Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 12880, William Evans, Conn. New York
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At a
Court of Chancery held for the
State of New York at the Village
of Onondaga in the County of
Onondaga on the thirteenth day of
September one thousand Eight
hundred & thirty two
Daniel Moseley Vice Chancellor of the Seventh Circuit

Personally appeared
William Evans of the town & County of Onondaga, 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-
His age is Seventy two years. He was
born in the Town of Plainfield, Windham County
Connecticut. At the time of his birth a record of
his age was made in the family bible which
is now in his possession. At about the age of
two years, his father moved into the town of
Dover, Dutchess County, New York. He was living
at Stillwater, Saratoga County, New York when
he first joined the army. In the month of May
one thousand seven hundred & seventy seven, he
enlisted as a volunteer for one month in a
company commanded by Lieutenant Roe &
marched to Fort Edward & remained there a month -
He does not now recollect who commanded there - there
was no active service there at that time & nothing of
consequence happened. On his return home, he was
drafted, for two months, into a company commanded
by Capt Woodworth & Lieutenant Col was in the same
Company, in a Regiment then or afterwards
commanded by Col. Dickerson, the name of one
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of the drummer in the company was Woodworth
son of the Captain. They marched to Fort Edward &
from thence to Fort George on Lake George - they 
remained in garrison at Fort George about three weeks
when they retreated South to Fort Edward, having
blown up the magazine at Fort George - they then
marched to Fort Miller & remained there some days
While here they were considerably annoyed by the
Indians who succeeded in killing or carrying off
some of their sentries. Their next March was to
Saratoga. While there he was taken sick & was
obliged to return home after having served six
weeks out of the two months for which he was drafted.
While at Fort Edward, he recollects of having 
frequently seen Jenny McCrea who was afterwards
murdered by the Indians & who was to have been
married to a refugee officer in the British army
by the name of Jones
In the fall of 1777, he went to live at his
native place in Plainfield, Connecticut. In the
ensuing summer, in the month of June he enlisted for
two months as a substitute for one Leppenwell,
a Deacon, in a company the captain of which he
cannot now recollect. The only officer of the Regiment
whom he can now recollect was Major Backus. They
marched directly to Newhaven & in a few days they
marched to West Haven & from there to Providence in
Rhode Island, from Providence they crossed over
to the Island & went down to within about four or
five miles of Newport & there dug an entrenchment
about a mile long, & as he how thinks running
North & south. they were obliged to work in the
rights & in foggy weather, as the British were
posted on a hill to the west at a short distance.
& French Engineer came there to inspect the works
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they had several skirmishes with the British &
finally retreated to the North part of the Island -
Two British vessels had arrived near the place
where our army was about to cross & two Eighteen
pounders were brought to bear upon them &
caused so much damage that they were unable
to offer any resistance to our army in crossing.-
the British followed our army & placed their
Cannon on a hill not far from the American lines
& threw grape shot - the firing commenced about
noon or a little before & continued for some hours
when this Deponents Regiment & a considerable
body of men were marched forward towards the
British. Some considerable firing took place but
his Regiment was not engaged with the British. They
then marched back to their lines. In the night the whole
army crossed over to the main land. The retreat
was conducted in silence, & orders were given to the
file leaders to run every man through who should speak -
They then moved on to Providence & shortly afterwards
his term of service expired & he returned home 
In the winter of 1778 & 1779 he removed to the
the town of Nine partners in the County of Dutchess
New York & about the first of July in the ensuing
summer, he enlisted for three months as a substitute for one David Truesdale in Capt Chamberlain's company & in
Col. Dubois Regiment - The only officers whom he
can now recollect were Major Van[?] Scouter, Lieutenant
Charles Duel & orderly Sergeant Geo. Ostrander -
they marched first to West Point & from
there to Stoney Point & then
to Dobbs Ferry & there embarked for Albany & then
marched to Schenectady, - they next marched to
Stone Arabia in Montgomery County where they 
encamped for some time & frequently sent out scouting
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parties, Spies & A house was burned down about
four miles west of their encampment & the Regiment was immediately paraded, & one hundred men of whom this deponent was one were selected & marched over across the Mohawk River to the place & then returned to Fort Plain & remained there all night. The next morning they went down to the River & before they crossed they heard a firing in the encampment at Stone Arabia. As he afterwards learned, the British by means of a forged letter, had succeeded in drawing the army out (from
their encampment at Stone Arabia) into an 
ambuscade of British & Indians & Tories. The next
day the remnants of the army assembled near
Palatine Church & were reinforced by a detachment under Genl Van Rensalaer. The whole army was then divided into three parties, Col Dubois commanded the party on the left, Genl Van Rensalaer the center & Major Van Scouter the right. This deponent was under Major Van Scouter. They marched about three miles or more & came up with the enemy who had formed a line of battle. The parties on the left & center advanced in front but Major Van Scouter's party advanced under cover of a piece of woods. The enemy with the intention of surrounding our army detached a body of Indians through these woods who were surprised by Major Van Scouters party & instantly retreated, - the whole body of British & Indians then gave way & fled - our army returned to Palatine Church & encamped for the night & the next morning on returning to the field to take the spoils - they found nearly two hundred Dutchmen were already on the ground securing the plunder - Major Van Scouter observed that they were so fond of plunder, they should be put in the front of the army & did put them there,
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& kept them there until they arrived at Herkimer, - on
their march they took fourteen Tories.- they arrived at
Herkimer about Sundown & continued the pursuit the
next day & part of the day after without meeting the
enemy & then returned to Stone Arabia, & having buried
Col Brown with the honors of war, the Regiment was
dismissed & he returned to his home
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while living at Dover in Dutchess Co. New York,
in the fall of the same year, he enlisted for one
month as a substitute for a person whose name
he has forgotten. He has forgotten the names of
of the officers of the company or regiment - They marched to Fishkill where they remained until their term
of service expired - 
Since the war he has lived in the Town of
Salisbury in Conn, in Lanesborough in Mass.,
in Schaghticoke & Easton in New York & for about
the last twenty Eight years in the Town & County of Onodaga
He has no documentary evidence in his possession
of his services in the Revolutionary war & he
knows of no person whose testimony he can procure
who can testify to his service-
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever
to a pension or annuity except the present & declares
that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency
of any State

subscribed this
day of Sept 1832         William Evans
Before me Daniel Moseley
Circuit Judge &
Vice Chancellor
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