CLAIMS AGAINST THE STATE
by
James F. Morrison, SR.

 

    The following claims against the State of New York are only a few known to exist from the Mohawk District, Tryon County.  Most if not all were burned in 1911 in the Capitol fire in Albany.

    The claim of Michael Von Koughnot, who was a loyalist is still preserved in Canada as well as other loyalists claims which were given to the British government for compensation of properties that were either destroyed or confiscated because of their loyalties to England during the War of Independence.

    The Common factor that ties these claims together is that the homes were destroyed on May 22, 1780 by Crown forces under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Johnson.  Not only did they kill loyalists in this raid but it also appears that they burned the home of at least one  and possibly more as well.

    The Mohawk District of Tryon County is only one of five districts that were established and by militia law all able bodied men from the ages of 16 to 50 had to serve in the local militia companies which were in turn formed into regiments for those districts and county.

    The Mohawk district is now, the Towns of Amsterdam, Charleston, Florida, Glen, Mohawk, City of Amsterdam, and Village of Fonda all of Montgomery County and the following are from Fulton County; the Towns of Johnstown, Perth, Mayfield, Broadalbin, Northampton and the City of Johnstown.

    The militia regiment  that was formed from those able bodied men from the Mohawk District on August 26, 1775 was the Third Regiment of Tryon County Militia which was commanded by Colonel Frederick Fisher [Visscher].

 

A bill of Dammage of Isaac Davis May 22nd yr 1780

Bildings  housses  barens  and barks valued att	£  250	0	0
Wheren Close of all my family valued att	34	14	0
Waggon an plow gers all Complete valued att	20	0	0
three beds garnished wad all valued att	20	10	0
horsses and Ship and hids valued att	20	0	0
Chist and Sugger and money valued att	12	0	0
Houssel furnish all valued att	19	3	0
fences gren and apel trees valued att	15	0	0
horn Cuttels to they valued att	12	10	0
Arms and Cutterments Sords and pistels	7	16	0
Hoksseds pots an Cattels att	7	18	0
taner and Curremen tolls att	4	0	0
Sleys and gers wed all att	7	10	0
Sadals bridles Sets and Sids att	6	10	0
Carpenters tuls wed all Complete att	6	10	0
Sumekers tuls and lader att	4	10	0
Bags and flowers att	3	0	0
	£  465	11	0

12 Feby                                                                                 Isaac Davis

 

Source:  New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, Supplement, Erastus C. Knight, 1901, page 176.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A list of Real and Personal Effects of Frederick Fisher Wantonly taken and destroyed by the Enemy in the Year 1780.

A Dwelling House - Burnt	£ 100	0	0
2 Beds and Bedding	20	16	0
Mens and Womens Ware	23	4	0
A Tea Kittle	4	0	0
A Brass Kittle	0	9	0
Plates	19	19	0
Earthen Ware	1	11	0
2 Brass Ladles	0	9	0
A Silver Mounted Sword	7	0	0
2 Guns	2	10	0
Holsters and Pistols	2	16	0
A Saddle Bridle and Saddle Bags	3	4	0
A pair Boots	1	12	0
2 Negroes and a wench - carryed off	240	0	0
A Barn and 2 Barracks Burnt	35	0	0
12 Load Hay                  do	15	0	0
50 Scipples Indian Corn  do 3/	7	10	0
2 Horses - carryed off	30	0	0
A Set Horse Harness	22	10	0
	£  494	7	0

State of New York  Ss. Frederick Fisher being duly sworn deposith and saith that the above Account contains the Articles belonging to him which were burnt or destroyed or carryed off by the Enemy and the prices affixed opposite to the same are reasonable.

Sworn before me this day Jany 1782                                                                  Fredk Fisher
Robt. Yates

Source:  New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, Supplement, Erastus C. Knight, 1901, page 179.

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    An Inventory or account of the losses which Abraham Veeder has sustained by the Enemy under the Comd of Sir John Johnson, in Tryon County on the 22d of May A.D. 1780.

