Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 4769, William Hawks, Conn.
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(3--1776)

SERVICE
Conn

Hawks, William

NUMBER 
R. 4769
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CONTENTS
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William Hawks
New Berlin
Chanango Co
N.Y.

Hon. H. Mitchell
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Court of Com Pleas

State of New York
Chenango County S.s. On this thirteenth day of February 1835 personally appeared in open court before the court of Common Pleas of the county of Chenango held by the judges of the same court at the Court House in the town of Norwich in and for said county William Hawks a resident of the town of Otselic in the county of Chenango and state of New York aged 67 the 16th day of August last who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions of the act of Congress passed June 7 1832.
That he was born in the town of Greenwich, in the county of Kent & state of Rhode Island on the 16th day of August 1767 (according to his own knowledge & belief of his age although he has no written record of his birth or age) and resided there until some time in the year 1776 - That on the 10th day of September 1776 his Father removed with his family to the town of Providence in the county of Luzerne & state of Pennsylvania where they arrived sometime in October. That his father resided 18 miles west of Wyoming.
That early in March 1778 the militia were called out and organized to guard the inhabitants and the village of Wyoming then being the most of a settlement of any in the neighborhood of his fathers residence.
That Thomas Hawks the Father of the said William Hawks was appointed Captain of a company in which the said William Hawks belonged and served - that the Lieutenant was Timothy Keyes the Ensign Justus Picket, the orderly Sergeant was Nathaniel Gates, That the Colonel was Zebulon Butler. That the said William Hawks was very
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young, but every one who could carry a musket old or young was compelled to serve, - That from early in March 1778 until in July the militia were on the look out for an attack from the Indians, & were a part of the time at the Fort in Wyoming then called Wilkes Barrie Fort. That they all had to take their turns in standing guard each night two hours and were then relieved. That the said William took his regular turns standing guard until they were discharged from standing guard some time the last of October, that at that time some regular Troops came in then also under the command of Z. Butler and after they came the boys & those as young as the said William were not required to stand guard - but continued in other respects the same in the service until snowfall deep in the fall sometime the first of December 1778 - 
That the said William Hawks served as a soldier as aforesaid under the said officers during the year 1776, nine months or a little over that time.
That during the year on the 10 of July 1778 they started from the fort to go to Shawnee Flats to meet the enemy expecting to come to Battle, that the forces upon the American side amountted as it was said to 410 men, Colonel Butler being the only officer on horseback, that they crossed the Susquehanah River & marched on the Shawnee side to the flats they found no enemy to oppose them, & a counsil of War was called to determine whether they should return again to the Fort or march on to attempt to retake Wintermoots & Jenkins as Forts which were then in the enemys hands & were about four
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miles distant, - That it was almost unanimously determined to march on & retake the Forts, there being only one dissenting from that opinion who was Captain Gore as it was said, & who was ridiculed for his opinion.
That they did march on & fell into an Indian ambush, where the first notice they had was a deadly & fatal fire - Taken at disadvantage they fought as best they could for about two hours, when the order was given for all to escape that could, that only about 90 men as it was said made good their retreat, That in the company of the said William the Lieutenant & Ensign were both killed, John Cory, Isaac Cory, John Finch, & John Finch Jr, James Devine, Lebbeus Hammond, Isaac Parks, & Philip Traverse the said William recollects among those that were killed in his Father's company.
That after the battle those who escaped crossed the fiver & fled over the mountain to Lackawack & crossed the Delaware to Minisink.
The Indians burnt the place & made a general massacre of all that could not effect  their escape.
That after that battle & the murder at Wyoming they acted on the defensive only & watched & kept guard of the movements of the Indians.
That in November of the same year Isaac Tripp Esq then Grandfather of the said William on his Mothers side was taken & murdered by the Indians
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That the next year 1779 the said William Hawks was again called into the service & commenced the first of July and served 3 months, during which time he marched to Fort Montgomery rising of 20 miles, that in August of that year there was a fight - between the Indians and the Militia in which battle Samuel Knap the Father of Charles Knap Esq of New Berlin was killed. That the said William was then serving in his Fathers company of militia. The Lieutenant Samuel Webb, & Peter Gale Ensign of the company - That during a part of this time the said William served as a waiter & messenger.
That this deponent the said William served in the year 1778 nine months & a little over, and in the year 1779 three months, making in all twelve months (12 months) or a little over twelve months that he served in the militia as a soldier during the Revolutionary War.
That afterwards in the winter of 1779 & 80 the said Thomas Hawks the father of the said William removed with his family to Goshen in Orange County - State of New York - where the said William resided until the year 1793 when he went to the state of New Jersey where he remained 4 years, & from there to the state of Vermont, in Arlington, in Bennington County from which place the said William removed to the town of Middleburgh in Schoharrie County state of New York in 1806, where he resided until 1814 when he removed to Columbus in Chenango County state of New York - where he resided until April 1832. Since that time the said William
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has resided in the county of Genessee in the state of New York in the town of Sheldon, until a few weeks ago when the said William returned to the county of Chenango aforesaid, where he now resides in the town of Otselic & as aforesaid.
Hest the reason why the said William Hawks has not applied for a pension is that he was residing in the county of Genessee where he had no old acquaintances who could swear to his being a soldier of the Revolution & had no living witness to prove the same, & never had any written discharge, from the service.
That now he has old acquaintances and friends in the village of New Berlin which is adjoining to Columbus who can prove his being a soldier & his good character, & who are men of the first respectability in the county of Chenango.
That the said William Hawks knows of no one by whom he can prove his services, but can prove the fact of his being a soldier of the Revolution and that was never questioned or disputed & of his good character &c. &c.
And he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever for a pension or annuity except the present & he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any state.
William Hawks
Subscribed & sworn the day & year aforesaid in open court.
P. Randall Clk
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Chenango County Ss. We William Setridge a Clergyman residing in the town of Columbus in said county General Augustus C. Welch & Charles Knap Esq. residing in the town of New Berlin in said county do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William Hawks who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be 67 years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighbour hood where has resided to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion - & that the statement of the said William Hawks is entitled to the fullest credit.
William Setridge
August C. WElch
Charles Knap

