Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 10,904, John J Van Vrancken, New York

SERVICE
NUMBER _____
New York
Van Vranken, John J.
P. 10,904
CONTENTS

This  Certifies , that as appears from the Register of Baptism belonging to the PROTESTANT REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH in the City of Schenectady, Johannes, son of Isaac Van Vranken and Francisca Guachenbush his wife, was baptized on the 17 th day of Jan. in the year, 1762.
CERTIFIED,
Jacob Van Vechten
V. D. M.
Schenectady, October 2. 1832.
1837 1762 75

In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7 th of June 1832.
State of New York } County of Montgomery }
ss. On this eighteenth day of September 1832 personally appeared before the Court of Common Pleas of the said County John Van Vranken a resident of the town of Root in the county of Montgomery & State of New York aged seventy six years who being first duly sworn, according to law, cloth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832. that he served in the militia in the service of the United States. Under the command of Colonel James Conover & in a company commanded by Captain Maling Vischer & first Lieutenant Nicholas Van Vranken and second Lieutenant John Van Vranken. that said claimant then resided in the town of Esopus in the then County of Albany & State of New York and that his said service was during the years of 1816 & 1817 that he was stationed a part of the time at said Newburgh & from there the said party went aboard of boats & moved up the Mohawk to a place called Canajoharie at one Black's now called Palatine that he also was stationed some time in Saratoga. and this declarant further says that he has no documentary evidence of such service & the said officers are as he is informed all dead and the said claimant further declares & says that all of said service was in the state militia & volunteer and that the whole time of actual service was nine months & he further declares that from his extreme age he cannot tell precisely the length of time he served at each place but is certain that it amounts to nine months in the whole. & before that he enlisted in the batavian service previously under an officer who made his head quarters at Fishkill whose name he does not remember for nine months which term of service was performed by a substitute who is since dead and this Declarant hereby relinquishes every

claim whether as a pension or an annuity, except the present, and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in the State. of United States - Sworn and subscribed the day and John B. Vanhook year before and in open court - Geo: D. Ferguson. Clk.
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states.
I, George D. Ferguson clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Montgomery do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of John S. Vanhook for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this eighteenth day of September A. D. 1837 -
Geo: D. Ferguson, Clk.
Ms. 765

State of New York } Scheneectady County } ss.
Clayton Van Vranken of the Town of Deskiuna in said County of Scheneectady Being duly sworn Deposith & saith that he is the Brother of John S. Van Vranken formerly a resident of said Deskiuna but now a resident of the town of Root in the County of Montgomery in said State that said John S. Van Vranken is aged 76 years being two years younger than this deponent. This deponent further saith that this Deposition is made at the request of said John S. Van Vranken who had applied for a pension for services in the Militia during the revolutionary war that he entered the service of the United States under the following Officers to wit. In the Regiment commanded by James Bonouer & Company commanded by Captain Stanning Vischer and first Lieutenant Nicholas Van Vranken & Second Lieutenant John Van Vranken All of which officers are since dead. And this Deponent further saith that in the summer & fall of 1776 & the fall of 1777 the said John S. Van Vranken served for more than nine months in actual service under said officers. That in the season of 1776 the said John & this Deponent were enrolled in said Company at said Deskiuna and acted as a picket guard & took his regular course & turn for some time amounting to several weeks that after this the said applicant in said Company with this Deponent moved up the Mohawk river in boats about fifty miles into the Indian Country to what was then the west part of Canajoharie. Now the town of Palatine at one Klocks where there was a fort surrounded with Pickets & where we remained some time between two & three months. during which time we had no engagement but took one Moselle Indian we left there in the fall after Corn. Moonlight. Shortly after we left the Indians & Tories burnt & destroyed the whole & this deponent believes that this service & going & returning took more than five months. And this deponent further saith that in the season of 1777 the said applicant & this Deponent in said Company was called out & volunteered on an excursion to Saratoga where they remained some length of time & from thence marched to the Scotch Patent in the now County of Saratoga and from there they marched to Stone Arabia & lay some length of time in a block house as a guard against the Indians.
34.219/1765

