DECLARATION

 

State of New York

County of Albany

       On the Eighteenth day of September 1832, personally appeared in open court, before me the Justice Court of the City of Albany now sitting John Seger a resident of the Town of Guilderland in the County of Albany and state of New York aged, on the 30th of November last, Seventy Seven years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oat, 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:

That he enlisted in the City of Albany in the year 1776 under Capt. John Williams in which Company Philip Staats of the Hooge Bergh was eldest Lieut. and Peter Vandenberg the youngest Lieut. - That he marched with the company from the City of Albany to the highland and was ordered to Fort Constitution and lay in garrison there for three month being the term of his enlistment and was there discharged and returned home.  In January 1777 he this declarer again enlisted in the Continental Service under Capt. John Hun of the City of Albany and served for nine months faithfully in the Boat Service and was engaged in the transportation of public stores, ammunition and provisions, from Albany to Fort Edward and continued in that service until Burgoyne and his army Capitulated, after which he had performed militia duty as a private soldier in every campaign for the remainder of the War of the Revolution, until Peace was proclaimed, that he this Declarer is unable at this time to particularize the duration of each tour or expedition or the precise times and places at sic he was ordered out, but he can confidently say and doth declare that he hath performed services as a Revolutionary Soldier for a period of not less than twenty four months; and he herby refers to the proof herein endorsed in support of this his declaration – That he never received a written discharge from the service and knows of no other living witness to prove his service than his brother, whose testimony is endorsed.  

 

County of Albany

        Before the Justice Court of the City of Albany -  In open Court, personally appeared, Garret I Seger, of the Town of Guilderland in the County of Albany aged seventy nine years to this court well known as a person of strict truth and veracity, who being duly sworn, doth depose and say that he is intimately acquainted with John Seger who hath subscribed and sworn to the written declaration, that this said John Seger is a brother of this Deponent and that the facts set forth in the said declaration are substantially true, as therein detailed.

Subscribed and Sworn to

This 18th September 1832                                                       Garret Seger

J. G. Wasson – Clerk

 

Rensselaer County

City of Troy

        Peter Van Bergen of the City of Troy, County aforesaid being duly sworn before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace, for said County, according to law deposeth and saith that he is aged Seventy nine year and upwards – That he was a Lieutenant in Capt. John Williams and Col. Bailey’s Regiment and that John Seger of the Town of Guilderland the person named in the written Declaration to which he has sworn and subscribed Served as a private in the said Company for the term of about five months, that is from July till some time in December at the Highlands of the State of New York in the year 1776 – That this deponent was well acquainted with John Seger and believes him to be a man of truth and veracity.

Subscribed and Sworn to this 27th day of                                       Peter Van BerGen

March 1833 before me and further Certify

that I believe Peter Van Bergen to be a man

Who can be relied upon for truth and veracity

H.v.w. Master – Justice of the Peace

 

 

To the Commissioner of Pensions

        I the undersigned engaged Giles F. Yates of Schenectady several years since to attend to procuring additional pay or pension for this and I made a new Declaration (the same hereto annexed) setting forth anew my Revolutionary service.  I repeatedly applied to Mr. Yates since for information respecting the state of my claim, and he answered me that he had not yet formed the proof necessary to establish my claim fully.  He now informs me that he has such proof, and I accordingly hereby renew my application.

        Dated Albany, April 17th 1844

                                                        John Seger (his mark)

In presence of G. F. Yates.

 

        The service of Capt. John Williams Company in 1776 is now well established in your office.  The case of his Lieutenant Philip Staats, whose widow’s claim has been allowed is in point.            $ 5 month

 

        The evidence that Capt. John Hun’s Company record in 1777, and was regularly organized will appear on my other proofs previously furnished by that contained in a book of the late General Schuyler which I sic of the Patron Van Rensselaer forwarded to you recently. 

Besides some brief militia terms which if satisfactorily proved in the original papers is claimed to be allowed, there is an amount of 17 months service shown in the years 1776 and 1777 as aforesaid and the pensioner get only about $30 per annum.

        I go upon the ground that his terms of services have been established by parole proof, and that all the deficiency was in regard to the proof sic to establish the fact that service was performed at Fort Constitution under the officers named and that John Hun had a regularly organized company of Bateauman in 1777.

