The Pension Papers of David Freemoyer

Submitted by David Rains
Houston, TX

Mr. Hagan,
I promised to send you a copy of my ancestor David Freemoyer’s pension papers. He covers a lot of major events including the Battle of Cobleskill, Lieutenant Boyd’s ambush and death and Johnson’s attack on the Middlefort. I would be interested in learning your comments on the authenticity of his experiences as related in the papers. I have not found any other document that this David Freemyer (Freemoyer) actually served and fought in the Revolution. However, I would doubt that he could have fabricated such convincing detailed events, many of which are corroborated elsewhere. (Editor’s note: Simms did not publish his History of Schoharie County and Border Wars until 11 years later.)

State of Ohio
County of Washington
On this 13th day of August 1834 personally appeared before me the subscribee a justice of the peace in and for the county of Washington of State aforesaid, David Freemoyer, a resident of the said county & state aforesaid aged seventy three years the 28th day of February last 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 entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated towith that in May 1778 affiant was residing in Albany County, then a frontier County of the State of New York on a creek called Cobleskill, a branch of the Schoharie River, when a party of Indians consisting of Mohawks, Seneca’s and Anaquaqua’s besides some Tories, principally from the Unandilla and Anaquaqua settlements of Indians on the North branch of the Susquehanna river, having penetrated into the settlement, where affiant lives, Capt. Christopher Brown of the Militia with his whole Company was ordered out, of which affiant was one, (he affiant having been enrolled on this occasion for the first time) A Company of Continental troops, was also detailed & sent from Fort Clinton which was situated on Schoharie River about nine miles from the Settlement in which affiant lived, to go against the Indians, which company was commanded by a Capt. Patrick. Capt. Patrick’s company joined affiants Company at the house of George Warner, who resided on Cobleskill aforesaid, 31st day of May of said year 1778. Just before the junction of the two companies, Indians had been seen running across the fields backwards & forewards, which was done no doubt for the purpose of decoying affiants company into the woods, where the Indians would be lying in ambush for them, for them, as it afterwards proved to be the case, for as soon as Capt. Patrick’s company arrived, the officers sent out three men as scouts & when but a very little way in the woods they fired on & one of them shot through the body nevertheless, being as near to the houses, he got in & afterwards recovered. Affiant states that as soon as they heard the guns fired, they all ran in great haste out in pursuit of the Enemy, being entirely ignorant of their number & met the scouts in the edge of the woods returning & a parcel of the enemy in close pursuit affiant states that they immediately encountered the fire of the Enemy who kept firing & retreating for at least a mile, until they fell back upon their main body, who was commanded by Colonel Brant. Affiant states that they were in such hot pursuit of the Indians that they were precipitated upon the main body of them, before they were aware of it, who were lying in ambush behind a small knowl of some 2 or 300 yards in length & about 4 feet in height, a singular freak of nature this, if natural, but being on a level gravelly spot of ground & of such equal height & width & with all so straight from one end to the other that affiant thinks, it was the work of some ancient race of people, long since extinct & at present unknown to the world (if ever) thrown up for defence in some of their wars ~vith hostile foes. This knowl or ridge was covered with timber, but not so large as the timber on the ground surrounding, owing probably to the fact, that the knowl was not so rich there was to ditch on either side, but on the side the Indians lay, the surface of the earth near the knowl seemed to affiant, when viewing the ground since the battle, to be somewhat lower than the opposite side - behind this knowl the Indians had driven stakes into the ground, fastened a stick across the top, on which they had put pieces of blanket, & stuck a hat or cap thereon, in order to deceive affiants party. An excellent device too as affiant states, that many in their zeal to destroy the enemy, and not being able to distinquish well for the smoke occasioned by the firing, were deceived & fired at the supposed bodies of the Indians, while the real Indians were lying or stooped below their immaginary men & firing upon affiants party, as soon as Capt Patrick (who was in advance of his men and a brave officer) discovered the situation of the enemy he directed his men who had fixed bayonets on their muskets to charge upon the enemy, but before his order could be executed, he was shot dead & one of his lieutenant was killed at the same instant. The death of Capt Patrick & his Lieutenant so damped the ardor of the Americans & the enemy was found to be so much superior in numbers being about 300 or 350 while that of the Americans was only about 200, Capt Brown ordered a retreat and they retreated with great precipitation to Fort Clinton before spoken of. The enemy only made prisoner the Ensign belonging to Captain Patrick’s company, who they kept about two years before he was exchanged, when he returned home & reported that the Enemy in this engagement was 350 strong & had lost 36 killed. Affiant states that affiants party lost 21 men killed, including officers & had 9 wounded. That the enemy laid waste the whole settlement on Cobleskill by burning houses, barns, stables & shooting such horses as they could not conveniently catch to take away with them - that he remained voluntarily in the service of the United States until in September or October (he thinks) of said year, when he was sent from Fort Clinton in a Company of Rangers about 32 in number & placed under the command of a Captain John Ditz, & attached to a Regiment Commanded by Col Butler, sent on an expedition against the Town of Unandilla and Anaquaqua Indians. That the Indians had left their Town when Col Butler arrived leaving only 2 very old Squaws, who affiants party left in a hut together with some provisions to sustain them until they might be taken away or provided for by the tribes to which they belonged. Col Butler burnt all their buildings, save the one just spoken of & destroyed their orchards & a large quantity of corn, after which they returned to Fort Clinton again where affiant remained in the service stationed in Fort Clinton until the latter end of June 1779 under Capt Brown aforesaid, Lieut Borst & Ensign Nicholas Warner, that the Fort was commanded by Col Peter Vrooman - affiant was employed in guarding the Fort aforesaid, which contained as well women & children, who had taken refuge there from the savage ferocity of the Enemy, as soldier for the protection of the Fort & the inhabitants generally -affiant being at the time amazingly fleet & a good marksman as well as woodsman for one of his years, was frequently while in this service sent out as a spy or scout to range the country round about, which he performed faithfully, sometimes skirmishing with small parties of Indians, to relation of which would swell this narrative to too great a length to admit of insertion. That affiant was discharged about the last of June 1779 after having served almost one year and about one month, but whether he received a discharge or not he does not now recollect affiant in this thirteen months service, knew in addition to the officers already named, Col Seeley, Cap Hagar, & Lieutenants John Lawyer, John Baker & Ditts or Ditz, the five last named were militia officers as affiant believes the names or number of any continental or militia regiment with which he served he does not now recollect but believes the regiment commanded by Col. Butler was called the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment.

