Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 2,341, William Cortright, New Jersey

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[This page consists of printed text and blank lines for handwritten entries. At the top of the page, there are three columns, yet only two headers are present. The left column is headed with "SERVICE", the middle column has no header but makes space for name, the right column is headed with "NUMBER". The "|" will indicate a change to the next entry in the column.]

SERVICE | [No Header] | NUMBER
New Jersey | Cortwright, William | R. 2,341
                  |Elizabeth|

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CONTENTS
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Elizabeth Cortright
1836

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State of New Jersey } 
Sussex County 

I on this day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight personaly appeared before the undersigned  a Judge of the court of common pleas of the county of Sussex in the State of New Jersey Elizabeth Cortright a resident of the county and state aforesaid aged Seventy four years on the seventh day of October last who being duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the act of Congress passed July 4, 1836

That she is the widow of William Cortright who was a native of the said county and lived in the said county untill his death and who was a soldier in the militia during the Revolutionary War and that in the begining of the war her said husband belonged to a company of Militia of which Henry Cortright was Captain and in the regiment commanded by Col. John Rosenkranz and in the battallion commanded by Major John Cortright that as she has been informed and believes in the month of March in the year 1777 the above mentioned Major John Cartright raised a volunteer company to guard the passes of the Delaware River on the western frontier of New Jersey and to hunt out and pursue the Tories that then infested the frontier at that time and that her said husband William Cortright volunteered into the said company and served in said the said company at least 13 days and was discharged about the first day of April of the said year She further declares that she has been informed and believes that her said husband in the beginning of March 1778 was drafted into a company of Militia of

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which Peter Westbrook was captain and in the detachment under the immediate command of Major John Cortright and that the said company rendezvoused at Westbrook's fort near the Delaware River on the western frontier of the State of New Jersey and served the term of four months and was discharged sometime near the twentieth day of July of the said year and that her said husband did serve during the said time and was discharged with the rest of the company She further saith that she has been informed and believes that immediately after the above mentioned service Captain Westbrook volunteered [illegible] for three months to serve under the immediate command of Major Samuel Westbrook and that her said husband William Cortright entered the company under the said Captain Wesbrook and rendezvoused at Westbrook's fort some time not far from the twentieth of July of the above mentioned year and that he served along the Delaware River and on the Western frontier of New Jersey under the said Captain Westbrook and Major Westbrook for the term of three months and was discharged sometime near the twentieth day of October after having served the full term of three months but she cannot tell whether he was volunteer or substitute She further declares that she has been informed and believes that their was an alarm made by the appearance of the Indians on the Delaware frontier of New Jersey and the militia was called out and that the company of Captain Cortright rendezvoused at Cortright's fort on the Delaware frontier and served one week and was discharged about the last of October and she further saith that her said husband served in the said company during the said alarm at least one week

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and was discharged with the rest of the company this service was under the immediate command of Major Cortright She further declares that as she has been informed and believes that the Indians made such a formidable appearance on the Delaware frontier of New Jersey that the militia was again called out upon alarm about the first of November of the above mentioned year and rendezvoused at different places along the frontier on the Delaware River and remained in service at least two weeks and she further saith that Captain Cortright's company rendezvoused at Cortright's fort and served at least two weeks and were discharged about the middle of November of the year 1778 and she further saith that her said husband William Cortright served upon the said alarm in the company of Captain Cortright at least two weeks and was discharged with the rest of the company as above mentioned at Cortright's fort this service was done in the battalion under Major Westbrook and she further says that this service was all done within the bounds of Col. Rosecrantz's Regiment She further declares that the Indians became so troublesome on the Delaware frontier of New Jersey in the year 1779 that it required all the men on the said frontier to [illegible] [illegible] and to act as minute men and that the company of Captain Cortright entered the service about the first of April of the said year and rendezvoused at Cortright's fort doing duty until about the first of November of the said year when they were discharged from duty and that her said husband belonged to the said company and was discharged with the rest of the said company after a service

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4 of at least six months She further declares that this service was in the Regiment under Col. Rosecrantz She further declares that in 1780 Captain Cortright's company entered the service in the month of April and remained in service along the Delaware frontier of New Jersey for the term of six months in the battalion under Major Westbrook and under Col. Rosecrantz in the month of April of this year a party of men under Major Westbrook and Captain Westbrook crossed the Delaware River to scour the mountains they were met by a party of Indians when a battle ensued and Captain Westbrook, Lieut. Ames and one private were killed and Samuel Holm was wounded She heard the firing and hastened to the River and rowed the first boat across the River to assist the men across to the Jersey shore and she further saith that her said husband was in this party and the battle She further declares that in the Spring of the year 1781 in the month of April her said husband entered the service in the company commanded by Captain Cortright and in the battalion under Major Westbrook and rendezvoused at Cortright's fort and remained in service until about the first November of the said year when he was discharged from the service after a service of about seven months She further declares that her said husband entered the service as a minute man in the Spring of 1782 and served as such under Captain Cortright and in the battalion commanded by Major Westbrook and served during the season at least four month.
She further declare that she was married to the said William Cortright on the second Wednesday of August and according to the best of her recollection it was the tenth day of the month and in the year