 

                                                        I am respectfully

                                                        Your obedient servant

                                                              G. F. Yates

                                                                              Schenectady – May 16th 1844

 

 

State of New York

Albany County

        Nicholas Bleeker of the City of Albany being duly sworn deposeth as follows – Viz – I am seventy nine years of age and upwards – In the early part of the Revolutionary War, I think in the year 1777, I was employed as a clerk in the store of the Issuing Commissary in the City of Albany – under Elisha Avery – a Commissary –

        I recollect a Captain John Hun, who then had command of a company of Bateauman, who were employed in carrying military stores and provisions for the army from Albany to Half Moon Point –

        There were two companies of Bateauman, one under the command of Capt. John Hun and the other under command of Captain Vischer, employed in that duty –

        I do not know whether or not they were commissioned as Captains, but they were called by that name, and performed duty as such – but how long I do not recollect –

Sworn and subscribed this 24th

Day of August 1837 before me

S. Jenkins – Court of Deeds

 

I certify that the above deponent is a credible Witness.

                                               

                                                                            S. Jenkins – Court of Deeds

 

State of New York

Albany County

        John Browner of the City of Albany, being duly sworn, deposeth as follows – Viz – I am seventy seven years of age, and was born in said City –

        In the year 1777, in the month of February, I enlisted in the Boat or Bateau Service under Capt. John Hun –

        I am well acquainted with John Seger of Guilderland and knew him in the Revolutionary War – He was in the boat service with me in the year 1777 in Capt. Hun’s Company of Bateauman – He enlisted at the same time I did - and for the same period – but I do not recollect whether it was for a year or nine months – but my impression is that the period for which we enlisted was for one year – The said John Seger and myself both served out the time of our enlistment in said Company.

        We were employed in cutting timber and building scows for the public service – and also in transporting provisions and military stores and sic like, from Albany to Half Moon Point and from Fort Miller to Fort Edward

        We were engaged principally in these services during the period of our enlistment – We were paid by the month and were regularly enlisted – and were sworn and excused at the time of our enlistment – We were excused by Chancellor Sauging, who was then an aid to Genl. Schuyler.

        We were under the control and command of Genl. Morgan Lewis – and W. Seward who was then a Commissary –

        There were five Companies of Bateauman – under the command of Captains Hun, Cole, Van Iverin and Reuben Servinz – I knew Garret I. Seger the brother of John Seger, and he also served in Capt. Hun’s Company of Bateaumen –

        I have no personal knowledge of any other services recorded by said John Seger, except then above stated –

Sworn and subscribe this 23rd day

Of August 1837 before me –                                                              John Browner

   S. Jenkins – Court of Deeds

 

I certify that the above Deponent is a credible Witness

                                                        S. Jenkins – Court of Deeds

 

 

 

State of New York

County of Albany

 

John Seger, late of the Town of Guilderland in said County, now of the City of Albany in said county, aged eighty seven years and a pensioner of the United States, believing that he does not receive so large a stipend as he is entitled to under the act of Congress passed 7th June 1832, begs leave to say before the Honorable the Commissioner of Pensions a recapitulation of his services as the same are (or should have been) given in his original Declaration in order that a new examination and adjudication may be had therein – And the said John Seger doth accordingly, on being further sworn depose, declare and say, that –

(1st ) On or about the fourth day of July in the year 1776 -  He this Declarent served with attachment of Levies or State Troops (selected from the militia) at Fort Constitution for the term of five months or until the month of December following.  He remembers the names of the following privates who served with him on this occasion, viz – John Acker, Elijah Humperforth, Charles Truax and William Truax.   In this expedition tour of Service, the following named officers were in command – Lieutenant Philip Staats from the City of Albany, Ensign Maus or Moses Van Vranken from said county of Albany – One Captain Williams of Albany, also Lieutenant Peter Ban Den Burgh.

(2) The second tour of service performed by this Deponent was in the year 1777, pursuant to an enlistment for the term of one year in the Company of Bateauman, fatigue men and laborers commanded by Captain John Hun, in the Department of the Quarter Master General.  In this engagement he was employed in transporting military stores from Albany to Fort Edward and Esopus and other places – in cutting timber and doing other fatigue duty required of his said Company.

(3) This Deponent served also in several militia tours, which he cannot more particularly specify than he has done in his previous depositions.  He remembers in particular a short tour of three or four days as a scout to “Becsick” near Catskill with a detachment under command of an officer named Thomas Eastmay or Eastby form Albany County aforesaid –

Subscribed and Sworn this

26th day of February 1841

before me – and I certify                                     John Seger (his mark)

that said John Seger is a

credible witness

Daniel W. Mills

 

 

 

Transcribed by Charles F. Luke

http://revolutionarywarpensions.tripod.comtm