The *rner Genealogy Project | Martin Arner's pension application.

Revolutionary War pension application of Martin³ Arner (Ulrich², Ulrich¹).

Transcript:

On the fourth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and thirty-two personally appeared (in open court before the Honorable David Scott, President- William S. Ross and Charles D. Shoemaker, Esquires- Judges of the Court of Common Pleas, now sitting) Martin Orner a resident of Nescopeck Township Luzerne County P. aged eighty 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 A.D. 1832.— That he entered the service of the State of Pennsylvania under the following named officers and served as herein stated.

In March preceding the evacuation of Philadelphia by the British troops (1778) I was drafted in the Militia of Pennsylvania for a tour of two months. Mustered in at Towamensing Township Northampton County P. where I then resided. my Captain was William [Gosner?]. Lieut- _____ Brown. the name of the Ensign I do not recollect. The Regiment Mustered at Allentown in said county under Col. Stroud- where we drew our arms and Camp equipage. from thence we marched to the neighborhood of Philadelphia and joined the main army under Gen Washington where we remained for two months when we returned to Allentown where we were discharged.— In the month of July of this year the Battle of Wyoming took place and the consequent breaking up of the Settlements upon the Susquehanna left the Settlements upon the Lehigh river completely exposed to the invasions of the Indians on this frontier I then resided. And from the first alarm after the battle of Wyoming until the close of the War, I was constantly on duty either as a Volunteer, Substitute, or doing duty according to my draft. The Nature of the service was of course irregular. Sometimes I was employed as a Scout and sometimes standing guard at a block house, the object however was to protect the frontiers of Northampton County against the Indians.

During the time above mentioned I served two tours as a Substitute for John Miller who was a drafted Militia man. I mustered at old Fort Allen then a Block house, where we were retrained. My Capt was Peter Rhoads. Lieut. Washburn and Ensign Jacob Erb (whose deposition is hereto annexed). This tour commenced in the month of August I think but can not certainly say.— during this tour when I was not in the fort I was away in the woods as a Scout in company with Henry Bowman and Henry Dreisbach. Col. Siegfrist command on the frontier at this time. In the spring of 1780, I again performed a two month tour as a Substitute for ______ [Neighbryher?] under the command of Lieut Adam [Hamsaker?], Col Nicholas Kern commanded the frontier at this time. The duty was the same. This tour commenced about the first of May and ended about the first of July- at the expiration of this term. I served again as a substitute for some Militia man whose name I cannot now recollect. My Capt was John Gregory and George [Beha?] was Lieut, it ended about the first of September, when my own class was called into service. and I continued to perform the same kind of duty -under Capt Paul Knouss, the other officer’s names I do not recollect, for two months longer. at the expiration of this tour, Capt Jacob Clader came on with his quota of drafted [_______?] and I remained under him as a volunteer doing the same kind of duty for two months longer, when the frontier became less exposed and, I believe no further drafts were made, except an occasional gaurd or Scout to keep a look out. in such cases I always turned out under the orders of the Sub-Lieut of the County.

I was born in Hiedleburgh Township Northampton County State of Pennsylvania A.D. 1752 where I resided until I was eleven years old when I removed to Whitehall Township with my father, and from there to the Township of Towamensing in the same County which was situated (as we then expressed it) behind the Blue Mountains, and about 7 miles above the Lehigh Water Gap. This place was the frontier Settlement of Northampton County, though in some measure protected by the Settlements at Wyoming. Here I became an experienced Woodsman and when the Indian hostilities commenced in 1778, my father’s house was taken possession of by the Sub-Lieutent of the County as the Commanding Officer of the frontier and fortified. It was situated in the Neighborhood of old Fort Allen and upon the opposite side of the river from Gnaddenhueten. in this Neighborhood I served for two years as stated above and though not always on duty in performance of a draft, I was always on guard or Scouting along the frontier by the orders of the Commanding Officer in this station, especially during the years of 1779 & part of 1780.

I have no record of my age, but I was christened in 1763 being then eleven years old. In the year 1790 I removed from Towamensing to Nescopeck Township where I have resided ever since.

I don’t recollect the names of any regular officers, there being none with the troops where I served, except when performing my first tour as above stated. There were Continental Regiments in the Neighborhood of Philadelphia, but I am unable to state particulars at this time, though I believe Gen’l Lacy commanded our Brigade but am not certain.

I never received a discharge and I believe that the P. Militias never received discharges but the Muster Master as he was called made out a pay Role or something of that kind by which we afterwards received our pay. This was the general practice as far as I was informed.

I am acquainted with a great many persons in my present neighborhood who can testify as to my character for truth and veracty and their belief of my services as a revolutionary Soldier, among whom are Nathan [Beach?] Esq., Jacob Bittenbender Esq, Rev Isaac Shelhiemer, John [Cavner?], Moses Davis, Col. John Bittenbender. I know of no persons who can testify to my services except such whose affidavits are hereto annexed. And I do hereby relinquish every claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present and do also declare that my name is not upon the pension Role of any State. Sworn and Subscribed in open court the day and year Aforsaid.

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Martin Arner's pension application. Last revision: 28 Nov 2003

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