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Ebenezer Landers' full Pension deposition: I enlisted in
the fore part of June 1776 for eleven months in Capt. Joel
Dickison's Company of infantry Massachusetts States Troops.
In Col. Elmor's Regiment. Eli Brown was Lieut of the Company.
Palmer Cady was adjutant. Capt. Brown lived in Pitsfield Berkshire
County. Col. Elmore lived (I think) in Sheffield same County.
At the time I enlisted I resided with my father in the Town
of Lenox Berkshire County Massachusets. I joined my company
at Pittsfield aforesaid. From thence we marched to Albany
then to New Lebanon & to Albany where I & the company
joined the regiment, & where we staid. We staid at Albany
till about the fore part of August according to my best recollection.
I know we had green corn there & then we marched (the
whole regiment to Fort Dayton on the Mohawk River opposite
Fort Herkimer. We went thro Schenectady & then up the
Mohawk River. I continued in the service at said fort (It
being a picket fort) at fatigue duty, throwing up embarkments
& standing gaurd. Two companies of the Regiment only were
stationed at this Fort. The rest of the regiment went on to
Fort Stanwix on the Mohawk. Col. Elmore went on to Fort Stanwix
with the rest of the Regiment. I continued in said service
at said Fort untill the Twenty ninth day of may 1777, when
I was honorably discharged by a written discharge, & in
the hand writing of my Capt. the same original discharge being
hereto annexed, when I was discharged, there was no officers
at the Fort above the rank of Captain. I overstaid my time
a few days waiting to be relieved by new Troops, which came
on to our relief under Col. Gansewood a short time before
was discharged, on receiving my discharge I returned home.
I staid about Two weeks & then about the middle of June
1777 I enlisted in Capt Aaron Rowley's company of Infantry
for the term of six months. I then resided in Lenox aforesaid.
Capt. Rowley lived in Richmond Berkshire County aforesaid.
I joined the Company at Richmond. The company marched from
Richmond a short time after I enlisted to Albany. From thence
up the North River to Troy. Then to Halfmoon Point & then
to Stillwater. Then to Saratoga. Then to Fort Miller. Then
to Fort Edward, then to Fort William Henry on Lake George.
We staid there about two weeks. At this place was Genl. Pattison's
Brigade. Also Gen. Larned's. I think Gen. Schuyler was in
command at this place. We then were ordered to destroy the
Fort and retreat. We blew up the Fort & burned two vessels
one on the stocks & one launched tho not finished. We
then went back down to Kingsbury a little above Fort Edward
3 or 4 miles, where we had a little skirmish with the Indians.
We had 19 killed & a number wounded some mortally. Eleven
of them were scalped. We formed in the woods as was understood.
36 of the Indians killed. The Indians attacked the Picket
guard & we went to relieve them. The guard had retreated
about half a mile, where we met them. We then drove the Indians.
The action lasted about 3 hours. While we lay at Kingsbury,
we had attached to us a company of Indians of the Stockbridge,
Schaglecoke & Mohegan tribes, commanded by Capt. Nimham
& a joke. A part of these Indians brought in one day 14
prisoners mostly British officers. It was said these prisoners
were decepted as follows. The British there occupied Fort
Ann. The Indians went near the Fort & one of them Jacob
Mompi, his hands besmeared with blood went directly to the
Fort after having placed his men in ambush. He told the officers
who were marching round the Fort that he had killed a great
bear, & that he could not bring it in. The British supposed
he was one of their friendly Indians. They went with him for
the bear. He led them into the ambuscade, & they were
all taken. So much for the story. I know that the Indians
brought in the prisoners. In about a week after our set-to
with the Indians, we retreated from Kingsbury to Fort Edward
& from thence to Fort Miller, & from thence to Saratoga.
While we were at Fort Edward on our retreat Miss Mc Crea &
Sue _____ were killed by the Indians. I saw their mangled
bodies & assisted in their burial. The next day or the
day but one we went to Saratoga, & from thence to Stillwater,
at this place Gen. Gates took the command, we then advanced
upon Burgoyne's army at a place below Saratoga I should think
about 5 miles. I was engaged Genl Arnold in storming &
taking a Hessian Breastwork. Arnold directed us not to fire
untill he expressly ordered. We marched up within 5 or 6 rods.
They were pouring in upon us with their cannon. Arnold ordered
fire, & then rush on with the Bayonet, which we did &
took the battery. We then went on to Saratoga where I was
when Burgoyne surrendered. Immediately after the surrender
I went as a guard to the prisoners to Pittsfield Berkshire
County Mass & continued there as such guard untill the
end of my term of enlistment & was then honorably discharged.
No written discharge was given. In the last of August or forepart
of September 1778 an alarm came that the British & Indians
were coming down from the North towards Albany. I then volunteered
under Capt. Stephen Newel, who lived in the same town with
me in Lenox aforesaid. We marched from Lenox direct to Stillwater
& from thence to near Saratoga. We were then informed
that they (the enemy) had gone back & I returned home.
I was in the service at this time about Seven weeks according
to the best of my recollection. In the fall (I think in October
1779) there was an alarm that the British & Indians were
cutting off the inhabitants on the Onion River & on the
frontiers. I then volunteered & went on horseback to Bennington
Vermont. There were about fifty of us, we did not organize
into a regular company. From Bennington we went to Shaftsbury,
we then learned that the enemy had retreated & we returned
home. I was then out on this alarm about four weeks, as near
as I can recollect. I think it was in the summer of 1779 about
the middle I volunteered to go to Kinderhook to take the Tories.
I was under Capt William Walker who lived in Lenox aforesaid
& who now lives there I believe & has been a judge
of probats of Berkshire County. We went from Lenox to Spencetown
& then to Kinderhook. The Tories had fled to a swamp near
Kline Hill Creek. We surrounded the swamp & took about
fifty five of them and marched them to Kinderhook. I was one
who guarded them there for about 10 days. We then marched
to Albany & put them in a jail. I then returned home.
I was absent from home in this service about seven weeks,
as near as I can recollect. I was born in the Town of Warren
County of Litchfield State of Connecticut on the 8th day of
November 1758. I have a record of my age which is now in my
possession taken from my father's family record. I have always
had it in my possession since I left my Father's house. I
was as I am informed by my parents & believe 2 years old
when I removed to Stockbridge Berkshire Co where I resided
12 years & then removed to Lenox aforesaid where I resided
untill I removed to Bainbridge aforesaid 45 Years last march
where I have lived ever since & where I now reside. I
am acquainted with John C Clark and Levi Bigelow Esquire both
of Bainbridge aforesaid, who can testify as to my character,
as to their belief of my age & as to the general belief
in the neighborhood as to my having been a Volunteer in the
Revolution. As to a discharge I answer as above stated. [National
Archives - Pension record W 21,551 - declaration of Ebenezer
Landers dated 9 Oct 1832]
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