John Keeler's Revolutionary War Pension File

John Keeler served as a Ranger & Private in Col. Weissenfel's N. Y. Militia. He enlisted on April 1, 1782 in Wallkill Twp., Ulster Co., N.Y. and spent 9 months scounting for potential Indian attacks on the "frontier" near Minisink, N.Y.

Set on this fifth day of November 1832 personally appeared before the Court of Common Pleas of Columbia County aforesaid now [acting?] John Keeler a resident of Sugarloaf township in the county of Columbia aged sixty eight years who being [?] + duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the [pension?] made by the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he enlisted in the army of the United States in the month of April in the year 1782 in a Company Commanded by Captain John L. Hornbeck and was attached to a Regiment Commanded by Colonel Weisenfell. Deponent enlisted at Walkill Township Ulster County in the State of New York and was marched to Wa[ssink?] on the frontier, we were engaged in Ranging and Scouting for Indians. I continued on the frontiers engaged in the Service until about the Twenty fifth of December in the year 1782 when we were discharged at [Wassink?]. I enlisted for nine months but was discharged at that time before the term expired. I enlisted on the first day of April in the year 1782 was marched for the frontier on the fifteenth of April on the same year and was discharged about the twenty - fifth of December 1782. I received a written discharge from my Captain which I have lost. there were no other troops in Company with us. There was one Regiment and Commanded by Col. Weisenfeld I think the Majors name was Dewitt but I am not certain - the troops were scattered along the frontier from near Sop[?] to Minisink - I served nine months all to about Six days. He hereby relinquishes all claim whatever to a pension [?] [?] county except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of any agency in any state

And the said Court, do hereby declare their opinion that the within named applicant was a revolutionary Soldier and Served as he States. Seth [Chapman?]

I Jacob Eyerly Prothonotary of the Court of Common pleas of Columbia County, do hereby Certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of John Keeler for a pension

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand + seal of Office at danville the fifth day of November AD 1832

On the nineteenth Day of January 1837 personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common pleas in and for the County of Columbia and State of Pennsylvania now sitting, John Keeler a resident of Sugarloaf township in said County of Columbia + State of Pennsylvania aged seventy-three 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 7th 1832. That he enterd the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein after stated.

Weissenfeld was his Colonel, Dewitt Major, John S. Hornbrick was his Captain, John Jamison was his first Lieutenant, ___ Veinwike was his 2nd Lieutenant. he entered the service about the first Day of April one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, and that he left the service about the twenty seventh Day of december of the same year (1782) he resided in Wall Kill Township, County of Ulster County, and State of New York at the time he entered the service. he was drafted as a Militia man. his employ was scouting and ranging the woods after the Indians and that their Regiment was stretched in a time from Eropus [?] to Minisink and that they patrolled from one end of the Regiment to the other every week and there were no continental Regiments of companies near them their principle object was to protect the frontiers against the Indians as in the summer previous the Indians had been down and destroyed many lives particularly in the Township of Wa[ssick?]. they did not burn the church but cut the door all to pieces and that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service.

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.

We Jack Rogers a Cleryman residing in Huntington Township Luzerne County and Elias Dodson residing in the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Keeler who has [subscribed?] to the above declaration, and that we believe him to be Seventy-three years of age, that 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.

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 in he states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Jack Rogers who has signed the proceeding certificate clergyman, resident in the Township of Huntington Luzerne County and that Elias Dodson, who has also signed the [?] resident in the same place, and a credible person and their statement is entitled to credit.

Personally appeared before me [?] a Justice of the peace in and for said County John Koons Post Master at Columbus in the Township of Huntington, Luzerne County and after being duly sworn accodring to Law did depose and say that he has been well acquainted with John Keeler the above named applicant for a pension, for a number of years, that he believes him to be of the age of Seventy three years, that his character as a man of truth and veracity is good as far as he is known and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, and he fully concurs in the opinion he has said deponent further states that some ten or twelve years since he heard said Applicant in conversation with Abiel Fellows late of Huntington Township who is now dead but was well know to have served as a soldier in the revolutionary war in relation to their service and by their conversation (said deponent) that they had both served in one Regiment during the campaign mentioned in the declaration of the above named applicant.

I was born in Goshen Town Orange County NY in year one thousand seven hundred + sixty four

Where was you living when called into the service: and where have you lived since the revolutionary war, and where do you now live?

When called into the service, I lived in Wallkill Township Ulster Co. I have since lived in Sugarloaf Township, Columbia Co. (formerly Northumberland County)

How were you called into the service: were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute for whom?

