Benjamin Ogden of Caldwell County Kentucky

Benjamin Ogden of Caldwell county Kentucky

Revolutionary War Pension File

New Jersey Ogden, Benjamin S31281

#1535
Kentucky
Benjamin Ogden of Caldwell in the State of Kentucky who was a private in the company commanded by Captain Mitchell of the Regt commanded by ----- in the N Jersey line for 2 years from 1779.

Inscribed on the roll of Kentucky at the rate of 80 Dollars – cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March 1834

Certificate of Pension issued the 6th day of Nov 1832 and sent to A Harpending, Millville, KY

Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832 $120
Sems?=amt allowance ending 4 Mar 183? $40
$160
Revolutionary Claim
Act June 7, 1832
Recorded by Nathan Rice Clerk,
Book D vol 9 Page 53

$8049
Benj Ogden
From 1779
Two years private $80

State of Kentucky County of Caldwell
On the 20th day of August 1832 personally appeared in open court before ?? M A & Jer? Ruker, Moasel Galloway, W Ratlife, Marshall ??eller justices ?? (being a court of record) now sitting, Benjamin Ogden, a resident of the county Caldwell and State of Kentucky aged 68 years last April, 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 Jan 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated viz.
As more than 68 years of my life has passed, through many sore afflictions by which my recollection is so much impaired that I cannot venture to guess names of persons and dates with precision – I will also state that I have no record of my age, only what I have by tradition which I have reason to believe is nearly correct as to the month and year – I was born at Baskenridge, Morris County State of New Jersey (in the spot where Genl Lee was taken by the British) early in April 1764 and lived most of my time in that vicinage, adjoining Lord Stierlings property until the first of January (as well as I can recollect) of 1778 or 79 when part of the Jersey troops lay in Elizabeth Town – when and where I first enlisted in Captain Mitchells company (the Capts first name, the Lieuts name, and every field officers name – Battallion and Regiment are all forgotten neither do I recollect but one of the mens’ names (Coonrod York) a farmer comrade of mine and servant to Lord Stierling. Then I served until the winter broke & latter part of April following, when a certain Maj Wm Davidson (to whom my guardian had bound me an apprentice) heard where I was and came down with his witnesses and demanded my release; and my being too young to be enrolled, the board of commanding officer gave me up to Ld Davidson with whom I continued until early in April 1780 when I was said to be 16 years old and was put on the muster roll – at which time I enlisted with Capt M Freeman who was then recruiting men to serve in the State Troops for 12 months and stationed at Woodbridge between Amboy and Rahway, on the opposite shores to Staten Island – the brave Asher Randolph Lieut – The terms were that the men found their own cloathing [sic], fire arms and all necessary accoutrements and were to have been paid by the State (as well as I recollect) $13.00 per month – when this company was first organized I do not know – whether it was attached to any Battalion or Regiment I never knew – Or if it was under the command of any field officers I know not. I never seen any – We never were associated with any other troops on parade – I knew of no commissioned officers but Capt Matthew Freeman and Lieut Asher Randolph under whom I served until January 1781 when I again enlisted for 12 months more in the same Company and under the same officers and served on the same terms until after Cornwallis was taken and my country had no further need of my services. Under this last enlistment (as well as I recollect) we were not dismissed from the service until January 1782 the time when our 12 months expired. The first battle that I was in, I think was in May 1780. The enemy landed in the night and were detected by our patrols. The militia called by three signal guns; the gun and whale boat company under the command of two of the bravest officers I ever knew; whose names I should be grateful to remember after the lapse of 32 years all joined in battle between break of day and sunrise, near the road from Woodbridge to the old Blazing Star ferry. The enemy retreated to their gun boats at Smokum point (by which the battle was named) where we received their heavy metal for near two hours. The 2nd battle I think was in September following – commenced also early in the morning, in Amboy Commons – we drove the enemy into the Town and from our shore – under a heavy fire from their galley their guard ships in the bay and their gun boats. The 3rd battle commenced near where the first did sometime I believe in July 1781 (or about two weeks before Rye harvest) – they retreated to their vessels near Hog Islands above the mouth of Woodbridge Creek, where we again received their heavy metal for more (I think) than one hour – near a Rye field on the shore of the sound. The 4th battle was, as well as I recollect, late in September following and about the first night after Genl Washington left New York with some of the French troops to meet Cornwallis. The Capt of our gunboat company Lieut Randolph & some of the militia went on the Island in the night to take Cuckhold town fort in the absence of the British troops which had been drawn off to graves end to assist New York – but to our surprise they had returned the evening before. We were discovered and the contest began just before day and we had to fight hard to gain and keep a bridge just under the fort and across the hills to our boats which waited for us at the new Blazing Star – the contest continued I think for more than three hours before we left their shore with the prisoners, horses & other spoils of the enemy. Those are all the battles I was in except some skirmishes with their gun boats as they passed near our shore in the sound. The War Department requests me to say where I have lived since the Revolutionary War and where I now live. In answer I say that in the fall of 1783 I moved to Baltimore in Maryland and lived with my Brother Col Amos Ogden near the mouth of the western run, until the spring of 1784. I enlisted under Capt Immanuel in a different warfare and equipped with different armour – in the fall of 1785 I received a commission to sound the alarm in Zion ?? and joined a band of soldiers called Methodist Itenerant preachers & continued through the winter of 1786 with them in the State of New Jersey – returned to Maryland in April when the Methodist Conference under Dr Coke and Bishop Asbury sent me and one other brave soldier on a mission to Kentucky and in 1787 to the Tennessee ?? since then I have intenerated from the North River to the West of the Mississippi and from Charleston in SC to the Shore of Lake Erie, as & when my circumstances & health admitted. My family since 1791 have been located in different parts of Kentucky but for near 12 years in the vicinity of Eddyville and Princeton, in Caldwell County Ky. Your applicant further says that he never had a written discharge and that he has been 46 years from the place of service and knows of no one person by whom he can prove his services as all the officers are dead, and he solemnly declares that he is not, nor ever was on any pension roll whatever in any of the United States. Your applicant further states that he believes that he served under the first enlistment more than 3 months and under the second about 9 months and under the third at least 12 months, making in all more than two years. Your applicant also prays the attention of the War Department to the terms of his two last enlistments. That he found his own cloathing, firearms and necessary accoutrements, and that they were to have received from the State of New Jersey (as wells as he now recollects) thirteen dollars per month and that he actually lost a valuable firelock in the first battle which bursted in his hands.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. [signed] B Ogden

[Affidavit signed by F R Cossitt, John Barnett, both clergymen and residents of Caldwell county. Also signing were Asberry Harpending, John H Rockerby, John Mercer, as to his credibility.]

[In a letter to Mrs Shelly DePoyster, dated 29 November 1930, xxx gives the information shown above and also states that Benjamin Ogden was “allowed pension on his application executed August 20, 1832....” “He died November 16, 1834”].

Invalid
File No. 31281
Benjamin Ogden
Pri Rev War
Vol 2 Page 306