Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 1988, John Clark, New York

SERVICE
NUMBER _____
New York
Clark, John
R 1988
CONTENTS

State of Vermont. Grand Isle County ss On the 15 th day of August A D 1837 personally appeared before me William Wait Judge of the County Court within and for the County of Grand Isle aforesaid, John Clark a resident of Isle La Motte in the County of Grand Isle aforesaid, aged Seventy four Years, 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 th A D 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein after stated, on the first of August A D 1777 (the exact day cannot distinctly recollect) I volunteered and entered into the service of the revolution in a company of volunteers, raised in the Town of Spenc Town in the County of Columbia & State of New York (the name of the Town has since I am informed been altered) The company was commanded by Captain Howby and Lieutenant Spence, and immediately after, the first of August 1777, we marched to Albany where we spent one or two days & then marched to Schenectady, & stayed in Schenectady about one week, and from there to Stillwater at which place our company quartered, untill after the middle of October, when General Burgoyne the British comm ander surrendered the Army, about one month before the surrender of Burgoyne. During all our stay at Stillwater my Father the Rev. Isser Clark was the Chaplain to the Brigade, I was at this time about 15 years old and most of the time I was mustered in the company as a private soldier, some of the time I was furnished a horse and acted as an express in taking Letters & the like communications, to Troy & Albany and other places for the officers. My Father was among other things assisting & endeavoring to raise & get in the surrounding Militia, General Gates commanded the American troops after the surrender of the British Army and about the

first of November 1777 our company was disbanded & I, in company with my Father, returned to our home at Spencertown. I was absent from my home and in the revolutionary service at this time, as above, over three months, I remained during the following winter with my Family in Spencertown aforesaid, in the Spring of 1778 the Loyalists in the vicinity had formed large Bands & infested the Towns around us, as well as Spencertown, they burned some buildings, and killed & destroyed some cattle, belonging to those in favor of the revolution. Colonel Peter Van Ness & some others raised a Liberty Pole & Flag, the Loyalists made a sally & cut down & destroyed the pole & Flag, A committee of safety so called was organized, & a company of Troops was raised in Spencertown, to guard & protect against the Loyalists. I volunteered for six months into the company raised in our town, & served the six months out under Capt Hawley in the following manner, as a private Soldier we were required parade each Day, and were arranged in such a manner, that each man patrolled and ranged the surrounding Country every third night, in Companies & Squads, as the exigency of the case required, & when we found Persons of doubtful character, or appearance, or any suspected of Loyalism, we took them before the committee, for examination. I can recollect of taking many up for trial, but cannot recollect the names of any, I do not know how many Troops, were raised in this manner, in the surrounding country, but I know that similar Companies were raised in some of the neighboring Towns; our company consisted of about Forty men, and we were sometimes called into neighbouring Towns, I did duty as aforesaid (except part of the time, more than one third were required to range nights) & mustered daily for six months. During the winter, Spring & Summer of 1779

resided in my Father's Family at Spencertown and belonged to the Militia, until the last of September 1779, when a draft of Militia was made for three months service (I think it was one third of the Men) our Company was called out, & we were divided into lots, of three in each lot, and our lot drafted out of each lot, I recollect the lot I was in, put in our Dollar rank for the benefit of the our drafted, I was drafted & received the money, we immediately mustered under the same officers as above, and marched to the Fishkills so called, on the east side of Hudson River our Company was in Colonel Vanrussland Regiment in which McKinstree, was a Major, our camp was situated (as near as I can recollect) about Two Miles & a half up from the River, and landing so called, we built our Barracks mostly of logs about six feet high, and then placed over Posts for a roof on the tops of them; we suffered some for want of Provisions and considerable with the Cold, before the expiration of the time of our service, for we were most of us destitute of comfortable clothing, I completed the three months service, and then returned to my Family at Spencertown, after being disbanded much worn down, with light fare, and cold keeping — Early in the Spring of 1780, a draft was made of the Militia, I do not recollect the proportion, but it was for nine months service, I stood this draft, and was drafted for nine months, the same Captain & Lieutenant commanded; our service during the Spring & Summer was most of the time in Spencertown & the vicinity, guarding against Tories, who had in the latter part of winter destroyed Cattle, burned Stacks of Hay, & Grain Robbed, plundered & burned, some dwelling Houses & the like; we took some Prisoners, I recollect at our time we took a body of Tories and among the rest Guy Sharp;