State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served such continental or Militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service.

There was but the one regiment which was to guard the frontiers against the Indians. Weissenfeld was our Colonel. Dewitt our major John L. Hornbeck our captain, John Johnson 1st Lieutenant, Van[?] 2nd Lieutenant.

Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so, by whom was it given, and what has become of it?

State the names of persons to whom you are [?] in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your service as a soldier of the revolution.

John McHenry Daniel Robbins George Hess Mathias Rhoan Robert Wilson Abraham Kline Jonathon Colly Elias Dodson Jo[sh?] Rogers John Th[?] Alexander Colly

I James Donaldson Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Columbia do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said bond in the matter of the application of John Keeler for a Pension

In testimony whereof I have unto set my hand and seal of office this 19th day of January 1837.

Sir Enclosed you have the application of John Keeler for a pension together with his declaration which had been retained for amendment with a further authentication of the seal of Columbia County as required by communication of the 25th January last.

The accompanying papers were received this morning enclosed in a letter from John Koons of Luzerne County Pa in which he says John Keeler the subject of those papers has been allowed only $26.66/100 per annum as for am eight month service when in fact he served nearly nine months and was entitled to $32 per annum. He desires one to request a re-examination of the subject and to have this error corrected if any exists -

You will oblige me my dear Sir, to cause a response to be had to the Records and to ascertain how the fact is - should an error have been committed it will doubtless be corrected Advise me if you please of the result and return the papers of Mr. Keeler

Under the act of the 6th of April, 1838, entitled "An act directing the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury of the United States," John Keeler a Pensioner of the Roll of the Philadelphia Agency, at the rate of twenty six Dollars and sixty six Cents per annum, under the law of the 7th of june 1832 has been paid at this Department, from the 4th of march 1837 to the 4th of September 1837.

I desire to obtain information regarding the Army record of my Grandfather John Keeler who was a soldier in the revolution. At the time of his death in 1849 he was a pensioner then a resident of Columbia Co., Pa. He was born in York State not far from New York City and I suppose was in a New York regiment. He moved to Columbia Co. Pa in 1794. I think from the records in the Pension Office his name can be found and a records of his service regiment he was in [?]

I shall be pleased to have from you the information or be informed what steps are necessary to obtain the source.

Will you kindly secure and forward to me the Military history of my Great Grandfather John Keeler, a soldier of the Revolutionary War? He was born at Goshen, N.Y. in 1764 and enlisted the latter part of war for Independence. During his life, sometime between 1830 and 1840 he secured a pension; he lived at Sugarloaf, Pa., now Benton, Post Office, Pa.

Will you please send me the military record of my grandfather John Keeler a soldier of the Revolution War. I have been told that my great-grandfather Ebenezer Keeler was also a soldier in same war, if so please send this record also

In reply to your enclosed communication dated the 8th instant and received in this Bureau on the 11th, you are advised that in order to identify a claim for Revolutionary War pension, the full name of the soldier and some of the following data is essential: organization in which the soldier served; places of residence at enlistment and after service; approximate date of death; given name of widow.

My only object in writing is to get the military record of soldiers named John Keeler enlisted at Wallkill N. Y. and made application for pension while living in Sugarloaf Pa. Dont Know anything about service of Ebenezer Keeler (if any) Hoping that this explanation is sufficient.

will you please give me the Enlistment of John Keeler of the Revolution War. I do no Know weather he Enlisted in York State or Pennsylvania and greatly oblige

I am writing you in response to a request from my mother Mrs. S A Stargel, to find what records you have in you department regarding her father

The name was John Keeler of Muncy, Sullivan Co., PA. He died about 1851 at the age of something like 78 or 87 years of age.

Mother does not know what service he was in or the company he served in. She was only a small child when he died, and soon afterward was separated from all her relatives and all her family records were lost on the plains in the pioneer days.

Any information whatever that you may be able to give me as to the service he was in or whatever your records may show, will be very gratefully appreciated by the grand daughter of John Keeler.

In reply to your request of __[blank]__, received ___[blank]___ for a staement of the military history of John Keeler a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his application for pension on file in this Bureau.

I am in receipt of your favor dated jan 22nd 1913, (War Section) and note that you say "that there is no provision of law which would enable the children of a soldier of the Revolution to pension."

Sec. 4742 of revised Statutes reads: "From and after the 2nd day of April, 1862, no claim for a pension, or for an increase in pension, shall be allowed in favor of the children or other descendants of any person who served in the war of the revolution, or the widow of such person, when such person or his widow died without having established a claim to a pension."

