That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated towit. That in May 1778 affiant was residing in Albany county, then a frontier county of the state of New York on a creek called Cobleskill, a branch of the Schoharie River, when a party of Indians consisting of Mohawk's, Seneca's and Anaquaqua's besides some Tories, principally from the Unandilla and Anaquaqua settlements of Indians on the north branch of the Susquehanna River, having penetrated into the settlement, where affiant lived. Capt. Christopher Brown of the militia with his whole company was ordered out, of which affiant was one, (he, affiant, having been enrolled on this occasion for the first time). A company of continental troops, was also detailed and sent from Fort Clinton which was situated on Schoharie River about nine miles from the settlement in which affiant lived, to go against the Indians, which company was commanded by a Capt. Patrick. Capt. Patrick's company joined affiant's company at the house of George Warner who resided on Cobleskill aforesaid, 31st day of May of said year 1778.

Just before the junction of the two companies, Indians had been seen running across the fields backwards and forwards, which was done no doubt for the purpose of decoying affiant's company into the woods, where the Indians would be lying in ambush for them, as it afterwards proved to be the case, for as soon Capt. Patrick's company arrived, the officers sent out three men as scouts & when but a very little way in the woods, they were fired on by one of them shot through the body. Nevertheless being so near to the house, he got in and afterward recovered.

Affiant states that as soon as they heard the guns fired, they all ran in great haste out in pursuit of the enemy, being entirely ignorant of their number and met the scouts in the edge of the woods returning and a parcel of the enemy in close pursuit. Affiant states that they immediately encountered the fire of the enemy who kept firing and retreating for at least a mile, until they fell back upon their main body, who was commanded by Colonel Brandt. Affiant states that they were in such hot pursuit of the Indians that they were precipitated upon the main body of them, before they were aware of it, who were lying in ambush behind a small knoll, of some 200-300 yards in length and about 4 feet in height. A singular freak of nature this, if natural; but being on a level gravelly spot of ground and of such equal height and width and withall, so straight from one end to the other, that affiant thinks it was the work of some ancient race of people long since extinct and at present unknown to the world (if ever) thrown up for defense in some of their wars with hostile forces.

This knoll or ridge was covered with timber, but not so large as the timber on the ground surrounding, owing probably to the fact, that the knoll was not so rich. There was no ditch on either side, but on the side the Indians lay the surface of the earth near the knoll seemed to affiant, when viewing the ground since the battle, to be somewhat lower than the opposite side. Behind the knoll the Indians had driven stakes into the ground, fastened a stick across the top, on which they had put pieces of blankets and stuck a hat or cap thereon, in order to deceive affiant's party. An excellent device too, as affiant states, that many in their zeal to destroy the enemy, and not being able to distinguish well for the smoke occasioned by the firing, were deceived and fired at the supposed bodies of the Indians, while the real Indians were lying or stooped below their imaginary men and firing upon affiant's party.

As soon as Capt. Patrick (who was in advance of his men and a brave officer) discovered the situation of the enemy, he directed his men who had fixed bayonets on their muskets to charge upon the enemy, but before his order could be executed, he was shot dead and one of his lieutenants was killed at the same instant. The death of Capt. Patrick and his lieutenant so damped the ardor of the Americans and the enemy was found to be so much superior in numbers being about 300 or 350, while that of the Americans was only about 200, Capt. Brown, ordered a retreat and they retreated with great precipitation to Fort Clinton before spoken of. The enemy only made prisoner the ensign belonging to Captain Patrick's company, who they kept about two years before he was exchanged, when he returned home and reported that the enemy in this engagement was 350 strong and had lost 36 killed. Affiant states that affiant's party lost 21 men killed including officers and had 9 wounded. That the enemy laid waste the whole settlement on Cobleskill, by burning houses, barns, stables and shooting such horses, as they could not conveniently catch to take away with them.

That he remained voluntarily in the service of the United States until in September or October (he thinks) of said year, when he was sent from Fort Clinton in a company of rangers, about 32 in number and placed under command of a Captain John Ditz, and attached to a regiment commanded by Col. Butler, sent on an expedition against the towns of the Unandilla and Anaquaqua Indians. That the Indians had left their towns when Col. Butler arrived, leaving only 2 very old squaws, who affiant's party left in a hut together with some provision to sustain them, until they might be taken away, or provided for, by the tribe to which they belonged. Col. Butler, burnt all their buildings, save the one just spoken of, and destroyed their orchard and a large quantity of corn, after which they returned to Fort Clinton again, where affiant remained in the service stationed in Fort Clinton until the latter end of June 1779, under Capt. Brown aforesaid Lieutenant Borst and Ensign Nicholas Warner.

