Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 23,497, Benjamin Worden, New York

SERVICE
New York
Worden, Benjamin
NUMBER
S. 23.497
CONTENTS

Albany 30.707
Benjamin Worden
of Montgomery Co. in the State of N. York who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain Smith of the Reg't. commanded by Col. Fayer in the N. York line for 7 months.
Inscribed on the Roll of Albany at the rate of 23 Dollars 33 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 18 th day of June 1836 and sent to Hon. Mr. J. Bovee, N.Y.
Arrears to the 4th of March '36. 116.66 2/3 Semi-ant. allowance ending 1 st Sept. '36. 11.66 2/3 $128.00 2/3
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by D. Brown Clerk, Book E. 2. Vol. 4 Page 81
Head. Paid at the Treasury under the Act of the 26 April 1838, from 4 March 1839. to 29 th Feb 1840 age 70. rolled 16. March 1841.

State of New York Montgomery County ss
On this 9th day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and thirty four personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Montgomery now sitting. Benjamin Woodlee a resident of the town of Schoharie in the County of Montgomery and State of New York aged Sixty Eight years on the twenty fifth day of August last past 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 entered the Service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated In the year 1777. Sometime in the month of June as he now thinks he enlisted in a Company of Rangers for the term of Six months and went from Clinton Dutchess County to Fishkill and Pekk's Kill, in the same County that he went under Captain Melancton Smith, Lieutenant Wright, and Ensign Thompson this was a company of rangers and had no other officers except the above named cannot state the month nor day of the month when discharged and has no written discharge. In the year 1778 in the month of June of that year the Militia under the command of Col Fryer were called out and I went out from Clinton to Fishkill for one month under Capt Melancton Smith, Lieut Weeks, Ensign Lyons, cannot state the day of the month when discharged and received no written discharge. In the same year last above mentioned in the month of August day cannot state went under same officers last above mentioned from same place to the same place as last above stated and was out one month at this time and has no written discharge.

In the year 1779 some time about the last of May or the first of June I went under I went out under Capt Smith, Lieut Weeks, Ensign Lyons from Clinton aforesaid to Fish Kill the Militia were called out by an order of Governor George Clinton and I very well recollect that I was taken out of the company to stand as Centry at the house of Governor Clinton for one night and remember that during the night that I stood as Centry at the Govs House it was a very pleasant and moon shiny night and while walking to and fro by the house I saw the Gov was sitting on the stoop of his house and spoke to me in this manner "Young man you need not walk all the time come and set down with me on the stoop" and then complied with the old Govs request who treated me with a glass of grog In the year 1780 in the month of May the day I cannot state I went out under the officers last above mentioned except that we were under the directions and Command of Gen Washington went from Clinton to Peekskill and was out at this time cannot state the time when I was discharge and have no written discharge was out one month at this time In the year 1780 in the month of August the day I cannot state I went from Clinton to a place called North Castle In a company of rangers who went out on a scout the officers of this company were Capt John Thomas Lieut Mosher, Ensigns name cannot recollect, that company was met at North castle by a company of British horseman likewise on a scout and they took five of our number among whom was myself and carried to a place called Morrisania near the city of New York where I remained a prisoner until some time in the fall and was then exchanged cannot state the month nor day of the month when discharged was out at this time four months

4- V
and have no written discharge and I further say that I know of no person or persons by whom I am able to prove all my services I resided at the time I was called into service at a place called Clinton Dutchess County I was born in a place called King Street Connecticut in the year 1756 and I have no record of my age I was acquainted with no regular officers during my service and cannot recollect any more circumstances material to my claim than I have already stated, I am acquainted with no clergyman from whom I can receive a certificate I am acquainted with the following persons living in my neighborhood who can testify to my character for truth and veracity and their belief of my services during the period of the revolution to wit John Wallace William A. Wells John V. Berry
I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state Sworn & Subscribed the day & year aforesaid in open Court Geo: D. Ferguson. Clerk Benjamin Warden
Sworn
We William A. Wells residing in the town of Johnstown and John V. Berry residing in the town of Schoharie hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Benjamin Warden a resident of the town of Johnstown who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be seventy eight years old that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution
Sworn & Subscribed in open Court Geo: D. Ferguson. Clerk John V. Berry
Sworn