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5 of our Lord one thousand Seven Hundred and eighty one and that her said husband William Cortright died on the twentieth day of March one thousand eight hundred and thirty three and that she has remained a widow ever since She further declares that she was married by the Rev Mr. Marenus a clergyman of the Dutch reformed order and that the marriage took place at the house of her husband's father She further declares that she has no documentary evidence of her said marriage and she has been informed and believes that there was no town or county record of the marriages kept at that time and she verrily believes that there is no record of her marriage in existence. That her name before marriage was Elizabeth Brink She further declares that she has no documentary evidence in her possession of her said husband services and she further declares that her husband was in actual service at the time that he was married She further saith that from old age and blindness she is unable to attend the sittings of the court of record of the said county This word [illegible] [illegible] before signing

Sworn and subscribed before me the day and year aforesaid

James Stott

Elizabeth her mark Cortright

I the undersigned judge before whom the foregoing declaration was made and subscribed do certify that Elizabeth Cortright who made the same is a women of truth and her statements herein made are entitled to full credit and belief and that from personal examination I believe that from old age and blindness she aught to be excused from attending the sittings of the court of the said county
Montague Sussex NJ 10 Dec 1838
James Stott

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Act of July 7 1838

Suspended Claim

Elizabeth Cortright

Widow of William 

(New Jersey)

Power of attorney to examine claim

W Anderson

June 9/53

Chas C Tucker
Atty
Present

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Power of Attorney, 
Know all men by these presents, that I John Cartright of Montague in the county of Sussex state. of New Jersey do hearby constitute and appoint Chas. C. Tucker, of Washington City, DC

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Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873 [crossed out]

Rejected

2341

P.O.
Elizabeth Cortright
Service: wid. of William
Enlisted:       , 18  .
Discharged:     , 18   .
Application filed: Rejected, 18    .
[illegible]:
Re-enlisted:
Attorney:
P.O.
Recognized.          [check mark] Contract.
Cert of Dis.          Searched for        , 18  .

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[Round stamp] Newburgh May 24 N.Y.
4531
May 27
NY
4 July 1836
Eliz. Cortright
wid  of William

[stamp] FREE

[vertical script]
J L Edwards Esq.
Court of Pensions
Washington

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Newburgh May 24th 1839

Dear Sir

Enclosed I send you the papers relating to the claim of Elizabeth Cortright widow of William Cortright under the act of Congress of July 4th 1836 when examined please address your answer to me

Yours Respectfully H Armstrong
JL Edward Esq.

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77. Cortwright 13[last number illegible]
78 March - Westbrook - 4
3 -
Cortwright 7 -
14
79 April to Nov. 0
80. Westbrook 6
81. Cortwright 6
82 4

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4531
SerV H. Armstrong, 17, Sept '39

2341

[illegible] 7 July 38

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State of New York
Chemung County [illegible] James Westbrook of Cayuta in the said county being duly sworn says that he is now in his seventy second year that during the war of the revolution he resided in Sussex County New Jersey that he was acquainted with William Cortright who then resided in the Town of Montague in the same county and knows that the said Cortright rendered service along the Minisink frontier in the State of New Jersey and Pennsylvania during alarms, and in keeping guard along the Delaware River in a company commanded by Capt. Henry Cortright, in the Regiment under command of Col. Rosenkrans in the Sussex militia; the battalion more particularly assigned to the defense of the frontier was commanded by Maj. Samuel Westbrook and Captain Cortright's company compound a part of the battalion. The deponent has frequently seen said Cortright in service at various places during the war. The situation of the Delaware frontier required minute men to be stationed up and down the river Delaware during the years 1777, 1778, 1779, 1780, 81 and 82, from spring to fall. The persons connected with Cortright's company, however, for the companies attached to Major Westbrook's battalion usually performed an average of at least six months service in the year - He entertains no doubt that said Cortright rendered that amount of service annually in those years respectively. He forms the estimate from his personal knowledge of the nature of the service (having himself ben in the service under Captain Johnson) and from the frequency of his seeing said Cortright in service, and his general

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knowledge of the military concern of the time. He knew the said Willliam Cortright and his wife Elizabeth Brink, they were married in the county of Sussex as the deponent has no doubt in the year 1781. He was not present at the marriage but knows well when the marriage took place, and heard of it at the time it took place. The deponent's wife has always told him that she was present at the wedding, and the circumstances of the marriage have frequently been a subject of conversation in the deponent's family. This deponent is himself a pensioner, for service rendered on the Minisink frontier under Capt. [crossed out] Johnson in Westbrook's battalion. He said Cortright has been dead several years as he has understood, and he believes the widow to be still living.

