Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 1565, James Buys, New York
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Service
New York
Buys, James
Number
[Illegible] 1565
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[crossed out typed text]
1565 [stamped: REJECTED]
P.O. James Buys
Service: __
Enlisted: __, 18  .
Discharged: __, 18  .
Application filed: __, 18  .
Alleges:__
Re-enlisted: __
Attorney: __
P.O. __
__Recognized. __Contract.
__Cert. of Dis.  Searched for __, 18  .
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[written horizontally on damaged paper]
[first line illegible]
Pension Office
5th Jan 1830
James Buys
Act March 18, 1818
New York
Rejected
See letter to G.W. [illegible], Waterford
20 January 1830
1565
[The following is written vertically across the horizontally written section]
[Oval  stamp] Ballston [illegible] N.Y.
Revolutionary [illegible]
To The Honorable John H Eaton
Secretary of War
City of Washington
[illegible]
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Waterford Saratoga Co.  N.Y.
[illegible]
To The Hon John H. Eaton
Secretary of War &c
Sir,
I enclose these papers in behalf of Mr. James Buys for the purpose of obtaining a pension under the act of 1818 and 1920 and hope they may prove satisfactory as he is a worthy and poor man. 
Your obdt humble servant
G. W.  Kirtland
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Declaration in order to be placed on the pension list under the Act of the 18 March, 1818.

State of New York
County of Saratoga. [illegible]

On this 13th day of December 1829 personally appeared in open court in the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Saratoga aforsaid before the judge of the same court, being a Court of Record For the said county James Buys resident in the town of Waterford and said county age seventy three years and who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provision made by the Act of Congress of the 18th March 1818 and the 1st May 1820 and that he the said James Buys enlisted in the Batteaux service for the term of nine months in the last part of the month of February in the year 1776 in the State of New York under Captain William Peters or Peterson of the Quarter-master General's department in the Line of the State of New York on the Continental establishment, that he continued to serve in the Batteaux service under the aforesaid Captain Peter or Peterson until the nine months of the term of the enlistment aforesaid was expired when he was discharged from the service in the County of Saratoga, in the state aforesaid, that through the summer of the year and part of the fall of 1977 deponent was in the militia service and at the taking of Burgoyne, that in the year 1778 deponent again enlisted for the term of nine months in the last of February or first part of March of the year passed aforesaid in the state of aforesaid under 
Captain William James of the Quartermaster General's department. on the Line of the State of New York on the continental establishment and was employed in the Batteaux services, that he continued to serve in the said Batteaux service until the last mentioned nine months had elapsed when he was discharged from the service in the town of Fishkill in the County of Dutchess in the state aforesaid .
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by Colo. Hays or Hay then Quarter Master General as deponent believes, that he served the whole of the Last mentioned nine months under the aforesaid Captain James that in the year 1779 deponent was again in the militia service for a time and was at the Burning of Stone Robly, and deponent was also again called out in the militia service in the Year 1780. that his two discharges are both lost which he received from the regular service as aforesaid, that he hereby relinquished every claim whatever to a pension except the present, that his name is not on the Roll of any State except the State of New York, and that the following are the reasons for not making earlier application for a pension, that in or about 1818 he employed James Van Schoo^llven Esquire a counsellor at Law of the County of Saratoga aforesaid to prepare the necessary papers and make application in behalf of Deponent for the benefit of the aforesaid Act. that said Van Schoonhoven dew the papers for deponent which deponent too to the City of Schenectady for examination and was told they were not made out right, that about that time deponent moved from the County of Saratoga aforesaid to the city of Schenectady. that deponent immediately on his moving there employed John K. Paige Esquire to prepare his papers and make application in deponent's behalf for a pension under the aforesaid Act. that said Paige made out deponent's papers accordingly and that while deponent was searching for witnesses to prove his service the aforesaid Mr Paige was appointed to Clerk of the Supreme Court of this State and moved from Schenectady aforesaid to the City of Albany and abandoned the practice of the Law. that deponent has made repeated application to the aforesaid Mr Paige for the aforesaid papers. but has never been able to obtain them.
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Mr Paige alledging that they have been loss or mislaid. that since the aforesaid Mr Paige was appointed Clerk as aforesaid deponent has made applications to a number of different Lawyers, but has never succeeded in getting one to go on with the business for deponent till now, some have alledged that they knew nothing about the Law, others for other reasons have declined undertaking the business, and deponent himself has been incapable to do it. the poverty of deponent has also been such as to render it difficult for deponent to procure the necessary things to be done preparatory to the application.
And in pursuance of the Act of the 1st May 1820, I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gift, sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby to diminish it ^so as to bring myself within the provisions of an Act of Congress Entitled
"An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the Land and Naval Service of the United States in the Revolutionary War", passed on the 18 day of March 1818, and that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me any property or securities, contracts for debts due to me; nor have I any income other that what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed. that I am and have been for a number Years past a Constable of the town of Waterford in the County of Saratoga aforesaid, that I am illy able to pursue the business and am not able to do, and in fact do do but [crossed out written text] little business in that capacity, and that the proceeds thereof are little more than nominal - in addition to which the said office is an annual one depending on a popular election. that my wife is aged seventy two Years, and is able to do but little work, and that she
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And myself compose my whole family. That since the 18th March 1818, very few changes have taken place in my property and none of any consequence as to amount. that my property is now worth rather than more than it was on the said 18 March 1818. that deponent knows of no person either who knows the fact of his having been enlisted  or having [word crossed out] served in the regular service of the United States and herein before set forth or in any other manner.
 James Buys.
Sworn to and Declared on 30 day of December 1829 in Open Court. Thomas Palmer, Clerk

