Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 6978, for [Blank] Marlin, New York
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(8-1776)
SERVICE                                                   NUMBER

New York       Marlin,  (coe)                       R, 6978
                       or Brown, Marlin
                        Roorback, Marlin
________________________________________________
CONTENTS
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State of New York}
County of Orange}
I on this [Struck out: twenty] third day of [Struck out: May] September in the year one thousand eight hundred & thirty four personally appeared before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in & for the County of Orange aforesaid Marlin a coloured man, a resident of the town of Montgomery in said County of Orange aged Eighty four 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 provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he enlisted in the army of the United States in the year one thousand seven hundred & seventy six in the month of October & as he thinks in the [Struck Out: early] latter part of that month & remained in the service until the last of May or first of June in the one thousand seven hundred & seventy eight & was as he believes enrolled among the regular continental troops Colonels John Fisher & Barney Teneyck were the highest officers of the regiment in which he was enrolled but which was superior in rank he does not know.
When applicant first entered the army General Schuyler was his immediate commanding General. During the following spring or summer General Gates arrived & took the command. General Gates met the army at Van Schaik's Island neat what was once called the New City now Lansingburgh. Several other general officers were there about the same time among whom according to the best recollection of applicant were Generals Lincoln, Sullivan, Putnam, Glover & McDougal.
Applicant served all the time of his enlistment as a waiter or servant of Colonel Fisher but his name was on the master roll of the regiment & he drew the pay of a solider of the line. once too on muster day he took his station in the ranks with his musket & answered to his name but never afterwards.
He was present in attendance on Colonel Fisher at the battle of Stillwater where Burgoyne was taken prisoner General Gates commanded & General Arnold
[End Page]
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[continuation of letter beginning with Fold3 File #23781608]

was wounded either in or just before the battle. The main battle was fought on Friday beginning about noon & continuing till near midnight. There were other battles & skirmishes afterwards before the surrender.
When he first entered the service he was stationed at Albany for a short time & there went to Ticonderoga where he remained till the Spring of 1777 when the army retreated before Burgoyue. In one of the skirmishes on the retreat Colonel Hendrick or Henry Rensselear was several wounded in the thigh by a musket or grape shot - After the surrender he remained through the winter & until his discharge the greater part of the army went to the south in the fall after the surrender.
Applicant was the slave of John Roorback of Wallkill. Then Ulster now Orange County & State of New York at the time he entered the service. About the beginning of June 1778 he was to be transferred to Frederick Roorback the brother of his former master. He enlisted with the permission of his master John Roorback during all the time he was to [inserted above: have] remained in his service & he served out all the time of his enlistment.
He was in the service in all at least one year & [Struck Out: four] five months. He never received any written discharge & he knows of no person now alive who can testify as to his service.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension of an annuity except the present & he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any state.
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid by Marlin, his mark is here leant

[Signature Mark] Marlin his+ mark

[Signature] Asa Dimning Clerk

And the said court do hereby declare their opinion that the above named applicant was a revolutionary solider & served as he states.
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I Asa Dimning Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Orangedo hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Marlin for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto let my hand and seal of office this [Struck out: ?] Third day of [Struck out: May] September in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty four.

[Signature] Asa Dimning Clerk
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September 9, 1931
BA-J/EEL

You are advised that it appears from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, R.6978, that Marlin (the name also appears as Marlin Roorback and Marlin Brown), a colored man, was a slave and was owned by John Roorback, of Wallkill, Ulster (later Orange) County, New York.
He applied for pension September 3, 1834, at which time he was aged eighty-four years and resided in Montgomery, Orange County, New York, and alleged that he enlisted the latter part of October, 1776, while residing in said Wallkill, and served until about June 1, 1778, as a waiter to Colonel John Fisher, under Colonels John Fisher and Barney (probably meant for Barent) Ten Eyck in the New York Troops, an that he was present as Colonel Fisher's servant at the battle of Stillwater and capture of Burboyne.

His claim was not allowed as the act of Congress under which he applied provided only for service of six months in an embodied military corps. The service of waiter did not come within the provisions of said act.

There are no data as to his family.

---------

This history to be furnished
if ever called for.
It was written just to have a record of negroes.
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31.905
N.Y. Sept 8

Marlin negro

JL Edwards
Chief Clerk of the Pension bureau
Washington
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New Burgh New York. September 5. 1834

Sir
I have made out the enclosed application for a pension upon the supposition that the name of the applicant will be found on the rolls of the department in the war office.
Wittere said to his name he was the greater part of his life a slave. I was frequently called by the surname of his master. At the time he was in the army he says he was frequently called Marlin Roorback bur whether his name was to mentioned on the muster roll he does not remember. He is now sometimes called Marlin Brown from the name of his last master but he is more generally known by the simple name of Marlin & therefore I have so styled him in the application.

Yours be,
[Signature] Charles Mason

[Signature] JL Edwards Chief Clerk ee
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Marlin - a negro
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New York
Revo Lehy June 1834

Marlin (Colored man)
Rejected

Set to Chl Mason
[Struck out: 8th July 1834]

6978
Page 10

C Mason
8th Sept 1834


G.6.


Record. Vol 211 page 21/8
G6
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[Right Corner:
War Dept
Pension Off
Sept 34]

Sir
The claim of Marlin (a colored man) has been examined & disallowed. His name is not found with or mentioned a surname when either of the New York Regt - John Fisher was at no time a Col in that line as he alleges & it is highly probably that his service as a waiter was not under military obligations.
His papers are placed in our files

act 7 June

Charles Mason ese
NeroBurgh N.Y.
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[crossed out] Acts of July 14, and March 3, 1873
6978
P.O. 1832 NY
Negro [crossed out "Martin"] Marlin
Service:
REJECTED
A.O.T. Enlisted: Aug 13, 1906 ,18
Discharged: ,18
Application filed: ,18
[Handwritten] Printed list of 1852 shows cause of suspicion
Alleges:
"He was a slave and not subject to military duty
Re-enlisted:
Attorney:
P.O.
Recognized. Contra
Cert. of Dis. Searched for ,18