Buildings	(One Dwelling House and Kitchen)	Burnt	150	0	0
	(One Barn, 2 Berricks, 1 Sheep Stable)	Burnt	120	0	0
Negros	(One Negro Man, Aged 22 years)	Taken Off	100	0	0
	(One Negro Boy, 8 years of age)	Taken Off	15	0	0
Horses	(Two Horses Val  £10. Pr H)	Taken Off	20	0	0
	(Two Mares Val.   one £ 25 and the other £15)	Taken Off	40	0	0
	(One Mare and Colt)	Killed	20	0	0
Cows	(Four Cows Val. £ Pr C.)	Killed	20	0	0
Hogs	(Five Pigs Val. 4/ Pr. P.)	Killed	1	0	0
Produce	(40 Skipples Wheat Val 6/ Pr. S)	Burnt	12	0	0
	(40 Skipples Indian Corn Val 4/ Pr. S)	Burnt	8	0	0
	( 2 Skipples Peas Val 5/ Pr. S)	Burnt	0	10	0
Farming		Burnt	20	16	0
Utentials
Household Furniture		Burnt & Taken Off	125	15	0
Clothing		Burnt & Taken Off	91	12	0
	(One Silver Watch)	Taken Off	10	0	0
	(One Silver Handl'd Sword)	Taken Off	6	0	0
Silver	(One Pair Silver Shoe Buckles)	Taken Off	1	10	0
Work	(One Silver Shoe Buckle)	Taken Off	0	16	0
	(One Pair " Knee Buckles)	Taken Off	0	16	0
	(One        " Stock Buckles)	Taken Off	0	16	0
	(One Gun, Cartridge Box &c)	Taken Off	0	16	0
	(50 lb. Flax Yarn  Val 4/ Pr lb)	Burnt	10	0	0
	( 6 lb Cotton "   Val 6/ Pr lb)	Burnt	1	16	0
Yarn	(12 lb Woolen Yarn  Val 4/ Pr lb)	Burnt	2	8	0
	(20 lb Tow Yarn   Val 1/6 Pr lb)	Burnt	1	10	0
Wool	(25 lb Wool   Val 3/ Pr lb)	Burnt	3	15	0
Flax	(20 lb Flax   Val 1/ Pr lb)	Burnt	1	0	0
Linnen	(24 Ells Linnen  3/Pr E.)	Burnt	3	12	0
Cloth
Leather		Burnt	12	0	0
	(160 Skipples Wheat, Oct 18, A.D. 1780)	Burnt	31	0	0
	Total		987..	12..	0

Abraham Veeder

Source:  State of New York, Comptroller's Office, Albany, April 15, 1897.  Veeder Genealogy, Esperance Historical Society Museum, Esperance, N.Y.

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An account of the Damage which Johannes Veeder sustained by the Enemy under the command of Sir John Johnson, the 22nd May 1780 at Caugnawago.

Articles of			£	S.	D.
Buildings	(One Dwelling House and Kitchen)	Burnt	300	0	0
	(One Barn, and Sheep Stable and Two Barracks and a Fanning Mill)	do	250	0	0
	(One Griss Mill and Two Bolts)	do	400	0	0
	(One Brew House and Kittle)	do	200	0	0
	(One Saw Mill with Two Sets of Saws)	do	200	0	0
	(One Fulling Mill and Shop with all the tools)	do	100	0	0
	(Two Dwelling Houses and a Currying Shop)	do	55	0	0
	(One Cyder Mill and Press)	do	7	0	0
	(One Three Handed Batteaux)	do	8	0	0
Articles of Livestock	(One Negro Man and Wench)	Carryed off	205	0	0
	(Four Horses)	do	50	0	0
	(Eight Horn Cattle)	killed	20	0	0
	(Four Hogs)	killed	7	0	0
	(Thirty Five Sheep and Seventeen Lambs)	Burnt	30	0	0
Articles of Different Tools	(Black Smiths Tools)	Burnt	7	0	0
	(One Cross Cut and other Carpenter's Tools)	do	5	0	0
	(Shoemakers Tools and all sorts of Lasts)	do	4	0	0
	(Four Bushels of Salt)	do	10	0	0
	(One Hundred Pounds of Sugar)	do	5	0	0
	(Twenty Pounds of Allum)	do	1	0	0
	(Twenty Pounds of Copperas)	do	1	10	0
	(Forty Pound of Hemp)	do	2	0	0
	(Fifty Pounds of Flax)	do	2	10	0
	(Fifty Pounds of Wool)	do	5	0	0
	(Two Sets Gears For Slays)	do	8	0	0
	(One Do   For a Plough)	do	1	0	0
	(One Slay)	do	3	0	0
Household Furniture	(One Clock)	do	32	0	0
	(Three Looking Glasses)		13	0	0
	(One McHoggany Table)		4	0	0
	(Five Cherry Tables)		8	0	0
	(Two Desks)		10	0	0
Burnt	(One Cherry Slaw - Bank)		4	0	0
	(Five Bedsteads)		4	0	0
	(One Easing Chair and Pot)		3	0	0
	(One Dozen and a Half other  Do)		6	0	0
	(Three Saddles)		7	0	0
Articles of Grain	(One Hundred Skipples of Wheat)		20	0	0
	(Eighty Skipples of  Peas)		16	0	0
	(Thirty Skipples of Barley)		5	5	0
	(Ten Skipples of Rye)		2	0	0
Burnt	(Thirty Skipples of Oats)		3	0	0
	(Eighty Skipples of Corn)		14	0	0
	(Cloth Dresd for others)		10	0	0
Clothing	(Leather of different Sorts)		20	0	0
Bedding and Sundry other Articles too tedious to mention	October 18th 1780.  The loss Sustained by t he enemy under the command of Sir John Johnson		100	00	0
Articles of Grain - Burnt	(Two Hundred Skipples of Wheat)		40	0	0
	(Two Hundred Skipples of Peas)		40	0	0
	(Two Hundred Skipples of Oats)		40	0	0
	(Seventeen Loads of Hay)		20	8	0
	Total		£ 2  288	13	0