John Savage, & Richard Powers, who were considered the leaders, among the Tories, we took them before the Com- mittee of safety at Spencertown for examination who ordered them to be taken to Punsbury Mines or New Gate (so called) in Connecticut, and on the way with the captives, the Tories sallied from the surrounding country, and rescued them, and set them at liberty again; In the fall we were called to the North West to check the Indians & Tories, who were making a descent or invading the Villages, & settlements on the Mohawk River, we marched to Albany, where we remained two or three Days, & then to Schenectady, here we remained about three weeks, and were billeted out among the in- habitants to board, the enemy made a sudden invasion upon the country burned & destroyed a number of little Villages, we pursued them passed Wasserkush while it was still smoking, & followed the enemy as far as the village of Johnstown where we remained a short time and then returned to Schenectady, this I think was in October, after the nine months had expired, we were disbanded & returned home, I think in the month of January 1781. I never received any discharges from the service in writing, nor have I any documentary evidence of any kind touching my service in the revolution nor do I know any person now living with whom I was ac- quainted while in the service, Pliny Moon, who died at Champlain, about 10 Miles from this place, was the last person, and the only one that I have seen for twenty years, with whom I was acquainted in the army, he was an officer— I was Born in Spencertown aforesaid 14 th of September 1762— My birth was recorded in my Father's family Bible, which has been in existence until within the twenty years, when it was worn out & came to pieces. The Bible was brought by Father to the Town of Isle La Motte, where I now reside; and at my Father's death which happened in

1816. The Bible was nearly worn out & much in pieces & was soon entirely gone, I do not know of any other record of my birth except that I once wrote it in the blank leaf of a large Dictionary, which I now have — When I went into the revolutionary service I lived in Spenc- erstown, where I lived from my birth up to 1783 when I was engaged by our Elizur  Gov. to survey the Island comprising the Town I now live in, viz. Isle La Motte, and the same year, soon around the Island (seaboard) & in the next summer began again, at this time the British held on each side of the Lake, and had some vessels on the Lake, commanded by John Stark, and what settlers were in this vicinity, were mostly Tories who supposed that the Canada Line was to be established still South, I was most hated by this class, & for many years was called the rebel surveyor; I was taken in 1784 by Capt. Stirt as a rebel, & for the purpose as he said of sending me to Quebec, and after being held at the British Garrison at Point au Barre, three days I was set at Liberty, In 1785 I returned to Spencerstown, Manoir, & returned, in 1787 to Alburgh, about six miles from this, & in 1804 moved to this Town, where I have resided ever since —
I was called into the service in manner before described, and during my service I equipped myself was with, and under the officers above set forth & under the circumstances above described, I never recalled to have received any discharge from service in writing — I can procure the evidence of Ezra Pike, and Gardner Wait, who have known me more than forty years, who came in the service as I have no reason to doubt who will state that they have always understood from myself and my Father & family that I was in the revolutionary service, and is to their belief, & the general belief of the neighbors on the subject, and

as to character, as to truth & veracity. I can prove the witness of the Rev William Wait the only ordained clergyman in this Town who is also Judge of our County court, who can state my character and the general belief, that I was a revolutionary soldier I am (I have no doubt) prove my character for veracity by all by all the Judges & ex Judges of this County from its organization, as well as by the Sheriff & ex Sheriff if required but it would put me to considerable expense to take it. — I hereby relinquish every claim to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on the Pension roll of any agency or any State. Given so and subscribed this day and year aforesaid.
John Clark
State of Vermont Grand Isle County ss. Personally appeared before me, a Judge of the County court, within & for the County of Grand Isle this 15 th day of August A.D. 1837 John Clark the maker & signer of the foregoing declaration and according to Law made solemn bath that the above declaration contains the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Before William Wait
{ Judge of Grand Isle County Court
We William Wait a clergyman residing in the Town of Isle La Motte in the County of Grand Isle and or Samuel Fisk residing in the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Clark (and have been more than thirty years) who has subs- cribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy five years of age — 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 — we also certify that the said