And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after an investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that Benjamin Warden the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states and the Court further certifies that it appears to them that that William A. Wells who has signed the preceding certificate is a resident of the town of Johnstown and is a respectable person and that John V. Perry who has also signed the same is a resident of the same place and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to Credit.
I George D. Ferguson Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Benjamin Warden for a Pension.
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal of Office this Ninth day of September
1834.
Geo. D. Ferguson, Clerk.
Hon. Mr. J. Borne House of Reps. N.Y.
Admitted Private
Send answer to Mr. Perry Johnstown Mont Co N.Y.
32834
Benjamin Warden Pension Application

State of New York Montgomery County 3. ss. Benjamin Worden being duly sworn says, that the letter from the Hon. S. L. Edwards Commissioner of Pensions to John B. Berry his attorney has been read to him. And this deponent says that it would appear from that letter that the War Department refuses to grant him a pension because he has not stated the regimental officers. And because there appears to have been no such service. And this deponent now says that he did serve as he stated in his declaration that the company of Captain Melancthon Smith was attached to no Regiment but was a company of Rangers and called out by Governor Clinton or by some law passed by some authority which I cannot state. And this deponent further says that he has proved six months by Simnas Carpenter And this deponent says that at the time he was taken a prisoner near White Plains and in the skirmish with the British a young man by the name of Tommy Gilchrist was shot down by his side and this deponent was wounded in the shoulder by having a large gash cut to the bone, the person who gave the blow intending to sever his head from his shoulder and says that if you wish any evidence of that fact the scar is abundant evidence, and this deponent says that he cannot half state his services on account of the failure of his memory and the distant period at which the ser- vices were done. And this deponent says he trusts that this War Department will not reject his pension on the grounds stated in that letter.
Subscribed before me                      Benjamin Worden. this 11 th day of August 1835. Aaron Haring Jus Pacis of Montgomery County N. Y. State

Benjamin Worden
Hon. M. J. Bovee

State of New York Montgomery County. ss. Seaman Carpenter, being duly sworn says that he is well acquainted with Benjamin Worden and was well acquainted with him during the Revolutionary War. that the said Benjamin and this deponent both resided during the war in the County of Dutchess and State of aforesaid. And this deponent says that he knows that the said Benjamin enlisted for the term of six months in a company of Rangers. that he did so enlist in the beginning of the summer in the year 1776. And this deponent says that he knows that the said Benjamin served the full term of six months in this year, that the company was under the command of Melancton Smith as Captain the other officers attached to this company he does not now recollect. And this deponent says that the said Benjamin when he went out in the company aforesaid for the term aforesaid went from a place called the Mine Tanners in the County of Dutchess to a place called Peeks Kill and other places in that vicinity. And this deponent says that this company were raised for the purpose of ranging that they were not out as minutemen but were in service continually for the term of six months. The company of Smith was within the last commanded by Col Fryer. And this deponent says that he cannot say positively whether this term of six months was served in 1776 or 1777. And this de- ponent says that the said Benjamin served another term of about one fortnight, about from the place aforesaid to Fishkill this was in the year 1778 (as he thinks) this was sometime in the summer of that year viz 1778. at this time the company was commanded by Samuel Smith as Capt and Lieut Nickels. the other officers not recollecting. And this deponent says that he knows that the said Benjamin was out at other times but cannot state how long nor give any of the particulars.
Seaman Carpenter
Sworn to before me this
March 8 th 1830
John W Cady Justice of the Peace

State of New York } Montgomery County } ss.
I Richd. H. Cushman Deputy Clerk of the County of Montgomery do certify that John W. Ledy Eugene is a Justice of the peace in and for said County. And that I am well acquainted with the handwriting of said Jus- tice and do believe that the signature to the sumat of the within affidavit to be genuine In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said county this 8 th day of March 1836
R. H. Cushman Dep. Clk
Mr. W. J. Bace 1836
March 19