Sworn and Subscribed  James Westbrook
before me the 30th 
May 1838
Th Maxwell Jr
Chemung Co NY
I hereby certify that the above named James Westbrook is in my opinion a credible and disinterested witness
Th. Maxwell Jr
Chemung Co. NY

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State of New York
Chemung Co. [illegible] Charity Westbrook of Cayuta in said county being duly sworn says that she is now in her seventy first year. That she formerly resided in the county of Sussex in the state of New Jersey, of which place she was a native: That she was acquainted with William Cortright then of the same county of Sussex and Elizabeth Brink to whom he was married. She was present at the marriage between the said Cortright and Elizabeth Brink sometime in the summer of 1781 at the house of Capt Cortright in the town of Montague in the County of Sussex. The ceremony was performed by a clergyman by the name of Marenus. She has understood the said Cortright to be dead, and that his widow is now living.
Charity her mark Westbrook
Sworn and subscribed before me the 2nd day of [illegible] 1838 the said Charity Westbrook being in my opinion a credible witness
Charles Patchen [illegible]
Chemung Co NY
Witness James Westbrook

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Chenning County [illegible] I, Mortimer J. Webb, D. Clerk
of the said County do hereby certify that Thomas
Maxwell & Charles Patchen Esqnrs were at the
Several dates above mentioned Justices of the
peace in and for said County duly qualified
to act as such that I am well acquainted with
the hand writing of the said Justice, I
know his signature to the within instrument to be
genuine In testimony whereof
I have hereunto set my hand
& affixed the seal of the said
County, this fifteenth day of
June 1838
M. Webb
D. Clerk


[Sideways Text Below]
4531 Elizabeth Cortright
widow of William Cortright
Act of July 4th, 1836 NJ

H Armstrong
Newburgh NY

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(no 1)
Abstract of Pay-rolls discharged by Joseph Lewis

No. | Date | Regt. or Batt. | Officer's Names| Where Served| Under Whom | L.| S.| D.|
63 | April 11, 1777 | Sussex | Major Cortricht after Tories | 28 | 13 | 6
215| July 15 1778 | Rosenkranz Sussex | Capt. Westbrook | Delaware | Major Cortricht |121 | 6 | 4 |
216 | Sept 18 " [1778] | do.  do. | do. | do. | do. | 98 | 2 | 6 |
286 | July 16  " [1778] | do.  do. | Capt. Cortricht | do. | do.|  62 | 18 | 7 |
287 | Sept. 29 " [1778]|  do.  do. | do. | do. | Major Westbrook | 84 | 19 | 4 |
288 | Oct. 30 " [1778] | do.  do. | do. | do. | do. | 65 | 17 | 4 |
289 | " 18 " [1778]|  do.  do. | Capt. Westbrook | do. | do. | 100 | 18 | 6 |
303 | June 30 " [1778] | do.  do. | Major Cortricht | Minisink | Major Westbrook |18 | "| " |

(No 2)
Abstract of Bounty rolls discharged by Jos. Lewis
 No. | Date | Regt. or Batt. | Officer's Names| Where Served| Under Whom | L.| S.| D.|
190 | July 16 1778 | Rosenkranz Sussex | Capt. Cortricht | Delaware | Major Cortricht | 10 | 7 | " |
191 | Oct. 29 " | do.  do. | do. | do. | Major Westbrook | 30 | 13 | " |
192 | Nov. 13 | do. do. | do. | do. | do. | 19 | 14 | " |
193 | " 14 " | do.  do. | Capt. Westbrook | do. | do. | 29 | 18 | " |

State of New Jersey
I James D. Westcott Secretary of State of the State of New Jersey, do hereby certify that no. 1 is a true extract from an account headed "Abstract of Pay-rolls discharged by Joseph Lewis" as taken from the record in Book A. of Auditors Accounts during the Revolutionary War folios 62, 63 & 64 now remaining in my office and that

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no. 2 is a true extract from an account headed "Abstract of Bounty rolls discharged by Jos. Lewis" as taken from the records in the same book, folio 67.
In testimony where of I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal of office at the City of Trenton in said state this twentieth day of April Anno Domini on thousand eight hundred and thirty nine (1839)

James D. Westcott





0





0

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State of New Jersey
Sussex County
John Cortright being duly sworn deposeth and saith that he was well acquainted with William Cortright and Elizabeth his wife and that he was present when the said William Cortright died which was in the evening of the Twentieth day of March Eighteen Hundred & Thirty Three and that Elizabeth Cortright has remained a widow ever since.
John Cortright
Sworn and Subscribed before me this 10 day of December 1838.
James Stott Judge
I certify that John Cortright who made and Subscribed the above affidavit is a creditable  witness & that his testimony is entitled to full Credit. Given under my hand & [unknown] at Montague 10 December 1838.
James Stott one of the Judges of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in [unknown].

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State of New Jersey
Sussex County
I Joseph E Edsall Clerk of the Court
of Common Pleas in and for said County of
Sussex do hereby certify that James Stott
Esquire before whom the two foregoing depositions appear to have been taken was at
the time of taking the same and still is a
Judge of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas of said County duly commissioned and Sworn and further that I am well acquainted with the hand writing of the said James Stott Esq and pronounce his signatures to the foregoing Genuine
In testimony whereof I have here unto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of said Court at Newton in said County this Second day of May A.D. Eighteen hundred and thirty Nine
Jos. E. Edsall