That an expedition being meditated against the Six Nations of Indians, affiant volunteered for that campaign immediately after his discharge in the latter part of June 1779 aforesaid & was sent under a Capt or Major Parr of the continental troops, who commanded a company of Rangers & was march from Fort Clinton aforesaid & joined Col. Butlers Regiment at what was then called the Middle Fort on Schoharie River & marched by way of Cobleskill Creek thence through Cherry Valley to Otsego Lake at which place they were joined by General Clinton with a large body of the American Army, finding the waters too low to float their boats down to Tioga Point Genl Clinton ordered a dam erected across the mouth of the Lake, which caused the water soon to raise to the height of the dam & having every thin in readiness they opened a passage through the dam for the water to flow which raised the river so as to enable them to embark & float down to Tioga Point at which place in a few days they were joined by General Sullivan the Commander in Chief of the expedition, the two divisions then united & marched up what was called the Cayuga or Western branch of the Susquehanna River, which led them immediately into Indian Country, that after having routed a few small bodies of the Enemy while on their march, they found the main body of the enemy collected near Newtown well fortified, composed of Indians & Tories, who they defeated & routed after a somewhat obstinate resistance on the part of the enemy, who escaped across the Cayuga River, and made for the Lake of that name - that General Sullivan with his Army pursued the enemy to the Cayuga Lake where Genl Sullivan detached a Lieutenant Boyd with affiant & some 18 or 20 men including two friendly Indians, who went as Pilots & sent them in the night across the river at its outlet from the lake to ascertain if the enemy were not lying in ambush in a large Cedar Swamp on the opposite side for the purpose of attacking Genl Sullivan’s army as they crossed the river, their orders were to cross over (which they did on rafts made of cedar poles, tied together with leatherwood bark) & examine the banks along if the enemy were not discovered they were then to penetrate the Swamp & go through, which was not more than from one quarter to a half mile wide, & to go to a certain high knob which was a quarter of a mile or more beyond the swamp, upon which knob the detachment was to be concealled on the next day & watch the movements of the enemy in case any were there & the succeeding night they were to return to Genl Sullivan’s camp. Affiant states, that they crossed as aforesaid, in the night, examined the banks, made no discoveries of the enemy -passed through the swamp also without making any, & passed onto the high knob before spoken of where they remained until the next morning, all the next day, & the next night (as Lieut Boyd refused to return the second night as he was ordered to do) Until the second morning after they had crossed the river when the unfortunate Boyd determined to return to Sullivan declaring that there was no Indians there, as they had Scouts out all the day before who had not been able to make any discoveries of them. Five scouts had been out, but the enemy had not left the Swamp into which the scouts did not penetrate, & of course they had made no discoveries against this rash preposition of the Lieutenant affiant declares every man he believes remonstrated urging upon him the danger of returning by day in case any of the enemy should be lying in wait because if they had left a force sufficient to annoy Genl Sullivan in crossing the river it must be a large party & of course much superior to the Lieutenants detachment & in that event being between them & we crossing must certainly be destroyed but all in vain, the ill fated Lieutenant declared that there were no Indians there & having determined to return that morning, no entreaty availed to shake him from his purpose so about 8 o’clock the Lieutenant started with the detachment to the Swamp, where they commenced marching by single file, this affiant & one Timothy Murphy in front Lt Boyd in the rear, when they had passed greater part of the swamp along a path leading through the enemy lying in ambush for affiants party (having discovered their trail no doubt the day before & expecting their return) commenced firing upon their rear & instantaneously thereafter fired all along the two lines they formed on each side of the path extending beyond affiant and Murphy, at the same time closing the extremes of the two lines, whereby the whole detachment were entirely surrounded & hemmed in by the enemy. Affiant & Murphy upon the first fire of the enemy in front, dropped & lay flat on the ground to avoid the effects of their fire & so continued to lay until the firing had nearly ceased, when they sprang to their feet & fortunately for affiant & Murphy the morning was foggy & amidst the fog & smoke occasioned by the firing of the enemy in front, affiant & Murphy were enabled to escape through the line of the enemy unhurt, running against & knocking over several Indians as they broke through their lines - affiant & Murphy kept together & holding a consultation as they ran agreed to run around the Cayuga Lake although a distance of about ninety two miles, to reach Genl Sullivan again as Murphy declared (which affiant knew well to be true) that it was out of the question to attempt an escape by recrossing the river again as the enemy would certainly be upon them before they could leave the shore - affiant & Murphy ran about four or five miles when they were overtaken by five large dogs the Indians had set after them. Three of these dogs were very severe and would take hold in an instant, the other two would not bite but would follow after Murphy & sized & lacerated him much before he could kill them, which he succeeded in doing with tomahook - while Murphy was engaged with the two dogs, affiant was engaged with the 3rd dog, who had seized affiant just at the time the others had seized Murphy, but affiant was not so well prepared by far for the fight as his companion was, although affiant had but one to contend with, while his companion had two, for affiant had lost his tomahook at the time he fell down to avoid the fire of the Indians in the Swamp and he & Murphy thought it most prudent & had agreed when they discovered the dogs coming after them not to shoot the dogs for fear some of the Indians, who they were certain were near them might come upon them while their guns were empty & excepting his rife affiant had no weapon to defend himself with, other than a very thin case knife ground sharp at the point affiant having sometime before lost his butcher knife. The dog first seized affi ant by the fleshy part of the thigh, in front & near his crotch, affiant struck at him with his knife & occasionally with his fist but did not hurt the dog materially he eventually succeded in disengaging the dogs hold of his thigh, however, not until he had turned it considerably, the dog next seized affiant by the side of the leg & sunk one of his teeth deep into his leg by the side of the bone, after loosing the dogs hold of the leg, he seized affiant by the throat & held on until from loss of wind occasioned by affiant chocking severely he was compelled to let go, when he dropped to the ground on his fore feet & stood close by affiant an instant gaping for breath, in this situation affiant made & underhanded thrust at the dogs flank, which struck low & penetrated into the intestines, when affiant making a considerable effort (considering his exhausted state) & ripped the dog open across to the back bone & let out his entrails. Not withstanding this, the dog made another spring at affiants neck, but from exhaustion & the wound just given him only sprang high enough to reach affiants breast, upon which he inflicted a wound some three or four inches in length, when he fell down & died. Just at this instant Murphy having finished the two that had attacked him came to affiants assistance - glad would affiant have been after he was in contact with the dog to have been able to shoot him, the consequenses of the enemy coming upon him & he with an empty gun, he would willingly have resigned but then it was too late, he could not disengage himself from the dog & his knife was so weak in the blade that he was afraid to make a heavy plunge for fear it would break & sorely indeed did he repent not shooting the dog while it had been in his power - immediately after the conclusion of the fight discovered Murphy standing at a small distance & pointed out to affiant Capt Yoke a friendly Indian of the Stockbridge tribe who had went out as one of the pilots on the excursion - simultaneously with discovering Capt Yoke, affiant & Murphy discovered about forty naked Indians within 50 yards of them all with tomahooks in their hands, affiant thinks not a rifle amongst them, having left them to make the better speed, no doubt, expecting to find afflant & those they pursued with no guns or empty if any, when they would be able with the assistance of their dogs to deprive us of or take our scalps-here had affiant & Murphy not been wounded & fresh as when the race commenced, the Indians would have paid dearly for their termerity in leaving their guns behind but situated as affiant & Murphy were, wounded much by the dogs they had killed already fatigued by running & their fight with the dogs & having a great way to travel before they could reach camp & withal two dogs & about 40 Indians close at their heels, prudence forbid any other course for them to pursue but to seek safety in flight & reach the army they had left with all possible speed. Affiant & Murphy therefore instantly discovering the Indians so close put off at the top of their speed & ran on. Followed by the dogs & Indians about 15 miles as affiant supposes, from where they had the encounter with the dogs, when affiant & Murphy believing the Indians to be some distance behind, had leisure & shot the remaining two dogs, to this place affiant thinks the enemy pursued him & his companion & gave up further pursuit. Affiant & Murphy went on until in the night sometime when being much fatigued, they stepped out of the path to one side to rest & to observe if any of the enemy passed-after sitting & resting sometime they discovered Capt Yoke passing along, who they had not seen before since the time they started when the Indians were so close upon them, they knowing it to be Yoke hailed him & from that time went on in company all three together to where they had left Genl Sullivan encamped, which they reached the next morning about 8 o’clock. When they arrived Genl Sullivan had his whole army cross over the river - whereupon affiant, Murphy & their Indian ally constructed a log raft immediately, crossed the river & overtook the Army, just as they were engaged in collecting for burial, the bones of the scouts killed the previous morning & putting together the body of Lieut Boyd, which the enemy had severed in five pieces. The head cut off, the body then split in twain & then each half cut into again - here affiant & Murphy had their wounds dressed for the first time after their infliction, except the wound on the side of affiants leg, which gave affiant so much pain in traveling the day before that he was compelled to do something if possible to relieve it which he done by killing a striped squirrel & putting the brains of the squirrel on the wound & fastening them on with the skin thereof affiants wounds were so bad & disabled him so much that he was placed on a packhorse & rode for six days. In due time Genl Sullivan reached the Indian Settlement on the Genesee River, but finding no enemy to contend with, he destroyed all their buildings, orchards, garden & their immense crops of corn after which Genl Sullivan returned by the same route again to the Susquehanna River, thence down the same to Harrisburgh, Pa, thence to Easton Pa, where affiant & such of the rangers as were yet living were discharged & crossed to return to Fort Clinton again -where they arrived about the last of October 1779 making in all which he served this tour Four Months - affiant did not receive any written discharge for this Tour, that he remembers of a letter was sent by them to Col Vrooman who was in command at Fort Clinton, stating the particulars of the expedition & that the Rangers (of which affiant was one) had acquitted themselves well. In this campaign affiant knew Genl Sullivan, Clinton & Maxwell, Col Butler, Major Parr, Lieut Boyd & many other officers whose names he has now forgotten.

