To George Washington from Private John Allison, 16 April 1780
From Private John Allison
Camp near Morristown [Jockey Hollow] April 16th 1780
To His Excellancy Genl Washington Commander in Chief of all the United States of North America &c. &c. &c.
The Humble Petition of John Alison Soldier in the fifth New York Regt in the late Captain Hutchins Company1—Most Humbly Sheweth:
Whereas your Excellancies Petitioner, having only Inlisted for the Term of three years, and that time being Expired the first day of January last past, and Whereas I made application to the Commanding Officer of the Regt for my Discharge, but Could not Obtain it, though I produced Evidence Sworn in Writing that I was only Inlisted for three Years and no longer which Depositions I Inclose that your Excellancy may see the fairness and Clearness of my Inlistment2—Now Please your Excellancey I implore that you would see me Justice done in this affair, and your Petitioner as in Duty Bound shall Pray.
N.B. As the Commanding Officer of the Regt would give no attention to the Affidavits produced and Sworn, without the Evidences personally appeared—I produced them personally, and yet would not Accept of them.3
D, DLC:GW.
John Allison (b. 1754) came from a Haverstraw, N.Y., family that resided on “a large farm” with “much landed estate” (, 253–54). He enlisted in April 1777 as a corporal in the 5th New York Regiment, and his service record indicates “war” as the enlistment period. Reduced to private on 22 June 1778, Allison deposed on 29 May 1821 that “he served until 1783, when he was discharged near New Windsor & Newburgh, by his Excellency General Washington” (DNA: RG 15, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800–1900; see also DNA: RG 93, Compiled Service Records of Soldiers who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War, 5th New York Regiment).
1. Amos Hutchins (Hutchings), who married Allison’s older sister, Mary, in 1764, served as captain in the 5th New York Regiment from November 1776 until he resigned in May 1778.
2. Allison enclosed a deposition sworn before the justice of the peace for Orange County, N.Y., on 17 Jan.: “thomas Allison Being of full age … Saith that Some time past that the Deponant was present when John aleson the Son of Joseph allison Did Inlist In the Continantal Service as a Solder Under Amos hutchings Cpn hutchings Insisted that alleson should Inlist During the war Allison absolutely Denyed Inlisted any Longer than three Years Nether would he Inlist for anytime or without Hutchings would Give from Under his hand that he Did Not Inlist for no Longer then three Years and further this Deponant Saith that he was presant when hutchings Did Give from Under his hand Unto John allison that he was Inlisted for no Longer than three Years” (DLC:GW).
3. Who commanded the 5th New York Regiment during spring 1780 is uncertain; the unit’s colonel, Lewis Duboys, had resigned in December 1779, and its lieutenant colonel and major—respectively, Jacobus Severyn Bruyn and Samuel Logan—were prisoners of war.