H. M. J. Bovee W.H. The Hon. Matthias J. Bovee Member of Congress Washington
Benjamin Woodson

State of New York } Secretary's Office }
Albany April 4. 1836.
Sir,
Your letter of the 28. ult. to the Secretary of State enquiring if there "was a Lieutenant in the Service whose name was Mosher or Mosier - also a man by the name of Nicholas Van Alstine as a Lieutenant," was received this morning.
I have examined the records of appointments in this office and find that William Moshier was appointed Second Lieutenant in Capt. Gilbert Lyons Company in the Regiment of Militia in the county of Westchester commanded by Col. Thomas Thomas on the 29 th of September 1780. This is the only officer of the name of Moshier I could find in the Militia, the Levies or the Regulars, belonging to this State - I did not find any officer of the name of Nicholas Van Alstine.
It is very desirable that in asking information relative to revolutionary officers & privates, the regiment or company in which they served should be given, and if in the Militia what county they resided in and in what year they served if it can be ascertained, otherwise we have to examine all the Militia Regiments &c in the State.
I am very respectfully Your Ob. Servant
Arch s
Hon. Matthias J. Bovee Member of Congress

Provisions
23497
INVALID.
File No. 23,497
Benjamin Worden
Ph: Rev War
Act: June 7 th 32 nd
Index:—Vol. 2 , Page 161
[Arrangement of 1870.]

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
Second Comptroller's Office,
February 4 th , 1841.
Sir :
Under the act of the 6th of April, 1838, entitled "An act directing the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury of the United States," The child n of Benjamin Worden, a Pensioner on the Roll of the Albany, N.Y. Agency, at the rate of Twenty Three Dollars and 33 Cents per annum, under the law of the 7 th June 1832, has been paid at this Department, from the 4 th of March, 1839. to the 29 th February 1840.
Respectfully yours,
Almon B. Parsons
Comptroller.
To the Commissioner of Pensions, Present.

62834
New York
Rev.
Benjamin Worden
Suspended
In let to J. V. Berry
June 6. 1835
to same="1"> to same - Aug 19. 1835
let to D. V. Berry 12 Nov 1835
" "Nov. M. J. Brown 2 Ap. 1836

Sep 26 th 1838.
There are no records of 1777 or at least I could not find them and Mr Campbell the Deputy told me he thought there were none
I hope you will allow this Claim for it is a very meritorious one. He is very old and feeble
Yours &c
To J L Edward. J P Berry

State of New York Montgomery County ss. 3
Benjamin Worden being duly sworn says that the officers in the annexed certificate under Captain Smith might have been the officers under which he served but says he cannot positively state and this deponent says it is almost or quite impossible for him to recollect the names of the sub-officers of Smith's Company and this deponent says that he believes he has given the names of other persons in his former affidavits in which he thinks he stated them to be different from those in the certificate, and this deponent says he cannot state who the other officers were under Smith but says that he served six months as before stated by him and says that he cannot give the year in which he served but thinks it was either 1776 or 1777 Sworn to and subscribed before me this 22 d day of September 1835. Aaron Haring Jus Pacis of Montgomery County New York State.
Benjamin Worden

State of New York Secretary's Office
I certify that it appears by the records of the provincial Congress of New York in this office that on the 22 d of February 1776 the following persons were appointed and commissioned Officers of a Minute Company in Charlott Precinct in the County of Dutchess in Col. Van Ness's Regiment viz:
Melancton Smith Captain, Isaac Bloom 1 st Lieutenant, William Mead 2 d Lieutenant and William Tremper Ensign
Given under my hand and the seal of this office at the City of Albany the Seventh day of September in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty five
Arch d Campbell Dep. Secretary

Benjamin Worden Kingsborough post office Montgomery County
[Faint, mirrored text from the reverse side of the page, likely bleed-through from the original letter.]

Clinton 17 th 7 th M o 1834
To expected friend I Rec d thy letter dated 23 rd June wherein thou requested me to state what I know about thy Services in the Revolution are as follows. I am know ing to thy serving Six months in a Ranging Com py and under Captain Melankton Smith am also know ing to thy serving the Militia under Colonel several towers in Heard in time of alarms and at different times in pursuit of Robbers these facts I personally know living in the same house at the time so that I do certify the above to be strictly true Benjamin Warden - - Seaman Carpenter I here by assent that the above was affirmed to and subscribed before me at Hyde Park July 13 th day 1834
Isaac Mosher Esq Justice of the Peace