Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 2,381, John Blowers, New Jersey
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Service: New Jersey
Blowers, John
S.2381
carded
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New Jersey 31.844
John Blowers
Morris Co in the State of N.J.
who was a Dragoon in the Compy commanded
by Capt Jacobus of the Regt. commanded
by Col. Ford in the New Jersey
line for 13 mos & 13 days Dragoon
2 mos. Private of Infantry
Inscribed on the Roll of New Jersey
at the rate of 65 Dollars 96 Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 28 day of April
1841 and sent Lewis Condict Morristown
Arrears to the 4th of March 1841 $659.60
Semi-annl. allowance ending 4 Sept. 32.98
                                                      $692.58
Revolutionary Claim,
Recorded by
D.D. Addison, Clerk
Book E2
Vol. 3 
Page 116

[illegible]
May 17th 1841
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Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7th 1832.
State of New Jersey
County of Morris

On this 5th day of October, 1836 personally appeared in open Court, before the Judges of the Inferior Court of Com. Pleas now sitting, John Blowen, a resident of Pequaneck township, in the County of Morris & State of New Jersey aged 86 years, in September 1836, 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.
I entered the service of the United States in Captain James Jacobus Company of N. Jersey Militia, some few months before the battle of Long Island. The precise month, I cannot tell it was in cold weather, some time before the landing of the British near New York
& I think it was in the spring season-- the British were expected, & there was a demand for the Militia of the County, for the defence of N. York. I belonged to Capt. Jacobus Company, the men were ordered to meet together to be drafted for the service. I declared I would not be drafted but would go as a volunteer. I stepped forward as a volunteer, & was immediately followed by
John Osler, Philip Piece, & as many men, as were required from our company. This was at
Jacob Miller's tavern in Pequaneck township. We were soon joined by other men from the neighbouring companies, & Capt. Jacobus had the command. We were marched from Morris County through Newark & thence to New York City, where we were quartered, & were employed under the orders of our officers in throwing up breast works for defence, against the expected invasion. There was a considerable Militia force collected there from N. Jersey & other States, under the command of Lord Sterling as I believe, & Col. Winds & Colonel Ford.
We were detained in this service six weeks, when part of the Jersey troops were
ordered to Perth Amboy, which place also was threatened with invasion by the enemy. Capt
Jacobus with his company, & some others crossed the river to Jersey, & marched through Newark to Amboy, where we were kept on guard duty for six weeks longer. I am not certain whether Col. Ford of Col. Drake of the Jersey Militia had command at Amber, but I
think one or the other of them took command of the Jersey Militia which left N. York for Amboy.
We mounted guard every night at Amboy & were not relieved from this duty until we had been there six weeks. The expected invasion had called out all the Militia in this quarter, &
altho we had expected to be discharged soon by several weeks, still we were detained on
this tour twelve weeks. I think Col. Winds afterward, Genl Winds, was with us at
Amboy, & General Heard also
12 weeks