John Clark cannot from bodily infirmity attend Court. Also that Ezra Dike is a cripple and from bodily infirmity cannot attend court. That the said Ezra Dike, Gardner Wait and Lucretia Wait are persons of good standing in Society and entitled to full credit, and also that the said { one of the Judges John Clark is a man of truth & veracity } of Grand Isle County William Wait. Court to Claggman Sam Fish
State of Vermont Grand Isle County ss La Motte August 10 1837 Then personally appeared William Wait a Claggman and one of the Judges of Grand Isle County Court and Samuel Fish both of La Motte and according to Law made solemn oath that the foregoing certificate by them subscribed contains the truth and nothing but the truth Before me
Daniel Wait { Justice of the Peace in & for the County of Grand Isle
State of Vermont Grand Isle County ss on this 15 th day of August 1837. Personally appeared Ezra Dike of La Motte in the county of Grand Isle & State of Vermont aged 76 years, before me William Wait one of the Judges of the County Court within and for the County of Grand Isle who being first duly sworn according to Law doth depose & say that he was in the revolution ary Army, & was at the Fishkill the last part of the year 1779, and has been acquainted with John Clark forty years in this county, during the early part of which we were surrounded by settlements of the Loyalists of the revolution who were envious & vindictive against those of us who were on

The side of the revolution, owing to which myself & John Clark and some others were more intimately associated together & better acquainted with the early lives of each other, and in this way he became perfectly satisfied that John Clark was a Soldier of the revolution, he knows from his relations of circumstances, when we first came into this Country, of what transpired in, and about the encampment in the fall of 1779, at Fish kills that he must have been there, although he was not personally acquainted with him at that place, he afterwards understood from the Rev Jesse Clark, Father of John Clark, that John Clark was in the revolutionary army, at the time General Burgoyne, surrendered, was at the Fish kills, and up the Mohawk Country, so called, that the opinion that John Clark was a revolutionary Soldier has for forty years, been general and never to his knowledge doubted and of which part I no doubts. —
Subscribed and sworn to the day and year above mentioned before me Edw Dike
William Wait
State of Vermont } Grand Isle County } ss } on this 15 th Day of August A.D. 1837 personally appeared before me William Wait Judge of the county court within & for the County of Grand Isle Lucentia Wait a resident of St. Albans in the county and State aforesaid, aged Seventy four years who being first duly sworn according to Law doth upon her oath, state that she resided during the Revolutionary war in a house at that time called New Britain, (but since altered as she is informed to New Canaan in the county of Albany,) and about fifteen
Judge of Grand Isle County Court

Miles from the then residence of the Rev. Jesse Clark in Spencertown, in the County of Columbia, that the Rev. Jesse Clark preached a part of the time in the Town where she resided and was often at, and quite intimate with the Family when she resided. She recollects that in 1780 he was often telling that his son John was in the army and he hired a young man that lived in the same Family with her, to go home and work for him in consequence (as he said) of his son John being in the Army that Spencertown, She has been acquainted with John Clark in this county more than forty years and has been acquainted with the Rev. Jesse Clark about fifty years previous to 1816 at which time he died. And she has always understood from both John Clark & his Father that he was a member of times out in the revolutionary service as a Soldier. The story of his being a revolutionary Soldier has been believed in the vicinity where he lived for forty years or more and I do not know that it ever has been doubted, and in which opinion I fully concur.  Lucia my way Wait
Sworn and subscribed to, the day & year last above, before me
William Wait Judge
State of Vermont Grand Isle County ss. On this 15 th day of August 1837 Personally appeared before me William Wait Judge of the County Court in and for the County of Grand Isle, Cardner Wait a resident of Isle La Motte in the County of Grand Isle of said age 78 years who being first duly sworn according to Law upon his said oath states that he has been acquainted with John Clark for more than forty years, who has during all that time, been believed and reputed to have been a Soldier of the Revolution in the service of  the same part from his Father, the Rev. Jesse Clark, when he was

and in which opinion he fully concurs, he also states that the Dr John Clark is now and ever has been regarded a man of truth and veracity in the estimation of his neighbors and acquaintances
Gardner ms Wait mark
Sworn to, and subscribed to, the day and year above. Before me William Wait Judge
State of Vermont } Grand Isle County ss }
I Joel Allen Clerk of the County Court within & for the County of Grand Isle do hereby certify to all persons to whom these presents shall come, That the Hon William Wait who hath subscribed his name to the foregoing certificate was at the date thereof and still is the first assistant Judge of said Court duly commissioned and sworn and that all acts done by him as such is and are entitled to due faith and credit as well in courts of Justice as elsewhere. And the said William Wait is & for many years has been a regular ordained Minister of the Gospel, - That Samuel Wait Justice of the Peace who signed one of the foregoing certificates, was at the time, long before & ever since, duly commissioned and sworn as a Justice of the Peace in & for the County of Grand Isle and to his acts and doings as such full faith and credit is & ought to be given, and that his signature above is genuine. I also certify that in my opinion the Hon. William Wait, and the said Samuel Fish who subscribed and made oath to the foregoing certificate are esteemed as men of undisputed veracity and are reputed so to be. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the public seal of my said Office at North Hero in said County this 17 th day of Aug. A.D. 1837 Joel Allen Clerk

