Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 10964, Ruliff Voorhis, New York

SERVICE
NUMBER
New York
Voorhis, Ruliff
R. 10964
CONTENTS
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34,888

State of New York Delaware County - Garret Voorhies of the town of Rockland county of Sullivan and State of New York being duly sworn doth depose and say, that he is Seventy Four years old & is brother to Ruliff Voorhies who resides in Stamford Delaware County as Deponent is informed & believes - Deponent says that said Ruliff Voorhies served in the Militia as a private soldier in the Revolutionary War in the Militia of the State of New York, more or less in the years 1777, 1778, 1779 and 1780 and in the two last summers he was out the most part of the time - He said Ruliff was accustomed to go to Johnstown where he lay a week each time he was called out - Deponent believes he was called out ten or twelve times to go to Johnstown - The said Ruliff also went to the Black Run several times, should think as much as at a time six times where he was gone a week at a time. He sometimes went out upon a scouting party - The said Ruliff went up once or twice to the German Flats - He belonged to the Regiment commanded by Col n - Fisher - When he went out on small parties he was sometimes under Cpt. Woodward, sometimes under Vans, & Vader & there was also a Captain Fisher brother to the Colonel - One time Deponent recollects the said Ruliff came home with a full Indian Equipage - Deponent was about fifteen or sixteen years old and younger than the said Ruliff - Deponent recollects the said Ruliff going to Fort Stanwix & was absent several days - also went to Cherry Valley & to Canajoharie - Deponent should say that the said Ruliff was out on active duty more than ten months in these several times - He was most all the while upon the run seemingly - Especially the two

last summer - Deponent also says that the said Russell was out in the winter season also
Garret Voorhis
Subscribed and sworn this 29 th Day of September 1837 before me E B Washburn Justice of the peace
I hereby certify that I am well acquainted with the above named Garret Voorhis, that he is a credible & respectable man and I would place full reliance on his testimony, & on the truth of the facts contained in the above affidavit - dated 25 th Day of May 1839 -
E B Washburn Justice of the peace State of Delaware, Delaware County ss.
I, Benjamin B. Shitson Clerk of the County of Delaware do hereby certify that Ebenezer B. Washburn Esquire the Judge upon whom the foregoing
affidavit purports to have been sworn was at the date of the same a justice of the Peace in and for the County of Delaware duly commissioned and sworn and that his name subscribed to the foregoing affidavit is genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of the said County the 17 th day of June 1839. B B Shitson Clerk.

State of New York Delaware County ss. }
On this Seventh day of June 1839 personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Common Pleas now sitting in Delhi in and for the County of Delaware Reuben Voorhis a resident of Stamford County of Delaware and State of New York aged Eighty years last January 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 7. 1832 -
That he served as a private soldier in the Revolutionary war in the Militia of the State of New York in the years 1777, 1778, 1779 and 1780 - That he was a single man at the time at his home at his father's who resided about a mile from Johnstown - In the year 1777 he was out several times in the fall at Canajoharie which lay twelve or fifteen miles up the Mohawk River from Johnstown, one time was gone a fortnight and the other time a week - Latter time he  the went from Johnstown to Canajoharie under command of Lieutenant Leuckenbach where the company lay out a week & was then disbanded - Camp was captain in the Regiment which was commanded by Colonel Fisher - In the three following years he was out very often and in the two last years in the summer season was out most of the time - During the time aforesaid the said Reuben was called out to the Blackhouse six times - The last time was under Captain Vader - Sometimes under Captain Fisher who was brother of the Colonel and who was killed by the Indians - The Blackhouse was at Sacondaga about twelve miles north of Johnstown - Colonel Fisher was scalped 22 May 1780 but not killed, and then Lieutenant Colonel

Wades took the command - Sometimes was under Cpt Wood and but most of the time was under Cpt Vamp till the last year when he with most of his company went to Canada - The six times called out to the Blackhouse was a week each time The said Ruliff Vookhis was called out to Johnstown ten times when he lay a week each time - Sometimes under Vamp and sometimes under Cpt Wood and thinks was once under Cpt Maybee who belonged to same Regiment as the one commanded by Col. Fisher - Twice went up to German Flats with the whole Regiment when was out a week or more each time - one time went with Regiment to Fort Stanwix to guard prisoners up and was gone ten days at least, and the British Indians came back with them and went down to Schenectady - Before going to Fort Stanwix the said Ruliff went to Cherry Valley with the Regiment the next day after Cherry Valley was burnt - arrived there in evening - of second day It rained and snowed that night - saw one woman and four children lying on the ground - Officers as well as privates had to lie out the fort was so full - In March 1779 or 1780 went on a scout on snowshoes after Indians - There were six of us after seven Indians - But one of the Indians was wounded by Wood word one of our party & the rest of the Indians had to carry him - we followed them fifty miles - They had three days the start & we got five out of seven & the other two we reckoned had gone to Canada. We came upon them as they set around the fire busy roasting meat, having killed an Elk the day before. Their snow shoes were off - Wood word clutched one, threw him down and tomahawked him - and tom- ahawked another, the rest were shot by us -
There were a great many alarms where we were called out but a day or two at a time -