That the fort was commanded by Col. Peter Vrooman. Affiant was employed in guarding the fort aforesaid, which contained as well women and children, who had taken refuge there from the savage ferocity of the enemy, as soldiers for the protection of the fort and the inhabitants generally. Affiant being at that time amazingly fleet and a good marksman, as well as woodsman for one of his years, was frequently while in the service sent out as a spy or scout to range the country round about, which he performed faithfully, sometimes skirmishing with small parties of Indians, the relation of which would swell this narrative to too great a length to admit of insertion. That affiant was discharged about the last of June 1779, after having served about one year and about one month, but whether he received a discharge or not he does not now recollect. Affiant in this thirteen months service, knew, in addition to the officers already named, Col. Seeley, Capt. Hagar, and Lieutenants John Lawyer, John Baker and Ditts or Ditz, the 5 last named, were militia officers, as affiant believes. The names or number of any continental or militia regiment with which he served he does not now recollect, but believes the regiment commanded by Col. Butler was called the 4th Pennsylvania regiment.

That an expedition being meditated against the six nations of Indians, affiant volunteered for the campaign immediately after his discharge in the latter part of June 1779 aforesaid, and was sent under a Capt. or Major Parr of the continental troops, who commanded a company of rangers, and was marched from Fort Clinton aforesaid and joined Col. Butler's regiment at what was then called the middle fort on the Scoharie River, and marched by way of Cobleskill creek, thence through cherry valley to Otsego lake, at which place they were joined by General Clinton, with a large body of the American army, finding the water too low to float their boats down to Tioga point. General Clinton ordered a dam erected across the mouth of the lake, which caused the water soon to raise to the height of the dam, and having everything in readiness they opened a passage through the dam for the water to flow, which raised the river so as to enable them to embark and float down to Tioga point, at which place in a few days they were joined by General Sullivan the commander in chief of the expedition. The two divisions then united and marched up what was called the Cayuga or western branch of the Susquehanna River, which led them immediately into the Indian country.

That after having routed a few small bodies of the enemy, while on their march, they found the main body of the enemy collected near new town well fortified, composed of Indians and Tories, who they defeated and routed after a somewhat obstinate resistance on the part of the enemy, who escaped across the Cayoga River, and made for the lake of that name. That General Sullivan, with his army pursued the enemy to the Cayuga lake, where General Sullivan detached a Lieutenant Boyd with this affiant and some 18 or 20 men including two friendly Indians, who went as pilots, and sent them in the night across the river at its outlet from the lake to ascertain, if the enemy were not lying in ambush in a large cedar swamp on the opposite side for the purpose of attacking General Sullivan's army as they crossed the river.

Their orders were to cross over, (which they did, on rafts made of cedar poles, tied together with leatherwood bark) and examine the banks along. If the enemy were not discovered, they were then to penetrate the swamp and go through, which was not more than from one quarter to a half mile wide, and to go to a certain high knob, which was a quarter of a mile or more beyond the swamp, upon which knowl the detachment was to lie concealed on the next day, and watch the movements of the enemy, in case any were there, and the succeeding night they were to return to General Sullivan's camp. Affiant states, that they crossed as aforesaid, in the night, examined the banks, made no discoveries of the enemy, passed through the swamp also without making any, and passed on to the high knob before spoken of, where they remained until the next morning, all the next day, and the next night, (as Lieutenant Boyd refused to return the second night as he was ordered to do) until the second morning after they had crossed the river, when the unfortunate Boyd determined to return to Sullivan.