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On my return home from Amboy, which was in hot weather, & after the season of
wheat harvest, & understood that Militia duty would often be called for, I concluded
to join the Horse, & became a Trooper in Captain Jacob Arnold's Company of Cavalry.
The Troop was first commanded by Capt. Thos Kinney, who resigned his command about
the time when I joined the troop, & Lieutt Arnold was chosen Captain, & Doctor William Siddel was Lieutenant  or Cornet. 
Alexander Carmichael, was an officer also.
Each roper found his own horse & equipments, & I have get my old Horseman's cap, holsters, & some other old relics of the war. Our service
as horsemen, was most frequently in small parties or squads, sometimes 3, sometimes 5 or 8  & sometimes more. We were in those small squads, attached to companies or Regiments of Infantry, & our duty was to watch the motions of the enemy, carry despatches & orders from place to place, & sometimes to escort different officers from one point to another.
We sometimes had a corporal, & sometimes a sergeant & at other times, & Cornet or Lieut
to command us, according to number & service, & I believe our service was more constant & continuous than the Infantry service, there being perhaps not more than two or three companies of Horse in all East Jersey, viz: Medis & Arnold. I was frequently stationed at Morristown-- at Springfield-- at Elizabeth town-- at Rahway- at Millston-- at second river on the Raritan River, at Pluckemin-- Basking Ridge &c. I was quartered at Morristown when Genl Lee was taken prisoner at Basking Ridge. I had previously had my horse stolen from me, when I was at Parsippany, & I recollect that the man who brought the [illegible] to Morristown,
from Washington of Lee being taken, rode my house to Morristown. He had passed through different hands. & I got him again at Morris town.-- I think it was in the fall of 76, probably in Septr when I joined the Horse, & from that time until late in the winter, & was constantly & continuously in public service in the manner, & at the places before mentioned-- escorting officers-- watching enemy's motions,
carrying orders from one post to another-- carrying dispatches. I was quartered perhaps more at Morristown than at any other our place. It was here that my captain resided, & I generally when here rec'd my orders from
him, & brought back reports to him when east (?) with deputation. I was also at Connecticut farms, with a detachment of our troops, some time in cold weather-- Decr 76-- Jany 77) when a considerable party of Hessians or Watchmen who had come up from Elizth town toward Springfield, & were taken prisoner near
Connecticut farms, by Jersey Militia under Col. Spencer or Col. Freelinghuyson. Our troop aided in taking them & in transporting them into the interior of the County for safe keeping. I was often quartered at Newark on duty, & frequently was sent with order &c. to Aquakamonk-- Hackensack, Second River & Elizthtown.
From the nature of the service, it is impossible to say how long I was at any one place, at any time but my principal quarters this fall was Morristown, Springfield, Eliz.,  Baskingridge-Willton-- Plukemin. In the winter & spring, our troop was stationed, part of them at Quibble town & at Van Mullen's under the
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Mountain ear New Burnswick & Amboy, whilst the enemy were in winter quarters in those places. The troop was divided into
several small parties. I was stationed upon the Raritan River under Captain Arnold & quartered at one Ten Eyck's, near the Raritan bridge, & was often sent with orders & signatures from one post to another. Our service as Horsemen, was such to keep us almost constantly on duty; whilst other militia performed duty for a month& were generally received & permitted to go home, we were divided in smaller bodies, & attached to
Infantry Regiment to carry dispatches & orders from one post to another, as circumstances made necessary. I was sent in the winter of 1777, or of 78, from Raritan to the jail in Sussex
County, with some orders to Major Hoops or Hooper, to furnish some flour & other provisions to be sent to Morristown. The snow was very deep, & there came a rain store, & suddenly  it froze, & rendered the travelling very difficult. I was frequently sent by Captain Morristown, with orders & dispatches to Springfield-- to Newark to Elizabethtown, to Hackensack & was very near being made prisoner in the neighborhood of Hackensack, by a party of the enemy secreted in a wood. I do not believe that from the time when I joined the Horse in 1776, that I was at home at any one time as long as a month. Occasionally I had permission from Captain Arnold to go home for a charge of clothes, & always returned to my company immediately; seldom staying at home longer than a day, or a day & night.
Besides my Infantry service at N. York & Amboy, I verily believe that my service in the Horse in Arnold's troop, could not have been less than three years, of constant action & faithful duty, always finding my own horse & equipments.

My comrades in Arnold's troop, and to the best of my knowledge & belief, either removed to
remote place, or have died. Our Captain, Lieutenant & Cornet are dead. Stephen
Baldwin was of the troop for one or two years & he, if living, is in the State of Vermont.  Israel
Canfield, now living in Morristown, belonged to the company for a year or two, & is
the only survivor, within my knowledge. His evidence I hope to obtain.
her the pension law first passed, I understood it embraced any such persons as were
my poor & unable to live without help from the government or the Town. And when the
Militia pension law passed in 1832. I supposed it was also intended only for such as were
poor. I had & still have a small farm of 90 or 100, acres, which I worked with my
own hands, & from which I procured my bread, whilst I was able to labor. I was not willing
to a pension & be denied, because I could live from my farm. I can now labor no long, & the products of my little farm, are almost absorbed in paying labourers.
I now ask a pension for my several years service for the freedom of my country, to provide in my old age, those comforts which I really need
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 was born in Pequanick township, Morris County, in which township I have spent
my days. I never had any commission whilst in the Revolutionary war, but acted as a private. I never rec'd any discharge in writing, & whilst in service, was always under the orders of my superior officer. General Winds, was probably more often the superior commanding officer under whom our Troop acted, than any other.
Colonel Frelinghuysen, Colonel Seely, Colonel Ford & Colonel Hays, sometimes had the
command also. I was personally present in the Springfield battle, when the Church & the
village were burnt, as well as Ash Swamp
& Short Hills.
I am personally known to Silas Cook Esqr one of the Judges of the County Court & to Lewis Condict of Morristown, who can testify to my general character.
I hereby relinquish every claim to a pension or annuity, except the present, & declare
that my name is not on the Pension roll agency of any State.
Sworn & subscribed in open Court, the day & year aforesaid

His
John Brown
Mark

We the subscribers, Silas Cook Esq and Lewis Condict, both residing in Morris County, N. Jersey, hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with John Brown, who has subscribed & sworn to the above Declaration: that we believe him to be 86 years of age: that he is reputed & believed in the neighbourhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution, & that we concur in that opinion
Sworn & subscribed, the day & year aforesaid

