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Revolutionary Soldiers Resident or Dying in Onondaga County, N.Y. With Supplementary List of Possible Veterans Based on a Pension List of Franklin H. Chase, Syracuse, N. Y. Prepared by REV. W. M. BEAUCHAMP, S. T. D., for the Onondaga Historical Association THE McDONNELL CO. MCMXIII SYRACUSE, N. Y. PUBLICATIONS OF THE ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION VOL. I APRIL, 1912 No. 2 REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS IN ONONDAGA COUNTY This account is founded on the excellent one compiled by Mr. Franklin H. Chase, in 1895, from the county records of 1820 and subsequent years, and from the pension list of 1840. But for this fine record the present work would not have been undertaken. By visits to 175 cemeteries and comparison with rolls and the census of 1790, the former list of over 300 has been more than doubled. Epitaphs have been added, wherever available, but most of the pioneers had no stones, and on early ones it was rarely the case that Revolutionary soldiers were mentioned as such. All the family and local histories in the Syracuse Public Library have been consulted, and many names were thus secured. Personal reports of others have been furnished bv descendants, and the Surrogate's records have been closely inspected. All have been submitted to the judgment of Mrs. Minnie L. Kellogg, an excellent genealogist, who, in other ways, has greatly aided in this patriotic work. Beside the definite list there is a secondary one of those old ·enough for service and with nominal records, but whose identity is not established. Probably more than half these saw some service. A further list might be added from pioneers whose names are on Revolutionary rolls, but whose age is not definitely known. There is little doubt that some of these were soldiers, and will yet be known as such. Lastly there are the unknown veterans and pioneers who have left no trace behind. In exploring old cemeteries Miss Virginia Beauchamp has rendered valuable aid in a work of no small 2 THE ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION magnitude. To explore abandoned burial places, to accu­ rately transcribe difficult inscriptions, requires laborious zeal. Often a stone can be reached only through briers, and a prostrate epitaph has to be dug out of leaves and dirt. Many cemeteries have been revisited to secure accu­ racy, but slight errors are possible. Early use of a military title or appointment to a military office is a fair but not conclusive indication of Revolutionary s·ervice, but some of these names are not in available rolls, -and most of them ·are omitted here. It is well known that some pensioners' names are not in these records, while the veterans were yet able to prove excellent claims. Another difficulty is in the record of names. Some old Dutch forms are hardly recognizable in modern use, and the prefixes of O' and Mc were dropped or used at pleasure. Even common names varied much in spelling, as will appear. Middle names or initials were rarely given. Considering all this it will be seen that this is not a perfect list-which probably never will be made-but one representing ad­ vanced knowledge. A WORD ON LOCAL HISTORY. In July, '77, Col. St. Leger came up Oswego river to Three River point, where he met some Senecas and Missis­ saugas, and then ascended Oneida river on his way to Fort Stanwix. The next year the Americans destroyed O·swego. The Onondaga chiefs and old men restrained their warriors as far as possible, but an expedition from Fort Stanwix destroyed their towns on the west bank of Onondaga creek, in April, '79. The troops landed at Brewerton, passed through the present site of Syracuse, surprised and burned the towns, and returned with captives and laden with spoils. Thenceforward the Onondagas shared in the war, but left their homes. In September of that year Col. Gansevoort, with 100 men, left Sullivan's army and marched eastward through Onondaga, meeting no foes. In 1780 Sir John Johnson made his raid on the Mohawk valley by way of Oneida river and Chittenango creek. Brant camped in Onondaga valley in the spring of '81. Col. Willetts' sleigh expedition, Feb., '83, against Oswego, failed after much suffering. In April, Capt. Alexander Thompson was sent to that place with news of peace. He went by way of Oneida ONONDAGA'S REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS 3 and Oswego rivers, meeting a war party on the way. This is a brief summary of Onondaga in the Revolution. There are many documents preserved in Onondaga County relating to Revolutionary soldiers, and one may be seen