Declaring that there were no Indians there, as they had had scouts out all the day before, who had not been able to make any discoveries of them. Two scouts had been out, but the enemy had not left the swamp, into which the scouts did not penetrate, and of course, they had made no discoveries. Against this rash proposition of the lieutenant, affiant declares every man (he believes), remonstrated urging upon him the danger of returning by day in case any of the enemy should be lying in wait because if they had left a force sufficient to annoy General Sullivan in crossing the river, it must be a large party, and of course much superior to the lieutenants detachment, and in that event being between them and our crossing we must certainly be destroyed; but all in vain, the ill fated lieutenant, declared that there were no Indians there, and having determined to return that morning, no entreaty availed to shake him from his purpose, so about 8 o'clock the lieutenant started with the detachment to the swamp, where they commenced marching buy single file. This affiant and one Timothy Murphy in front, Lieutenant Boyd in the rear, when they had passed greater part of the swamp along a path leading through; the enemy lying in ambush for affiant's party (having discovered their trail no doubt the day before and expecting their return) commenced firing upon their rear and instantaneously thereafter fired all along the two lines they had formed on each side of the path extending beyond affiant and Murphy, at the same time closing the extremes of the two lines, whereby the whole detachment were entirely surrounded and hemmed in by the enemy. Affiant and Murphy upon the first fire of the enemy in front, dropped and lay flat on the ground, to avoid the effects of their fire, and so continued to lay until the firing had nearly cease, when they sprang to their feet and fortunately for affiant and Murphy the morning was foggy, and amidst the fog and smoke occasioned by the firing of the enemy in front, affiant and Murphy were enabled to escape through the line of the enemy unhurt, running against and knocking over several Indians, as they broke through their lines.

Affiant and Murphy kept together and holding a consultation as they ran, agreed to run around the Cayuga lake, although a distance of about ninety two miles, to reach General Sullivan again. As Murphy declared (which affiant knew well to be true) that it was out of the question to attempt an escape by recrossing the river again, as the enemy would certainly be upon them before they could reach the shore. Affiant and Murphy ran about four or five miles, when they were overtaken by five large dogs, the Indians had set after them. Three of these dogs were very severe and would take hold in an instant, the other two would not bite, but would follow and bay them. Two of these dogs ran up to Murphy and seized and lacerated him much, before he could kill them, which he succeeded in doing with his tomahawk.

While Murphy was engaged with the two dogs, affiant was engaged with the 3rd dog, who had seized affiant just at the time the others had seized Murphy, but affiant was not so well prepared by far, for the fight as his companion was, although affiant had but one to contend with, while his companion had two; for affiant had lost his tomahawk at the time he fell down to avoid the fire of the Indians in the swamp and he and Murphy thought it most prudent and had agreed, when they discovered the dogs coming after them, not to shoot the dogs for fear some of the Indians, who they were certain were near them, might come upon them while their guns were empty and excepting his rifle affiant had no weapon to defend himself with, other than a very thin case knife ground sharp at the point, affiant having sometime before lost his butcher knife.

The dog first seized affiant by the fleshy part of the thigh, in front, and near his crotch. Affiant struck at him with his knife and occasionally with his fist but did not hurt the dog materially, he eventually succeeded in disengaging the dog's hold of his thigh, however, not until he had torn it considerably. The dog next seized affiant by the side of the leg and sunk one of his tushes deep into his leg just by the side of the bone; after loosing the dogs hold of the leg, he seized affiant by the throat and held on, until from the loss of wind occasioned by affiant choking him severely, he was compelled to let go, when he dropped to the ground on his fore feet and stood close by affiant an instant, gasping for breath. In this situation, affiant made an underhanded thrust at the dogs flank, which struck low and penetrated into the intestines, when affiant making a considerable effort (considering his exhausted state) and ripped the dog open across to the back bone and let out his entrails notwithstanding this, the dog made another spring at affiant's neck, but from exhaustion and the wound just given him, only sprang high enough to reach affiant's breast, upon which he inflicted a wound of some three or four inches in length, when he fell down and died. Just at this instant Murphy having finished the two that had attacked him, came to affiant's assistance. Glad would affiant have been, after he was in contact with the dog, to have been able to shoot him The consequence of the enemy coming upon him and he with an empty gun, he would willingly have resigned; but then it was too late, he could not disengage himself from the dog, and his knife was too weak in the blade, that he was afraid to make a heavy plunge, for fear it would break, and sorely indeed did he repent not shooting the dog while it had been in his power.