Schedule. [underlined with wavy line]

I have a durable lease for about one eighth of 1 acre of land subject to a rent of $3.50 per annum which is the full value of the use of the land, on which lot I have a house worth about 100 dollars. One cow worth 10 dollars, one pig $1.50.  A stove and pipe $16. two iron kettles 75 cents, tea kettle 37 1/2 cents. six chairs $1.50. 6 plates and six tea cups and saucers 75 cents. 6 knives and forks 50 cents. Barrel of pork made of one hog raised by myself worth 10   dollars.  10 bushels of potatoes $2.50. 1/2 barrel of pickles $1.50. 20 heads of cabbage $1.25. Four old barrels and casks 50 cents. One Doz. hens $1.50. 3 axes 75 cents one pick  75 cents. 2 hoes 37 1/2 cents.
 James Buys.
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State of New York. Saratoga County [illegible mark]
I Thomas Palmer Clerk of the Court of Common, Pleas in & for the County of Saratoga Do hereby that it appears to the satisfaction of the Court that the said James Buys did serve in the Revolutionary War. as stated in the preceeding declaration, against the Common Enemy, for the term of nine months, under one engagement, on the Continental Establishment. I also certify that the foregoing Oath, and the schedule thereto annexed, are truly copied from the Record of the said Court: And I do further Certify, that it is the opinion of the said Court, that the total value of the property Exhibited in the aforesaid schedule is Two hundred & five Dollars ________[crossed out handwritten text: Cents $205 --]
In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the Seals of the said Court on this Thirtieth day of December 1829
Thomas Palmer
Clerk
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State of New York
Saratoga County

Joshua Bloon & George W. Kirtland of the county aforesaid [?] as law being duly sworn on this 30th day of December 1829 in open court aforesaid do [?] swear that they have both been acquainted with James Buys above named for a number of years and just that they believe him to be a man of truth and veracity & that his affidavit is entitled to the fullest belief.

Joshua Bloon
GW Kirtland

Sworn & subscribed in open court the 30 December 1829
Thomas Palmer 
Clerk