in a frame in the Skaneateles Library, which reads thus: "By His Excellency I George Washington, Esq.I General & Commander in Chief of the Forces of the \ United States of America I These are to Certify that the Bearer hereof I Emmanuel Waggerman Soldier I- in the first New York Regiment, having faithfully served the United States seven years I and being inlisted for the War only is I hereby Dis­ charged from the American Army, I Given at Head-Quar­ ters the 8th June I 1783. I Geo. Washington \ By His Excellency's I Command I Jo. Trumbull, Jr. S'y I Registered in the Books I of the Regiment I J. H. Wan­ dell, Adjutant. I The above Emman'l Waggerman I has been honored with the Badge of Merit for Seven I Years' faithful Service I Corn. Van Dyck, Lt. Colo." The name of Emmanuel Waggerman is in Capt. Bleeck­ er's Co. of Light Infantry, in Col. Van Schaick's 1st N. Y. Regiment, and this was in the attack on the Onondaga towns in '79, so that he served here, if he did not live here. He drew lot 17, tp. 17, (Milton) , and in 1790 appeared as Em­ anuel Waggoner, in Schenectady, south of the Mohawk. Another of these discharges belongs to Miss Sevenoaks of Skaneateles, from whom the other came. It was for William McConnell of the 1st N. Y. Line. He afterward dropped the Mc, as many others did. On the reverse, and probably on Waggerman's, is the following, all. printed: "Head-Quarters, June 8th, 1783. I The within Certifi­ cate shall not avail the I Bearer as a Discharge, until the Ratification of the definitive I Treaty of Peace; previous to which Time, and until Procla- I mation shall be made, He is to be considered as being on I Furlough. I GEORGE WASH.. INGTON. His grant of land reads as follows: "The People of the State of New York, by the Grace of God, free I and Independent: TO ALL to whom these pres­ ents shall come: Greeting: I KNOW YE, that, in pursuance of an act of our legislature, passed the sixth day of April, 4 THE ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION one thousand, seven hundred and ninety; I entitled "an act to carry into effect the concurrent resolutions and acts of the legislature, for granting certain lands, promised to be I given as bounty lands, and for other purposes therein men­ tioned," l WE HAVE Given, Granted, and Confirmed, and by I these presents, DO Give, Grant and confirm unto William McConnell ALL that certain tract or lot of land I situate, lying and being in the County of Montgomery, and in the Township of Milton, known -and distinguished l on a map of the said Township I Filed by our Surveyor General, in our Secretary's Office, agreeable to law I by Lot number I Four, Containing Six hundred acres I Together with all and singular the rights, hereditaments and appurtenances to the same belonging, or in any wise appertaining: I Excepting and Reserving to ourselves all gold and silver mines I and also five acres of every five hundred acres of the said tract or lot of land for highways: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the above I described and granted premises, unto the said William McConnell, his heirs and assigns, as a good and indefeasible estate or inheritance forever. I ON CONDI­ TION NEVERTHELESS, that within the term of seven years, to be I computed from the first day of January next ensuing the date hereof, there shall be one actual settlement made on the said tract I or lot of land hereby granted, other­ wise these our Letters Patent, and the estate hereby granted, shall cease, determine and become void I In Testi­ mony whereof We have caused these our Letters to be made Patent, and the Great Seal of our said State, to be hereunto I affixed. Witness our trusty and well-beloved George Clinton, Esquire, Governor of our said State, General and Com­ mander I in chief of all the militia, and Admiral of the navy of the same, at our City of New-York, this Eighth day of July I in the year of our LORD one thousand, seven hundred and ninety, and in the Fifteenth year of our Independence. Approved of by the Commissioners of the Land Office, and passed I the Secretary's-Office, the 21st day of November 1791. I Lewis H. Scott, Secretary. I Geo. Clinton." To this was added the following deposition: "I William Connell do I swear on the holy Evangelists of Almighty God, That I I have not sold or otherwise dis­ posed of the Land ! that I am entitled to either from ONONDAGA'S REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS o Congress, or from i the State of New-York, to any Person or Persons. I So help me God. l Sworn before me I this day of I June, 1784. his Willm X Connell.

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