Declaration of Richard Flansburgh to obtain the benefit of the
Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
Transcribed by Darin Flansburg 2000
Webpage by Cliff Lamere Jan 2001
Darin Flansburg
Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
State of New York)
County of Herkimer) es.
On this thirteenth day of October 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the judges of the Court of Common Please of said County now sitting, Richard Flansburgh a resident of Russia in the County of Herkimer and State of New York, aged 86 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, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following officers and served as herein stated.
That on the first of March 1777 this applicant being then a resident of Clifton Park in Albany but now Saratoga County and State of New York enlisted in the Batteaux Service to boat provisions for the army in the Company of Captain Teunis Vischer of Albany for the term of ten months. The company was formed of thirty men and attached to the State Troops under the Supervision and Command of General Philip Schuyler. Their duties were to serve as Batteaux men to procure timber for bridges, to cut and clear roads and to engage in any and every kind of service to advance the interests of the main army. That they rendezvous'd at Stillwater immediately after his enlistment and were marched to Sheensborough by the command of General Schuyler and labored cutting saw logs under his direction for about four weeks. Said logs were to be sawn into boards for the use of the soldiers in building barracks etc. They werethen ordered to march to Fort Ann now in Washington County and State aforesaid where they staid 5 or 6 weeks engaged in making roads, during this time they, together with two other companies one under Captain William Peterson and the other under Captain Cole constructed a causeway through a swamp three miles or thereabouts in length between Fort Ann and Fort Edward. They were then ordered to Lake George and were engaged in forwarding provisions, Arms, Ammunition, camp utensils etc. in Batteaux from the Fort on the southern extremity of Lake George to Ticonderoga. They remained there thus engaged until the fore part of Jul when from the advance of Burgoyne's army they were ordered to retreat and were marched on the retreat first to Fort Edward and then to Half Moon Point now Waterford. General Gates had thus just arrived and taking his station on Van Schaick's Island. It was made the business of the Company to which this applicant belonged together with others similarly raised, to man the boats upon the river to convey provisions and to make good the retreat of the army in case the Americans were defeated in the coming battle. Whilst thus engaged and stationed at tje boats and batteaux they were in distinct view of the battle of Stillwater and Barnes Heights. They were also, by ascending a hill in full view of the battle of Saratoga when Burgoyne surrendered, during that battle General Arnold was wounded in the leg or ankle. General Arnold rode on horseback to where the boats lay. General Gates ordered this applicant's Captain to enlist four men and to dispatch them with General Arnold in a boat to Albany. This applicant was one of the four men selected. They conveyed him to Albany where the Continentals received him ad this applicant returned in the boat to Saratoga where they remained for some time and were then marched to Albany where they remained in service until the first day of January 1778 when they were dismissed. This applicant received a written discharge which he has since lost having served ten months.
That sometime in the month of September 1778 this applicant was drafted into the Company of Captain John Vandenbergh of Half Moon Point in the Regiment Commanded by Colonel Gordon of Ballston now Saratoga County and this applicant was marched from Clifton Park his place of residence on their way to Cherry Valley in Otsego County and State of New York where they were stationed when the tories, Indians and British regulars under Colonel Brandt came across Schuyler's Lake in boats and broke into Cherry Valley and destroyed and burned it the night before the Regiment of Colonel Gordon and and the Regiment of Colonel Block (who were marching together) arrived. The two Regiments were encamped for the night at a place called Brunstons Hill when Cherry Valley was destroyed. Colonel Alden was at Cherry Valley when it was destroyed with a Regiment of Continentals and being with a family some little distance from the fort was surprised and killed with towards a dozen officers and soldiers with him at the time. The Regiments of Colonels Gordon and Block marched up to Cherry Valley then in ruins where they Gordon's Regiment remained about two weeks and were then marched to Fort Plain now Montgomery County where they remained until the expiration of one month from the time they were drafted and they were then verbally dismissed and this applicant returned to his home having served one month.
That in the month of August 1779 this applicant was again drafted for one month in the company of John Mahoney, Captain, who resided near Fort Edward, now in Washington County, he lived ----- and State aforesaid. There was a certain number drafted from each company of Militia men and they were marched to Fort Edward and placed under the Command of a Colonel of the Continental troops whose name this applicant does not recollect and cannot state. This applicant remained there until the expiration of his said time of one month when he was verbally dismissed and returned to his home.