Subscribed and sworn the day & year aforesaid }done in open court

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 William Setridge who signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in the town of Columbus, & that Genl,. August C. Welch, & Charles Knap Esq who have also signed the same are residents of New Berling, and are persons of standing and respectability whose statement is entitled to full credit & confidence
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State of New York
Chenango County S.S. I Perez Randall clerk of the court of Common Pleas of the said county do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of William Hawks for a pension done in open Court.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this thirteenth day of February 1835.
P. Randall Clk
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4769
William Hawks
REJECTED
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32.802
New York
William Hawks
Rejected
sent to Hon. H. Mitchell
28 Feby 24
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House of Reps
21 Feby 1855
J. L. Edwards Esq
Dr Sir
I forward to you the inclosed and solicit your action on the case as soon as consistant with your convenience.
Your obt. Servt.
Henry Mitchell
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Wm. Hawks
NY - Sasq

Sep 24 - 52
Ex  by
Thos Lumpkin
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State of New York
County of Chenango}S.S.
Susan Hills of the town of Otselic in said county being duly sworn according to law deposeth that she is one of the children of William Hawks and Sarah Hawks both now deceased. That as such child this deponant has a direct interest in the application - and claim for a pension due this deponants Father the aforesaid William Hawks at his decease.
Susan Hills

Sworn and subscribed to this the 13th day of September 1852
before me J. Newton Ensign } Justice of the Peace

Whereas I Susan Hills one of the children of William and Sarah Hawks now both deceased do hereby constitute and appoint Thomas Lampkin of Washington City D.C. my true and lawful attorney for me and in my name investigate and prosecute my claim as such child of William Hawks for my fathers pension hereby ratifying and confirming what he may lawfully do in the premises.
Susan Hills
1852

State of New York
County of Chenango}Ss
On this 13th day of September 1852 before the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for the county and state aforesaid personally appeared Susan Hill before named to me known and acknowledged the above power of attorney to be her act and deed.
J. Newton Ensign } Justice of the Peace

Wm. Hawks N.Y.
Act 7th June 1832