Simon Veeder

Source:  State of New York, Comptroller's Office, Albany, April 14, 1897.  Veeder Genealogy, Esperance Historical Society Museum, Esperance, N.Y..

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

An account of the Loss which Col. Volkert Veeder sustained by the Enemy at Caughnawago Commanded by Sir John Johnson, May 22nd 1780.

 

		£	S.	D.
Buildings	One Dwelling House and Kitchen	150	0	0
	One Barn	100	0	0
	One Fanning Mill	6	0	0
	One Loom and Tackling	8	0	0
Articles of Livestock	One Negro Man	70	0	0
	Two Negro Wenches	130	0	0
	One Negro Boy	30	0	0
	Five Horses	90	0	0
Articles of Grain and other things	Thirty Skipples of Wheat	9	0	0
	Thirty Skipples of Corn	6	0	0
	Thirty Skipples of Salt	6	0	0
	Two Barrels of Tar	2	8	0
	Two Saddles and Three Bridls	6	0	0
	House Hold Furniture find wearing Apparel	150	0	0
	Two Sets of Gears	3	0	0
October 18th 1780	One Dwelling House	100	0	0
	Two Hundred and Fifty Skipples of Wheat	50	0	0
	One Hundred Skipples of Peas	20	0	0
	Thirty Skipples of Corn	5	0	0
	One Hundred Skipples of Oats	10	0	0
	Two Hundred of Flax	10	10	0
	Six Loads of Hay	6	0	0
	Forty Pound of Hemp    August 6th 1777	1	10	0
	One Horse  October 30th 1781	14	0	0
	One Horse	10	0	0
	Total	£  982	18	0

12  feb'y                                                                                 Volkert Veeder

 

Source:  Newspaper Clipping, [no date or name of newspaper but possibly the Mohawk Valley Democrate], Volkert Veeder's Private Collection, Fonda, N.Y..

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Account of the losses of M1 v Koughnet of Troyand County in Johns Town Certifying his Losses in the Year 1780.

	£	S	P
One Logg House	10	0	0
To Butting a farm in good order	11	0	0
2 Horses & a Colt	20	0	0
3 Horned Cattle	14	0	0
5 Sheeps	4	16	0
20 Lists of Letters	16	0	0
10 Calf Skins	4	0	0
Bading and Clothing Lost	10	0	0
Than & Shoemakers tools	4	0	0
House furniture	12	0	0
Farming tools	5	0	0
grains Lost	6	0	0
Chash find	8	0	0
Do      For Refusing six months Reble serves	5	0	0
Total	£  129	16	0

 

York Currency)

M1 von Koughnet

Evedens)
John Ald)

Losses sustained two horses, 3 Cows, Three Months Imprisonment, Plow and Tackle, one Slea, Household Goods, wheat sowed 2 Bushels, Rie Sowed 3 Bushels, Indian Corn planted 5 Acres, flax seed Sowed 3 Bushels, 4 Bushels potatoes planted

 

The above claim was from Bundle 16, microfilm reel B-2189 but a second claim from Bundle 80, microfilm reel B-2446 gives the date of the losses as May 22, 1780.  He also explains the Chash Find [Cash Fine] as "For absenting my self when Called under Arms to oppose the Kings arms".

The service that Koughnet mentions would have been in the Third Battalion of Tryon County Militia [The Mohawk District Regiment] under Colonel Frederick Visscher [Fisher] if he had not refused to serve.

The other men preceding Koughnet served in the Third Battalion as Follows:  Colonel; Frederick Fisher, Lieutenant-Colonel; Volkert Veeder, Captain; Abraham Veeder, [Second Company], Johnannes Veeder and Isaac Davis served as enlisted men.

 

These claims for losses give us an idea of what type of buildings, grain, tools, occupations, household furniture [looking glass, now called mirrors], livestock, slaves, clothing [silver buckles for shoes, neck stock and breeches] and military items such as swords which gives us a glimpse of life in the Mohawk Valley during the War of Independence.