Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 28,813, for William Miles, New York
Page 1

(3 - 1776)
SERVICE
New York

Miles, William

NUMBER
S. 28.813

CONTENTS
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Albany 31.552

William Miles
of Onondaga Co. in the State of N. York
who was a Private in the company commanded
Captain Fosbury of the Regt commanded
by Col. Whiting in the N.Y. Militia
line for 11 months & 9 days

Inscribed on the Roll of Albany
at the rate of 37 Dollars 66 Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of of Pension issued the 8th day of Nov 1838 and sent to Geo. Pettit, Fabius, N.Y.

Arrears to the 4th of Sep. 38 - $282.45
Semi-annual allowance ending 4 Mar. 39 - $18.83
[total] $301.28

{Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832.}

Recorded by D. Brown, Clerk
Book E. 2. Vol. 4 Page 46

Letter to Geo. Pettit 21. Nov 38.
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Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832

State of New York
Onondaga County ⎬ On this 6th day of September 1838 personally appeared in open Court, before Grove Lawrence, First Judge and Johnson Hall & Lyman H. Mason, two of the Judges of the Court of Common pleas & General Sessions of the peace, now sitting at Salina in said County, William Miles, a resident of Lysander in said County of Onondaga, and State of New York, aged Seventy five years, 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 entered the service in the forepart of October 1780, in a company of Militia commanded by Captain Jacob Fosbury in the town of New Britain, then in Albany County, State aforesaid, his Lieutenant was Nathaniel
Miles, & Father to this declarant, and all lived
then in that place - that he turned out as a volunteer  & said Company Officers volunteered also & we all went under Col. Whiting & Col Waterman, to whose
Regiment of Local Militia said Company belonged, up the Mohawk River, & fought the enemy, in the battle of Palatine, on the same day that Col. Brown was killed-- that he returned home in November, having
served one month, & followed the enemy to Fort Herkimer where he was discharged with all the Militia volunteers, by Governor Clinton in person-- Afterwards in the month of August 1781, he enlisted for four months into Capt. Skinner's Company of State troops, which was
attached to Willett's Regiment, that he went to Albany & went from there by advice of Gen. Clinton, with a detachment of another Company to Schoharie, where were some
of Skinner's company, with whom he marched to Fort Plain on the Mohawk river, where Capt Skinner was with his company -- from there he marched
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in a detachment to Fort Herkimer - remained there two weeks & was then marched back to Fort Plain - then went with a guard to Fort Walrath, & then after a week or two, went back again to Fort Plain.  From thence he marched with all the troops by the way of Fort Hunter to Johnstown and was there in the Battle of Johnstown.  From there the Regiment, under command of Col Willett, marched to
Fort Herkimer - Major Raneley was in that Battle & got wounded in the heel - after about four days we pursued the Enemy & had a Skirmish, killed some & took fourteen prisoners, & declarant was sent back
with the prisoners to Fort Herkimer, while the Regiment pursued the Enemy & killed their Commander Butler.  The Regiment then returned to Fort Plain where Skinner's company was discharged in the month of December - That in April 1782 he
enlisted for Nine Months into Capt Gray's Company of State troops, & Joined it at Schoharie, and served in it there till August, & then & there he enlisted for three years into Capt. Joseph Harrison's Company of State troops.  Rial Bingham was his Lieutenant & Pliny Moore was his Ensign - that he was mustered into the three years service at Albany under General Clinton, & then the whole
company was taken back to Schoharie, & remained there till October keeping Garrison & watching the Indians, and then went to head quarters at Fort Plain & built our huts for winter.  In January 1783 the men were inoculated at Fort Plain for the smallpox, and in Feb. he belonged to party of about four hundred, who were ordered to go and
surprise & take Fort Oswego -  At Oswego Falls we ate our last provision & proceeded down the
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down the river about four miles. & the pilots got bewildered & the enterprise failed. returned then to Fort Plain, having lost a number who were frozen to death  - that he was so frozen himself, that he got a furlough & went home in March, but did not recover so as to join the Regiment before it was discharged at Albany in July -- being confined at his
Father's house more than three months - that he resided in New Britain, County of Albany, State of New York when he entered the service as aforesaid - that he knows of no other person except those whose depositions are hereto annexed, whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service - that
he was born in the Town of Brimfield, County
of Worcester & State of Massachusetts, on the 9th day of September 1763, but has no record of his age - that since the revolutionary War, he removed from New Britain to Pompey, Onondaga County, to Cazenovia, Madison County, to Phoenix, Oneida County and
then to Lysander, Onondaga County where he now lives, that he remembers Major Van Schanten & Colonel Willet at Fort Plain also Capt Cannon, Capt June, Capt Pierce, Capt Mc Connell & Adjunct Fonda - That he never received a written discharge, excepting
one from Col Willet at the end of the four months' service, and that is long since lost. That the reason why he has not made this application before now, is because he has not been able to find any witnesses alive who care to swear to any part of the service herein set forth.  He hereby relinquishes every claim
whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State, 
and that Irene and Ebert B Dyckman are known to him in his present neighborhood & can testify to his veracity & their belief of his services in the Revolutionary War, as a Soldier.
[signed] Wm Miles
Sworn to and subscribed
the day & year aforesaid
E. Rhoades Clerk,  Onon. Com. pleas
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We Ise Eno and Ebert B Dykman residing in the Town of Clay in the County of Onondaga, & near to William Miles who has signed the foregoing declaration, hereby certify that we
are well acquainted with said William Miles &
believe him to be Seventy five years old & that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in
that opinion -- further that there is no Clergyman in the vicinity of said William Miles, who has known him long & can be obtained to attend court & give his testimony, the only one of this description being gone from home.
Sworn & Subscribed the day
and year aforesaid
E. W Dykman
Ise Eno

