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Note: A note on pension applications- these were statements taken down by a court clerk during the application process. The men applying were old, and memory sometimes were in error, compounded by errors in recording.
I have tried to duplicate the original spelling, punctuation and grammar, my few insertions are in bold.
Eyewitness to Battle:
The Pension Depositions of Frederick Van Lew and Isaac Childs
John U. Rees
�1999, 2002
Published in The Brigade Dispatch, vol. XXIX, no. 3 (Autumn 1999), 18-20.
The breadth of service experienced by some Revolutionary soldiers was remarkable. Unfortunately, some records were lost or scattered, while the details of many an individual's military service were never set down on paper. In some few cases, pension narratives provide a venue by which the soldiers themselves can still tell their history in their own words.
In 1833 Frederick Van Lew told his story in order to receive a pension. Van Lew had served in the New Jersey militia, a unit of "standing troops" (possibly state troops), and a Continental regiment, and participated in the battles of Long Island, White Plains, Trenton, Princeton, and Monmouth. Isaac Childs gave his deposition in 1834 and claimed service in Forman's Flying Camp Militia at Long Island and White Plains, and aboard the ship "Retaliation" later in the war. Both men were at the Battle of Long Island and both served in 1778 as nine-months levies in the 2nd New Jersey Regiment. These levies were volunteers or drafts from the states' militia enlisted to augment Continental regiments for a short term. During 1778 eleven states were authorized to enact a nine-month levy, Georgia and South Carolina being the exceptions. In the end, four of those states (New Hampshire, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) failed to gather any levies, while Rhode Island decided to enlist free blacks or slaves as an alternative measure. The remaining six states, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, effected a levy; all except Virginia were relatively successful.
Another thing Van Lew and Childs had in common was their both being listed as deserters during their short career as Continental soldiers. The first man returned to the regiment before his enlistment expired. The fact of his being considered a deserter seems to have hung on Isaac Childs' conscience, and he claimed to have been innocent due to a misunderstanding as well as extenuating circumstances. Be that as it may, soldiers listed as deserters who could not prove otherwise were not eligible to receive a pension for any of their war service.
New Jersey pension depositions and a study of the 1778 nine-months levy can be found in '"... in reduced circumstances': Pension Papers of the Soldiers of the 2nd New Jersey Regiment;" '"from thence to the Battle...': Gleanings From the Pension Depositions of the Soldiers of the New Jersey Brigade;" and "The new Leveys are coming in dayly...': The Nine Month Draft in the Second New Jersey Regiment and Maxwell's New Jersey Brigade", all appendices to the author's work, '"I Expect to be stationed in Jersey sometime...' An Account of the Services of the Second New Jersey Regiment, December 1777 to June 1779" (unpublished manuscript, The David Library of the American Revolution, Washington Crossing, Pa.).
Frederick Van Lew
Frederick Van Lew [VanLue] was 23 years old at the time of his service in 1778 as a nine-months private soldier. He joined the 2nd Jersey Regiment on 28 May 1778, deserted 20 November, returned in December, and was discharged 28 February 1779 from Captain Phillips' Company. From the 1778 levy lists we find that he was 5 feet 9 inches tall, a weaver by trade, and had enlisted as a substitute from the 3rd Battalion, Middlesex County Militia.