That about the first of May 1780, affiant still residing in Albany County, NY, enlisted under Capt Cannon or Kennon for the term of one year & was attached to a regiment commanded by the late Col Peter Vrooman & stationed at the Middle Fort on the Schoharie River, that affiant was appointed & served as orderly Sergeant of the company to which he was attached during the whole term of his enlistment that he served during the season of 1780 & until the expiration of his tour in May 1781 mostly as a ranger, generally having command of scouting parties sent out to scout the country for the protection of the Fort & safety of the Settlement, that sometime in the Fall of the year 1780 a large body of British, Indians & Tories from Niagara, under the command of Sir John Johnson, penetrated the County, meditating an attack on the Middle Fort, it being the strongest & of most consequence to the enemy to posses, the enemy marched by the Upper Fort, without molesting it which they could easily have taken as that Fort was weak, being only a Picket Fort, with two small pieces of artillery -as soon as the enemy passed the Fort, the garrison perceiving it to be the object of the enemy to take either the Middle Fort or the Lower Fort by surprise, they fired off one of their pieces of artillery to alarm the middle fort, which was only about four miles off, this gun they heard plainly at the middle fort & immediately Col Vrooman sent out a detachment of about 100 rifle men of whom affiant was one, under command of Cap Woolsey of the Continental or State Troops, but who just happened there by accident (as affiant believes) he not belonging to the Fort. This detachment were to go, with all possible speed to the Upper Fort to ascertain the cause of the alarm, & then act as circumstances might require - as they were proceeding along in haste by a route not usually travelled, affiant voluntarily took the place of one Jacob Franks who was placed as a flank guard on the left of the company. Franks was a messmate & particular friend of affiant & affiant knowing him to be unwell took his place on the left as aforesaid while they were passing through a large pasture in which the cattle & horses belonging to the Fort were usually pastured (this pasture was very large & considerably grown up with willows & other bushes, growing about in bunches) Affiant proceeding expeditiously & cautiously along discovered in front of him five or six Indians running very closely together in the same direction affiant was moving, affiant took deliberate aim & fired at the bunch, for they were running as before stated in very close order & affiant noticed immediately after that his shot produced considerable confusion among the squad, affiant does not therefore doubt, that he killed one of them as it was the only gun fired at the enemy there & an Indian was found a few days afterwards, dead with a rifle & knapsack at a spring near where affiant fired. As soon as affiant fired (as was his duty) he ran in & joined his company, by this time the enemy made their appearance in sight & so numerous were they, that Capt Woolsey ordered a retreat to the Fort which was affected with out any loss, although the enemy closely pursued firing many shots at them but fortunately none took effect - the enemy then invested the Fort & threw three bombs at it, one of them only falling into it, which however done no particular injury - Sir John Johnson then sent two men with a flag of truce it was supposed to summon the Fort to surrender & contrary to the order of Col Vrooman (whom with the men in the fort placed but little reliance upon) the man bearing the flag was shot when about 140 yards of the Fort by Timothy Murphy, the same person with whom affiant had suffered so much in the unfortunate expedition under Lieutenant Boyd. The other person ran back without attempting to proceed further with the flag, the enemy succeeded only in killing one man in the Fort, this was a Samuel Runnels or Reynolds, who went on top of one of the buildings in the Fort & there foolishly & indecently exposed his hind parts to the enemy in contempt of them & there remained contrary to the admonition of those in the Fort until one of the enemy under cover of some sprouts, put up from bushes & saplings that had been previously cut off crept near enough to shoot & fired at him the ball just breaking the skin across above one of his eyebrows. This stunned Reynolds & he fell off the house on the pavement or some stones below on his head & broke his neck.

