Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File [ILLEGIBLE], [ILLEGIBLE] [ILLEGIBLE], New York
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New York.
Van Benschoten, Elias
S. [11593]
carded

CONTENTS  [none]
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[20523]
New York
Elias Van Benschoten
New York in the State of New York
He was a private in the Comp. [company] [?]
of Captain Dubois of the Regt. [regiment] [?]
of Col. [Colonel] Van Gansevoort in the N. York for 18 Mch [March]

Inscribed on the Roll of New York at the rate of 60 Dollars Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 19 day of Sep.
1832 and sent to C. Nagle New York

Arrears to the 4th of Sep. '23 
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Mar '26
$150
30
$180

Revolutionary Claim,
[for] June 7, 1832
Recorded by Go. [George] C. Stiles Clerk
Book E, Vol. 4, Page 84

order to pay 26 Sept. 1836--
Paid at the Treasury under
Act of April 6th 1838 from 4
Sept 1840 to 24th Jun. 1841
Agt [agent] notified June 6th 1842

1885 Dec 4 S. Van Benschoton to State
what use will be made of the information he
wishes to be furnished
1885 Dec 11. S. Van Benschoten with
history as requested
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P. A. [Metts]
of
Elias Van Benschoten

26297
On Rolls  -  4 Regt [regiment]
5 May [17]78. (9 mo. [months]) 5 Feby [February]  [17]79

Undefined terms of service disallowed

Adm'd
18 Mo. pre
60$
C. Nagle
N.York
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Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the 
act of Congress Passed June 7th 1832

State of New York
City and County of New York } ss

On the Fifteenth day of July AD 1833 Personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable the Justices of the Marine Court now sitting Elias Van Benschoten a resident of the City County & State of Newyork [New York] aged eighty two years and upwards, 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

That he was born in the Township of Poughkeepsie, County of Dutchess on the fourteenth day of July AD 1751 but has no record of his age now in his possession & that he entered into the services of the United States under the following named officers & served as hereafter stated (To wit)

Some time in the spring of the year 1775 (the particular day or month he does not now recollect) while residing at the place last mentioned he enlisted as a private in a company commanded by Captain Louis Dubois of the same place for the Term of six months
(Elias Van Benschoten also of the same place
(& deponents cousin) was the first
Lieutenant & Henry Dubois, Brother to the
Captain as deponent thinks, was second
Lieutenant. Soon after his enlistment he went 
with the company to Albany in the same state
where they encamped for a few days.
This place of encamping was called the [Patroon] Ground.  There were other companies encamped there at the same time, his particular officers he does not now
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distinctly recollect but think they were commanded by Colonel Van Schaick of the same
state.  Deponent & his company went from 
that place to Fort George & after two or 
three days crossed over to Ticonderoga
all in the same state where the company
went into Barracks for about six weeks.
There were other Troops at Ticonderoga
and General Gansevoort was also stationed
there but deponent does not recollect who
was the commanding officer at that fort.  
This was in the fall.  Deponent & his own company under the command of the same Colonel & other officers left Ticonderoga and went to St Johns on Lake Champlain in
Batteaux stopping on the way a few hours at Isle Aux Noix; at St Johns General Montgomery commanded the American Army. Deponent's Company was attached to Colonel Van Cortland's Regiment, Colonel Van Schaick also commanded a Regiment at the same place. Deponent does not recollect the names of any other officers.  The Adjutant of his Regiment was a Frenchman.  Deponent was present at the whole siege of St John's untill the British Garrison surrendered to Montgomery & was constantly engaged on duty. A few days after the Capture of the British, the American Troops principally left the place and went to the La Prairie on the River St Lawrence on the American shore. Deponent & his company under Colonel Van Cortland were billeted upon the inhabitants at this place for a few days; while here deponent was one of a party
sent from the American Army to take possession of a place called Long Gate [a reference to the approach to Montreal; called the Battle of Longue Pointe or Long Point] opposite to Montreal to annoy the
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British while there the British & Indians
made an attack upon them but were repelled with considerable loss. The American
party lost but a few men & immediately
returned to La Prairie & next day the
American Army took possession of Montreal
without any loss. Montgomery commanded
also at Montreal; after a few days then the army left Montreal for Quebec. Deponent's officers under whom he had served
since his enlistment consisting of Montgomery,
Colonel Van Cortland, Captain Dubois
& Lieutenants Van Benschoten & Dubois &
other officers left Montreal leaving deponent
at that place to take care of Major
Henry Livingston who was confined by
sickness at Montreal. While at Montreal
deponent's term of enlistment expired which
was a few days before the attack upon
Quebec.  Deponent received no written discharge & returned soon after to his native place.