E Rhoades, Clerk Onon. Com. pleas

And the said Court, do hereby declare that they propounded to the said William Miles all the interrogatories required by the regulations of the War department for carrying into effect the pension Act of 1832 to which he answered and his answers are all embodied in his declaration above & his answer to the seventh had been omitted & was interlined at the close of it.
that it is their opinion, after the investigation of the matter that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier & served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that Ise Eno & Ebert B. Dykman who have signed the preceding certificate, are residents in the Town of Clay in said County, and are credible persons
and that their statement is entitled to credit, and further, it is their opinion, that said applicant could not produce in court, a Clergyman to certify as required by said regulations, without too much expense & inconvenience to said applicant.
Grove Lawrence, First Judge
Johnson Hall
Lyman H. Mason, Judges
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FREE

NOV. 19

[circular stamp ABIUS N.Y. NOV 14]

J. L. Edwards Esqr
Comr of Pensions
Washington D.C.
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Fabius, Onondaga County
N Y. Nov 14th 1838

The Commissioner of Pensions

Sir your favor of the 8th instant is received, announcing a favorable decision on the application of William Miles for a pension.
For his sake I regret that he is among the many
whose service in the War of liberty & independence is unquestioned and unquestionable, where they are known,
but who cannot lay hold of the boon of Justice
held out by their country, for want of the evidence which the decease of their comrade Soldiers deprive them of. Please forward the certificate for the 11 Mo. and 9 days to me, as soon as the order of your official business will permit-- for the old Gentleman is literally in want.
I am very respectfully
your Obdnt &c.
George Pettit
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28813.
INVALID.
Revolution

File No. 28,813
William Miles
Priv Rev War
Act:  June 7th, '32
Index: -- Vol. 2, Page 277
[Arrangement of 1870.]
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34.644
William Miles
Declaration of
Lysander, Onondaga
County N.Y.
George Pettit
of
Fabius, Agent to
receive the Answer

