JAMES WILSON, REV WAR PENSION APPLICATION, ONEIDA, NEW YORK Wilson, James: Continental (Conn) Number R 11,658. b. Middletown, Conn. Nov. 18, 1764, res. there at enl. In 1832 res. Whitestown, Oneida Co. N.Y. ----------------------------------------------------- This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Dorothy Clarke, on August 13, 1999. ----------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent. ----------------------------------------------------- [This is a transcription of the pages received from the National Archives] Cover - Wilson, James Continental (Conn) Number R 11,658 b. Middletown, Conn. Nov. 18, 1764, res. there at enl. In 1832 res. Whitestown, Oneida Co. N.Y. Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7 1832. State of New York, Oneida County. On this tenth day of September 1832 personally appeared in Open Court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Oneida of New York, now sitting, James Wilson a resident of the Town of Whitestown in the County of Oneida and State of New York aged sixty seven 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. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he was born at Middletown in the State of Connecticut on the 18th day of November 1764. That he has no record of his age. That he lived at Middletown aforesaid when he entered the service and continued to reside there until 1785 when he removed to the present Town of Whitestown where he as ever since and still resides. That in the spring or fore part of the summer of 1780 the month or the day of the month he cannot at this time recollect with any certainty he enlisted at Middletown aforesaid for the term of six months that the company was commanded by a Lieutenant but his name he cannot recollect. The ensign's name he cannot recollect but the orderly sergeant's name was Bowman. That he belonged to Colonel Samuel B. Webb's Regiment and Col. Huntington was the Lieutenant Colonel and Major Wyllis who signed the foregoing discharge was the Major, being the 9th Connecticut regiment. That he marched to Princeton, New Jersey and to different parts of New Jersey. That he was a short time at Kings Ferry and a part of the time at Dobbs Ferry. He marched to West Point and was under the command of General Greene, that he was there honorably discharged on the 5th December 1780 at the highlands having served the full period of his enlistment, viz six months, and received a written discharge on the above date signed by John R. Wyllys, Major, who commanded the regiment which said discharge is hereto annexed, marked and which has been in my possession ever since. That he was afterwards in the service one month after his term of six months had expired, and immediately thereafter in the same company and regiment as a substitute for one Moses Hatch who was the drummer of the company and received no written discharge for that term and then returned to Middletown in the Winter. That he does not recollect any regular officers and regiments with whom he served other than as above stated. That the whole time he was in the service was seven months. That he has no documentary evidence of his services except the above discharge. That he knows of no persons whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service except his brother John Wilson of Whitestown aforesaid and Roswell Goodrich of Whitestown aforesaid and a man by the name of Deman or Deming who he believes is living in the town of Trenton, Oneida County, New York, but whose given name he does not recollect. The above witnesses know something of his service. That the names of persons to whom he is known in his present neighborhood who can testify to his character and veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution are as follows viz: Rev John Frost, Pastor of the Presbyterian church of Whiteboro, Judge Needham Maynard of New Hartford, Farmer Lewis Berry Innkeeper, Jeremiah Powell, farmer, Gen Fortune C. White, Counsellor at Law. 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, James Wilson Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid, George Brown Clerk. ************************* We John Frost, clergyman, residing in the town of Whitestown, County of Oneida and State of New York, and Needham Maynard residing in New Hartford same county, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with James Wilson who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be about sixty seven years of age, 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 and that he is a man of truth. Signed, John Frost, Clergyman, Needham Maynard Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid Joseph B. Read, Deputy Clerk. And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting (?) the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states, and the Court further certifies that it appears to them that John Frost who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the Town of Whitestown aforesaid and that Needham Maynard who has also signed the same is a resident in the same place and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit. By the court, C. Hayden, first Judge. ************************* I George Brown, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Oneida do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of James Wilson for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this tenth day of September A D 1832. George Brown, clerk. ************************* State of New York, Oneida County. John Wilson of Whitestown County aforesaid of the age of eighty one years being duly sworn says that he is a brother of the above names James Wilson and has heard the foregoing declaration read and knows the contents thereof, that the said James Wilson enlisted in Colonel Webb's regiment as a private soldier at Middletown State of Connecticut for the term of six months. That the said James went into the service in pursuance of such enlistment and was absent that time that this deponent went after the said James at the time of the expiration of his enlistment to the Highlands in the State of New York and found the said James there in the service and this deponent said with him until he was discharged at that place, when the said James returned to Middletown with this deponent having been in the service the term of six months, this deponent then understood he received a written discharge and believes this deponent then saw it, although at this distance of time he cannot be