It was afterwards said that Sir John Johnson having discovered Reynolds, contempt of him, with a spy glass gave a Guinea half Johannis or some gold coin to an expert marksman to shoot Reynolds which accomplished in the manner before related but for the truth of his story affiant cannot vouch, Col Vrooman commenced firing at the enemy, who were some 4 or 500 yards off, with some small brass cannon, when the enemy marched off, not however without getting a good warning before they left the neighborhood seeing the route they took & knowing that the enemy had to head a long & deep ravine. After leaving the fort, the road passing very near the same place back again after heading the ravine Capt Woolsey aforesaid with about 100 rifle men including affiant was dispatched to a certain place from which the enemy could be much annoyed without endangering Capt Woolsey’s men - this was an elevated spot of ground on which had been erected a black house (but at this time not used) which commanded the road on the opposite side of the deep ravine by which road the enemy must of necessity pass & where it would be impossible for them to cross the ravine & drive Capt Woolsey from his position & impracticable to return by the road being 1 1/4 miles. This place Capt Woolsey & his men reached in time from which they fired three rounds at the enemy, when they retreated to the Fort again as the enemy instantly started a large detachment back by the way of the road to dislodge them, which detachment Capt Woolsey did not think it prudent to wait for - they followed Capt Woolsey to the Fort but on firing a cannon shot at them they again retired. In this engagement across the ravine affiant believes they killed many of the enemy, as on viewing the ground soon afterwards he seen much blood in & about the road & a very large fresh dug grave near by where they had buried their dead, but what number they killed affiant did not know, as they did not open the grave -previous to the enemys attack on the Middle Fort they set fire to & burned a mill on the Schoharie River, which ran 6 pair of stone, owned by John Baker -this mill the enemy had made frequent attempts to burn before, but did not succeed until the present time - after this the enemy passed down the Schoharie & then up the Mohawk River, laying waste & destroying every thing before them & returned to Niagara again -When affiant completed his one years service as Orderly Sergeant he was regularly discharged, but who signed it, affiant does not recollect but remembers that about 1790 he had some pieces of it the same having worn out where folded, but what became of this he does not now recollect. In the course of this last year service, affiant knew in addition to the officers already named Col Seeley, Captains Hagar, John Seeley & David Baker & Lieut Detts or Ditz besides others at present not recollected. That in the year 1781 affiant still residing in Albany County in the State of New York in the month of May volunteered under Col Vrooman for a term of eight months & served as Orderly Sergeant in a company commanded by Capt Christopher Brown & was stationed in the Middle Fort on the Schoharie River, that he served principally as a ranger having generally when out (as in the last years) command of a parcel of scouts. That sometime in the year 1781 (affiant thinks it was) the time affiant can not now recollect, affiant was in an engagement under Col Willet with the enemy under command of Col Brandt who had taken a number of white prisoners on Tripes Hill a place not far from the Mohawk River & Col Willet with about 400 men had been sent in pursuit of Brandt who he surprised & defeated at a place called Turlock or Turlack on a water emptying in the Mohawk River, killing many of the enemy number not now known, but before Col Willet succeeded in recapturing the prisoners the enemy had put them to death. In this engagement affiant received a slight wound on the left side just above the hip by a rifle ball - that sometime in October of said year of 1781 the county was penetrated by a large body of British, Indians & Tories commanded (affiant thinks) by Major Ross, that they commenced hostilities on the Mohawk River when an express was immediately sent from Col Willet the commander of Fort Plain, on the Mohawk River to Col Vrooman who was in command the three forts on the Schoharie River for assistance. That detachments were detailed & sent from each of the forts on the Schoharie & rendezvoused at the Middle Fort & were marched (affiant being one of the number) under Cap John Ditts or Ditz to Fort Plain where they joined Colonel Willet who marched on in quest of the enemy & came in contact with them at a place known by the name of Johnstown - affiant states that then they discovered the enemy they were engaged in killing & destroying cattle that a sharp skirmish ensued, which continued a considerable time -Col. Willet gained a partial victory over the enemy & night coming on they retreated & marched up to the top of a very high ridge & encamped- that Col Willet encamped at Johnstown & early on the following morning marched in pursuit of the enemy when after pursuing them affiant thinks about 12 miles they overtook them with whom they had a considerable skirmish in which several of the enemy were killed & wounded some of Col Willets men were also wounded but none killed - the enemy retreated & Col Willet ordered Cap Titts or Ditts with his company of riflemen, to which affiant was attached on this excursion, together with 50 or so friendly Indians of the Oneida Tribe, commanded by Col. Looey an Indian Officer, of the same tribe, to pursue the enemy at least to Canada Creek, with the expectation of being able to annoy them in crossing said creek which they did & overtook part of the enemy while they were making their way over the creek, the crossing of which was attended with some difficulty, as the water was at that time rather deep to ford.

