Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 42844, for John Lester, New York
Page 1

98-17760
SERVICE New York
Lester, John
or Lustor

NUMBER S. 42,844
Page 2

[LEFT PAGE]
? Dec 1, 1821 (913)
Notification sent 
to Stephen Phelps
24 Sep. 1820
Canandaigua
N.Y.
[RIGHT PAGE]
938
New York 
John Lester, (or Lustor)
Capt. Wright private -
New York line -
January '77 close of war
in the army of the United States during the Revolutionary War.
inscribed on the Roll of New York
at the rate of 8 Dollars per month, to commence on the 18th of April, 1818.
Certificate of Pension issued the 9th of June, 1818 and sent to the care of Jonathan Dubois, Esq; New Paltz post office
Ulster County, New York
Arrears to 4th of Sept. 1818 ... $: 36.53
4 months, 17 / 30 .. $36.53.
{Revolutionary claim, Act 18th March, 1818}

Continental
Van Cortlandt
New Paltz Ulster Co.
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John Lester
To the Secretary of the 
War Department 
of the United States


Correct.
Page 4

I John Lester of the Town of New Paltz in Ulster County and State of New York do swear that I enlisted in the company commanded by Jacob Wright in Philip Vancortland Regiment on the first day of January in the year 1777 and served until the close of the war where I Obtained a Regular Discharge by the said fall of the second Regiment of New York Troops in the Revolutionary War
John Lester

Sworn and subscribed before Mr. Jonathan Dubois one of the Judges of the Ulster common pleas - the [illegible]th [illegible] -
J. Dubois

I John Wilkelow and John Rugar Do swear that the above Named John Lester is to our knowledge the Very Man that sered with us in the same company and Regement and that until the close of the war and that he was Regularly Discharged.
John his + Mark Wilkelow
John Rugar
Sworn as above
F.J. Dubois


Ulster County
State of New York
I F Jonathan Dubois one of the Judges of the Ulster Common pleas do certify that the above named and sworn are to me personally known and that the above named John Lester is in such sircumtances in life that he Kneeds assistance of his country
F.J. Dubois

New Paltz April 18th 1810 -
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Ulster County 
Clerks Office ss

I certify that the within named Jonathan Dubois is a Judge as within described & that his name within signed in his own hand writing, witness  the Seal [illegible] within mentioned of which county I am clerk, Dated April 28th 1818. 
[illegible]

[sideways on document]
John Lester
To the Secretary of the War Department of the United States.

Correct.
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Case of John Lester 
Van Cortlandt 
Wisenfeld
938
9 June 1818 
Sep '18
Page 7

