By an act of Congress passed June 7, 1832, pension benefits were extended to those who had served in the military during the Revolutionary War. To receive a pension, certain provisions and criteria needed to be fulfilled by former soldiers and militiamen who served their country. Because this act of Congress was passed 50 years after the close of the war, many of the surviving soldiers and militiamen suffered from body frailty and the consequent loss of memory due to old age. These surviving soldiers appeared in open court and declared under oath to the best of their recollection the role they played during the Revolutionary War and the services they rendered to the United States of America.
The soldiers featured here served in the Albany County Militia, they were from the Town of Bethlehem, New York, then known as Watervliet and the West Manor of Rensselaerwyck.
These are their Declarations…..