Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 4923, Nathan Herrick, New York

SERVICE
NUMBER _____
New York
Herrick, Nathan Priscilla
R. 4923
CONTENTS

No. 14.483
Priscilla Kenrick, wid of Nathan - N.Y.
Not 7 July 1838 -
Th Maxwell atty Elmira NY

State of New York Steuben County ss } On the 15 th day of August 1851 before the Hon David M c Master County Judge of the said County and Judge of the County Courts of said County the same being a Court of Records, having the power of fine & imprisonment & original jurisdiction to the amount of five hundred dollars & a Clerk & Seal, per- sonally appeared Priscilla Herrick a resident of said County aged Seventy eight years & upwards who being duly sworn according to law declares that she is the widow of Nathan Herrick late of the town of Wayne in said County deceased: that the said Nathan Herrick was engaged in the service of the United States in the war of the Revolution, in a com- pany commanded by Capt. Stephen White, & Lieut. John Thornton under the order & command of Col. Marinus Willett: that he entered the service as aforesaid at "Mansfield" as it was then called in the now town of Florida in the County of Montgomery N. Y. for the term of nine months, in the company aforesaid on or about the 1 st of March 1781 & immediately commenced the building of a fort in the said town of Florida which was completed late in the month of April, & the said company & the said Nathan Herrick as one of its members remained in garrison at the said fort until about the first of December 1781 when the garrison was dismissed & the fort evacuated - having thus rendered nine months service accord- ing to his enlistment. For the proof of his service she refers to the papers hereto annexed.
She further declares that she was married to said Nathan Herrick, at the residence of her father, Elijah Herrick (they being cousins) in the

town of Duanesburgh Schenectady County NY on the 17 th of November 1791 (Seventeen hundred ninety one) by the Rev. Mr. Mudge a clergyman of the Presbyterian order. That she was not married to him previous to his military services above mentioned but before the first day of January Seventeen hundred ninety four to wit at the time above stated. That she continued to reside with her husband the said Nathan Herrick in the said County of Schenectady until about the year 1815 when they removed to Steuben County NY. That her husband the said Nathan Herrick died in the town of Wayne in the said County of Steuben on or about the 16 th day of February 1840 and that she still remains a widow - She makes this declaration in order to obtain a pension under the various acts of Congress granting pensions to widows of Revolutionary soldiers & hereby renounces all other claim to a pension - For proofs of her marriage she refers to the papers & records annexed -
Sworn before me 15 th August 1887
Priscilla Herrick mark
the said Priscilla making her mark from nervous disability
J. M c Master County Judge
I J. M c Master First Judge of the County courts of Steuben county NY do hereby certify that in consequence of the great age & disability of the above named Priscilla Herrick & consequent inability & inconvenience to attend the next term of the County Court aforesaid, I have attended

upon the for the purpose and that the foregoing declaration & subsequent proofs were made before me, in accordance with the acts of Congress in such cases made & provided - And that I am satisfied that she is the widow of Nathan Henrick the revolutionary soldier above named.
D. McMaster County Judge
Stephen County potmrs Wortman of Wayne in the said County aged forty seven years & upwards being only sworn say, that he has been ac- quainted with Nathan Henrick named in the foregoing paper for about thirty years last past as also with Priscilla Henrick above named: that during the time of his acquaintance with them they resided together as husband & wife reputed as such She never heard the fact disputed or doubted that they were regularly married - The said Nathan Henrick died on the 16 th day of February 1840 in the said town of Wayne leaving the said Priscilla surviving him who still survives his still a widow having never married since the death of the said Nathan Henrick.
Sworn before me Amos Wortman
August 15. 1851.
The said Amos Wortman being in my opinion a credible witness
D. McMaster County Judge

State of New York Steuben County ss 3
I Philo P. Hubbell Clerk of the said County & of the County Court thereof do hereby certify that the foregoing are the original pro- ceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Priscilla Henrick for a pension Witness my hand & the seal of said Court the 16 th August 1851
P. P. Hubbell Clerk

State of Pennsylvania
Susquehannah County ss
Martha Darrow of Bridgewater in the said County aged eighty one years being duly sworn says that in the month of March 1781 for some time previous, (to wit from her infancy) she resided with her father Daniel Herrick in the town of Florida in the County of Montgomery N.Y and her brothers older than herself to wit Daniel, Nathan & Rufus also resided with their parents. That her brothers Nathan & Daniel both entered the the service of the United States in a company commanded by Capt. Stephen White & Lieut. John Thornton in Col. Marinus Willett's Regiment & served at a fort erected in the said town of Florida, from 1781 March to the last of April in building the said fort & from its completion until the first of December in that year or thereabouts in the company aforesaid as a garrison for said fort when it was abandoned the garrison dismissed making in all nine months service rendered by the said Nathan & the said Daniel. The said Nathan, (from her best recollection & information derived from the family & its records) was born in January 1765. & was at in his 17 th year when engaged in the service. That the said Nathan some years after this service married Priscilla Herrick the deponent being present at the marriage. The said Priscilla being (his Cousin) about the year 1791 & lived with her reputed as husband & wife until his death about twelve years since. As she is informed she believes is still alive & a widow.
Subscribed & sworn before me the 11 th day of
August 1887 the said Martha being
in my opinion a credible & disinterested witness
Martha X Darrow mark
C. S. Burke. U. States