entirely positive about it, and this deponent always understood and believed and still believes and has no doubt but that the annexed discharge is the one the said James received at the time he was discharged, that while the said James was gone and in the service as aforesaid, this deponent heard from him several times and sent to him on his post. That this deponent well recollects that the said James went into the service as a substitute for one Moses Hatch and was in the service one month which was immediately after the expiration of his six months enlistment, that this deponent was well acquainted with the said Moses Hatch and he lived in the adjoining town. That the said James lived with this regiment at the times above mentioned and this deponent knows that the said James was in the actual service of the United States and full term of seven months, so far as he can know the same without being in actual service with him and further saith not. Dated 9 October 1832. Signed, John Willson Sworn this 9th day of October 1832 before me and I certify that the said John Wilson is well known to me and is a man of truth. Erastus Willard. (----) State of New York Clerk's Office, Oneida County for: I George Brown, Clerk of the said County do hereby certify that Erastus Willard Esq. before whom the within affidavit of John Willson purports to have been sworn was at the date of the same a commissioner of deeds etc in and for the said County duly commissioned and authorized by law to take affidavits and that I am well acquainted with his handwriting and verily believe the signature "Erastus Willard" subscribed to said affidavit to be genuine. Witness my hand and seal of office at Utica in said County this ninth day of October 1832. George Brown, Clerk; Joseph P. Read, Dep. Clk. ************************* State of New York Oneida County: Tamson Roberts of the Town of Whitestown Oneida County aforesaid being duly sworn deposed and saith that she is well acquainted with James Wilson the applicant for a pension named in the foregoing papers. That he is her stepfather having married her mother. That she has lived in his family upwards of thirty years that she frequently heard it mentioned in the family both by him and other members of it that he was a soldier in the War of the Revolution and that it was said he was in New Jersey and in West Point and she recollects also that it was said and understood that he had his discharge and she has frequently seen it and knows it to be the hereto annexed marked "A". That she recollects to have seen it more than twenty years since in the chest where it was kept. That she knows his age as he was always reputed to be and that he was sixty eight years of age in November last and she has no doubt but he is the James Wilson described in the said discharge. Signed Tamson Roberts Subscribed and sworn before me this 28 day of May 1833 and I certify that the said Tamson Roberts is well known to me and is a person of truth and veracity. (Signature not on page) ************************* State of New York, County of Oneida: Roswell Goodrich of Whitestown Oneida County being duly sworn says that he is of the age of seventy seven years and was a soldier in the War of the Revolution and receives a pension. That he is well acquainted with James Wilson the applicant for a pension named in the annexed papers, that he has been acquainted with him ever since the said James was a boy and they then lived in Middletown State of Connecticut. That this deponent married a sister of the said James who is now deceased. That this deponent never saw said James while in the service because he this deponent was himself absent in the service at the time said James was said to be gone in the service, but this deponent understood at the time that said James was in the service as a soldier and that he went as a substitute for his brother John Wilson. That it was then talked of in the family and neighborhood and generally understood and believed and this deponent then and still believes he has no doubt whatever but that he was in the service at the time and in the manner he has stated in his declaration. That he also recollects that it was said in the family and by the sister of the said James who was the wife of this deponent that he had his discharge and has no doubt but the one hereto annexed is the one he received at the time it bears date. Valid 28 March 1835). Signed Roswell Goodrich ...known this 28 May 1833 before me and I certify that the said Roswell Goodrich is well known to me and is a man of truth. Uriah Stevens, Justice of the Peace. ************************* State of New York, Oneida County. Sylvester Goodrich of the Town of Whitestown Oneida County aforesaid being duly sworn says that he is of the age of thirty nine years and resides in Whitestown and has always resided there. That he is a nephew of James Wilson the applicant named in the annexed Pension Papers. That his mother who is now deceased was the sister of said James Wilson and that he has always resided in the Neighborhood with him and been intimate in the family. That he frequently heard it said by his mother and the said James and the family and always understood that he was a soldier in the War of the Revolution. That it was said he was at New Jersey and at West Point and that he went as a substitute for John Wilson his brother and this deponent has frequently heard it said in the family and he thinks as much as twenty years since that said James had his discharge and this deponent believes and has no doubt but that the one annexed marked "A" is the one always spoken of nor has he any doubt but what was always said by his mother and his two uncles and always understood in the family but that he was in the service as he has stated in his declaration. Signed Sylvester Goodrich. Subscribed and sworn before me this 28 May 1833 and I certify that said Sylvester Goodrich is well known to me and is a man of truth and veracity. Uriah Stevens, Justice of the Peace. ****************************** The pension application was rejected, as his records showed only four and one half months service, and six months was required for a pension. His son Julius recounts this anecdote about James Wilson's service: "James Wilson was a sixteen year old boy who carried a musket in the Revolutionary War. He complained of the leg-ache once, and his comrades weighed his gun, knapsack, etc., and found they weighed more than he did." (Clayton Co. Iowa history).