That affiants party fired on the enemy several times & killed a number of them, the amount affiant cannot now recollect, if he ever knew - but amongst the slain affiant thinks there was a Major Butler who had taken an active part in the British service against the frontier of New York & who had signalized himself for his savage barbarity - that affiant was then marched back to Fort Plain & thence to the Middle Fort again, that after having been at the Middle Fort affiant thinks, but a few days a party of the enemy near 200 strong were discovered near the Upper Fort who had killed several families that affiant with about 30 rangers & 10 or 12 militia were sent from the Middle Fort to the Upper Fort at which place affiant with the rangers aforesaid were attached to Capt Woolsey’s company of riflemen & with a company of Militia Commanded by Cap Jacob Hager marched under command of Major Woolsey in pursuit of the enemy & over took them at a place known at the time by the name of Harpersfield at the head of the Delaware River where they had an engagement with the enemy of whom they killed & wounded several, the number not now recollected that of affiant’s party only two were killed & seven wounded as well as affiant recollects. That affiant was marched to the Middle Fort again, where he was sometime in January 1782 discharged after having served his term of Eight Months as Orderly Sergeant the time for which he volunteered - whether affiant received any written discharge from the service for this last tour he does not now recollect.

That affiant knew in this last campaign, Majors Wooley, Van Alstyne, Tygart & Captains Woolsey & Capt & Lieut Loop, Col Willet, Col Petery (or Peteree) Major Fader, Capt Pateree & a Lieutenant of the same name besides others whose names affiant has now forgotten.

