Colonel Henry Ludington: A Memoir

by Willis Fletcher Johnson

Apparently it was long after the war before all these matters were fully adjusted, as the date of the following affidavit shows:

I Henry Ludinton do solemnly and sincerely swear that the List hereunto annexed contains an Account of all Certificates that remained in my Hands of those that were issued by the Treasurer and delivered to me for Paying my Regiment; That the remainder were to the best of my knowledge and belief delivered to the Persons who performed the services or their legal representatives and that the names subscribed to the vouchers produced were bona fide subscribed by them.

Henry Ludenton.

Sworn before me this 13th Day of Septr. 1792.

Gerard Bancker Treasr.

Voucher No. 306, of “The United States to the State of New York, Dr. for payments on Certificates for Military Services performed in the late War,” presumably covering all payment made to Colonel Ludington for federal services, shows a total of £1330:19s:2d.

Pay certificate of a member of Colonel Ludington’s regiment

Colonel Ludington appears to have been the purchaser, for cash, of some of the lands apportioned to soldiers as bounties for their services. Thus in the “Manuscripts of the Colony and State of New York in the Revolutionary War,” on file in the controller’s office at Albany, Mr. Patrick has found this entry:

We the subscribers members of a class in Capt. William Pierce’s Company and Colo. John Field’s Regiment who have Procured a man to wit Christian Null to serve in the Levies of this State Until the First Day of January Next who has been Delivered and a Certificut Taken for Such Delivery According to Law whereby the said Class Is Entitled to two hundred acres of Unappropriated Land we do therefore in Consideration of the sum of five Pounds to us in hand paid By Henry Ludenton Esqr the Receipt Whereof we do acknowledge and Do grant and transfer unto the said Henry Ludenton Esqr. his heirs and assigns the Whole Right of the said two hundred acres of Land which said Class is Entitled To In persuance of a Law of this State Entitled an act for Raising Troops to Complete the Line of this State In the service of the United States And the two Regiments to Be Raised on Bounties of Unappropriated Lands and for the Further Defence of the frontiers of this State Passed the 25th of March 1782 To have and to hold the sd two hundred Acres of Land Unto the sd Henry Ludinton His heirs and assigns to his and their proper use and Benefit and behoof forever as witness our hands and seals this the 3d of March 1783.