Frederick Van Lew states,
Frederick Van Lew Pension application
On this sixth day of February 1833, personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the said county of Seneca the Court now sitting Frederick F. Van Liew a resident of the town of Lodi in said county aged seventy eight years the 5th day of Feb.y 1833. Who being first duly sworn accord 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
That in the year 1775, as deponent believes he was living in the town of Jamaica in the county of Queens (On Long Island) in the State of New York, that deponent belonged in the Militia under Captain that deponent went on a visit to Goshen in Orange County while there deponent Enlisted as a minute man under one Captain Stiles for one month as a private in the Militia, About one week After deponent Enlisted, he joined the Company at Goshin. And Marched to a Fort about Seven miles below a place called New Windsor, was there about three weeks. After remaining About one week at Newburgh as we went down, that we marched on the ice down the river, After the Expiration of Said month we were all discharged. (that is the company) and went to their respective homes, and deponent went to Long Island, After being home a few days, deponent went on a visit to see his brother + sister living in the State of New Jersey in Montgomery Township, there deponent Enlisted again in the five months service under one Captain Low, thinks Peter Low) as a private in the Standing Troops, (Enlisted at a place called Redden town, the Company met a place called Laslens Bridge at Abraham Van Hornes tavern, this was in the year 1776, in the fore part of the season the Company marched to the City of New York + there we joined Washington's Army, in Kings Street we lay there about two weeks, until the British landed on Long Island, and then the whole Army except the guard which was left, went over to Long Island, marched up deponent suppose about one mile, and there was met by the British, and there we had a light engagement and there we had to swim a tide mill pond and many of our men were drowned in crossing the pond, deponent lost his rifle + coat in swimming the pond, after crossing the pond we went to Cobble Hill Fort about half or three quarters of a mile distant from the pond, and there joined the Army again, there deponent remained about four days, and then was called to New York, and there deponent bought him a another Coat, stayed there about one week and then went to Fort Washington 12 miles from New York, the Whole Army was then Stationed at Fort Washington, remained at Fort Washington abut two weeks or twenty days, and then Marched to White Plains, leaving in the Fort about twenty one hundred men, when we arrived at White Plains we dug an entrenched all around the town, After the entrenchment was dug we took about twenty or thirty tories and brought them in, the British went up the East river landed above us, and built a Fort and attempted to banish us from that place but they failed in that attempt, and we drove them out of their Fort, (these were Hessians) After that we stayed there one night, the next morning we marched to Kings Ferry, and crossed the north River, and marched to Fort Lee, we remained there about three days, we could see Fort Washington from Fort Lee, and the British took that Fort without firing a gun, a flag of truce was sent from Fort Washington to Fort Lee to General Washington, Washington went down to the River and bring Word that the British threatened,, if the Fort was not given up in three days, they would come over and take it. Deponent within one or two days afterwards was made second Sergeant, and sent out with a guard up the river about three miles, about day break deponent discovered the River full of boats of British and as they landed deponent with his men fired and immediately run for Fort Lee, when we came to this Fort, Washington had left the Fort with his army, for the Hackensack in New Jersey, and only about seventy men remained at the Fort of straggling appearance, drinking liquor that was left by the Sutlers, deponent and his men filled their canteens + left the Fort and went after the Army, and over took them on the heights near Hackensack town, and remained there over night, the next morning we set off for Trenton and made no halt until we go over the Delaware River into the State of Pennsylvania, the British being about three or four miles behind in pursuit of us, when deponent got as far as New Brunswick on this march, his five months service expired, but continued on his march with the army to Pennsylvania, and remained with them, that while Washington lay in Pennsylvania he recruited and got fresh men and on the 26th of Dec- deponent crossed over with the army to Trenton and took nine hundred and thirty six Hessians (as was reported at the time) and took them over into Pennsylvania with us, the British soon after sent an army to Trenton and a small army at Princeton six miles distant on the third day of January thereafter Washington sent an army to Princeton surrounded the Town- and took + killed the most part of them, after the battle was over, deponent left the army and went to his Brothers in Montgomery Township in Sommerset County in the State of New Jersey-.
After deponent returned to his Relatives in New Jersey he became attached to the Militia in Montgomery Township, which was Classed one half went out for one month and then was relieved by the other half, and so alternately until the Close of the War, but deponent Enlisted for nine months during the later part of the war in the State troops and joined Washington's Army, that under this enlistment he served under Captain Jonathan Philips, in the second Jersey regiment under Colonel Shrieves, that during the said nine months service, in the first place, deponent was taken to Princeton and his name was taken down and he measured his height was then five feet eight inches, there the Company he belonged to went to Mount Holly and joined the main Army, and lay there he supposed two or three weeks, the British at this time lay in Philadelphia and was crossing to go to go to New York, Washington attacked them at Monmouth and gain the victory over them + was on Sunday the hottest day he ever knew remained there two days after the battle, and then left there for Elizabeth Town, where the whole army remained there and about there until peace was made, deponent says he was in several Skirmishes while there, and a little engagement a Springfield.
