Pension Testimony - Peter Scism

State of New York
Columbia County

SS.  I, George Lape of Claverack in county & state aforesaid aged 82 years and 11 months, being duly sworn deposeth and saith & make the following Declaration for the purpose of obtaining the benefits of the Act of 7th June 1832 passed by Congress.  That he has no record of his age.  That he was born in Claverack aforesaid & has always up to the present time resided in the same Town of Claverack.  That in the beginning of the Revolutionary War, but in what year he cannot now particularize, he was ordered out under Colonel Henry or Henry I. Van Rensselaer of Claverack aforesaid.  That this applicant at the time went to the north of Albany to the Town of Johnstown, then Tryon County, now Montgomery County, later to Caughnawaga & were gone about 8 days, it was in the winter season & they went in sleighs.  Caspanny Camine was the Captain of applicant.  The expedition was undertaken against John Johnson.

This declarant in his second expedition went to Johnstown aforesaid, the year he cannot tell, the above named Van Rensselaer was his Colonel & said Camine was his Captain, Abraham Etting was Lieutenant.  He lay at Johnstown about 4 weeks, he in this Expedition first went to Fort Ann, Fort George & Fort Edward and returned to Johnstown & then remained about 4 weeks as herein before stated.  This declarant thinks that he was gone from home in this expedition about two months.  This time there was an alarm that the Indians and English were about Fort George.

This declarant further states that he was after the two expeditions above specified, called out under the above named Colonel Van Rensselaer several times and went up to Saratoga, Lake George, Fort Ann, Fort Edwards, Johnstown & other places in all including the above two first expeditions as long as one year.  At all times said Van Rensselaer was his Colonel & his Captains were the above named Caspanny Camine and John Osterhout who was the successor of said Camine.

This declarant is now old & infirm and his recollection is bad.   That there was no other person by the name of George Lape in his Company besides himself.  This declarant several years ago applied to Charles Esselstyne, Esq., to make application for him & he did not attend to it, but put it off from time to time & this is the reason of his not making application before this time.

This declarant does not know that he can prove his services by any of his comrades now living, his brother Jacob's affidavit is annexed.  This declarant hereby relinquishes all claims to any other pension & his name is not on the Pension Roll of any state, and that he is unable from bodily infirmity to appear before any court of Record.

Dated January 15, 1838.
George Lape
his x mark

Witnesses Present:

W Hailer
H. Clarke
Michael De Lamater
Jacob Lape

 

Submitted by Jeff Lape