If this section is still in force, I believe it would entitle my mother Mrs. Sarah Agnes Keeler Stargel, to pension.

My mother was born Feb. 7th 1840; her father was John Keeler who was born in 1764 at Goshen, New York. He enlisted Apr 1st 1782, served about 9 months, under Cap John Hornbeck and Col. Weissenfels. He applied for pension Nov 5th 1832 and was granted same May 9th 1837 (under Act of June 7th 1832) certificate #31,095. At the time of his death, my mother was under sixteen years of age, and he had established his claim for pension prior to April 2nd 1862, so I believe my mother entitled to pension.

The question will naturally be raised, why was not an application made before this/ The answer is that my mother was quite young when her father died and she was not then living at Liberty, Pa. and was not advised until about four days after his death. Not knowing that she was entitled (together with a sister who was then living but has since died) to a pension, (his wife having died before him in 1845) no attempt was made to secure such. A few weeks ago an article in a book by Frederic J. Haskins, entitled The American Government attracted her attention. This article stated (page 98) that Mrs. Phoebe Palmeter, daughter of a Revolutionary soldier[,] pensioned by a special act of Congress, was the only pensioner on account of the Revolutionary War remaining on the roll in 1911. Mother has always maintained that she was the daughter of a revolutionary soldier but her friends have always said that could not be. I therefore applied to the Bureau of pensions on Dec 30th 1912 for information concerning my grandfather and received their reply on Jan 10th 1913 setting forth some of the facts mentioned in the beginning of this letter. The information contained in the letter form the Bureau, together with the information which my mother could give, established the fact that the John Keeler mentioned was indeed her father, and that she is therefore a daughter of a soldier of the Revolution.

If we are correct in this matter and entitled to make a claim, will you kindly send us the necessary instructions an application blanks for so doing.

In response to your letter dated the 27th ultimo and received the 1" instant, you are advised that Section 4742 Revised Statutes has no bearing on the Revolutionary war claim of John Keeler, who not only established his claim but was also allowed pension at the rate of $26.66 per [annum ? smudged] upon a certificate No. 31,095 in full satisfaction for services rendered.

There is no existing law which would entitle the children of a soldier of the Revolution to pension. The daughters of such soldiers who were pensioned were placed upon the roll by special Acts of Congress. This was done in the case of Mrs. Phoebe Palmeter, referred to by you.

The history of said John Keeler, revolutionary War pensioner, which was furnished you on January 10, 1913, states that there was no data as to his family on file in his claim.

I have received several communications from your Department relative to John Keeler, Private, War of the Revolution, and desire to thank you for your promptness in replying and the information so freely given.

As stated in previous correspondence, my mother Sarah Agnes Keeler Stargel was born Feb. 7th 1840 and at the time of her father's death, was under sixteen years of age. As we understand it, children under sixteen years of age at the time of the death of a revolutionary soldier who had previously established his claim to pension, were also entitled to pension until they became sixteen years old. As my grandmother had died before my grandfather, his children were left orphans. As nothing was ever said to the children that they were entitled to a pension after their father's death, no effort has ever been made before to obtain one.

Would be pleased to receive a reply to the situation as presented above. For further facts, please refer to my letter of Jan 27th 1913.

We also desire to obtain a Special Act of Congress in behalf of my mother that she may now receive a pension as a daughter of a Revolutionary soldier, the same as was done in the case of Mrs. Phoebe Palmeter. Will you kindly give instructions how we shall proceed and what facts we should establish.

Will you please send me all the data you can concerning John Keeler who died Nov. 22, 1849 I think he was born in N.Y. but do not know if he enlisted in N.Y. or Pa. Thanking you in advance

Reference is made to your letter relative to John Keeler, a soldier of the Revolutionary War.

The data contained herein were obtained form the papers on file in the Revolutionary War claim for pension, S.5555, based upon the military service of John Keeler in that war.

John Keeler was born in Goshen, Orange County, New York, in 1764, day, month, and the names of his parents are not shown.

While a resident of Wallkill Township, Uster County, New York, John Keeler enlisted April 1, 1782, and served about nine months as a private in Captain John Hornbeck's Company, Colonel Weissenfels' New York Regiment.

He was allowed pension on his application executed November 5, 1832, at which time he was a resident of Sugarloaf Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania.

Transcribed by Douglas J. Weaver, July 24, 1999 from photocopies of the original documents. Spelling errors are as found in the documents. Brackets [ ] are used to indicate additions, clarification, interpretations by the transcriber.

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