That sometime in May 1782 affiant still continuing to reside in Albany County New York enlisted under Cap Stenbrough or a Capt of some such name for a term of nine months. That affiant with 27 others consisting apart of a rifle company was attached to a part of a company of state or continental troops commanded by Capt Harrison, & was again stationed at the Middle Fort on the Schoharie River under Command of Col Peter Vrooman at which Fort were also stationed 2 companies of Militia Commanded by Capt David Baker & John Ceiley.

That affiant was appointed & served as Orderly Sergeant of the Company to which he was attached during this nine month tour, that affiant served principally as a ranger having frequently command (as theretofore) of scouting parties that sometime (affiant thinks) in July of the same year, Indians were frequently discovered by the scouting parties which induced affiant & others to believe that a body of Indians was encamped some place not far distant, that some of the scouts from Fort Clinton ascertained that this party of Indians were in camp on the top of a ridge near Cobleskill Creek & immediately informed Col Vrooman of the fact- whereupon Col Vrooman ordered affiant to select a few of the best men in the Fort to go by night & ascertain if possible the strength of the enemy - that - in obedience to this command affiant chose Abraham Baker, Henry Hagar, William Mackendice & Adam Folk, men in whose bravery & skill in Indian warfare affiant thought he could confide - that affiant with his party set out on this expedition directly after dark, having about 10 miles to travel in order to reach the camp of the enemy, being directed by Col Vrooman to return the same night if possible - after having traveled some 2 or 3 miles affiant & his party missed their way by reason of the darkness of night & were obliged to lay by till the next morning when they resumed their march & reached the place at which the enemy were encamped about 9 o’clock. Affiant & his party came within a few steps of the camp of the Indians before they discovered any sign in consequence of a rise of ground that before their camp fires their was a giant parcel of meat stuck about on spines or sticks roasting & not an Indian there. They had gone down the hill some distance to an old waste field to gather (as affiant supposed) rasp & blackberries on discovering the enemys camp affiants chosen few immediately deserted him & fled to a man - affiant feeling himself bound to comply with the orders received from his Col or at all events not to return until he had made some further effort to discover the strength of the enemy, went off some small distance from the encampment & lay concealed in some bush near a place, where he supposed the Indians would pass in returning to their camp, by the way of an old trail - after being there a little while, affiant heard some noise in the leaves & looked behind or rather to one side & discovered an Indian alone approaching very near affiant & making toward the camp- but coming from a different quarter from which affiant expected & entirely to one side of the trail he came very near before affiant discovered him - affiant being but poorly concealed & knowing from the direction of the camp for which the Indian was accidently making, that he would certainly pass within a few feet of affiant & that it would be impossible for him to remain undiscovered to the Indian. Affiant therefore instantly determined to shoot him, as the best & perhaps only means of escape, although danger & great hazard to his life attended him either way, as the main body of the Indians must in all probability be very near, as (before stated) they had left their meat roasting before their fires to which they would of course soon return, affiant rose from his squatting position to his feet unperceived by the Indian as the Indian was coming up a little rise within 18 or 20 feet of affiant about half the length of his body being exposed to affiant. Affiant shot him through the breast, the Indian fell & was dead in an instant. Affiant seeing that the Indian had a beautiful English Fuser, such as (from information affiant received) the English were in the habit of presenting to the Chief warriors & captains of their savage allies to stimulate them to great action, in their murderous & predatory incursions upon the whites, determined to make himself master of that from the circumstances of his having this gun & of his having so many silver ornaments, about him. Affiant is confident he was an Indian Chief & probably the commander of the party - one of the principal silver ornaments affiant also took a fancy to, being a large silver one that bound his hair growing immediately on the crown of his head, being cilindrical & so fastened that is was not easily disengaged from the hair, affiant with his knife severed it from the Indians head hair & all together with a little of the skin which was accidental, affiant being in great haste, affiant put off at full speed in the direction to the Fort & when he had run about 300 yards or more he heard the Indians setting their dogs on his trail- that he ran on until the first crossing of a small stream on his route, that empties into the Cobleskill, after crossing which he heard the dogs at some distance back coming on his trail when he came to the 2nd crossing of said stream, he ran up some distance in the stream to prevent them following him further after he left the stream he ran up a bottom about two miles. When he took a ridge, at this time he heard the dogs again & supposing them to been his trail, (it somewhat alarmed him recollecting well his former scrape with dogs) but which affiant afterwards learned was the trail of his deserting companions, the dogs at the 2nd crossing aforesaid taking theirs & at their place.

