Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 5157, John Hollister, New Jersey
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(8-1776)
Service                                Number
New Jersey Hollister, John R. 5157
Contents
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John Hollister N. York
Suspd Oct 1832
[Mr. Hollister scratched out]
A N Markland
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State of New York
County of Livingston
Be it known, that on this Nineteenth day of November A.D. 1852 before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace in and for the County and State aforesaid, personally appeared Elias Hollister resident of Dansville Steuben County, and made oath according to law that he is the legal Heir of the identical John Hollister who was a Soldier in the war of the Revolution, and who has heretofore made application for the benefit of the Pension Act of 7 June 1832. that he is directly interested as a claimant in said pension and makes this affidavit to be filed with such additional evidence or arguments as my Agent may use in prosecuting said claim. Countermanding and revoking all Powers of Attorney, and authority heretofore given, I hereby constitute and appoint C.W. Bennett, of Washington City, my true and lawful Attorney, to prosecute the claim of John Hollister for any amount of Revolutionary Pension, or increase of Pension that may be due; and I hereby authorize my said Attorney to examine all papers or documents in relation to said claim on file in the Department at Washington City, or elsewhere, to file additional evidence or arguments, and to receive for my exclusive benefit, the certificate which may be issued for said claim, which certificate I wish made payable at Washington City, D.C. Agency; to appoint one of more substitutes under him for the purposes herein expressed, and to do all things that I might or could do were I personally present. Hereby ratifying and confirming all that my said Attorney and Agent shall lawfully do in the premises.
Elias Hollister.
Sworn to, Subscribed and Acknowledged before me the day and year above written, and I hereby certify that I believe the Elias Hollister to be directly interested in said claim as set forth, and to be the identical party therein alleged. JW Bennett, Justice of the Peace
State of New York
County of Livingston
It is hereby Certified, that satisfactory evidence has been exhibited before me, Clerk of the County of Livingston that Elias Hollister the party who has sworn to, and acknowledged the foregoing Declaration and Power of Attorney is the identical child of the reputed soldier aforesaid. I further certify, that J.W. Bennett Esq. before whom the preceding affidavit and Power of Attorney were made and acknowledged, was, at the time of so doing, a Justice of the Peace, in and for said County, and that the signature purporting to be his, I believe to be genuine.  In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto sent my hand and affixed my seal of Office, this 22nd day of Novr 1852 J.D. Robt Clk
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34.720
In matter of 
John Hollister
Pension application
Declaration
Hon L. C. Peck
HR
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State of New York
Livingston County
I, James Rolls of the town of Sparta in the County of Livingston aforesaid and State of New York aged eighty years and upwards being duly sworn deposeth and saith that he is well acquainted with John Hollister of the town of Dawsville in the County of Steuben and State of New York. He at sometime in the year 1779 the said John Hollister enlisted in the Service of the United States as a private Soldier. Deponent further says that the said John Hollister was in the twenty-first Regiment of the New Jersey Troops Colonel Dubois had the command of the said twenty-first Regiment Captain Betts an old whiteheaded Scotchman had the command of the Company in which the said Hollister served. Deponent says he and said Hollister were in different regiments and they were at Fort Montgomery all one summer and served in the Army of the United States. Deponent's regiment left Fort Montgomery late in the fall and left the said Hollister's regiment at said Fort in the summer following deponent saw the said John Hollister  at Haverstraw in the Army of the United States. Deponent further says that he saw the said John Hollister at Albany in the barracks in the spring of the year 1781 in the Army of the United States. This deponent further says that he has been familiarly acquainted with the said John Hollister ever since they left the service of the United States. And that he is a person of good moral character and entitled to full credit & belief. 
Sworn & Subscribed this 22 of December 1838 before me Merritt Brown Justice
James his [x] mark Rolls
I certify that James Rolls whose name is subscribed to the foregoing affidavit is a man of good moral character & entitled to full credit & belief.
Dated December 22d 1838
Merritt Brown Justice
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State of New York}
Livingston County} f:
On this twenty eighth day of January A.D. 1839 personally appeared in open court before the Court of Common Pleas in the said County of Livingston now sitting John Hollister a resident of the town of Dansville in the County of Steuben and State of New York aged seventy six years on the tenth day of July 1838 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 of the United States under the following named officers; and served as herein stated. Declarant was born at Greenbush in 1762 in the County of Rensselaen and State of New York. Went from there to Warwick in the State of New Jersey when quite young and there resided until declarant went as a volunteer in the year 1776 and served as a volunteer two years and then sometime in the month of May 1779 declarant enlisted in the War of the Revolution for the term of three years and served in the twenty first Regiment of the New Jersey Troops, that at the time of his enlistment he resided at Warwick in the State of new Jersey
That he served under the following named officers Colonel Dubois had the Command of the Regiment to which the declarant belonged, his Captain's name was Betts an old white headed Scotchman, his Lieutenant's name was John Dodge and his Ensigns name was Murphy. Declarant's father Nathaniel Hollister enlisted at the same time and in the same company who is now dead and who died thirty five years ago. Declarant served two years and eight months in the Army of the United States as a private soldier leaving the army in 1782. Declarants father served with him during the [ ... ] and terms. Declarant got no discharge until all the services were done and declarants discharges was taken by his father Nathaniel Hollister which discharge declarant cannot obtain and believes is is destroyed.
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That soon after the Enlistment as aforesaid he proceeded to Fort Montgomery where he joined the Army under the Command of Captain Betts. At Fort Montgomery we had a battle with a force of about fifteen hundred British and only about eight hundred of our men this battle was fought in the fall of the year. the British were driven back three times from the Fort into the woods. the battle began about 9 or 10 o'clock in the evening and in the dark of the evening the British came down scalled the walls and took some prisoners, declarant & his father & about one hundred more made their escape to habenstrain A Captain Moody commanded a company of artillery at this place and fired upon two of the British Sloops the British cut their cables left their anchors and fled to Tarrytown. Thence we marched to New Winsor, thence to Old Schokaine and there remained all old winter. He had a scurmish with the Indians at this place and took them prisoners being about four hundred. Some of them were killed and a few of our men. We were encamped in a large stone house. We left schokaine early in the spring and marched to Johnstown to help. Anthony Wayne fight the Indians when we arrived the battle had been fought and the Indians were subdued. We remained at Johnstown about three months nothing of importance took place here. Declarant and many of the soldiers had small pox at Johnstown and some of them died. Thence we marched to Fishkill and remained there until the next spring little or nothing done at FishKill thence marched to White Plains where we had seven Regiments together and there had a heavy battle with British which battle was fought late in the summer or fall the British were defeated and a  few of them taken prisoners. Some in declarants company were wounded. remained at Whiteplains a number of weeks and then went to Albany & remained through the winter in the barracks in the spring following about 400 were sent and took and brought in a number of Indian
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then went to Albany & remained through the winter in the barracks in the sprin following about 400 were sent and took and brought in a number of Indian prisoners & killed one Tory who was shot through the heart. Other Indians then came in and gave themselves up to us making in all about 500 Indian prisoners. Declarant received two wounds in the battle at Fort Montgomery. One in the thigh by a bayonet and the other in the foot by a grapeshot. Two or three years after the close of the war Declarant removed from Warwick to Sterling resided there about six months; thence to Durham & resided about two years; thence to Sussex in New Jersey lived there one summer; thence to Wyoming in Pennsylvania resided there ten years; thence to Dansville in the county of Steuben aforesaid where he now resides. James Rolls knows of Declarants services in part. Declarant further declares that during the times the above services were performed he was not engaged in any civil pursuit. He hereby relinquishes any 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. Declarant further declares the following reason for appearing before the Court of Common Pleas in the said County of Livingston and not in the County of Steuben where declarant resides. Declarant resides about thirty miles from the Court House in the County of Steuben in the town of Dansville which town joins the town of Sparta in the said County of Livingston and resides about eighteen miles from the court house in the County of Livingston. Declarant is not acquainted at the County seat in the County of Steuben and never been in the habit of doing business there but has always been in the habit of doing business in the County of Livingston in which last mentioned County declarant is well acquainted. Declarant has no record of his age and has no documentary evidence of his services
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Declarant names the following persons to whom he is known in his present neighborhood and who can testify to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a Soldier of the Revolution (viz) Richard Hale, Clemons Griffet, William Hollister, Cyrus Clark and Daniel Whiting.
[Signature]
John Dobb Junior