Admitted
Private 11 mo & 9 days
Geo Pettit Esqr
Fabius
N.Y
Page 11

I Elijah Rhodes, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas and general Sessions of the Peace do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of William Miles for a pension:
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set
my hand and seal of my office, this sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand Eight hundred and thirty Eight.
E Rhodes
Clerk
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William Miles's
application
Roswel Holmes
affidavit
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State of New York
Cortland County    } ss:
On this 7th day of July 1838 personally appeared before Rensselaer Merrill one of the Justice of the peace in and for said County,  Roswel Holmes of Cortland in said County who being duly sworn by & before the said Justice according to law, doth on his Oath, depose & say that he is seventy three years old, that he resided in the time of the revolutionary
War in the town of New Britain, Albany County, now called Chatham in the County of Columbia, State of New York, and was then & there well acquainted with William Miles
now living in the town of Lysander, County of Onondaga, who is an applicant for a pension under the act of June 7th 1832.  That in the year 1781, in the month of August, the deponent enlisted into Capt Van Rensselaer's company of New York State troops, belonging to Col Willet's Regiment, for four months, or rather was hired by a class of the militia who were bound to furnish a man -- that said William Miles entered at the same time & in the same manner into Capt Skinner's company belonging to the same Regiment, that said Miles & deponent served in said Regiment from the first of August till the first of 
December, that they performed these services sometimes together & sometimes in different detachments, at Schoharie and on the Mohawk river, and were both together in the battle of
Johnstown -- and both returned home in December but not together, the deponent having been discharged at Fort Herkimer & said Miles at Fort Plain-- that this deponent knows & recollects that said Miles was gone
from home both before & after the time of the above service, to serve as a Soldier as was said & generally believed. Deponent remembers that he went out with his Father who was a Lieutenant in the Militia & that another
time he was gone eight or nine months in the service as a Soldier, as was said & understood & the deponent has no doubt that he did so serve & further says not.
[signed] Roswel Holmes
Sworn & subscribed the day & year above
written before me & I certify that I am acquainted with Roswel Holmes & know him
to be a man of truth and veracity.
Rensselaer Merrill
Justice of the peace
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State of New York
Cortland County } ss:
On this (blank) day of July 1838 personally appeared before (blank) one of the Justices of the peace in and for said County, Rhoda Welch, of (blank) in said County & Joanna Merrill of (blank) in said County who being severally & duly sworn by & before the said Justice
do, on their oaths respectively, depose & say as follows-that said Rhoda testifies that she is (blank) years old and is a Sister to William Miles, a resident of the town of Lysander in the County of Onondaga, who is an applicant for
a pension under the act of Congress of June
7th 1832 that she well remembers, although she was young at the time, that while living in her father's family in the town of New Britain, Albany County, during the period of the revolutionary war, that her said brother William
Miles, was gone several times to serve as a soldier as many as four or five different times,
once nearly a year-- & deponent recollects also that the family made preparations to fit him off for such service, & sent him on with a horse on one or two occasions-- & said Joanna deposes that she resided during the revolutionary war in the same place & neighbourhood of said William Miles's Father, & now remember that he was frequently absent from home sometimes for one
month- sometimes three or four months -- and one time nearly a year, and that it was said & believed in the neighborhood, that he was in
the army, & deponent's best recollection is that he served as a soldier more & less all through the war & that she is now (blank)
years old --
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State of New York
Cortland County } ss:  
I, Oren Stimson Clerk of said County, do
hereby certify that Rensselaer Merrill before whom the affidavit of Rozel [sic] Holmes purports to have been taken was at the date of the same, a Justice of the Peace in & for said County, duly Elected and qualified, and that his signature to the said affidavit is genuine.
In testimony Whereof I have hereunto subscribed
my name and affixed the seal of said County
this 8th day of July AD 1838
Oren Stimson Clerk
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FREE

George Pettit, Esq. P.M.
Fabius
Onondaga County,
N.Y.
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State of New York
Ontario County } ss:
On this 23rd day of July 1838 personally appeared before Ansel Munn one of the Justices of the peace in and for said County, Thomas Miles, of the town of Gorham
in said County, who being duly sworn by & before the said Justice according to Law, doth, on his oath, depose and say, that he is seventy three years old & is brother to William
Miles of Lysander in the County of Onondaga & State aforesaid, who is an applicant for a pension under the act of Congress of June 7th 1832, that deponent knows that said William
served as a private Soldier in the War of the revolution on several different tours of service & in different years, altho. deponent was younger & did not serve with his said brother.
Deponent knows that his father, Nathaniel Miles, was an officer in the Militia & went into actual service on the Mohawk river, in cases of alarm, with his company, or part of his company, while living at New Britain, Albany County-- & he remembers well that said William went with his father in Capt Forbury's company of militia to which they both belonged, in the year 1780 & were both gone a month before they came home - that in the Summer afterwards, about July or August, said William enlisted into Capt Skinner's Company
Col Willett's Regiment, New York State troops, for four months, that his said Father sent deponent to carry said William as far as
the ferry at Albany, & they both went on horse back, & deponent led back the horse said William rode -- who did not return home again till December following - that the next April 1782 said William left home again as a Soldier, & was gone almost a year, & when he came home in March following, he was badly frozen, & on that account, as he said, he got a furlough, but before he got well enough to go back as he intended, news came that Willett's Regiment was discharged at Albany. Deponent
recollects that it was said & understood in the family, when said William left home as last mentioned, that he had enlisted in Capt Gray's company for 9 Months, Willett's Regiment, & it was afterwards talked in the family that William had enlisted for during the war on these years.
[signed] Thomas Miles
Sworn & subscribed the day & year above written, before me & I certify that I am acquainted with this deponent Thomas Miles & know him to be a credible witness.
Ansel Munn -- Justice of the peace,
Ontario County New York
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State of New York
Ontario County Clerks office
Canandaigua July 23 1838