Immediately after the conclusion of the fight, Murphy discovered standing at a small distance and pointed out to affiant, Captain Yoke, a friendly Indian of the Stockbridge tribe, who had went out as one of the pilots on this excursion. Simultaneously, with discovering Capt. Yoke, affiant and Murphy discovered about 40 naked Indians, within 50 yards of them, all with tomahawks in their hands, affiant thinks, not a rifle amongst them, having left them to make the better speed, no doubt, expecting to find affiant and those they pursued, with no guns, or empty if any, when they would be able, with the assistance of their dogs to deprive us of, or take our scalps. Here had affiant and Murphy not been wounded and fresh as when the race commenced, the Indians would have paid dearly for their temerity, in leaving their guns behind, but situated as affiant and Murphy were, wounded much by the dogs they had killed, already much fatigued, by running and their fight with the dogs, and having a great way to travel before they could reach camp, and withal two dogs and about 40 Indians close at their heels, prudence forbid any other course for them to pursue, but, to seek safety in flight and reach the army they had left with all possible speed. Affiant and Murphy therefore instantly, on discovering the Indian so close, put off at top of their speed and ran on, followed by the dogs and Indians, about 15 miles, as affiant supposes, from where they had had the encounter with the dogs. When affiant and Murphy believing the Indians to be some distance behind, had leisure and shot the remaining two dogs. To this place affiant thinks the enemy pursued him and his companion and gave up further pursuit.

Affiant and Murphy went on until in the night sometime, when being much fatigued, they slept out of the path to one side to rest, and to observe if any of the enemy passed. After sitting and resting sometime, they discovered Capt. Yoke passing along, who they had not seen before, since the time they started when the Indians were so close upon them. They knowing it to be Yoke, hailed him and from that time went on in company all three together to where they had left General Sullivan encamped, which they reached the next morning about 8 o'clock. When they arrived, General Sullivan had with his whole army crossed the river. Whereupon affiant, Murphy and their Indian ally constructed a log raft immediately, crossed the river and over took the army, just as they were engaged in collecting for burial the bodies of the scouts killed the previous morning and putting together the body of Lieutenant Boyd, which the enemy had severed in five pieces. The head cut off, the body then split in twain and then each half cut into again. Here affiant and Murphy had their wounds dressed, for the first time after their infliction, except the wound on the side of affiant's leg, which gave affiant so much pain in travelling the day before that he was compelled to do something if possible to relieve it. Which he done by killing a striped squirrel and putting the brains of the squirrel on the wound and fastening them on with the skin thereof. Affiant's wounds were so bad and disabled him so much that he was placed on a packhorse and rode for 6 days. In due time General Sullivan reached the Indian settlements on the Genisee River, but finding no enemy to contend with, he destroyed all their buildings, orchards, gardens and their immense crops of corn. After which General Sullivan returned by the same route again to the Susquehanna River, thence down the same to Harrisburg, PA. Thence to Easton, PA where affiant and such of the rangers as were yet living were discharged and ordered to return to Fort Clinton again. Where they arrived about the last of October 1779, making in all which he served this tour four months.

Affiant did not receive any written discharge for this tour that he remembers of. A letter was sent by them to Col. Vrooman who was in command at Fort Clinton, stating the particulars of the expedition, and that the rangers (of which affiant was one) had acquitted themselves well. In this campaign affiant knew Generals Sullivan, Clinton and Maxwell, Col. Butler, Major Parr, Lieutenant Boyd and many other officers whose names he has now forgotten.

That about the first of may 1780, affiant still residing in Albany county, New York, enlisted under Capt. Cannon or Kennon for the term of one year and was attached to a regiment commanded by the said Col. Peter Vrooman and stationed at the middle fort on the Schoharie River, that affiant was appointed and served as orderly sergeant of the company to which he was attached during the whole term of his enlistment. That he served during the season of 1780 and until the expiration of his tour in May 1781, mostly as a ranger, generally having command of scouting parties. Sent out to scour the country, for the protection of the fort and safety of the settlement.

That sometime in the fall of the year 1780 a large body of British, Indians and Tories, from Niagara, under command of Sir John Johnson, penetrated the country, meditating an attack on the middle fort, it being the strongest and of most consequence to the enemy to possess. The enemy marched by the upper fort without molesting it, which they could easily have taken, as that fort was weak, being only a picket fort, with two small pieces of artillery. As soon as the enemy passed the fort, the garrison perceiving it to be the object of the enemy to take either the middle or lower fort by surprise, they fired off one of their pieces of artillery to alarm the middle fort, which was only about four miles off. This gun they heard very plainly at the middle fort, and immediately Col. Vrooman sent out a detachment of about 100 riflemen of whom affiant was one, under command of Capt. Woolsey of the continental or state troops, but who just happened, there by accident (as affiant believes) he not belonging to the fort.