State of Vermont Grand Isle County ss on this 9 th day of September 1837 Personally appeared before me William Wait Judge of the County Court within and for the County of Grand Isle aforesaid John Clark Resident in Isle La Motte in the County of Grand Isle aforesaid aged Seventyfive years who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath aforesaid make the following additional declaration in order to obtain the benefit of an act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832. That the reasons why he has not made application earlier for a pension are. That he has been in such pecuniary circumstances as to make the pension now asked for, of no great consequence That he supposed his property amply sufficient to carry him comfortably through life without a pension, but owing to the failure of several men who owed him large amounts, and the measurably going down of Marble business which he has been engaged in for more than 15 years past, and the Marble quarry (a part of which he owns) having greatly sunk in value; all of which has brought him into straitened circumstances in point of property. an other reason was that the evidence of his services in the revolution depended much upon tradition and has always supposed he could prove as much by the Hon Cornelius P Van Ness formerly of Burlington as any other man, and he has been gone to Spain nearly 8 years and it has been expected by his friends in this section for 3 or 4 years that he would soon return, and the said John Clark has supposed that the evidence of Mr Van Ness would be more satisfactory than the evidence of men less known. These are among the principal reasons which has prevented his making an earlier application for a pension but now he is reduced in property and the expectation of Mr Van Ness return has grown quite feeble, all which induces him at this

to apply for a pension. He however states that he has for a number of years talked more or less of making the claim, but has never before applied for a pension in consequence of his not knowing in it until lately. John Clark
State of Vermont } Grand Isle County ss } Personally appeared before me William Wait Judge of Grand Isle County Court this 9 th day of September AD 1837 John Clark the maker and signer of the foregoing additional declaration, and according to law made solemn oath that above additional declaration contains the whole truth and nothing but the truth before me. William Wait } Judge of Grand Isle County Court
State of Vermont Grand Isle County ss on this 9 th day of September AD 1837 personally appeared Ashley Clark of Isle La Motte in the county and state aforesaid aged forty seven years before me William Wait Judge of the County Court within and for the county of Grand Isle aforesaid, who being duly sworn according to law doth depose and say, That he has from his earliest recollection lived and made it his home in the same house with his father John Clark of Isle La Motte aforesaid, the above named applicant, for thirty years past and he has always understood from the said John Clark from his earliest recollection that he was out and in the revolutionary service a number of times during the revolutionary war, I can recollect of hearing

him till of being at the Fish hills, up the Mohawk river and at the surrender of General Burgoyne and also of his being in the service at and about the Town of Spencertown, very often during all the time from my earliest recollection whenever talking of the revolutionary war, which is a subject he has frequently talked upon and he thinks more than almost any other subject. I have also learned the same from my Grandfather the late New Life Clark who died about the year AD 1816 I have often, during the time my Grandfather lived with my father, heard him till of my father John Clark's being out in the revolutionary service at the places above stated by me as learned from my father.
And the said Ashley Clark further swears that his father has often talked of applying for a pension & has been anxious to obtain the evidence of C.P. Van Np for that purpose, who has not yet returned from Spain . That the said John Clark has failed in point of property that 4 or 5 years ago he was considered wealthy and is now comparatively poor. That he has not the least doubt, but that the said John Clark was in the revolutionary service as stated in his declaration, and that this belief is general and no wise (to his knowledge) doubted
Ashley Clark
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 9 th day of September AD 1837
William Wait Leeds

information as contained in his (or his widow's) application for pension on file in this Bureau. John Clark R.I. 1988
   DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. LENGTH OF SERVICE. RANK. OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED. STATE.   CAPTAIN. COLONEL.     Aug 1 1777 3 mos. Pvt. Hawley N.Y.   Spring 1778 6 mos Hawley   Sept. 1779 3 mos Hawley Van Rensselaer   Spring 1780 9 mos Hawley  
The claim was rejected on the ground of insufficient proof of six mos. service as required by the Act of June 7, 1832 under which he applied.
Battles engaged in,
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Spencertown Columbia Co. N.Y.
Date of application for pension, Aug. 15, 1857
Residence at date of application, Ile La Motte Grand Isle Co. Vt.
Age at date of application, b. in Spencertown N.Y. Sept. 14, 1761
Remarks: Soldier was the son of the Rev. Jesse Clark, who died in 1816. Soldier refers to his marriage but name of wife is not stated. His son Ashley was 47 years old in 1837.
Very respectfully,