Deponent some time in the spring or summer of 1776 the day or month he does not more distinctly recollect while residing at his native place Poughkeepsie again enlisted as a private
in a company raised at Poughkeepsie commanded by Captain Davis for the Term of
five months. Peter Van Benschoten was the
first & Abraham Hyatt the second lieutenant, Captain Davis marched his company to Berran's Hill in the County of Westchester
& within about fifteen miles of the City of
New York which was the first place where
deponent & his company encamped after leaving Poughkeepsie.  Captain Bernardus
Swartwout also from Dutchess County with
his company encamped at the same place
continued at that place untill the enemy
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Deponent's duties were various, during these
duties deponent became acquainted with
Major Nicholas Fish of the City of Newyork; from Peekskill Captain Davis marched his company back to Poughkeepsie where Deponent's time of enlistment expired. Deponent recd no written discharge.

While residing at this last mentioned place the day month or year he cannot distinctly recollect but thinks it was in 1777 he again entered into the army by enlisting as a private for the term of three months into a
company commanded by Captain Hill; James
Sleight was first and Abraham Lent
Second Lieutenant this company soon after
deponent's enlistment marched to the Highlands (so called) in the same County (now called Putnam County) Deponent & his company repaired a Temporary Fortification called Fort Constitution continued at this place until the expiration of the time for which they enlisted (Captain Hill commanded at this Post);  Captain Hill gave deponent a written discharge which is now lost. Deponent again returned to
Poughkeepsie.

Some time in the winter of 1777 or early in the spring of 1778 the particular day month or year he cannot distinctly recollect
Deponent while residing at Fishkill in the
County of Dutchess & State of New York again
entered into the service of the United States
by enlisting for nine months under Lieutenant
Peter Van Benschoten who was also a Lieutenant under Capt [illegible] Davis; as before stated, Lieutenant Van Benschoten was authorized to raise
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recruits for our army then lying at Valley
Forge.  Lieutenant Peter Van Benschoten  conducted deponent & other recruits to Valley
Forge where General Washington commanded. 
Deponent was encamped at this place
under the said Van Benschoten's command; the Regiment to which deponent was attached was commanded either by Colonel Van Cortland or Colonel Weisenvelt [Weissenfels]; deponent does not now distinctly recollect which Regiment made a part of General Poors Brigade while at Valley Forge & before the Battle of Monmouth, deponent was selected to compose one of the advanced guard.  After the organization of the advanced guard, deponent left the encampment for Monmouth in the State of New Jersey. Deponent was constantly engaged in action at Monmouth from morning untill night, being so much exhausted as to be unable to keep with his company who suffered his lost untill he rejoined them the next morning.  [Major General Charles] Lee commanded deponents detachment as he thinks in the early part the action.  Deponent the next morning went with the army in pursuit of the enemy & continued the [hard?] untill he arrived at New Brunswick; from New Brunswick the Army took a course North & crossed over into the State of
New York at Verplanck's Point on the New York
side of the river under Colonel Van Cortland
as deponent thinks. Deponent & his company 
went next to a place called Frederick Town
in Dutchess (now Putnam) County; went next to Fishkill before spoken of & from there to
Albany, then to Schenectady, then to Johnson's Hall next to a place called Stone Robby [Stone Arabia] & as deponent believes is the County
of Herkimer; from there to Canajoharie where deponent & his company were billetted upon the inhabitants, while at this last place deponent & his company were en [engaged]
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engaged in erecting a temporary Fort for the
protection of the women & children from the
Indians.  While at this last place deponents
time of enlistment expired. Deponent obtained
no written discharge and returned to his native
place Poughkeepsie in the County of Dutchess & State of New York.

Deponent further saith that in addition to the Twenty three months as before stated he on a variety of occasions perhaps fifteen times was at different periods of the war when not employed as before stated engaged is what was then called Tory hunting which was for a few persons to assemble together & under the command of a Lieutenant or some other officer not then in regular duty to go in search of persons who were attached to the interest of the enemy & capture & make prisoners of them.  These excursions lasted for one to seven days & deponent was on this kind of duty serving the cause of his county at least one or two months in all, perhaps more.

Deponent says that the above period of his service are correctly stated that, that by reason of old age & loss of memory, he cannot swear more positively to the dates & nature of his service that he has done but they are correctly stated according to the best of his present recollection which has been much in [pain] for a few years past

Deponent says that the Troops with which he served in manner aforesaid (except the Tory Hunting Parties) were called State Troops or militia; he does not distinctly recollect and state the officers in addition to those before mentioned whom deponent knew were Generals Washington, Poor, Sullivan, Sterling [Stirling], Mortgomery, Lee, Arnold, Colonels Willett, Van Cortland, Wiesenvelt [Weissenfels], Major Fish, Colonel Van Schaick.
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& others all in most of whom he
believes belonged to the Regulars.