Silas Cook
Lewis Condict
And the Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter & 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 Silas Cook Esqr & Lewis Condict, who have signed the preceding certificate, are residents of Morris County, are credible persons
and that their statement is entitled to belief.-
F. Child Now
By order of the Court
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Rev War
File No. 2381
INVALID.
File No. 2381
John Blowers

Dragoon Rev. War

---
Act: June 7, 1832
Index: -- Vol. A, Page 34
Arrangement of 1870.
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New Jersey
John Blowers
Sent to L. Condict 8th July 1837
" Hon. J. P. B. Maxwell, Oct 4, 1837.
" Same 9. Jan. 1838
" Same 14 March 1838
" Same 9 Dec. 1840
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State of New Jersey, Morris County Common Pleas
Personally appears before this Court, on this 5th day of October, 1836 John Ester, aged 88 years, personally well known to the Court, as a man fully entitled to belief, & having first been duly sworn according to law, doth declare as follows, viz:-- I am 88 years old - live in Pequaneck, within a mile of John Blowers, now an applicant for a pension-- know him now well, & have been well acquainted from our boyhood to this day-- always been near neighbors.-- trained together before the war, in Captain Kingsland's company, which company after the war began, was
commanded by Captain Jacobus. I was with said John Blowers in Jacobus' company in
the first year of the war, in New York City, & at Amboy, under Gen'l Winds, as much as 6 weeks at each place. I know he joined Arnold's troop of Horse after his return from Amboy, &
remained in that troop during the war. I often saw him on duty as a horseman, sometimes with his Captain, & sometimes with a subaltern officer, more frequently with a few of his comrades, 4 or 5 together, & sometimes alone, carrying order & dispatches from one post
to another post. I have seen him on duty as a horseman, at Quibble town in the winter
& spring of 77- often at Elizth town & at Newark, at Hackensack, Aquhanock, Springfield, Morris town very often - at Pluckemin Raritan, Millston. I believe I saw him
often every year whilst the war lasted, doing duty as a horseman, carrying orders, watching
the motions of the enemy & such like service. I believe the troop under Capt. Arnold, was
not relieved, in the manner that was common in Infantry service. Their service was more
constant, & I believe Blowers was seldom at home, except for a charge of clothes, & then
off again upon orders. I lived in sight of his father's house, little over gun shot distance.

Sworn & subscribed before me the date above written
[Illegible Signature]
John Ester
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I, Joseph Dalrimple, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, do hereby certify, that the
foregoing contains the original proceeding of the said Court, in the matter of the
application of John Blowers for a pension. And I do also certify that Elijah Ward Esq
before whom the annexed depositions of Conrad Ester, & of Israel Canfield Esqr
were taken, is a Justice of peace in said County, duly commissioned & authorized, that the
signature of his name that is genuine
In testimony whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name & affix my seal of
office at Morris town, this 16th of May, 1837.
John Dalrimple Clerk

Comm of Pension is rightfully referred to a certificate given by the Sec'y of State of N. Jersey respecting some portion of John Blower's service in Arnold's troop. It is annexed to the Pension papers of Mrs. Sarah Beach, of Morris Co N. J. whose husband John Beach was of the same Troop (papers on file)
The Sec'y included service of 3persons in one paper & having but one certificate. It proves our fact, that Blowers was a Dragoon, in Arnold's horse, & is offered as evidence of that fact, of some service in 78, or rather of an act by the Legislation in 78, for some service by the troop previously made
Washington, May 2d 1837
L. Condict
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State of New Jersey Morris County
Be it known, that before the subscriber, a Justice of the Peace in for the County of Morris aforesaid, personally appears Conrad Esler of said County, an aged man, a Pensioner
of the United States for Revolutionary services, & well known to me as a man of truth &
of good character-- who having by me been first duly sworn according to Law, doth
on his oath declare as follows, viz:-- I am in the 86th year of my age since the 13th day of last month, was a Soldier in the war of the revolution from its beginning to its close.-- I am well acquainted with John Brown of this County, an applicant for a pension.
were brought up in the same neighborhood & even playmates in our boyhood & have
been intimate throughout our lines. I knew him in the time of the revolutionary war
. He at first belonged to Capt Jacobus company of Militia, & performed service under
Capt Jacober in the first year of the war, & afterward the Troop of Horse, which at first was
commanded by Capt Thomas Kinney, & afterward by Capt. Jacob Arnold. Browns remained
in Arnold's House & performed active Militia duty therein, throughout the war. I often ┃
saw him as a mounted Homan on duty frequently with his Captain, & after with an
under Officer, sometimes with 5 or 6 of his comrade, sometimes more or less
The troops were generally divided in small creeds & attached to different Regiments &
company carrying order & dispatches from one officer to another, at different posts, &
watching & reporting the movements of the enemy. I at the first of the war, was
in Capt Peter Dickson's Co. & Dayton's Regiment for one year, which I served out & two months over.   The rest of my service was but little in the common Militia, except by enlistment. I belonged to what t[illegible] 9 months service- the 5 months service & the 3 months service, under different Captains, altho
I cannot now tell the exact order of their names, according to the time in which I served.-- But- besides Peter Dickerson's I belonged to Capt. Jonas Ward's company, to Captain Debow's to Captain [illegible]
& some others. My duties after my return from the North under Capt Dickinson, were principally in New Jersey, at Hackensack, at Newark, at Elizth town. Springfield, Aquacankh, Rahway, Springfield, Connecticut Farms. At all of these places, I often saw John Blowers performing duty as a horseman, under the aegis of some of his officers. I had known him so well when at home, that whenever I afterward saw him on duty on horseback, I immediately remembered him. I know well
that he was out every year on Militia service, whilst the war lasted, & many months in each year of the war. I saw him at the Springfield & Connecticut farms skirmishes-- & at the Monmouth battle. His date as a horseman, kept him almost constantly in service, as mine and me, with one of us being in the common Militia, & subject from the nature of our duties to more contact & active service
Sworn & subscribed before us, this 10th October, 1836
Elijah Ward J.P.