1911 Aug. 16 Hest. To Mrs. C. H. Herrick
Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
REJECTED
1988
P. O. _____
John Clark
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

C. H. Herrick, M. D.
113 Lancaster St.
OFFICE HOURS { 8 TO 11 A. M. 1 TO 3:30 P. M. 7 TO 8 P. M.
ALBANY, N. Y., Aug 11 1911
Commissioners of Pensions Washington D. C.
I am a descendant of John Clark member of Colonel Robert van Rensselaers Regiment of New York Militia, Revolutionary War and wish to find out if there is any record in the Pension office concern- ing him. Respectfully yours Mrs C. H. Herrick. 113 Lancaster St Albany. N. Y.

75. age. Born Sep 1761
Aug 77 Capt Hanley 15 yds sol. & exp. 3 mo.
Sep 78. patrol night 3 ? 6 mo. Capt Hanley
Sep 79. dist 3 mo. #8-21 - paid
Spring 80. 9 mo. dist. Capt Hanley guarding tonis. and in fall to Mt. of Indian at Schenectady Oct 1781 #2 44 paid
See NY. Militia rolls Capt Hanley.

John Clark
Vermont.
Act 7 June, 1832.
See let. to G. Harrington, August 22, 1837.
12 months

John Clark, Vermont
Reff. to G. Harrington
Nov 29 1837 do do
Har B. Swift Jan. 9. 38
copies of papers sent to B. in A.C. Heard N.R. July 17. 1840
1988
Act 7 June 1832

Pension Office July 9. 1840.
Sir,
In answer to your letter of yesterday, asking for a transcript of the papers of John Clark, I have to request that you will be pleased to designate the county and state in which he resides, the law under which he claims, and say whether he has been pensioned or not.
I have the honor to be, Very respectfully, Your ob dt Servant, J L Edwards
McClure is of Vermont as appears by the petition — Resp d J L Edwards
Hon. A. C. Hand, House of Representatives,

120070_00000 State of Vermont Grand Isle County ss I Joel Allen Clerk of the County, do hereby certify to all persons to whom these presents shall come That the Hon William Wait who hath subscribed his name to the foregoing Subpoena, was at the time and still is the first assistant Judge of said court, duly commissioned and sworn. And that all acts done by him as such, is, and are entitled to due faith and credit as well in courts of Record as thereout. I also certify that I am well acquainted with Ashley Clark the maker and signer of the foregoing Deposition that he is reputed and believed to be a man of good character as to truth and veracity and in which opinion I fully concur. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the publick Seal of my said Office at North Hero in said County of Grand Isle this 19th day of September AD 1837
Joel Allen Clerk

Aug 22 1862
J. S. Chambers Esq. Passenger Office Washington City D. C.

J. S. Edwards Esq.
Dear Sir the within application I believe to be correct unless in one or two of the depositions some part is erased, but I have concluded that that of itself could not form any legal objection, two of the witnesses viz Pike & G. Wait could not recollect truly of having conversation with Mr. New Leese Clark in his life time as to the service of the applicant his son, I am instructed to make request that you cause returns to be made as early as you conveniently can & direct it either to myself or the appli- cant, at Alburgh Grand Sole Co. VC and if anything further is required the applicant will endeavor to procure it. This from your humble servant
Giles Harrington
Alburgh 17 th August 1837.

Nov 22 Albany N.Y.
1813
W
M c Clarke
J. B. Church Esq. Junior Agent Prussian Office Washington City D.C.

J. L. Edwards Esq.
Dear Sir I should be pleased if you will give us the result of the last package of Proof in the case of John Clark of Isle La Motte for a pension, the old man is quite anxious, and some times has closed since it was forwarded probably it has mislaid or some mistake had delayed it. The last package was the additional Declaration of John Clark & the Deposition of Ashley Clark an early reply will be thankfully received
Yours in haste
Giles Harr
Albany Grand Isle Co Vt Nov 2
of
(Giles Harrington is the name)

Col. Edwards
Please help me by sending me a transcript of the papers in the case of John Clark -
Yours
H. H. H.
From July 8/45

Dec 23. 40
Wk.
Blank
28
Frank
Mar 23rd
Am A.C. Hand V.R.
Washington D.C.
Am Dec 23 '40
28th Dec

10075_0000. Sir Please see the papers in Case of John Clarke of Vermont
Notting Reps
H.W.M. Dec 22/40.
D. Howard
Com. of Pensions

34.159
V John Clark
34.159
Nov 2d 1832