Sworn  to & subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court before me.
W.H. Stanley Clerk.

I Robert Hubbard, a clergyman residing in the village of Dansville town of Sparta in the county of Livingston and State of New York hereby certify that I am well acquainted with John Hollister who has subscribed the above declaration, and I believe him to be seventy six years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and that I concur in that opinion.

[Signature]
Robert Hubbard
Sworn & Subscribed before me this 12 day of January AD 1839 - Merritt Brown, Justice of the Peace

We Richard Hale and Daniel Whiting of the town of Dansville in the said County of Steuben hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Hollister who has subscribed and sworn to be seventy six years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.

[Signature and marks]
Richard Hale
Daniel Whiting
Sworn & Subscribed before me the day & year first above written in this application, in open court before me.  
W.H. Stanley, Clerk
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And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories presen-ted 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 Robert Hubbard who has signed one of the preceeding certificates is a clergyman resident in the village of Dansville town of Sparta and county of Livingston afore-said and in the opinion of the court the said Clergyman could not appear in court without much inconvenience and expense to the applicant and without great trouble and inconvenience to the said clergyman on account of his feeble health and that Richard Hale & Daniel Whiting are credible persons and that the statements of the said Robert Hubbard, Richard Hale & Daniel Whiting are entitled to credit.
[Signature]
W.H. Stanley Clerk of 
Livingston Common Plea Court

State of New York
ss
Livingston County
I, William H. Stanley, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Livingston & State of New York do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of John Hollister for a pensions, and I also certify that Merrit Brown, Esquire before whom the annexed affidavit purports to have been sworn & also before whom one of the annexed Certificates purport to have been sworn was at the date through a Justice of the Peace in & for the said County of Livingston and that the signature annexed is the genuine signature of the said Justice of the Peace.