Deponent says that from the great lapse of time he is now unable to obtain any of the evidence of his services than that hereto annexed, having no documentary evidence of any nature or kind whatever

Deponent for the last fifteen years has resided in the City & State of New York & 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
[signed with] his X mark
Elias Van Benschoten

Sworn to & subscribed in open Court this 15th day of July AD 1833
John Barberie, Clerk,

City & State of New York 
Benjamin Westervelt of the above place being duly sworn says that at the commencement of the Revolutionary war & for many years after he resided at Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County & has known the aforesaid Elias Van Benschoten from his youth, knows that he enlisted at Poughkeepsie under Captain Dubois & Lieut [lieutenant] Elias Van Benschoten the first campaign in 1775, saw him while the company were at Poughkeepsie after the enlistment & knows that he went to the North with the army & was absent for several months when he returned to Poughkeepsie, having served out his full term of six months as deponent always understood & believes. Deponent also knows that he was absent with the army during the Campaign in which the Battle of Monmouth was fought. Deponent has always understood & believes that he served is the Campaigns as set forth by the said applicant & that he has no doubt of the truth of his statement
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& deposition.  Deponent has for some
time past also resided in the City of
New York & says that Elias Van Benschoten
now in Court is the person who served as
he states.
[signed] Benjamin Westervelt

Sworn to & subscribed in open Court this
15th day of July AD 1833
John Barberie, Clerk

City & State of New York 
Cornelius Westervelt of the above place being duly sworn doth depose & say that he is the brother of the above Benjamin Westervelt that he knows all the facts as set forth by the said Benjamin and that he knows Elias Van Benschoten & of his entering the Revolutionary service at Poughkeepsie under Captain Louis Dubois & Lieutenant Peter Van Benschoten.  And that he also saw him after his enlistment under different officers at different times, the particulars of which deponent does not now recollect so distinctly as to be able to make oath of said services
[signed] Cornelius Westervelt

Sworn to and subscribed in open Court this 15th day of July 1833
John Barberie, Clerk

City & State of New York
We Cornelius Nagle and Cornelius Van Benschoten reside in the City & State of New York certify that we are well acquainted with Elias Van Benschoten who has sworn to & subscribed the foregoing declaration, that we believe him to be eighty two years of age & upwards, that he is reputed & believed in the Neighborhood where he now resides
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have been a soldier of the Revolution
& that we concur in that opinion
[signed:] Cornelius Nagle
C Van Benschoten

Affirmed to & subscribed in open Court this
15th day of July AD 1833
John Barberie, Clerk

And the Court do hereby declare their opinion
after the investigation of the matter and
after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the before named Elias Van Benschoten was a Revolutionary soldier & served as he states and the Court for this certifies that it appears to them that Cornelius Nagle & Cornelius Van Benschoten who have signed the preceding certificate are
residents of the City & State of New York and
are credible persons & that their statement is
entitled to credit. The Court for this Certifies that they are satisfied that there is no Clergyman who can at present be obtained to whom the applicant is sufficiently known to be joined in the preceding certificate
By the Court
John Barberie, Clerk

I, John Barberie, Clerk of the Marine Court of the City of New York do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original
proceedings of the said Court in the Matter of the application of Elias Van Benschoten for a Pension
In Witness whereof I have hereunto affixed the
Seal of the said Marine Court this fifteenth
day of July One thousand eight hundred and
thirty three -
[signed] John Barberie

[official seal affixed bottom left corner]
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TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
SECOND COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE,
May 23d 1842

Sir:
Under the date of the 6th of April, 1838, entitled "An act directing
the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury of the United States,"
The child of Elias Van Benschoten,
deceased, late
a Pensioner on the Roll of the New York City
Agency, at the rate of Sixty Dollars and [blank] 
Cents per annum, under the law of the 7th June 1832, has been paid at this Department, from the
4th of Sept. 1840, to the 24th Jany [abbreviation for January] 1841 -
Respectfully, yours,
Albion K. Parris
CAMPTROLLER.

To the COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS,
Present.
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[In separate box at top left hand corner:]
This Bureau can furnish the military
record of only such Revolutionary soldiers 
as were pensioned or whose widows were
pensioned for their services.

Such of the original muster and pay rolls of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 as are now in the possession of the Government are on file in the Record and Pension Office, War Department.  Original rolls and other records pertaining to service in the Revolutionary War may also be found on file in the archives of many original States.
[end box]

[upper right hand corner:]
L. W. B.
I. 11593.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS.
WASHINGTON, D. C.,
July 22nd, 1898.