I, Le Dran Brown Deputy Clerk
of said County do hereby certify that 
Ansel Munn Esq. whose name is subscribed to the foregoing affidavit is a Justice of the Peace in and for said County, dwelling in said County, duly commissioned and qualified and authorized to take the same -- that his term of Office commenced on the 1st day of January
1835 and will expire on the 31st day of December 1838. And that his signature thereunto written is Genuine.
In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and seal of said County the day and
year above written
Le Dran Brown Deputy Clerk

Single

[circular stamp:  CANANDAIGUA NY JUL 23]
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State of New York
Madison County   } ss: On this ninth day of August 1838 personally came before me Stephen G. Sears one of the Justices of the peace in and for the said County, Samuel Thompson who being duly sworn by and before the said Justice according to law doth on his oath depose and say that he was acquainted with William Miles during the
Revolutionary War and knew him to be a soldier in the Service of the United States -- that this deponent has the day of this date seen the said Miles & recognized him to be the same man that he knew to be a private Soldier in the United States service during the Revolutionary War, that deponent is now Seventy one years old. And further this deponent says not.
[signed] Samuel Thompson
Sworn and subscribed the day
and year above written before
me and I do further certify
that I am well acquainted with this deponent and know him to be a man of truth and veracity.
Stephen G. Sears Justice of the Peace

Clerk's Office
Madison County
State of New York } ss:
I, John W. Farwell, Deputy Clerk of the said County do hereby certify that Stephen G. Sears, Esq., before whom the above affidavit purports to have been sworn and also whose name appears to the above certificate was a Justice of the peace in and for said County, duly elected and qualified and that I am well acquainted with the hand writing of the said Justice and verily believe the signature to the above affidavit and Certificate is genuine.
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of said County
 this the 11th day of August 1838
John W. Farwell Dep. clk.
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State of New York
Madison County } ss:
On this tenth day of August 1838 personally appeared before me Elias Munger one of the Justices of the peace in & for said County Roswel Welch of Fenner in said County, who being duly sworn by & before the said Justice according to Law, doth on his oath, depose & say that he was a soldier in the revolutionary war, and belonged to Captain Skinner's
company of New York State troops, Col Willet's Regiment. that while he was serving in said company in the year 1781, at Fort Plain on the Mohawk River, in the month of August or September, a number of Soldiers came
from Schoharie, (as was said) and joined said company, & that among them was one William Miles who now resides in the town of Lysander in the County of Onondaga, & is an applicant for a pension under the act of Congress of June 7th 1832, as this deponent is informed & believes, that said Miles served in said company as a private soldier from
three to four months & was discharged at Fort Plain some time in December during which time this deponent also served in said company & became well acquainted with said Miles, & both fought together in the battle of Johnstown, & were out on scouting parties & detachments, sometimes separate & on several occasions together, that this deponent
has lately seen said Miles & recognized him
to be the same man who served with him in
Captain Skinner's company as aforesaid, & that deponent is now 74 years old, & when he enlisted into said company he resided in the town of Chatham, County of Columbia & further says not.
[signed] Roswel Welch
Sworn & subscribed the day & year
above written before me-- & I do further certify that I am well acquainted with
this deponent & know him to be a man of truth and veracity.
Elias Munger - Justice of the peace
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Clerk's Office
Madison County
State of New York } ss:
I John W. Farwell, Deputy clerk of the said County do hereby certify that Elias Munger Esq before whom the within affidavit purports to have been sworn and also whose name appears to the within certificate was a Justice of the peace in and for said County duly elected and qualified and that I am well acquainted with the hand writing of the said Justice and verily believe the signature to the within affidavit and certificate is genuine.
In Testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said County at Morrisville this 11th day of August 1838
John W. Farwell Dep. Clk.