His
Conrad Ester
mark
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State of New Jersey Morris County
Before the subscriber, a Justice of the Peace in & for said County, personally
appeared Israel Canfield Esq an aged & respectable citizen of Morris town, well known
to me personally for many years as a man of truth & fair character, & having by me been
duly sworn according to Law, on his oath saith as follows,
I am in the 77th year of my age, & was a Dragoon in the war of the Revolution, in
the Militia of New Jersey, & performed duty as such, in the Company of Cavalry which in the commencement of the war was commanded by Captain Thomas Kinney & upon his resignation, as Captain, it was commanded by Jacob Arnold.
Doctor Wm. Leddel, & Alexander Carmichael Esqr were officers in said Troop-- one was
Lieutenant & the other I believe was Cornet of the troop.  I was a member of that troop
until some time in the year 1778, when I left it to any of my father's business being his
oldest son & his affairs somewhat extended. John Blower, now an applicant for a pension
belonged to the same Troop of Horse, but I am unable to say when he joined it. I believe
however, that he continued in it when I retired from it. I performed Horseman's duty
under Capt Arnold in many different places, & was often sent as a part of a guard to escort  Governor Franklin from New Jersey across the Hudson, into Connecticut, he the Governor in unwilling to recognise the revolutionary authorities of New Jersey.  I was once sent as a part of our troop into Sussex County with a view as I then understood, to encourage the raising & equipping of Military companies for the defense of the County.
in the winter season (when the travelling was exceedingly difficult [strikethrough begins here] by reason of deep snow) into Sussex County, with letters from officers in Morris Town to [illegible][strikethrough ends here]

At another time I was set with letters from General Dickinson, soon after the capture of Burgoyne, to some of the Officers in General Gates' army, or perhaps to General Gates himself.

I was stationed with part of our Troop at different places along the Raritan River, above New Brunswick, & near to a bridge which I believe was Van Veghten's bridge, when the enemy occupied New Brunswick. The services of our Troop were more constant & continuous than the Infantry, there being the none in the Cunty of Morris to relieve us from the duties which belonged to Cavalry- small squads being often attached to various corps of Infantry
& receiving orders from their officers. I was not always associated with Blowers in these duties, but I was occasionally & often saw him, as I did others of my comrades, when the enemy were concentrated, the Militia also. I believe however the whole troop did not often go in a body together unless on parade occasions I believe Blowers & I were more frequently associated in duty along the Raritan River than elsewhere, in the neighbourhood of Bound Brook & Van Veghten's bridge & I believe we were stationed together for a while in a hpuse belonging to one Ten Eyck, a Dutchman
on the South side of Raritan is, a mile or more below where Sommerville now stands.
I cannot now form any accurate opinion, how long a period John Blowers performed active duty in Arnold's Horse, altho I believe he remained in the top after I quit it.

Sworn & subscribed before me at Morris-town
this 7th January, 1837
Elijah Ward J.P.
Israel Canfield
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34,109
N. Jersey, Morris Co
John Blowers
May 23
Act 1832
may be
12 mo Dragoons

See
Mrs. Elizth O'hara
Vide
Sarah Beach's papers for certificate

13 mo 13 days Dragoon
pri
$65.96
Return to Lewis Condict
Morris-town, N.J.
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Bounty Land Warrant
Blowers Robert  Private
Warrant Number 8145

Sept. 21, 179?
to John G Hopper, Assignee