Deponent says that while he was attached to and served in the militia he recollects of going out under Captain Baird and went to Staten Island, and took in one of the Excursions to Staten Island a Tory by the name of Honeyman, one of the heads or leader of the tories, deponent says that he served under the said Captain several terms and went a great number of times with them to Staten island, and at one time had a considerable of an engagement with the tories at a place called Cuckletown, Captain Baird always carried his gun with him {that page ends}
In each of the following as well as in the each mentioned time he
Deponent says after he went out under Captain Baird he went out under Captain in James Wheeler, and went up to Nan Ness' Mills, Captain Wheelers + two or three other companies waded over the Raritan River and when we got to the other side of the River we fired at the British which we had surrounded, and took their waggons and the plunder they had been getting, which was their errand out on to said Van Ness' Mills, He was out on this o service one month- [see the Battle of Millstone]
Deponent says that the next Captain he went out under was Captain Babcock that Captain Babcock + his Company marched up to a place called Shannock Mountain, and we laid there in order to take the British light horse that was sent there to plunder, deponent says that tat they laid nights some along one road and some another, that deponent one night was laying in wait, + about twenty came along + we let them pass, (knowing that they would return before morning) in about two hours after they returned, deponent says they formed across the Road, and hailed them, and fired upon them, killed three men and took all the rest, and one horse was killed, and all taken, Jacob Flagg kept a tavern on the main Road on the flat that lead to the Mountain-----he services were one month
Deponent says that he was out under a number of other Captains during his services in the Militia, there names he does not recollect. Many of them were strangers to him at the time, that he was frequently called to go to Newark, Elizabethtown, Amboy, Powles Hook, +c. that from the first time deponent was into service he continued in it in the manner about set forth until the close of the Revolutionary War, that frequently he was in service one month + one month at home.
Deponent further says, that his name at the time of the services rendered was Frederick Van Liew, but since his residing in the county of Seneca, his name has been altered to Frederick F. Van Liew, in consequence of another man having the same name in the same town, and deponents name was altered for distinctions sake-
And deponent further says, that when he was not out from home in the service he was frequently called out on alarms, and to stand guard, how much time deponent served in this way is impossible for deponent to say, but he has no doubt but his various services in all amounts to more than three years
Further when he was in the services he say and knew Isaac Blue who then lived in Somerset County in the State of New Jersey- he has continued to know the said Blue since the said war + for many years past has lived within a half dsn miles of him-
And deponent further says that if he ever received a written discharge from the army he does not know what has become of it. That he has no documentary evidence of his services and knows of no person who can testify to the same except Isaac Blue whose deposition is here unto annexed.
To the interrogations propounded by the said court to the above named applicant for a pension on amount of services rendered in the service of the United States during the Revolutionary War. As prescribed by the War Department
1st the deponent says that he was born in the town of Jamaica in the County of Queens and State of New York the 5th day of February 1775. [sic]********1775? or 1755?
2nd deponent says he has a record of his age in his bible
3rd deponent says he was on a visit in the county of orange in the State of New York when he first entered the service. And then finished his services in the manner set forth above that since the Revolutionary War he has lived in Montgomery township in the County of Sommersett and State of New Jersey until the year 1800 at which time he moved into the town of Ovid, a part of which is now named Lodi in the County of Seneca and State of New York, and where he has ever since resided and now resides.
4th that he first entered into the service under an enlistment of one month, after that the services rendered are set forth in the above declaration
5th that he was acquainted with and knew Gen'l Washington
6th that he never received a written discharge if he did does not know what has become of it
7th that he is known in his present neighborhood by Gen'l John De Mott, Jehiel H. Halsey and John I. Eastman who can testify to deponents character for truth + veracity sworn to + subscribed in open court the day and year aforesaid
[signed Jeba Murphy, clerk] [signed Frederick Van Lew ]
Dutchmen whose names were those of cities, towns, or districts were identified by the prefix Van-which means "from" or "of the," which also was used in reference to nicknames. I don't have VanCuren listed among my sources, but it means literally "from Curen" or "of the curen" and would identify the man who originated in that locale. If Curen is not an existing Dutch locale, it may be a vocabulary word used as a nickname.
Van den is 'of the' - so if Abbeele is a type of tree, then Van den Abbeele is "of the poplar tree (or whatever type tree it translates to).
The name van der Grinten is Dutch. A grint is a river wash where fine gravel which was washed up has built an island or low-land, for example, Valkengrind, near Roermond, Holland. Contributed by Wolfgang van der Grinten.
Van is a prefix that means "from the" or "of the" and is used in such names as Van Geest , a Dutch name for the man who lived by the barren sandy soil -- literally, "of the sandy soil."
Van Horn is a Dutch place name for the man who lived at the horn-shaped spur of a hill. Van is a prefix that denotes "of" or "from."
Research of James Lawler:
ID: I36150
Name: Frederick Peter VAN LIEW
Surname: VAN LIEW
Given Name: Frederick Peter
Sex: M
Birth: 1755
Death: 1838
_UID: 5559114A14291D4A8C15C3D1D64ADE06E638
Note:
The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Volume 52, page 179
Frederick Van Liew (1753-1839), was placed on the pension roll, 1832, for services rendered as foragemaster, 3rd regiment, Middlesex County, New Jersey militia. He was born in Somerset County, N. J.; died in Lodi, N. Y.
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