PETER WOOLEVER PENSION APPLICATION, HERKIMER, NEW YORK

Copyright (c) 2001 by Stewart J. A. Woolever (sjaw@citlink.net).

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Pension Application of Peter Woolever
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NEW YORK - PETER WOOLEVER #24987
Herkimer Co., NY, who was a Corporal in the Regiment commanded by Col.
Billinger in the NY Troops for 10 mos. And 24 days. Inscribed on the Roll of
New York at the rate of $39.59 per year to commence 04 Mar 1831. Certificate
of pension issued 29 Mar 1834 and sent to G. H. Feeter, Little Falls, NY,
Herkimer Co., NY.


Arrears to the 04 Mar 1834 $118.77
Semi annual allowance 19.79
Total = $138.56

DECLARATION ORDER TO OBTAIN THE BENEFIT OF THE ACT OF CONGREFS PAFSED JUNE
7, 1832:
State of New York, Herkimer County, FS: On this 11th day of February in the
year 1833 personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court
of Common Pleas of the County of Herkimer now sitting, Peter Woolever, a
resident of the town of Manheim in the said County of Herkimer & state
aforesaid, aged 68 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 Congrefs pafsed June 7, 1832 -

That he was born in the year 1764 in then Arabia in the now County of
Montgomery, then County of Tryon on the 27th day of November, and that there
was a record of his age, but he has not seen it for many years & cannot now
tell where it may be found - That he entered into the service of the United
States, in the New York line of militia in the Spring of the year 1779 at
the Mohawk Castle in the now County of Herkimer -- The Captain of his
company was Joseph Dygert, the Lieutenant was John Weidecker and their
company belonged to a Regiment commanded by Colonel Peter Bellinger - He
(Woolever) was a corporal in his company -

The company marched to Fort Dayton, near where the village of Herkimer now
stands, and remained there for some time, as a guard and then were marched
to the fort at the Mohawk Castle to repair the same, and stand guard; and
Woolever & his company were ordered to stand in readinefs to march at a
moments warning, to the different forts & stations on the Mohawk River in
the County of Herkimer, by the Committee of Safety of that section, and they
did keep themselves in ridinefs, and were employed in different forts in
that section, and on scouts to different sections of the county, and they
spent much of this year at the house of Gen. Nicholas Herkimer on the Mohawk
and which was guarded and used in some respects as a fort at that time -

In the year 1780 he, in the same company and with the same officers, marched
to Stone Arabia in now Montgomery County, then Tryon County and there was a
fort there, and after they had been there as a guard for some time, but he
cannot say the length of time, the Indians, Tories & British attacked that
place - he believes it must have been in the month of October in the year
1780, and a severe battle was fought, in which Colonel Brown (?), an
American, and about 42 privates were killed - Colonel Brown commanded at
this fort and his force was something more than 100 men; the Americans were
compelled to retreat because General VanRefselare, who was expected to come
on with some militia from Schenectady did not arrive, and some people
suspected that he intentionally kept back -- The enemy were led on by Sir
John Johnson and Joseph Brant was there, and received a wound in his heel
and after this battle the enemy proceeded up the Mohawk towards Fort Plain
and Gen. Van Refselare after the battle proceeded to attack the enemy --

That he (Woolever) & his company remained at Stone Arabia most of the year
1780 and both before and after the battle he was sent out on scouting
parties very few days, and as a spy to bring intelligence of the operations
of the Indians and Tories and he was frequently sent, with a few others from
one fort to another, on the Mohawk for intelligence and as often as alarms
were raised of the approach of Indians and Tories - During the whole year of
1780 he was on duty as a soldier either as a guard, spy or one of a scouting
party - During the year 1781 he belonged to the same company and was
commanded by the same officers and was under orders to march at a moments
warning, and did keep himself in readinefs and was on duty at the different
forts in the county of Herkimer -

There was during this year, a skirmish at the house of Gen. Herkimer in
which Woolever took part - between some Indians and Tories and the garrison
at that place - During this year, he with others was ordered to drive some
fat cattle from Mohawk Castle to Fort Plain, by Col. Willet who was there -
This order he performed, but on his return, a party of Indians waylaid them,
and his oldest brother and his brother-in-law were killed, and another
brother in the same company was made a prisoner, but he (the applicant)
escaped with a severe wound in his leg thy and sholder, which disabled him
from doing duty about one year and until the enemy & Indians ceased to be
hostile and to commit depredations, which was in the last part of the year
1782 in this section of the country. Woolever belonged to the same company
and same officers and was under orders to march from fort to fort in the
County of Herkimer as a guard and spy and to go on scouts, but not battles
or skirmishes and said this year in which he took any part -

He was dismifsed in the fall at Fort Plains - He never received any written
discharge from the army nor did any of his company - That he has continued
to reside in the County of Herkimer ever since he left the service in the
Revolution and that according to his calculation he served two (three?)
years of active service in said war.

That he was born in Stone Arabia in the now County of Montgomery in the year
1764. That there was a record of his age, but it is lost and he now has
none. That he lived at Mohawk Castle in Herkimer County when he entered the
service and that ever since the Revolutionary War he has continued to reside
in Herkimer County in the town of Manheim and he now resides there. That he
entered the service in the Revolutionary War and was _____ into the New York
Line of Militia - That he knew the following regular officers who were with
the troops where he served - General Nicholas Herkimer, Colonel Willet -
Colonel Clyde - That he never received a discharge from the service in
writing and that he has the affidavits of John Woolever and Catharine
Woolever, who reside in the town of Lenox in the County of Madison - they
are aged, in ill health, and quite unable to attend court in the County at
this time as witnefses.

That he is acquainted with Henry Walrad and William Feeter residing near his
present neighborhood who can testify to his character for veracity, and to
their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution - and that there
is no clergyman in his neighborhood with whom he is acquainted and who can
certify to his character or services - That he hereby relinquishes every
claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares
that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state -
Signed: Peter Wolever

We, William Feeter and Henry T. Walrath of Little Falls in the County of
Herkimer hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Peter Woolaver who
has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration - that we believe him to
be 68 years of age and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood
where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur
in that opinion. Signed Wiliam Feeter and Henry T. Walrath

And the said court do hereby declare their opinion that after the
investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed
by the War Department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary War
soldier as he declares.


© 1997 Rachel Woolever Meyer & George Woliver, III