STATE OF NEW YORK,
ONTARIO COUNTY, SS. 
On this nineteen day of August 1820 personally appeared in open Court, (being a Court of Common Pleas in and for said county, and constituted a Court of Record by proceeding according to the course of the Common Law, with a jurisdiction unlimited in point of amount, and keeping a record of its proceedings, and recognized as such Court by the laws and judicial decisions of said State,) John Lester or (Luster) aged Seventy years, resident in the town of Benton in said county, who, being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath declare, that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows: 
the time of six years, five months and nine days in Capt. Jacob Wright Company in Col. Philip Van Cortlandt Regiment, being the second New York Regiment commencing in January 1777 - was in Battle of White Plains (before his regular enlistment) in the years service of this State in Capt. Benj Pelton Company in a Regiment commanded by Col. Wisenfelt after his enlistment in 1777 was at the Battle of Trenton, Saratoga and Monmouth and was at the taking of Lord Cornwallis. - 
and  that he made application for a pension on the eighteenth day of April al and that he received a Pension Certificate, No. 938 And I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the eighteenth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, 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 so to diminish it 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 11th day of March, 1818, and that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me, any property or securities, contracts, or debts due to me; nor have I any income other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed, and by me subscribed, viz. 
No property at all, and a part of the apparel I now wear is borrowed 
John Lester 
And I do further swear declare that I am by occupation a laborer and in consequence of age and infirmity and unable to do but little, and I have no family with me, my children have all married and left me, and are able to support themselves & no more 
John Lester 
Sworn to and declared this 19th day of August 1820 in open Court before me.
Micah Brooks a Judge of Ontario Com Pleas
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ONTARIO COUNTY, ss. I, John Van Fossen, Clerk of said county, do hereby certify, that the foregoing Oath, and the Schedule thereto annexed, are truly copied from the Record of the said Court; and I farther certify, that it is the opinion of the said Court, that the total amount in value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid Schedule, is ___ dollars and ___ cents. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Court, on this 19th day of August 1820 
J Van Fossen Clerk of the Court aforesaid, in and for said County.
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March 3, 1937. 
XXXXXXXXXXX 
BA-J/ady 
John Lester 
S. 38844 
Mrs. L. C. Whittemore 
Ovid 
Michigan 
Dear Madam:  
The data contained herein were obtained from the papers on file in the Revolutionary War claim for pension, S.42844, based upon the military service of John Lester in that war. 
The date and place of birth and the names of the parents of John Lester are not shown.
John Lester enlisted, date and place not stated, served one year in Captain Benjamin Pelton's Company, Colonel Weisenfels' New York Regiment and was in the battle of White Plains. He enlisted January 1, 1777, served six years, five months and nine days, and to the close of the war, as private in Captain Jacob Wright's Company, Colonel Philip Van Cortland's Second New York Regiment and was in the battles of Trenton, Saratoga, Monmouth and at the taking of Lord Cornwallis. 
He was allowed pension on his application executed April 18, 1818, at which time he was aged about sixty- eight years and a resident of New Paltz, Ulster County, New York. 
In 1820 he was living in Benton, Ontario County, New York,
He died December 1, 1821, place not given. [in handwriting] On A.B. 
In 1820 all the children of soldier were married, no names were stated. The name of soldier's wife is not given, and there are no further family data. 
Very truly yours 
A.D. HILLER 
Executive Assistant to the Administrator
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[cut off word]y to your request of ___, received ___ [cut off word]ment of the military history of John Lester [cut off word] of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his application for penson on file in this Bureau. 
John S. Lester S. File 42,844
[column headings DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. LENGTH OF SERVICE. RANK. OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED. CAPTAIN. COLONEL. STATE.]
* | 1 yr. | Benj. Belton | Weisenfels | NY 
[symbol with a circle and line through it] Jay. 1, 1777 | [illegible] | Jacob Wright | Philip Van Cortland
Battles engaged in, * White Pla, [cymbols with a circle and line through it] Trenton, Saratoga, Mon. & taking of Cornwallis
Residence of soldier at enlistment, [check mark]
Date of application for pension, Apl. 18, 1818.
Residence at date of application, New Paltz, Ulster Co., N.Y.
Age at date of application, 68.
Remarks: 1820 [illegible] Benton, Ontario Co. NY. that no family with him.
[illegible] for death, [illegible] payment was made -
Very respectfully,
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[postmark] O.W.N. DIV. APR 26 1907

Frank A. Lester
Mason, Mich.
Mason, Michigan. April 22, 1907.

Commissioner of Pensions, 
Washington, D. C. 
Sir: -- 
Will you furnish me the military records of the following persons as shown by the records and files in your office? 
(1) John S. Lester, born Feb. 24, 1792; died May 16, 1858. Residence: N.Y. 
(2) John or John S. Lester, who I believed served in the 2nd Reg. N.Y. in the Revolutionary War. Is there anything to show whether this man is the father of the above John S. Lester? 
(3) Peter Wells, born March 22, 1756; died Dec. 20, 1839. Residence: N.Y. 
(4) William K. Burgess, born Sept. 21, 1793; died Sept. 16, 1882. Residence: N.Y. (Died in Mich. 
Please give names of children and wife of each of the above if record show it. 
Respectfully, 
F. A. Lester

[postmark] U.S. PENSON OFFICE F APR 24 1907
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1907 May 10. F. A. Lester, Mason, Mich 
3-595, 
O. W. AND N. DIVISION. No claim.
 Department of the Interior, 
BUREAU OF PENSIONS. 
May 3, 1907 
Searched by A.O.T. 
Original No. 
Certificate No. 
Claimant, 
Soldier, John S. Lester
Service, 2"N.Y. Rev. War. 
Remarks: No O. W. Inv or Wid No 1812 Surv. or Widow 
[illegible]ry S.F. 42,844 
John Lester,
2" N.Y. Rev. War. 
27498b4m2-07 Chief of Division.
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42844 INVALID.
Revy
File  No. 42,844 
[illegible] Rev War
Act: 18th March 18 
Index: -- Vol. 3, Page 292 
[Arrangement of 1870.] 

[handwriting] 1907 March 4 Hist to F. A. Lester 
1937 Mar. 3. Hist to Mrs L. C. Whittemore, See her letter in clan. of [illegible]
Peter Wells, S. 44033
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March 3, 1937. 
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 
BA-J/ady 
Mrs. L. C. Whittemore 
Ovid 
Michigan 
Dear Madam: 
Reference is made to your letter relative to John Lester and Peter Wells, soldiers of the Revolutionary War. 
Their records are furnished you herewith, on separate pages, as found in the respective claims for pension based upon service in the Revolutionary War. 
Very truly yours 
A. D. HILLER 
Executive Assistant to the Administrator