Declaration
State of New York
Madison County
On this eighteenth day of June 1833 personally appeared in open court before the Judges of this[?] term[?] of Court of Common pleas in and for the county of Madison aforesaid now sitting George RATNOUR a resident of the town of Lenox in said county 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 7, 1832 that he entered the service of the United States and in the following named offices[?] and lived[?] at[?] ____ ____ that he was born in the town of Minden in the county of Montgomery NY in the year 1760 has no record of his age lived at the same place where he was born when he entered the service continued to live there after the war until about thirty years since he came to the County of Madison where he now resides and has ever since
That he enlisted for ten months in the army of the revolution in the year 1780 about the first of March under Capt John DANA in Col HAYS Regiment Marched to Schenectady and Albany and went down on the river to Fishkill and near there stationed in tents and lived out the whole ten months the term of his enlistment and was duly discharged without writing the fore part of January 1781- That in the Month of March 1781 he drafted into the revolutionary army in the New York line of State troops for nine months he was drafted the last of March was stationed at Fort Plain[?] Fort Herkimer[?] and fort Stanwick all on the Mohawk River
marched to Fort Plain[?] served under Capt. Lorenz GROSS in Col. WILLETTS Regiment and served the whole of the said nine months and was duly discharged the first of January 1782 and in the spring of the year 1782 he was again drafted and went into the service for nine months and served all that time under Capt. FRENCH in Col. WILLETTS Regiment was mustered to Fort Plain and served at that place & Fort Hunter Herkimer[?] Schuyler and Stanwick[?] and was discharged orally late in the fall was well acquainted with Henry[?] RIGHTMEYER in the last term of service that he has no documentary evidence. that he was acquainted with Capt. Samuel CHERRY General HERKIMER Major WAIT: he now knows Sylvanus SEELEM[?] one of the Judges of this Court. Nicholas N. BOST[?] John BETSINGER for other see appendants That he was in the Sharon Battle while under Capt GROSS was in the Johnstown Battle while under Capt FRENCH does not remember verry well: knows of no better testimony than he has produced[?] -that he was always called into service by proper authority and regularly discharged by the same
That he hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present and that his name is not on the pension list of the agency of any State
and Declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the agency in any state and in answering the Interogator he says in answer to the first
1st was born in the town of Minden in the Co. of Montgomery in the year 1760
2nd Has no record of his age
3rd Lived at Town of Minden where he was born where he entered the service at each time continued to live there after the war until the year 1802 when he left place he removed to the town of Lenox where he now resides and has ever since resided which is in the County of Madison N.Y.
4th that in the year 1780 he enlisted in the fore part of the month of March for ten months
In 1781 in the latter part of the month of March he was drafted for nine months
In 1782 he was again drafted for nine months
5th was acquainted with Col HAY Capt John DANA Capt & afterwards Maj Samuel CHERRY Genl HERKIMER Major WAIT: was in the Johnstown Battle was called from the Fort to go to Cherry Valley met the enemy at Sharon and there had an engagement was then under Capt GROSS was also acquainted with Henry RIGHTMEYER who can testify to ___ ___ Do [ditto] Jacob SHARON [?] & John BETSINGER ___ officers[?]
6th Never received any Written Discharges but was always discharged with the rest of the Company verbally Never had a Commission
7th Is acquainted with John LECLER [?] Esquire Reverend NICHOLS N. BOST John BUYEA Stephen CHAPMAN Sylvester BEECHER Esquire Ichabod S. Spencer ___ & H. V. PRENTICE
Sworn and subscribed in open court this 18th day of June 1833- A. S. SLOAN clk
George RATNOUR X his mark
State of New York Madison County
Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the act of congress passed July 7th 183- also of that act approved March 3rd 1843 and the act of June 17 1844
On the 6th sixth day of October 1845 personally appeared before Friend BARNARD the subscriber one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of said County Elizabeth RATNOUR of said County aged 77. Seventy seven years who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on her oath make the following Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the act of congress approved June 17th 1844 and the several acts therein united. That she is the widow of George RATNOUR of Lenox in said County deceased who died on the 30 thirtieth day of May 1844 Eighteen hundred forty four who was a pensioner of the United States at the time of his death at the rate of Eighty dollars per year whose pension Certificate has been returned to the pension office of the United States as she believes it was No 20.050 that she has remained a Widow ever since that period
She further declares that she was married to the said George RATNOUR on the 6th Sixth day of November 1792 seventeen hundred ninety two by the Revd Mr. PICK the then Pastor of the Dutch reformed Church at fort Plain In the town of Minden in the County of Montgomery N.Y. that her maiden name was Elizabeth HESS. that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to the first day of January 1794 seventeen hundred ninety four Viz. at the time above stated. She knows of no record evidence of her marriage only thinks that it may possibly be found in the church aforesaid.
Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written before me Friend BARNARD Judge of Madison County Courts
Witness
S. CHAPMAN
Elizabeth RATNOUR X her mark
I certify that the above named Elizabeth RATNOUR is a respectable person that she cannot from bodily infirmity attend the court and the reason she did not write her name is she never learned to write.
Dated October 6th 1845
Friend BARNARD Judge
of Madison County Courts
I John J. WACK do certify that I the pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church in Fort Plain in the county of Montgomery, have the custody of the Church Records and I have had the same for the last forty-two years and that I find the marriage of George RATNOUR and Elizabeth HESS on the sixth day of November seventeen hundred ninety-two that the top of the page of the leaf on which marriages are recorded has the date as fol: 1792. Then towards the bottom of the page it is recorded as follows The 6 of Nov. George RATTENAUR to Elizabeth HESS. That the same is in the handwriting of the then Pastor of that church D.C.A. PICK with whose handwriting I am well acquainted.
M.O.J. WACK
State of New York
Fulton County ss:
John J. WACK being duly sworn saith that the foregoing certificate by him made is true and correct and that he was well acquainted with both the said George RATNOUR & Elizabeth his wife and that it is the same identical Elizabeth RATNOUR whose application to draw a pension is attended and further doubts not.
M.O.J. WACK
Sworn to before me October 29, 1845 Aaron NELLIS Justice
I hereby certify that I am well acquainted with the Revered John J. WACK who made the forgoing certificate & affidavit and that the same are entitled to full credit and the word "wife" was interlined before signed.
October 29, 1845 Aaron NELLIS J. Peace
State of New York
Madison County SS:
George I RATNOUR of Lenox in said county after being duly sworn according to law on his oath doth depose and say that he is in the fifty first year of his age that he was born January 15th 1795 the second child of George and Elizabeth RATNOUR that he had a sister Elizabeth RATNOUR who was two years older than himself. she died at the age of seven years or thereabouts he recollects her well, and that she died of smallpox. that this Elizabeth RATNOUR whose application for a pension is hereunto attached is his mother and is the widow of George RATNOUR late a pensioner deceased. she belonged to the Dutch Reformed Church at Fort Plain in the Town of Minden Montgomery County N.Y. of which the revd D.E.A. PICK was the pastor until the time of his death and then about the year 1803. the revd John J. WACK was settled at Fort Plain pastor of said church and so continued until this deponant removed from that place with his fathers family to the town of Lenox in Madison County in the year 1811 at which place his father, another and himself have ever since resided until the death of the said George RATNOUR May 30th 1844 and that the Dutch People used to spell the name of Ratnour "Rattenour" but the English people have spelled it the same as we now spell it Ratnour
George I. RATNOUR
Sworn and subscribed this 21st day of November 1845 before me NS CADY J.P.
I hereby certify that I am well acquainted with George I. RATNOUR who made and subscribed the foregoing affidavit and that he is of good character for truth and veracity and is entitled to full credit. November 21st 1845N.S. CADY J.P.
State of New York
Madison County Clerks Office} ss
I Harris C. MINER Dept clerk of said county do certify that Nathan S. CADY Esq. whose name is subscribed to the above jurat and certificate was at the date thereof a Justice of the Peace in & for said county duly elected and qualified and also that Friend BARNARD Esq whose name is subscribed to the foregoing jurat and certificate was a Judge of the Court of Commons Pleas of said county duly appointed and qualified & that I am well acquainted with the hand writing of said Judge and Justice & verify the signatures thereto to be genuine. In witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand & and official seal this 29th day of Nov. 1845.
H.C.MINER Dep clerk, clk absent
State of New York
County of Madison SS}
On this tenth day of March 1847 before the subscriber a Justice of the peace in & for said county personally appeared Henry RATNOUR who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain an increase of pension which he has been informed & and believes was due his mother Elisabeth RATNOUR deceased & as he has also been informed & believes is now due her children; that he is one of the children of Elisabeth RATNOUR, a pensioner of the United States, that the said Elisabeth RATNOUR died on the twentieth day of May in the year one thousand eight hundred & forty six in the county & state aforesaid & at the time of her death she left her surviving, the following named children viz George I RATNOUR, Henry RATNOUR, Sara WHITE, Catherine HENDRICKSON, Jacob RATNOUR, William RATNOUR, Abraham RATNOUR, Susan SMITH, & Barnhardt RATNOUR, that they are her only surviving children, & each of them are over twenty one years of age, in support of which claim he refers the pension department to the proofs on file in connexion with such as may be furnished by his agent William VALENTINE of Albany N.Y.
Henry RATNOUR X his mark
Subscribed & sworn to before me this tenth day of March 1847
N.S. CADY Justice of the peace
I N.S. CADY Justice of the peace in & for said county do hereby certify that I am personally acquainted with Henry RATNOUR above named & that his statement is entitled to full faith & credit.
N.S. CADY Justice of the peace