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MINUTMAN
JUNE 7th 1832
State of Pennsylvania
Bradford County
On the 15th day of February personally, appeared in open court before the Honorable Edward Herrick Esq., President of the 13th Judicial district for the County of Bradford and his associates The Honorable John M Kean and Jonathan Stevens Esquires, Reuben Bumpus resident of Rome Township, County of Bradford and State of Pennsylvania, age seventy two 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 provisions made by the act of Congress on June 7, 1832.
That he volunteered in the Militia Service as early as the middle of April in the year of One Thousand Seven Hundred Seventy Six at the town of Hoosick since called Petersburg, County of Albany, State of New York in the Company of Captain Samuel Shaw, Col. Henry Van Rensselaer's Regiment. He remained in service at that time at least until as late as the first of October following, that the service in which he was engaged consisted of skirmishing and helping subjection of Tories who were very numerous in that part of the County comprising at least one half of the residents.
That as early as the 20th day of April AD 1777 he again entered in the service under Captain Bentley in the Regiment of Col. Henry Van Rensselaer and remaining in continual service as the year before in subjugating the Tories who made incessant aggressions upon the people of the community until the warfare commenced which immediately preceded and was connected with the taking of Burgoyne. He was in the action at Fort Ann when Col. Van Rensselaer was wounded who did not take command of the regiment again until the year following. He cannot remember who commanded the regiment the remainder of the service. He was next engaged in a skirmish with British, Tories and Indians near Bloody Pond in the neighborhood of Fort George and four or five days after, another at Half Way Brook in both of which skirmishes there was engaged on the side of the American's, two Companies of Militia. Some time after our company and that of Capt. Denison, both companies comprising about 160 men, were placed on a pignut guard to the main Army when we were attacked by at least three times as many men as we had but were successful in gaining the battle. the next battle he was engaged in was that of Bennington. He was not engaged in any other battle until the final taking of Burgoyne at Saratoga in which he was engaged. This declarant from old age and infirmity has lost so much of his memory that he cannot remember the dates of the several actions in which he was engaged. We think that the affair at Fort Ann was at least as early as the first of August. Immediately after the taking of Burgoyne, he was dismissed and returned home and remained until the next season.
In the Spring of 1778, he was engaged in the same light skirmishing with the Tories and he thinks that on the 20th day of June AD 1778 he went to Fort Schoharie where he remained in service four months when he was dismissed and returned home. The fort was commanded by Col. Vroman who's given name he does not recolect.
In the summer of 1779 (the period of time he cannot recollect) he went on an expedition under the command of Lieutenant David Huston and Col. Henry Van Rensselaer to Schenectady for the purpose of the defense of Johnstown. When he arrived at Schenectady they found that Johnstown was already taken and therefore they to further. He was absent on this expedition not less than twenty days. In the Fall and winter following (dates he cannot remember) he went on an expedition to Fort Edward, an old fort, at that time in ruin on the North River on a scouting expedition which lasted at least two months.
This declarant was what was called a Minute Man, ready at all times and all seasons when officers might call for his service for the space of four years and actually was called in many instances to do service of a few days or a few weeks at a time between the period of service done as before mentioned in this declaration.
This declarant has no record of his age whatever, is a man entirely without education having never been able to read or write.
He relinquishes hereby, 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 the State.
This man has no knowledge of any man living by whom he can confirm any part of the service in which he was engaged.
This declarant said that in his first tour he served not less than five months and fifteen days as a private. On his second tour in 1777 not less than six months as a private. On his tour to Upper Schoharie in 1778 he served not less than four months as a private. On his to Johnstown in 1779 hot less than twenty days as a private. On his tour to Old Fort Edward he served not less than two months.
This declarant was born in the town of Sharon in the western part of Connecticut. When he was engaged in the service he was living with his father and family in Hoosick, Albany County New York where he lived five years or so after the war and then moved to Rensselaerville in the same County where he continued to reside for ten years, From there he moved to the place where he now resides, where he continued to reside to the present time. All of his service was in the Volunteer Militia. He never received a discharge or a conformation though for some short periods and excursions he served as a sergeant and some as a corporal but only in emergency.
He would refer to the following persons as some of those who can testify to his caricature and veracity and their belief of his service as a soldier in the revolution. Col. Joseph Kingsbery, Joseph Kinney Esq., Samuel Gore Esq., Avery Gore Esq. of Sheshequim, Samuel Parker, Doc. Stephen Hopkins, Maj. Liephee Flower.
Sworn and subscribed in And Then his X
open court Feb. 15, 1833 X
J.P. Bull, Petitioner. Reuben Bumpus
E.S. Goodrich, Sec.
We Joseph Towner, a clergyman residing in the town of Rome in the County of Bradford and Hiram Drake of the same place do certify that we are and have long been acquainted with Reuben Bumpus who has subscribed and sworn to his declarations in order to obtain his pension. That we believe him to be seventy two years of age and means what he intended and lives in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we fully concur in that opinion.
Signed by
Joseph Towner
Hyrum Drake
Sworn and transcribed in
Open court Feb. 14, 1833
It has been a while since we have communicated last but I still peek in from time to time. I recently transcribed the 1832 census application of Reuben Bumpus and thought you might find it interesting. Reuben moved to Rome from Rensselaerville NY in 1807 with his wife Phoebe Gibbs and her parents and soon founded Bumpville PA. He was quite a caricature. I descend from Reuben's brother Frederick.
Enjoy
Marlow Bumpus
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