Henry Grim's Revolutionary War pension records were sent in by Beverly Crim, who has a special interest in the original 7 families of Andrustown and the earliest Grim/Crims in German Flatts and Warren. If you have any info please send it directly to Bev.
State of New York; Herkimer County; In this 18th day of October, 1832, personally appeared before Michael Hoffman, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of said County of Herkimer, Henry Grim, a resident of the Town of Warren, in the County of Herkimer, in the State of New York, aged 70 years, who, being duly sworn according to law, doth, on his oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
I, the said Henry Grim, originally entered the service of the United States under the following officers and served as herein stated, viz: I was drafted during April 1780 into a company commanded by Capt. Putnam out of a company of militia commanded by Capt. Frank and a Mr. Putnam, a relative of Capt. Putnam was his Lieutenant. Said company was in a regiment commanded by Colonel Harper. At the time of said drafting I resided in German Flats in the then County of Tryon, now County of Herkimer, in the State of New York. My company assembled the first time at Fort Herkimer on the Mohawk River in German Flats. I was drafted for nine months according to my recollection and belief. My company were chiefly employed during this nine months in standing guard and marching as they were commanded and as the exigencies of the times and the operations of the Indians and the enemy demanded; from Fort Herkimer to Fort Dayton to Stone Arabia to Johnstown to Forts Plank, Stanwix and Schuyler.
That during this time was frequently sent out on scouting expeditions and to guard supplies being sent to Fort Stanwix, but was not engaged in any battles though I had skirmishes with the Indians.
I endured much hardship in the service during this time. At the expiration of my term my company was disbanded and returned home but did not, nor did any of my company to my knowledge receive any written discharge from the service.
During that time I did not attend to any business or labor for myself. Part of this time we spent at Fort Stanwix in the place of the Continentals.
I enlisted again in the year 1782 at Albany in the State of New York to which place my brother-in-law who had been a soldier and had enlisted for nine months, repaired for the purpose, and that I then enlisted in a company commanded by Capt. Ellsworth and Lieutenant Bloodgood attached to the regiment commanded by Col. Marinus Willet. I cannot state the day of the month on which I enlisted as I kept no written memorandum thereof. That after my enlistment I cannot fix the exact time my company, including myself, moved from Albany to Schenectady and thence in batteau to Fort Herkimer and Fort Dayton to garrison those posts.
About two months after my arrival at these places my Captain and about eighteen or twenty others, including myself, went out on a scouting party towards Fort Schuyler to a place called Steele's Creek about three miles from Fort Herkimer. There we were discovered by a party of Tories and Indians. A skirmish ensued in which Capt. Ellsworth, Sergeant Montgomery and one John Sauts, a private, were killed.
There had formerly been a settlement at Steele's Creek but previous to the time that I, Henry Grim, and my associates reached there, it had been laid in ashes by the Indians. I, Henry Grim, was wounded in this skirmish by a rifle ball in my side. That the party returned to Fort Dayton but next day a party was sent out to bring in the bodies of the deceased which were interred in the old burial ground of the Old Stone Church near Fort Herkimer.
I believe a Captain Henry was charged with the command of the company to which I belonged but of this I am not positive as I went home until my wound was healed and joined my company again on its march to Fort Dayton.
I, Henry Grim, with others of my company, was dispatched to Fort House which stood at the junction of East Canada Creak and the Mohawk River. I recollect one Richard Casler was one of their number and that we remained for a short time only at that place and were called to Johnstown, I think about the month of September in the night time, to join Col. Willet. They met Willet at Caughnewaga. I, Henry Grim, was in the battle fought soon afterward at or near Johnson Hall in Johnstown, now Montgomery County, between the Indians, Tories and I think some British soldiers commanded by one Butler and Major Ross, and the militia and volunteers under Colonel Willet. The Indians and Tories overpowered the Americans and drove them from the bush. The Indians and Tories were much superior in numbers to Colonel Willet's force but the abandoned field piece was retaken the same day by the Americans.
That I, Henry Grim, remained at Johnstown only from about two or three o'clock A. M. until ten o'clock the next morning when I and my company started for Fort Herkimer to go in a chase of the Indians and Tories endeavoring to overtake and get ahead of them. Colonel Willet also with his regiment and some militia came on for the same purpose. That the Indians and Tories were overtaken and one Walter Butler was killed but I, Grim, was not present at this event, having been stationed with several others at Fort Herkimer when they got to that place in the chase to guard that place (post).
From Fort Herkimer I was ordered to Fort Plain late in the fall of 1781 to do duty there and where I remained three weeks and was ordered back to Fort Herkimer. After remaining at this Fort for some time I was discharged with the rest of my company, I believe in the month of December and I returned to my mother's house. I never received any written discharge from service.
I, the said Henry Grim, also further state that I have a record of my age which I believe to be correct, it always having been in my family and received as true and correct. That I resided in the now Town of Little Falls, formerly German Flats where I entered the Revolutionary service but after the war removed to the place of my present residence in the Town of Warren and have ever since resided there. That I am acquainted with Richard Casler and Nicholas Shoemaker now residing in my neighborhood who can testify to my character and veracity and to their belief in my services as a soldier in the Revolution.
And I, the said Henry Grim, also further declare that I was born in the year 1762 in the now Town of Warren in the now County of Herkimer in the State of New York.
I, said Henry Grim, hereby relinquish every claim, whatever to any pension or annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on any pension roll of any agency of any State.
Heinrich Grim
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid, October 18, 1832, before me.
Michael Hoffman,
First Judge of Herkimer County
A note attached to this statement says that: "Henry Crim is buried in the family cemetery of his son, Paul Henry Crim, in the Town of Brutus, Cayuga County, about two miles east of Weedsport. There is a headstone marking his grave with the inscription - Henry Crim, Soldier of the Revolution, died April 6, 1845, aged 83 years, 2 months, and 24 days."