In Testimony Whereof I have
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hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court & County the day and year first above written in the declaration

[Signature and Seal]
W.H. Stanley.
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[Stamp] REJECTED
5157
P.O. John Hollister
Service: [blank]
Enlisted: [blank]
Discharged: [blank]
Application filed: [blank]

The printed list of 1852 shows reasons for suspension, "no such named officers served during the war in New Jersey -- the records at Trenton must be consulted for proof if this be not so."

[All other fill-in blanks remained blank]
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N. York
John Hollister
let. to Hon. L. C. Peak 5 March 39

to same 4 April 1860

[small pointed finger drawing] Papers copied for Hon,. John Young H.R. August 27, 1841

Act of June 1832
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[handwritten]
Aug 13, 1841
Hon J L Edwards
Court of Pensions
Washington City

Hn J. Young H.R
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Washington City
12 August 1841

Hon. J L Edwards
Comm of Pensions

Dear Sir

If in accordance with the [unclear] & practice of the office will you send me the papers required by the enclosed.  If not please advise me.

Very Respectfully
J. Young
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House of Reps
April 30 1840

Sir

I send herewith a communication of B C Cooke Esquire making certain inquiries in relation to an application of John Hollister for a pension, and to which your attention is respectfully solicited.

Very Respectfully
Your Obt (Obedient) Servant
L C Peck


Hon J L Edwards
Commissioner of Pensions
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H R February 5 18__

Sir

I have the honor to transmit herewith the application of John Hollister for a pension.

You early attention to this application is respectfully solicited by C.C. Cooke Esq. [unclear] send the same to my charge.

Very respectfully
I am Your Obt. Servant
L C Peck

Hon. J L Edwards
Commsr Pensions
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[handwritten on top]
paper in this case copied and sent. Hon. J. Young H.R. 27 August '41

[illegible] of Pensions
Pension Office
Washington D.C.
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Dansville Aug't 31st 1841 Livingston Co. N.Y.
J. L. S. Edwards Esq. 
Comm of Pensions 

Dear Sir, 
Mr. John Hollister a Revolution-ary Soldier has been for some time as I am informed an unsuccessful applicant for a Pension from the General Government & has employed me to renew his application.  Will you please transmit by mail to me a copy of the papers on file in your office relating to his application.  I wrote some weeks since to the Hon. John Young our Representative from this district to favor me by calling at your office & obtaining the papers but have not heard from him on the subject.  I therefor have taken the liberty of addressing my letter to your office not knowing but that there might (in this time of change) be some change of name as Comm, if any for is [unclear] to transmit please inform me of this and I will enclose it by return mail. Applicant's address.  John Hollister Dansville, Steuben Co. State of New York 

Respectfully Yours
E.G. Holladay
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[stamped] Dansville N.Y.

Oct 28, 1839
J.L Edwards Esquire
Pension Office
Washington City
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Dansville Livingston Co., N.Y.

Dear Sir
Your [unclear] of 5th March last addressed to Mr. Peck by whom the papers of John Hollister past appli-cant for a pension [unclear] written to your office is before me.

Find enclosed your [unclear] further affidavit of Mr. Hollister which he hopes will satisfy what these [unclear] objectionable.

Should the information sought from the Secretary of State of N.J. still be [unclear] for him.  I would [rest of sentence illegible].  I am still expecting [the rest of this page is illegible[
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State of New York
Livingston County

John Hollister a soldier of the Revolution residing  in the Town of Dansville in the County of Steuben  and an applicant for a Pension under the act of June 7th 1832 & whose papers have been transmitted to the commission-er of Pensions being duly sworn
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From to subscriber
before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace of the town of Spector by the above named,  John Hollister who is known to me and who is of a good moral character
this 19 Oct 1839
Harlem G. Chamberlin
Justice of the Peace

State of  New York
Livingston County Clerks Office
I William H Stanley Clerk of Said County, do hereby certify that Harlem G Chamberlin whose name is subscribed to the foregoing affidavit was on the 19th of October 1839, is now, a Justice of the Peace in & for the County of Livingston. Commissioned & sworn & duly authorized to take the same & that I am well acquainted with his handwriting & verily believe the signature above written is genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of the said County this twenty first day of October in the year One thousand eight hundred & thirty nine.
W. H Stanley clerk