and Jones and from there they returned back to Neshannah where the said Applicant served for some time longer as a guard all of which service & going to & returning from the same amounts to more than four months actual service. And this deponent further saith that In addition to the service above described the said Applicant was frequently called out and went on scouting parties to the north & west of his residence at different times during several seasons. And this deponent further saith that he is so old & his health so infirm that he cannot go any distance from home to attend before a court to make a deposition. & also his memory is somewhat impaired so that it is difficult for him to be as specific in stating the precise times when each service commenced & ended as he would desire but has set them forth as near as he can now recollect them - & further saith not
CLAUDE VAN VORN
I certify that before me personally appeared the above named Claude Van Vorn here this 22 d day of September at said Neshannah & made oath to the truth of the above & I certify that I am personally acquainted with him & know him to have been off with the files & believe it would be difficult & dangerous for him to attend court at Montgomery County to testify in the matter above set forth.
Victor Putman justice of the peace of the township of Neshannah County of Schenectady
State of New York Schenectady County Clerk's office ss. I Jonathan C. Burnham clerk of said County do certify that Victor Putman Esq. before whom the foregoing affidavit of Hermann Vedder and Claude Van Vorn was on the date of said affidavit a Justice of the Peace in and for said County & duly authorized to administer Oaths. And that I am well acquainted with his hand writing & verily believe that his name subscribed to said affidavit and to the foregoing is genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & the seal of said County September 22 d 1837.
Jon. C. Burnham Clerk

Hon Geo. B. Whiting
Canajoharie N.Y. Oct. 17. 1859
Dr. Sir - On or about the 25 Sept. 1837 I sent the application of John S. Van Vranken to your Department for a pension for Revolutionary services I got a report afterwards admitting that he served but the time was not then sufficient to give him a pension. under the then existing law, he is dead but his widow is alive & the heirs wish me to ask a return of the original papers with a view of renewing a claim by special act of Congress or otherwise please send them & Oblige Yours &c
P. McTearne

Mr. S. L. Edwards Com te of Pensions —
Speakers Basin July 23, 1838
Sir. I am requested By Mr. John I Van Franken (who is an Applicant for a pension) to ask what disposition has been made of his business, & whether any other or additional proof is requir d in his case & if so what — Please write immediately.
I am respectfully Your Obt. Servt.
P. McIntire

ny. adolph Deet V. M. J. Van Vranken M. Lane

Speakers Basin Nov 27, 1837
James L. Edwards Esq
In answer to yours of the 24th inst. I have the honor to inform you that the deposition of John L. Van Winkle which you will please to return is in the hands of the Sheriff. If necessary for his suit off his application transmit such further notices as are required.
I am yours &c J. M. Hullone

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 6, 1870.
10,904
P. O. John J. Van Frank
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: REJECTED _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

Siskiyu and Shasta Co. Oregon
May the 1 1837
Harmans Vedder sworn and sayeth that he who's Will be Quoted With John Vanbraken in the Revolution War and Bonds the said Vanbraken A man of respectability and owner and the he Who's a good alder in the revolution War and serve as such and further this Deponent sayeth that he saw the said John Vanbraken in the service of his Country at Bannagahary in the year of 76 to guard that place against the inuendo at that time Not knowing how long and from thence to Carriage Country to guide the against the inuendo there under Capt. Steven Fisher and John Vanbraken first lieutenant and Nicholas Vanbraken sergeant lieutenant and served under James Skunkhaver as Colonel and further this Deponent sayeth that This the 1 Day May 1837 as Witness my hand -
Harmans Vedder
I Certify that the above oath Who's taken May the 1 1837 Before me
Victor Putman justice in and for the County of Shasta and Town of Siskiyu.

House of Representatives: Washington, January, 27. 1860.
Dear Sir:—
John A. Van Frankew made an application under date of Sept. 18. 1837, for a pension for five months service during the war of the Revolution. — His claim was not allowed. He has now been dead some 14 years, his wife having died before him. — His children have written me to press the claim either before you or in the Congress. — Will you be so kind as to inform me whether heirs can ever get any thing for the services of an ancestor?
Very Respectfully Yours
Rev. Geo. C. Whiting, Comm. of Pensions, Washington, D.C.
D. A. Spina

Washington July 24. 45-
Dear Sir/
Will you be so kind as to furnish me with the information desired in the enclosed communication.
Respectfully &c C. S. Benton
S. L. Edwards Esq Com'te

