Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of congress
passed
State of
On this twenty first
day of September in the year A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open court before
Joseph S Richardson Asohel Fitch, Gresham Morse and Augustus F. Ferris Esquire
the Judges of the court of common pleas that now sitting Obediah Cooper a
resident of the town of Conquest and the State of New York aged seventy three
years and who being 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. The he entered the
service of the
That he entered the
service of the United stated under Captain Vedder Lieutenant James Burnsides
and ensign TenEyck in Colonel Quackenbush’s Regiment of Militia as a volunteer
in the month of October as he thinks in the year 1775 at the Town of Bethlehem
County of Albany in the State of New York at which place he then lived and was
discharged in the month of November or December there after and was out from
home about a month and a half – That he was marched from said Town of Bethlehem
to Fort Edward and there laid until discharged – this was at the time the
Americans were retreating from Canada.
That he again entered
the service of the United States under the aforesaid named officers as a
volunteer in the month of May or June in the year 1776 as he now thinks at
Bethlehem aforesaid where he then lived and was discharged in about four weeks
– That the whole regiment was out at this time and were marched to Saratoga
where he lay till discharged aforesaid.
That he again entered
the service of the United States in the month of July 1777 under the aforesaid
named officers at Bethlehem aforesaid where he then lived and was discharged in
the month of October or the fore part of November – That he entered this
service as a volunteer and was out between three and four months – That he was
marched to Saratoga and then lay till the taking of Burgoyne and was in the
battle of Bemis
That in the spring of
the year and or he thinks in the month of April 1778 he entered the service of
the United States again under Captain Ostrum Lieutenant Irving
That he again entered
the service of the United States in the month of August or September and he
thinks in September of the year 1779 under Captain Van Wie and Lieutenant Devoe
in Colonel Staats Regiment and was discharged in September or October and
thinks in October – that he was out from home twenty five or six days – that he
lived at Bethlehem aforesaid where he entered this service and marched to the
Lower For in Schoharie.
That he again entered
the service of the United States and served as herein stated in the year 1780
the Tories came to plunder his father’s house in said Town of Bethlehem and
afterwards threaten his father’s life and the lives of his family and the Town
Committee called on his father and brought a guard from Albany taken from
Colonel Van Rensselaer’s Regiment – And he was to work at Albany then as a
teamster for the army and the committee
called on him and directed him to go to his father’s as one of the guards
accordingly he went and joined the guard and did duty as a guard and a scout
till the month of January 1781 when he was discharged and the rest of the guard
was also then discharged – That during the whole of this service drew rations
at Albany once a week for a weeks rations – That he went into this service in
for part of June 1780 and was discharged first January 1781 and was employed
about seven month in this service,
That he again entered
the service of the United States under Captain Veeder Lieutenant Burnside
Ensign Irving
That he again entered
the service of the United States in the year 1782 and he thinks in the month of
August under Lieutenant Burnside who acted as Captain at Bethlehem aforesaid
where he then lived and marched to Fort
That he has no
documentary evidence of any of the above service – That he know of no person
whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his served except the
testimony of Thomas Cooper and Uzziah Conger.
Sworn to and subscribed the
Day and year aforesaid Obadiah
Cooper
Page34,36,37,38
State of
On the Eleventh day of
September 1832 before me Benjamin Conger Justice of the Peace of the Town of
Ira in the County of Cayuga aforesaid personally appeared Uzziah Conger of the
town of Ira in said county who being duly sworn deposeth and saith that he is
well acquainted with Obadiah Cooper of the Town of conquest County of Cayuga
aforesaid – That in the Revolution this deponent and said Obadiah lived in the
town of Bethlehem in the County of Albany in the state of New York that he
cannot certainly recollect of seeing the said Obadiah in the service but by
conversing with the said Obadiah he mentions circumstances that took place
which if the said Obadiah had not been present he would have been ignorant of, particularly
at Saratoga – And deponent further saith that he believes that that their were
soldiers stationed at his the said Obadiah’s Father’s house – this he thinks
was after Burgoyne was taken – And deponent further saith that he believe the
said Obadiah was a true man for his country in the Revolution – And further
this deponent saith that he is seventy four years old and further this deponent
saith not.