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania } Susquehanna County ss } I F. M. Williams Prothonotary of said County do certify that O. S. Beebe before whom the foregoing affidavit was made was at the time thereof a Justice of the peace of said County duly qualified & that his signature above subscribed is genuine. Witness my hand & seal of office the 14th day of Sept. 1831. F. M. Williams. Prothon.

State of New York
Montgomery County ss
}
Rufus Herrick of said County aged seventy eight years being sworn says that he is a younger brother of Nathan Herrick late of Steuben County NY deceased: that the said Nathan Herrick was in the United States service in the year 1781 engaged from March to the last of April in that year in a company commanded by Capt. Stephen White under the command of Col. Marinus Willett in building a fort in Florida in said County From the completion of the fort in April he continued in the same as one of the garrison until about the first of December of that year being about nine months service
That he recollects the circumstance distinctly, though young at the time - that said Nathan subsequently to the war about the year 1791 in the presence of deponent, Daniel Herrick, Martha Darlow to whom was married his cousin Priscilla Herrick resided with her many years afterward in the County of Schenectady & then removed to Steuben County where he died about twelve years since, leaving the said Priscilla his widow still surviving him, who as he is informed and believes is still alive & remains his widow -
Sworn before me
the 30 th day of August 1851.
The said Reufers being in my opinion a credible & disinterested witness.
J. Belding Jr. County Judge of Montgomery County.
}
his Rufus X. Herrick mark

STATE OF NEW-YORK } ss. MONTGOMERY COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE, }
I, JOHN W. VANDERVEER. Clerk of said County, do hereby certify that at the date of the Certificate of proof or acknowledgement to which this is subjoined, the said Samuel Belding Esquire, was County Judge in and for said County, and duly authorized to take the same; and that I am well acquainted with his hand writing, and verily believe that the signature to said Certificate is genuine, and that the same is executed according to the Laws of this State.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name, and affixed my Official Seal at Fonda, in said County, the first day of August 1851
J. M. Maudewan
CLERK.
[Faint, mirrored handwritten text from the reverse side of the page, likely bleed-through from the original document.]

State of New York
Chemung County ss 3 Daniel Herrick of Mead Township in the County of Crawford & State of Pennsylvania being Eighty five years & upwards being duly sworn before the subscriber a justice of the peace in & for said County deposes & says that Priscilla Herrick the applicant for a pension in the papers to which this annexed is the widow of Nathan Herrick late of Steuben County in the State of New York deceased; that the said Nathan Herrick was a brother of this deponent & he was consequ- ly well known  be acquainted with the said Priscilla & knows her to be the widow of the said Nathan Herrick & that he saw her at her residence in the said County of Steuben on the preceding day to the date of this affi- davit, that she was then alive & still a widow She has no doubt of her identity as such widow.
That the deponent was present at the marriage between the said Nathan Herrick & the said Priscilla, then Priscilla Herrick, a cousin of the said Nathan & this deponent, which took place on the 17 th November 1791 (Seventeen hundred ninety one) at the residence of Maj r Elijah Herrick, the father of the said Priscilla in Duaneburgh Brooklyn  Schenectady Co New York: that the marriage ceremony was performed by the Rev. W. Mudge, a clergyman of the Presbyterian order then stationed near Duaneburgh; that he is not acquainted with the subsequent history of the said Rev. Mr. Mudge nor whether he kept a record of marriages, but presumes he did not as it was somewhat unusual at that early period among clergymen of that denomination - That the said Nathan Herrick died about twelve years since at his residence in Steuben County NY. The

said Nathan Herrick according to deponents best recollection from reference to family records born was in January 1765. He referred to the family record of the said Nathan, in possession of his said widow on his recent visit to her, & finds his birth there entered as being on the 3 d Jan y 1767. but it is unquestionably an error & should have been 1765, as he was two years older than the deponent who was born in March 1766.
The deponent further states that he himself was in the military service of the United States, under Capt. Stephen White & Lieut. John Thornton under command of Col. Marcus Willett engaged in the erection of a fort in the town of "Warrens bush" afterwards called Florida in the County of Montgomery N. Y. from March 1781 to the latter part of April 1781 when the fort was completed & then continued in the fort as one of the garrison until about the 1 st December 1781 - nine months service. That the said Nathan Herrick entered the same service with deponent at the same time & was engaged in building said fort & subsequently as one of its Garrison for the same period to wit from March to December 1781: when the Garrison was dismissed & the fort evacuated & peace succeeded  the war ceasing in the subsequent year it was of course no longer occupied.
He has no doubt as to the identity of the said Nathan Herrick as the same person who rendered the service above detailed, nor as to the fact of the said Priscilla being his wife & now his widow -
The deponent further states that he has as

