence in that case shows that Peter Shaver was drafted in 1776 & served in ********** of that draft three months." The service in in 1777 was under Henry Pulver to meet Burgoyne estimated at 3 months by Mr. Ryfenburgh. You have in the cases of two officers of this Regt. allowed that they served 3 months & upwards, to which I have before referred. All is respectfully submitted to your decision Yours truly, /s/ Wheeler H. Clarke Hon. J. L. Edwards Com. _____________________________________________________________ -- Transcription & notes by D. E. Lampson.