O. W. & N. DIV.
REVOLUTIONARY.

Sir:-
Replying to your recent communication you are advised that Elias Van Benschoten made an application for pension on June 15th, 1833, at
which time he was 82 years of age and residing at New York City, N. Y., and his pension was allowed for eighteen months' actual service as a
private in the New York troops, Revolutionary war; a part of the time he served under Capt. Dubois and Col. VanGansevoort. He enlisted at
Poughkeepsie, N. Y.

Very respectfully,
Commissioner.  [not signed]

Mr. W. H. VanBenschoten,
West Park, New York.
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[written in top left corner:]
Revolutionary

11593
INVALID.

File No. 11,593
Elias Van Benschoten
Priv [private]  Rev War [Revolutionary War] 

Act: June 1" 1832
Index:  Vol.  A, Page 888

{Arrangement of 1870.}

July 22 '98 [1898]
W H Van Benschoten
West Park, N.Y.

Aug 17 '98
To above.
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West Park, N.Y.
July 30th 1898
Hon H. Clay Evans
Commissioner of Pensions,
Sir:--
I have to thank
you for a communication
as to a pension granted
an Elias Van Benschoten
soldier in the Revolutionary
War.

Will you kindly inform
me if any other of the
name Van Benschoten, Van
Bunschoten, or simply
Benschoten or Bunschoten
were in receipt of pensions,
for some 15 or 16 of the
family served in the Revolutionary 
army. Did any
widows receive pension?
This information I
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am seeking is solely
for use in a family record 
and Genealogy that I am
engaged on.
Respectfully yours
W.H. Van Benschoten
---
[stamped:]
[?OLD WAR?] & NAVY
AUG 4 1898
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[written in top right corner:]   Van B

West Park, N.Y.
June 11th 1898

Hon H. Clay Evans
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington, D.C.

Sir:-
In July 1833 an Elias
Van Benschoten, a Revolutionary
soldier, makes an application for 
a pension to your
department, this statement of
services accompanying which
I have a copy of.  Will you
kindly inform me whether any
other Van Benschoten applied for 
or received pensions of the
General Government for services
in the Revolutionary War?  Quite
a number of them served-- 8 at
least I know.

This information is wished
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solely for family history as I
am engaged putting up the
Genealogy each and records of the family.

Respectfully yours
W.H. Van Benschoten

[date stamped lower right corner:]
U. S. Pension Office
JUN 14 1898
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No 110 Water St
New York Dec 5th/85

Hon J C Black
Com Pensions [Commissioner of Pensions]

Dr Sir:
Your [?form] of the
4th inst. in reply to mine
asking information about Elias Van
Benschoten a Revolutionary Soldier
from Dutchess County, this State
is received. Elias Van Benschoten
was my Grandfather and I 
seek information about him
for family purposes in order
to trace the family history back to
the original progenitor who came to
this Country among the early
Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam.
I wish to know when and where he
enlisted with the service of his Country,
and any other information respecting him
which would be of interest to his descendants.
to his descendants, of these is any on [illegible] in the depart

Yours truly
S. Van Benschoten
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Soldier 11593 
110 Water St 
New York Nov 27/85 
Hon J C Black 
Com Pensions [Commissioner of Pensions]
Washington DC
D[ea]r sir
I wish to get some information about Elias Van Benschoten who was a soldier of the Revolution on the side of the Colonies. He enlisted from Dutchess County New York about the beginning of the War. About 1775 or 76. He recd a pension from the Government untill his death which occurred about 1840 or 41 in New York City. 
Yours truly 
[signed] S. Van Benschoten

[date stamped on reverse side by US Pension office
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Mechanics Bank 
New York 21st Septr. 1836 
Sir, 
I enclose for your examination the papers in the case of Elias Van Benschoten, who has not drawn his pension for the last two years, 
Very Respectfully 
Your Obt Servt [your obedient servant]
Jno. [John] Fleming Presd & pens agt [president and pension agent]

James L Edwards Esq [esquire]
Commissioner of Pensions
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This Bureau can furnish the military record of only such Revolutionary soldiers as were pensioned or whose widows were pensioned for their services.
Such of the original muster and pay rolls of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 as are now in the possession of the Government are on file in the Record and Pension Office, War Department. Original rolls and other records pertaining to service in the Revolutionary War may also be found on file in the archives of many of the original States.
O. W. & N. DIV.  [Old War and Naval Division]
REVOLUTIONARY. 
L.W.B.
I. 11593.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 
BUREAU OF PENSIONS. 
WASHINGTON, D. C., 
August 17th, 1898. 

Sir:- 
Replying to your recent communication wherein you request the names of any soldiers bearing the name of Van Benschoten upon the Revolutionary war pension records, other than Elias, concerning whom you have been furnished information, you are advised that Herman, Jaques and Aaron (widow Margaret) Van Benschoten also made application for pensions. 

Very respectfully, 
Commissioner.

Mr. W. H. Van Benschoten, 
West Park, New York.