stated above examined the family record of the said Nathan Henrich & from his intimate acquaintance with the family, he has no doubt of the correctness of the said record in all its details except the year of the birth of the said Nathan - as he was over sixteen the summer he was in the fort.
Sworn before me the 7 th day of August 1859. Henry Potter Justice of the Peace for said County
Daniel H. Henrich
State of New York Chemung County Clerk's Office } D. A. F. Babcock Clerk
I said County Clerk do hereby certify that Henry Potter Esq before whom the affidavit of Daniel Henrich above named was made was at the date thereof a Justice of the peace of said County duly qualified & that his signature above subscribed is genuine. Witness my hand & seal of office the Second day of October 1859.
A. F. Babcock Clerk

Tobias Henrik born January 3 1767 Presilla Henrik born June 9 1773 Daniel Henrik born August 12 1793 Phoebe Henrik born April 13 1796 Anna Henrik born December 7 1797 Polly Henrik born December 13 1799 Lifen Henrik born March 13 1802 Rufus Henrik born December 28 1804 Catherine Henrik born March 28 1807
Tobias Henrik and Presilla were married 17 October 1791

The above agreed to in my presence Aug 15: 1851 and also in presence of Hon. D. D. Master
Th. Maxwell

Elmira Dec 31. 1857
Hon J. E. Heath
Sir
Yours of 27 th in reference to the family record of Priscilla is read Herrick. The afft. of Daniel Herrick who refers to the record was taken here by me before I went to Steuben County to prepare the declaration of Mrs. Herrick. The deponent had seen her the day before & at my request took a copy of the record. The paper enclosed is the copy he brought me to which his afft. refers. On calling upon Mrs. Herrick at her residence with the County Judge I found that the record did not contain any entry of the marriage. Consequently I did not attach a copy to the declaration as it did not throw any light upon the date of the marriage. The note at the bottom is Mr. Daniel Herrick's statement of the time of the marriage, but is not on the record.
The period of the marriage is proven by two (I think three) persons who were present at it - Dan Herrick testifies in reference to the date of the birth of Nathan as entered on this record & that it was erroneous, it should have been 1765. On enquiry of Mrs. Herrick as to the record in her bible, I found that it had been made within a few years in a new bible which she had purchased & made by some person in the neighborhood - as it was not an ancient document & not made by Nathan Herrick himself I did not think it such

a paper as would be evidence, as it was merely made from recollection - and not done at the time the births occurred -
Daniel Herrick resides at or near Erie in Penn a . & not within my reach - I do not think it proper to send the record you require, as under the circum- stances of its being entered in the bible, I am satisfied it would be of no avail - I compared it with the copy annexed & found it correct except as to the time of the marriage which does not appear on the record itself, such as it is.
Yours Respectfully J. K. Macawell

No 14.483.
Priscilla Herrick widow of Nathan
N.Y.
Act 7 July 1838
The Masswell. Dec 27. 1857
Same Jny 13 1853
492 B

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
REJECTED
4923
P. O.
Priscilla Herrick
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized.
_____ Contract
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

Elmira Ny Oct 7. 1887
Hon. J. E. Heath.
Sir
I enclose the declaration of Priscilla Herrick widow of Nathan Herrick dec.? who served 9 mo in 1781 in the erection of garrisoning a fort on the Mohawk under Capt. Stephen White. Heed M c Willett. The service is proved by Daniel Herrick whose service appears on the Records of the Comptroller of New York & is on file in your office with his declaration for a pension heretofore sent by me & originally presented by Hon. J. W. Farrell of Penn a . also by Rufus Herrick & Mary Darrow, all of whom testify to the marriage - I have applied to the Comptroller of NY but do not find the record of Nathan Herrick's service, tho' there is evidence of Daniel's service. I suppose the proofs to be strong enough as it is proved by 3 witnesses all of whom are certified to be credible & are backed up by record evidence from the Compt m office of NY.
Respectfully
M c Abel
J. R. Maxwell
Col Willett was a continental officer - The rule heretofore has been that if the officer was continental, it made the soldier so . If so, Nathan Herrick would have been entitled under the act of 1818 for 9 mo service to 96 dollars pension — J. R. M c

Elmira Ny Sep 9. 1852
Sir.
The pension application of Priscilla Henrick was forwarded to your office in Oct. 1851.
Will you inform me whether the case has received your final adjudication?
Yours &
C. H. Masmell
Hon J E Heath Comr