Han Yerry Tewahangaraghkan: "Enlisted or Volunteered into the Military Service of the Revolutionary War"
Han Yerry Tewahangarahkan (whose name is spelled various ways in historical documents) led Native American warriors during the Revolutionary War, fighting in the American cause. In the mid-19th Century, his youngest son applied to receive the "arrears of the pension." The following deposition was included in the pension case file, providing some biographical details about "Captain Honyere" and his military service. The emphasized phrases are underlined in the original document.
State of New York
Oneida County:
Jinney Doxtator of Oneida, a credible witness aged ninety one years, who being duly sworn according to law doth upon her oath deposs and say: That in the year 1775 she resided in the village of Oriskany Oneida County and was then well acquainted with Captain Hon-ye-re Tew-a-han-gar-ah-kan, an Indian of the Oneida Tribe who there enlisted or volunteered into the Military service of the Revolutionary War at Oriskany where he there resided and that he continued to serve in said was as a Captain of a Company of Indians to the close thereof—that she believes that he was at one time in the Regiment commanded by General Herkimer and at another under Col. Jacob Klock; that soon after the close of said war he, said Capt. Honyere, received a bounty of eighteen hundred acres of land; that he received two lots each containing 600 acres situated in the the Township of [cannot transcribe] and one lot...situated in the Township of Pompey[?] which last mentioned lot he sold soon after to one Van Slyke[?] well known to this deponent; that said Captain Honyere was soon after...called Doxtator a name given him by one Stephen Parkhurst of Oneida Castle; he told said Capt. Honeyere that it was the English name of Tew-a-han-gar-ah-kan and he was always thereafter known and called Captain Honyere Doxtator until he died; This deponent further says that the said Captain Honyere Doxtator was married to Dolly Cobus—a person well known to this deponent, also a member of the First Christian Body of the Oneida Indian by one Rev Abraham Johnson, a Methodist Minister of Oriskany sometime in the year 1774, she remembers definitely that it was sometime in that year it being the year previous to his having entered the Military service of said war that soon after he entered the service of aforesaid his wife had a child which she named Jacob Doxtator, said Captain Honyere and Dolly—continued to live together as husband and wife and as such raised a family of four children whose names were Jacob, Dolly, Cornelius and Peter—all of said children she has been well acquainted with from their infancy that all of said children are now dead excepting Peter Doxtator the person who she do [does] the foregoing declarations for arrears of pension. This deponent further says she...said Peter Doxtator is the lawful and legitimate heir at law of said Captain Doxtator and Dolly Doxtator and the only heir now Living to her knowledge—she further says that the said Captain Honyere Tew-a-han-gar-ah-kan alias Honyere Doxtator departed his natural life at Oneida on the 4th of July in the year of Our Lord Eighteen hundred and thirty nine in the ninety fourth year of his age leaving a widow Dolly Doxtator who continued to live and unmarried until the 28th Jay of July in the year eighteen hundred and forty four. She remembers that said Capt. Doxtator died on the 4th day of July that day being celebrated by the American Citizens and that it was the year 1839 she remembers from the fact that the fall following General Harrison was elected President she also remembers that his widow died eight years ago Last July and that she died the same month in which her husband died, to wit, the month of July—This deponent further says that she is entirely disinterested in the application of said Peter Doxtator for arrears of Pension and further deponent said not
Her mark - Jinney Doxtator
Witnessed Jas B Jenkins
R McIntosh
Source:
US, Revolutionary War Pensions, 1800-1900, Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, compiled ca. 1800 - ca. 1912, documenting the period ca. 1775 - ca. 1900. National Archives, accessed through Fold3.com