This detachment were to go, with all possible speed to the upper fort, to ascertain the cause of the alarm, and then act as circumstances might require. As they were proceeding along in haste by a route not usually traveled, affiant voluntarily took the place of one Jacob Franks who was placed as a flank, guard on the left of the company. Franks was an intimate and particular friend of affiant and affiant knowing him to be unwell took his place on the left as aforesaid. While they were passing through a large pasture, in which the cattle and horses belonging to the fort were usually pastured (this pasture was very large and considerably grownup with willows and other bushes, growing about in bunches). Affiant proceeding expeditiously and cautiously along, discovered in front of him 5 or 6 Indians running very closely together in the same direction affiant was moving. Affiant took deliberate aim and fired at the bunch, for they were running as before stated in very close order and affiant noticed immediately after, that his shot produced considerable confusion among the squad. Affiant does not therefore doubt, that he killed one of them, as it was the only gun fired at the enemy there, and an Indian, was found a few days afterward lying dead with a rifle and knapsack at a spring near where affiant fired.

As soon as affiant fired (as was his duty) he ran in and joined his company, by the time the enemy made their appearance in sight and so numerous were they, that Capt. Woolsey ordered a retreat to the fort, which was effected without any loss, although the enemy closely pursued firing many shots at them, but fortunately none took effect. The enemy then invested the fort and threw three bombs at it, one of them only falling into it, which however done no particular injury. Sir John Johnson then sent two men with a flag of truce, it was supposed to summon the fort to surrender, and contrary to the order of Col. Vrooman (whose valor the men in the fort placed but little reliance upon). The man bearing the flag was shot when about 140 yards of the fort by Timothy Murphy the same person, with whom affiant had suffered so much, in the unfortunate expedition under Lieutenant Boyd. The other person ran back, without attempting to proceed further with the flag. The enemy succeeded only in killing one man in the fort, this was a Samuel Rennels or Reynolds, who went on top of, one of the buildings in the fort, and there foolishly and indecently exposed his hind parts to the enemy in contempt of them, and there remained contrary to the demonition of those in the fort, until one of the enemy under cover of some sprouts, put up from bushes and saplings, that had been previously cut off, crept near enough to shoot and fired at him, the ball just breaking the skin across above one of his eyebrows. This stunned Reynolds and he fell off the house, on the pavement or some stone below on his head and broke his neck.

It was afterwards said that Sir John Johnson having discovered Reynolds contempt of them, with a spyglass, gave a guinea, half johannes or some gold coin to an expert marksman to shoot Reynolds, which was accomplished in the manner before related. But for the truth of this story affiant cannot vouch. Col. Vrooman, then commenced firing at the enemy, who were some 400 - 500 yards off, with some small brass cannon, when the enemy marched off, not however without getting a good warming before they left the neighborhood. Seeing the route they took and knowing that the enemy had to head a long and deep ravine after leaving the fort, the road passing very near the same place back again after heading the ravine. Captain Woolsey aforesaid with about 100 rifle men including affiant was dispatched to a certain place, from which the enemy could be much annoyed without endangering Capt. Woolsey's men.

This was an elevated spot of ground, on which had been erected a block house (but at this time not in use) which commanded the road on the opposite side of the deep ravine, by which road the enemy must off necessity pass, and where it would be impossible for them to cross the ravine to drive Capt. Woolsey from his position and impracticable to return by the road, being one and a 1/4 miles. This place Capt. Woolsey and his men reached in time, from which they fired three rounds at the enemy, when they retreated to the fort again, as the enemy instantly started a large detachment, back by the way of the road to dislodge them, which detachment Capt. Woolsey did not think it prudent to wait for. They followed Capt. Woolsey to the fort but on firing a cannon shot at them they again retired. In this engagement across the ravine, affiant believes they killed many of the enemy, as on viewing the ground soon afterwards he seen much blood in and about the road and a very large fresh dug grave, near by, where they had buried their dead, but what number they killed affiant did not know, as they did not open the grave.