NJHUNTER-L Archives

From: "Sharon Murray" <>
Subject: [NJHUNTER] Pension Declaration-Cornelius LATOURETTE, Peter LATOURETTE
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 22:19:29 -0400

I posted this yesterday to the NJ-L and to D-Col lists and neglected to post
to my other 2 favorite lists.

I transcribed these over two days, it was very rough going on Cornelius'
very poor quality. These were sent to me by my cousin Barbara (Gethard)
GEROVAC, and I am greatful for the gift.

I have not edited nor have I ad-libbed, this is as I see it. There are some
typos and I am working on getting those taken care of. I use a magnifying
glass and type at the same time and loose my place quite often.

These are only the declarations themselves I am working on the affidavits
and I have Daniel LATOURETTE and John LATOURETTE yet to do. Cornelius' was
the most in depth of the group and one page is all but totally black, will
take some time to get that.
Peter and Cornelius are brothers, sons of David LATOURETTE and Catharine
LANE.

All comments and inquiries welcome.
>From the Declaration of Cornelius LaTourette, found with pension documents
at the Archives in Washinton DC, contributed by Barbara Gerovac.

The following is the text of the declaration of Cornelius to the best of my
ability to read it and decipher it, the quality is quite poor, the text
rambles there are not many clear sentences and as I feel responsible to
present the text as written I have not added any thing that is not contained
nor have I altered any text.

Declaration of Cornelius LaTourrette in order to obtain the benefit of the
act of Congress of the 7th day of June 1832.
State of New Jersey
Monmouth County On the fourteenth day of March one thousand eight hundred
and thirty four. Personally appeared in open court before the judges of the
Superior Court of Common Pleas in afar this country and State above said
Cornelius LaTourrette a resident of the Poor or Almshouse of the country and
state afore said aged Seventy Six years, who being first duly sworn
according to Las, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order
to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress _____
June 7th 1832. That he enlisted as a volunteer in the Militia of New Jersey
to reinforce the army of the United States then lying in New York in the
month of July (just about the time the Declaration of Independence was
declared) in the year 1776, and served in the Hunterdon County Regiment of
the New Jersey Brigade (which was raised to reinforce the army at New York.)
a Continuous tour of at least five months, beginning about the first of July
1776 and ending about the first of December same year; That Stephen Hunt was
Colonel of the battalion to which the above named regiment belonged & Philip
Johnston Lieutenant Colonel & ___ Phillips Major; That David Frazer was
captain; David Schomp was Lieutenant ______ Thomas was 2nd Lieutenant, and
(one) Johnson was _________ of his company; that he enlisted at Readington
in the county of Hunterdon, and marched immediately to New York under the
above named officers (except Col. Hunt who for some reason did not go) and
thus joined Washington's Army; that after a short time he (the next page is
in very bad shape, I continue on to the next page, will try to decipher the
rest of page 2)

__ Capt John Stryker beginning in May and ending in June 1777 as he thinks
(for he know that the British evacuated New Brunswick during the month, ___)
part of the time at Mill Stone in Somerset county, and the remainder in
marching to Sourland Mountain to join the main army and then to New
Brunswick; that about the first of September 1777 he went to Long Branch on
a visit to his grandfather Cornelius Lane in Monmouth County and while there
he volunteered (after some persuasion from his friends) and went out in
actual service in the Militia of said county under on Capt. John Dennis
stationed on the coast at Long Branch-after being out in service about two
weeks he together with his captain and Lieut. William Cook and six other
privates were taken prisoners by a party of the Tories Refugees under the
command of one John Taylor. Sometime in the beginning of October in same
year, about daylight in the morning, the particular day he cannot recollect
but he knew it was within three or fur days of the Battle at Germantown in
Pennsylvania; That he and his comrades had been stationed on guard that
night and were surprised by this party of the enemy consisting of about
thirty or forty being a much larger force than the guard; That these Tories
and Refugees kept up a continual inter ____ with the British, who paid them
liberally for all the prisoners they could take, for what prisoner they
could furnish them with, that he together with his companions in misfortune
were conveyed to Sandy Hook and put on board of a British ship and taken to
New York and there confined in the old Sugar House; that he was an actual
prisoner to the enemy closely confined in that worst of all prisons the
Sugar House for the space of ten months time ____ prison about the first of
October 1777 to about the 1st of August 1778 the exact time of commence ment
and ending he cannot recollect, but he knew that he was such prisoner at
least ten months for he rec'd a certificate for ten months pay from Col.
Hendrickson who was the col. of the Monmouth Militia at Long Branch after he
returned from his imprisonment. Which he recollected amounted to 25 pounds.
Their pay being then 50 shilling per month but he sold it for half that he
was exchanged when he returned, but that all the men who were taken with him
died in prison except two who enlisted in the British Army. So that it is
imposible for him to prove his imprisonment all the other prisoners were
strangers to him; that in the year 1779 after having helped his father get
in his _________ he enlisted in the Militia called the State Troops of New
Jersey on the first of August, and served tour of actual service of at least
five months stationed at Elizabeth Town commencing on the 1st of August 1779
and ending on the first of January 1780 (for he recollects it was New Year's
day under Capt Adam Hope *could be Hofe* Lieut Jacob ________ and Serjeant
John Middles now the that Taylor was Col Berry Major: that he served a tour
of one month as a Militia Man under Capt. Ebenezer Berry at Pera__ on the
Papac river not far from Patterson. Some time in the spring of the year 1780
but the particular time he cannot recollect. That on the first of August
1780 (after harvest as of orchards) he enlisted again in the said Militia
called the State Troops raised for the defense of the frontier and actually
served a tour of five months at *looks like Nevesink* in or near the north
boundary of New Jersey commencing on the 1st of August 1780 and ending on
the 1st of January 1781 (for he recollected it was New Years day again)
(under Captain Cornelius Johnston Lieut Jacob Emmons and this applicant was
orderly Serjeant) defending the frontier against the inroads of the _____
____ had previously made them in _______ with Northern part of the state:
that in ___ these ___ of five months he enlisted at Readington his native
place and they marched to the respective places where the above tours were
performed: That in the summer of the year 1781 he served a tour of three
months at a place called Connicticut farms about five miles from Elizabeth
Town defending the country against the inroads of the British that were
then lying at that place: that he cannot recollect when this tour commenced
and ended precisely, nor can he recollect the captains name he being an
entire stranger: that on Col. Seely had command of the troops stationed a
Connecticut farms, and William Herrington was Lieutenant that these men for
this tour of 5 months in 1781 were raided from the different counties in the
state, a few men from each regiment of Militia and it fell to this
applicants lot to be one of them, but he was exempt from duty in the Militia
for nine months after it, and he dout recollect that he performed any actual
service after that time. That Nathaniel Heard was General of the New Jersey
Brigade that marched to reinforce the army at New York in 1776. That all the
above service was performed int he grade of a private except one tour of
five months as orderly sergeant, and for such service this important he
claims a pension.