This applicant was often during the war called out and served on short tours of duty but he cannot now state them with sufficient certainty to claim the benefit of this act therefor.
This applicant has no documentary evidence of his service, and knows of no person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service.
1. This applicant was born in a place called the English Neighborhood in the State of New Jersey on the fourth day of February 1746.
2. He has a record of his age in his family bible at his present residence.
3. He lived at Clifton Park now County of Saratoga and State of New York when called into service and during the Revolutionary War. He then moved to Schenectady Patent where he resided for four years. He then removed to Princetown in the same County where he resided some eight to ten years, he then removed to Benson in the County of Montgomery and State aforesaid, where he remained some eight years, he then removed to the town of Russia, County of Herkimer and State aforesaid where he now resides.
4. The first tour of service this applicant enlisted and volunteered for ten months, the two other tours he was a drafted militia man.
General Gates, General Gage, general Arnold, Colonel Morgan, General Schuyler were seen by this applicant during the battles of Stillwater, Barnes' Heights and Saratoga when Burgoyne surrendered. General Schuyler was at Albany this applicant thinks, until General Arnold was carried there wounded and he then went up to Saratoga. Colonel Alden had command at Cherry Valley when it was burnt and he was killed. Colonels Gordon and Block marched two Regiments to assist in defending Cherry Valley but did not arrive in season. The general circumstances of his service are particularly detailed above.
He received a written discharged at the expiration of his ten months service first above specified, but has lost and cannot find the same after diligent search.
He refers the Court to William J. Murray and William Webb of Russia his present place of residence who are well acquainted with this applicant and can testify to his character for veracity and to their belief of his having served as a soldier in the Revolution.
And this applicant in fact says that he was in actual service as a soldier a Batteauxman and attached to the regular army ten months, and two months more as a drafted militia man.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
Sworn to and subscribed the day his
And year aforesaid in Open Court
Richard X Flansburgh
mark
Julius C. Nelson, Clerk
We William J. Murray residing in Russia and William Webb residing in Russia hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Richard Flansburgh who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be 86 years of age and he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the William J. Murray
Day and year aforesaid Wm. Webb
Julius C. Nelson, Clerk
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states. And this court further certifies that it appears to them that William J. Murray who has signed the preceding certification of the town of Russia and are credible persons, and that their aforesaid statement is entitled to credit.
I Julius C. Nelson Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Herkimer do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Richard Flansburgh for a Pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this thirteenth day of October A.D. 1832.
Julius C. Nelson, Clerk
______________________________________________
(Supplementary Affidavit)
State of New York
Herkimer County
Personally appeared before me the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Herkimer aforesaid, Richard Flansburgh who being duly sworn deposeth and saith that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less that the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades. For six months and twenty days I served as a private.
Said service was performed in the following manner. The first of March 1777 I enlisted for ten months in the Batteaux Service as stated in my Declaration hereunto annexed. For 4 weeks during said period of ten months I performed Land Service at Sheensborough exclusively. For six other weeks during said term of ten months, I performed land service exclusively at and near Fort Ann.
For two other weeks I was marched with the army on the retreat from Ticonderoga to Half Moon Point, also during said ten months.
For two other weeks during said term of ten months, and immediately after the surrender of General Burgoyne I performed land service exclusivly at Saratoga.
For two other months of the said term of ten months, I performed land service exclusively being marched about the first day of November from Saratoga to Albany where I remained until discharged the first of January 1778, being engaged during said ten months in cutting wood for the army.
For one month I served as a private in the fall of 1778.
For one month I served as a private in the fall of 1779, being drafted the two last times and for the next six months abd twenty days service.
Sworn and Subscribed to on his
First day of June 1833 Richard X Flansburgh
Mark
John Post Justice of the Peace
Herkimer County
Clerks Office
I Julius C. Nelson Clerk of said County do hereby testify that John Post before whom the preceding affidavit was taken is a Justice of the Peace in and for the said County of Herkimer duly qualified to administer such oath abd further that I am acquainted with the hand writing of said Justice and believe the signature of John Post subscribed to the of said affidavit to be the proper handwriting of the said Justice.
In testimony whereof I have
Hereunto set my hand and affixed the
Seal of my office this fifth day of June
In the year of our Lord one thousand eight
Hundred and thirty three.
Julius C. Nelson, Clerk
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