1765 Sept 28 1837. Pension office
NY.
A-6-
Sec. of War, Washington
Hon. John Woodhull
Yours

Speakers Basin Montgomery County New York September 25 th 1837
Hon. Levi Woodbury Sec. of The Treasury -
Sir. Enclosed I send you the papers of Mr. John S. Van Vranken who at our last term of the court of common pleas of this county made his declaration before said court for the purpose of obtaining a pension. He had in May last while on a visit to his native place procured several depositions awkwardly drawn up by Esq. Putnam, & brought them to me to send on to Washington one of which I have annexed that of Elias Van Vranken & send you: what weight it can bear on the question I am not able to judge but he insisted that I should send it as Mr. Vreden had moved west & he did not feel able to incur the expense of going after his testimony; should there still be any thing lacking in his proofs I hope you will send out specific directions as the case requires. He is poor & has become so by misfortune I also enclose the certificate of his baptism (where his name is registered in Dutch) which he promised at that date contemplating the present object but never did anything more until this season.
I am Yours Respectfully
P. Wetmore
P.S. Will you have the goodness to send me the forms of proceedings in pension applications if you have any spare copies.
you are
P.W.

State of New York Montgomery ss.
John S. Van Vranken of Root in the County of Montgomery aforesaid who is an applicant for a pension under the act of Congress of June 1832 being duly sworn Before the Undersigned Commissioner Deposeth & saith that in addition to the facts set forth in his Declaration taken before the court of Common pleas of the County of Montgomery now on file in the pension office in Washington, further deposeth & saith that he was called out the 1st of August 1776 after said time, under Captain Fisher whose whole company were also mustered into service at the same time the subaltern officers in said company were Lieut. Nicholas Van Vranken & 2 Lieutenants John Van Vranken, that said Company lay at Schenectady two days, that the said Deponent was duly enrolled in said company & marched with them & remained with them until ordered as follows, after lying two days in Schenectady we went up the Mohawk to a fort near one Walradts house at a place called Canajoharie at that time now Palatine & was two days on the march that while lying at this place the company took an indian scout or spy & removed him to Johnstown. And this Deponent further says that they lay here till some time in October. It must have been about the middle as this Deponent & others of the military service the German farmers pick their corn before returning home this service lasted six or seven weeks, when our orders came for our return we went home in about a day. And this Deponent further says that in the fall of 1777 he also was called out under the command of Lieutenant John Van Vranken of Clifton Park & marched to Stone Arabia. we were two days on the march & lay at Stone Arabia a month & then went home that immediately after our return the whole of our company & several others were called out & this Deponent with them marched to Saratoga & there a week at that place, they then beat up for volunteers to go on a scouting party & this Deponent turned out with others amounting to about five hundred under the command of Adjutant Joseph Cook & Captain Benjamin Oldworth. we then marched to Fort Edward through the Scotch settlement patent & brought in the cattle & horses & other property as we heard the enemy were coming on on this service we were engaged more than a month & this Deponent further saith that when called out this time it was under Captain Fisher who remained at Saratoga until his return. This Deponent further saith that he also turned out at various times besides this service three two seasons & kept his arms ready for a moments warning but cannot specify the times nor places with any degree of certainty. And this Deponent further saith that in the year 1778 he was called out & served under Lieut. Nicholas Van Vranken as a guard against the Indians & Tories the whole summer season at Esopus as a fording place on the Mohawk river a short distance above Fishers ferry this service lasted six months. And this Deponent further saith that he enlisted in the Batavia service at Fishkill for nine months commencing in the spring of the year, under one Captain Dennison but what year this was this Deponent cannot say one John Putnam enlisted at the same time but is now dead as is also the said Captain Dennison as this Deponent is informed - & this Deponent further saith that the father of

this Deponent sent his negro servant to serve out his time on such enlistment in said Battery service & he served the same until the close & was duly discharged. And this Deponent further saith that notwithstanding he served more than nine months in the actual service of the United States during the years 1876-7-8 yet he relinquishes every claim for any greater pension than he is entitled to for the term of nine months service during those years & further this Deponent saith not
I certify that before me personally appeared the above named John S. Van Vranken of Root of America & duly made oath to the truth of the above affidavit this 23 d day of October A.D. 1887.
John H. Van Bracken
J. W. Moore Commissioner of Deeds & to take affidavits
State of New York, Montgomery County, Clerk's Office.
I, George D. Ferguson Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the county of Montgomery, do hereby certify that Pythagoras Watson before whom the foregoing affidavit purports to have been sworn, was on the date thereof a Commissioner of Deeds in and for said County & duly authorized by law to adminis- ter oaths & take affidavits and that his name subscribed to said affidavit is his proper signature.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of my office this 14 th Nov. 1887.
Geo: D. Ferguson.