At one time went to Canajoharie when he lay at the Fort a fortnight - during the time went to Cherry Valley upon a scout - the said Ruliff Price was burnt out in the time and lost all and was glad to get off so - Several times were called out upon a scouting party - The said Ruliff once lay a week at Capt Vader on the Mohawk a little ways above Coeymans There were fifteen or twenty men in company - He cannot tell what they went there for - recollects Capt Vader killing a sheep for the men - At another time lay a week at Charles Van Eps or Mullers somewhere about twenty men were there - Cant tell why we went there - Was a week he thinks at Henry Hans - There were perhaps thirty or forty of us - and if we had lain two or three days longer might have saved Hans life, for the Indians came soon after we had left and burnt his house and barn, murdered Hans, took off two of his horses and his two sons prisoners, though one of them was a named man but lived in the house with his father - The said Ruliff was drafted to go to the Black house & Schoharie as before stated - Sometimes the said Ruliff volunteered with others on the occasions of the mentioned - The said Ruliff is very confident reserved on the whole as much as ten months - and during the time before specified the said Ruliff was not employed in any civil pursuit - He knows of no person whose testimony he can procure excepting his brother Garret who lives in Vallens county - In the several times called out on little alarms were usually gone two or three days & sometimes not so long - had to carry provisions along - The said Ruliff hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and he further says he has no documentary evidence of his services as aforesaid - and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state - that he never received any written discharge from the service - And the said Ruliff further says that in April 1781 he went to New Jersey about two miles from New Brunswick where he lived about three years when he returned to the Schoharie Kill about two miles below Col. Soromys

Town of Gilboa where he lived three years then moved on the hill about a mile from Gilboa in Schoharie County where he lived fifteen years, then moved to the town of Harpers- field about three miles from his present residence where he resided about thirty years then moved to the village of Robert- town of Stamford where he now resides where he has resided six years - He said Rufus says he was born near New Brunswick in New Jersey on 20 th or 21 st January 1759 - his father's family moved to the Mohawk County, about the time the war began & lived near Schenectady five years then moved to the Mohawk river on the place of old Major Frenday or Fonda where we lived one year - then went to New Jersey as aforementioned - The time of said Rufus's birth was entered in his father's bible which was burnt up by the Indians when he the said Rufus lived on the Mohawk river - And the said Rufus would further state that he is well known to William Procter justice of the Peace, John Griffin Pastmaster & Lemuel Mason Attorney at law residing in Robert town who with others as he believes, testified to him the said Rufus's character for veracity & his belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution - and he further says that the only clergyman who resides in the village removed here only some two or three months since from the state of Massachusetts & he is not much acquainted with him  Sworn to & subscribed the day
Rufus Root
before me - in open Court C B Sherwood Clerk.

We Lemimus Morrison of Stamford County of Delaware & Daniel Edwards of Hartfield Stamford County of Delaware hereby certify residing in the town of Stamford County of Delaware hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Rufus Cookes who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration; that we believe him to be eighty years of age, that he is a man of truth and honesty, that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion - Sworn & Subscribed in Open Court Lemimus Morrison This 19th day of June - 1874. Daniel Edwards B. Whitson Clerk
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinions after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the person named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states. And the Court further certifies that Lemimus Morrison of Stamford & Daniel Edwards of Hartfield who here signed the preceding certificate, reside in Stamford aforesaid, that they are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit -

I Crawford B. Sheldon Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Delaware and 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 Ruliff Hopkins for a Pension -
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 19 th day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine
C. B. Sheldon Clerk

10,964 P. O. Ruliff Voorhis
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____ REJECTED _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____ _____ _____
Re-enlisted: _____ _____ _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____ _____ _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

N. York Ruliff Voorhis
Act to L. Monson 6. Dec. 1839
to Hon. J. Allen 27. March 1840
" H. D. Gould Aug t 17/50
10964
Act June 1832

James L.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

James L. Edwards Esq
Sir - I Enclose you the Pension Papers of Mr. Ruliff Voorhis - a poor infirm old man - and a deserving candidate for a pension & I hope they will receive your favorable attention
Respectfully Yours Sevinus Monrow
Hobart Delaware Co. New York 18 Aug. 1839 -

State of New York } Comptroller's Office } Albany June 17 th 1840 }
I hereby certify that Books and Spn of "Levies & Militia Services", containing about Nine thousand names, are lost or mislaid, and that the same have not been found. for 19 th
Waterloo Comptroller

G. W. Crump Esq
Sir your letter of Dec 6 has been received in which you state that the papers of Ruliff Vookes, an applicant for a pension under the act of June 7 1832 have been examined & filed and that if the claimant served as alleged in his declaration some evidence thereof may be found in the office of the Comptroller of New York Bates Cooke Esq to whom reference is made for further proof" -
I have therefore been at the expense and trouble of procuring the enclosed certificate of the Comptroller - from which you will perceive that the declaration of said Vookes may be true and yet no evidence of it appear in the Comptroller's office, because of the fact stated by the Comptroller in his certificate that books containing about nine thousand names are lost or mislaid
That the declaration of Vookes is true nobody doubts who is acquainted with him - He is as meritorious an applicant as any one - I hope therefore there will be no farther delay in granting the pension The old gentleman will not draw much money from the Treasury - The sum will be but little and he won't enjoy that little long if he gets it for he is old & infirm - But such as it is he has richly earned it & it will be very comfortable

to him while he does line, for he is quite poor -
This is written from Albany but you will please direct to me as before at Hobart Delaware Co. N.Y. -
Respectfully yours Sevinus Monson
22 January 1840 —