Affiant passing near thereto & hearing the dogs was deceived & the better to inable affiant to escape the Indians & dogs, affiant pulled off his clothes, except pantaloons & moccasins & threw them behind a log & then ran on until he reached the Fort where he arrived safely & sometime before his comrades arrived, who reported affiant dead, as they were within hearing of affiants fire at the Indians aforesaid & supposed that it was affiant that was shot at - It was purposely kept secret from them that affiant had reached the fort for the purpose of seeing what tale they would tell and on being asked what had become of their leader, replied “that the damned fool was dead-that they had discovered the enemy’s cam & that Freemoyer would not leave there with them & before they were out of hearing they heard the report of a rifle & they were certain he was dead”- After they had finished their tale & at the expense of affiant as they supposed - affiant left his concealment much to their astonishment & chagrin. The place where affiant killed the Indian was afterwards, always called & known, while affiant lived in that country by the name of Freemoyer’s battle ground - affiant served nine months as orderly Sergeant, the time for which he enlisted & received a discharge from Col Peter Vrooman which he has long since lost, he neglected to take care of it as well as all other discharges he received in the services as he considered them of no value to him whatever. That this last tour, completed affiants service in the Revolutionary struggle & made in all which he served the United States viz
1st Tour as a private one year & one month
2nd Do as a private four months
3rd Do as Orderly Sergeant one year
4th Do as Orderly Sergeant eight months
5th Do as Orderly Sergeant nine months.

And in all as a private one year & five months & two years & five months as an Orderly Sergeant.

That from the great lapse of time & consequent lapse of memory, affiant does not recollect the number or names of any Continental or Militia Regiments with which he served - thinks the regiment in which he was placed under Col Willet was called the 9th York regiment but of this is not certain.

Affiant states that he was born in the State of New York in the County of Albany the 28th day of February 1761 & has a record of his age, that after the Revolutionary war he resided in the County of Albany in the State of New York until the year 1810 when affiant removed to Washington County State of Ohio & when on a division of the same he fell in Monroe, near the County line, & that in the fall of 1833 he moved over the line into Washington County aforesaid where he now resides. That he has no documentary evidence by which he can prove his services & knows no person whose testimony he can procure (unless at an expense that his is illy able to encounter) who can testify to his service. That he is acquainted with the Rev Charles W. Talbott, Bunent Hubbard, Aaron Price, William Hall, Anthony Sheets, Daniel Price, Samuel S. Dorff Esq., & others of his neighborhood, who can testify as to his character for veracity & their belief of his services in the Revolution,- he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a Pension or annuity but the present & declares that his name is not on the Pension roll of any State. Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.

David Freemoyer

We Charles W. Talbott, a clergyman residing in Washington County State of Ohio & William Clulter in the same County & State aforesaid do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with David Freemoyer who has subscribed & sworn to the preceeding declaration that his is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution & that we concur in that Opinion.