In answering the interogators proscribed by the War Department he says1st
that he was born in the township of Readington County of Hunterdon in the
state of aforesaid, in the fall of the year 1757 he does not know the months
but has always heard his parents say that it was about the time of threshing
buckwheat and he thinks that it was in the year 1757 from the fact that his
father told him that he was 21 years of age shortly after he returned from
his imprisonment in August 1778 and that he must then pay his tax.
2. That he has no record of his age obvious that his parents kept none, this
applicant never saw a ____
of any.
3. That he lived in Readington of ________ when called into service and has
always resided there til _______ *moving* about ten years. that afterwards
he lived at Long Branch in Monmouth County and for the last six years and
more he has lived in the poor house of this county being reduced to
paupaerism.
4th That the ________ _____ called into service in stated above ______ Col
Martin of the New Jersey Line also Gen Sullivan when he was taken prisoner
at the Battle of Brooklyn and that he received no discharge in writing form
any of the _______ service, none being given as he over heard of ___ ______
documentary evidence of his service. That _____ known to a number of people
of Readington Nicholas Wikoff, Morchall? Kenney___ ____ but he does not ___
whether they are living or dead. He is also ___ Abrahm Lane and Cornelius
Lane of Long Branch who can testify a to his character for verafication
_____ then belief of his service as a soldier of _____
He further states that he ____"


"Sworn to and subscribed in open court the day and year aforsaid
William Sloy (this is very difficult to read) Signed Cornelius
Latourette"

The rest of this as you can tell is getting very difficult to read. It is
going to take some real work to decipher the rest. As well page two is very
bad shape.

Peter LATOURETTE is my lineal ancestor he married Margaret STOUT, daughter
of Thomas STOUT and Jannetje van STEE.

"Original Claim"

"Declaration in order to be placed on the pension list under the act of the
18th March 1818.
State of New Jersey Hunterdon County.
On the eighth day of August in year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and twenty eight. Personally appeared in order? Court of Common Pleas it
being a court in the said county of Hunterdon, Peter LaTourette resident of
said county aged seventy four years, who being first duly sworn according to
law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the
provisions made by this act of congrss of the 18th March 1818, and the 1st
May 1820. that the said Peter LaTourette inlisted for the term of one year
on the _____ day of October in 1775 in the state of New Jersey in the
company commanded by Captain Joseph Stout in the Regiment commanded by
Colonel William ___ Maxwell in the line of State of New Jersey on the first
Continental establishment that he continued to serve in the said company
until November 1776 when he was discharged from the said service at
Ticonderoga in the state of New York. That he herby relinquishes every claim
whatever to a pension except the present. That his name is not on the roll
of any other State. That he did make earlier application but was rejected on
account of his property-that he was in the battle of the Three Rivers and
that he had no other evidence of his said service now in his power except
that which was to the department in the month of May 1818. And in pursuance
of the act of the 1st May 1820. I solomnly sware that I was a resident
citizen of the United States on the 18th March 1818 and that I have not
since that time by gift, sale or in any manner disposed of my property or
any part thereof with intent to diminish it as to bring myself within the
provisions of an act of Congress entitled "An Act" to provide for cetain
persons engaged in the land and Naval service of the United States in the
Revolutionary War", _____ the 18th day of March 1818, and that for me, any
property or security, or debts due to me nor have I any income other than
what is contained on the Schedule hereto annexed and by me _____ ____
Balance due applicant on settlement with Stout LaTourette $133.10
Cornelius LaTourette-

signed Peter LaTourette

That his family consists of himself who is a day laborer, and bodily
incapacitated from obtaining support. His wife Margaret aged seventy three
years, who has been for a number of years afflicted with crafy? and is
unable to obtain her support by daughter Jane aged about fifty years who has
been for a number of years unable to obtain support from bodily informaties,
and by grand daugher Elizabeth Daily (Dally) aged about eith years."


Enjoy!
Sharon Murray

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• [NJHUNTER] Pension Declaration-Cornelius LATOURETTE, Peter LATOURETTE by "Sharon Murray" <>