Sworn to before me
Benjamin Conger
Uzziah Conger
State of
Personally appeared
before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace of the Town of Meutz in and
for the said County Obadiah Cooper of the Town of Conquest in said County who
being dully sworn deposeth and saith that by reason of old age and the
consequent loss of memory he could not swear positively as to the precise
length of his service but according to the best of his recollection he served
not less than the period mentioned below and in the following grades – For not
less than one month and fifteen day served as a corporal in captain Veeder’s
Company commencing as near as he can now recollect in the month of October 1775
and terminating in the month of November or December 1775 – For not less than
twenty four day I served as a Sergeant in the months of May and June 1776 in
said Captain Veeder’s company – For not less than three months and fifteen days
I served as a Sergeant in Captain Veeder’s Company aforesaid commencing in the
fore part of July 1777 and terminating the latter part of October or fore part
of November 1777 –
For not less than One
month I served as a Sergeant in Captain Ostrum’s Company commencing according
to his best recollection in the month of April 1778 and discharged in the month
of May 1778 according to his best recollection -
For not less than One
month I served as a Sergeant in Captain Van Wie’s Company commencing according
to his best recollection in the month of September 1778 and termination
according to like recollection in October of the year 1778 –
For not less than
twenty four day I served as a Sergeant in Captain Van Wie’s Company commencing
according to my best recollection in the month of September 1779 and
terminating in the month of October according to my like best recollection in
the year 1779 –
For not less then
seven months I served as a Sergeant and as a Sergeant of the guard at my
father’s house – as set forth in my original declaration commencing the fore
part of June 1780 and terminating in the month of January 1781
For not less than one month
I served as a Sergeant in Captain Veeder’s company in the year 1781-
For not less than one
month I served as a Sergeant in the Company commanded by Lieutenant Burnside –
commanded out at that time commencing according to his best recollection in the
month of August 1782 and terminating according to my like best recollection in
the month of September 1782 –
And that for not less
than one month and fifteen day I served as a Corporal as first above in this
amended declaration named –
And for not less than
one year and four month and three days I served as a Sergeant as above set
forth.
And in the whole I
served not less than one year and five months and eighteen day as a Corporal
and Sergeant as above set forth and for such service I claim a pension
And this applicant
saith that he is not acquainted with any clergymen now in his neighborhood who
is sufficiently acquainted with him to certify as to his belief of my service
from report in any neighborhood of my services in the Revolution and that at
the time he made his original declaration the clergyman who resided in the society
to which he belonged had but just came in and he was entirely unacquainted with
said clergyman and has had but little acquaintance with him since.
That he was born in
the City and county of Albany in the year 1759 on the 13th day of
March – And had a record of his age in the family Book of Records which was
kept by his father in his lifetime and is now in the possession of his son in
the town of Conquest in the County of Cayuga aforesaid –
That he never received
a written discharge from any of his above named services –
That I am acquainted
in my present neighborhood with the
That after the
Revolution he resided in the Town of Bethlehem in the County of Albany
aforesaid in the State of New York until Eighteen years ago last May when he
moved to the Town of Cato in said County of Cayuga – And he’s lived in the Old
Town of Cato ever since and now live in the Town of Conquest which is a part of
the Old Town of Cato. Cato being divided
since he moved into said Cato.
That for the further
history and particulars of the above named serves reference may be had to the
original declaration of this applicants hereto attached by a tape – and which
this deponent has this day heard read and that the same is in every particular
the same now as where he signed and swore to the same before the Judges of the
Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Cayuga at the time of September
1832.
Signed and sworn before me
This 16th day of Feb. 1833
Obadiah Cooper
William Mince Justice of the Peace
Transcribed by Charles F. Luke