CHARLES NEER REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION FILES

Charles Neer was born 7 Nov 1753, in Rhinebeck, Dutchess, New York, the son of Barent Neher Neer and Anna Barbara Treber. His grandfather, Johann Karl Naeher (Neher, Near, Neer, Nayer) was a Palatine Immigrant to America, who fled Germany with his wife, and two sons first to Rotterdam, then to England. They sailed for America on the Midfort, across the Atlantic, and up the Hudson River to Red Hook, NY. During the trip, it is assumed that the wife passed away as she is not listed in any records after their arrival. Johann Karl Naeher's gravestone is still standing in the churchyard cemetery of the "Old Stone Church" in North Rhinebeck, NY. The construction of the church was one of Karl's last projects before his death.

Charles Neer enlisted in June 1776 into the Company of CPT Husted, of Colonel Stephen Schuyler, Albany County Militia. He was with this company for six months during which he embarked at Albany "on a sloop" with the rest of his troops for the "Highlands." He later enlisted with the rangers and was afterwards "out upon numerous occasions, for a number of months, in the garrison and fort of Schoharie." While at Schoharie he was out on many occasions on "scouting expeditions with the noted Tory Hunter, Timothy Murphy, having been selected from among the soldiers in the fort for that purpose." In 1778 Charles Neer "being duly enrolled in the militia of Greenbush of which Henry van Rensselaer was Colonel," he was "out with said Regiment or a portion then of to the northern frontier for the period of three months."

Charles married Catherine Hidley on June 06, 1777, daughter of John and Anna Catherine Ziegler Hideley, at Greenbush, Rensselaer, NY. They leased a 79 acre farm adjacent to Samuel Lape, Sr., in Greenbush, Rensselaer, NY, but removed to Lutheranville, Summit, Schoharie County, NY, between 1791-1795.

In Summit, Charles Neer purchased a 148 acre farm and he was an Elder of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lutheranville, NY, at its founding. Samuel Lape, Sr., in 1814, moved to Lutheranville, NY, and was a next-door neighbor of the Charles Neer family. Charles Neer's daughter, Lany, married Samuel Lape Junior in 1817.

Charles Neer died on July 14, 1826, and is buried in the Lutheranville Cemetery. Catherine Hidley Neer, after the death of Charles, applied and received a widow's pension on March 8th, 1843, at the age of 83 years. She received a total of $476.58.

Following is Catherine Neer's affidavit for pension:
Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congrefs pafsed July 4, 1836.
State of New York
On this 8th day of March 1843, personally appeared before me John Westover one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Schoharie in said state Catherine Near of the town of Summit in said county aged eighty three years & upwards who being first duely sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by an act of Congrefs pafsed July 4th 1836, entitled an act granting half pay & pension to certain widows.
That she is the widow of Charles Near or as he was called in Dutch Carl or Carel Near (Carl or Carel being the same as Charles) that her husband the said Charles Near was a soldier during the war of the Revolution and served in the army of the United States from the beginning until the end of said war, that much of this service this Declarant particularly remembers but that many of his expeditions with the militia she cannot call to mind with sufficient clearnefs to declare them under oath. That her husband the said Charles Near at the commencement of said war resided in the town of Greenbush opposite the City of Albany that in the month of June of the year 1776, he enlisted therefrom into the company of Capt. Henry Van Renfselaer (or as he was called Hank Van Renfselaer) said Van Renfselaer was then a Capt. in the regular army and her husband the said Charles Near was thus enlisted into the regular Army to serve for a period of six months. That the declarant more particularly remembers the particulars of this service from the following facts, that she was in Albany at the time he started for the Highlands & that he gave her a present to remember him by & that she saw him embark on board of a Sloop with the said Captain Van Renfselaer & the rest of the troops for the Highlands, That she was married to said Charles Near on the 6th day of June 1777. That he remained on duty at the Highlands for the full period of six months, there is no fact in Declarant's history more vividly impressed upon her mind than this. That after said service under said Capt. Van Renfselaer her said husband enlisted in the rangers she thinks under Capt. Sharp.
That in the next year 1778 (the next year after her marriage) her husband the said Charles Near being duly enrolled in the militia of Greenbush of which Henry Van Renfselaer was Colonel was out with said Regiment or a portion thereof to the northern frontier for the period of three months. He was afterwards out upon numerous occasions among which Declarant more particularly remembers that he served for a number of months in the garrison and fort of Schoharie. That she well remembers his service at said forts & of hearing him relate at the time & upon numerous occasions since that when at said fort he was out on scouting expeditions with the noted Tory Hunter Timothy Murphy having been selected from among the soldiers in the fort for that purpose. Declarant is particularly afsured that her said husband was on duty at the Schoharie forts and on scouting expeditions during the latter years of the war for a period in the aggregate of at least six months.
And declaiment further saith that she was duely married by the Rev. Mr. Westerlo a Dutch Reformed Clergyman on the 6th day of June 1777. That she particularly remembers the date from many circumstances among the most prominent of which is that she was married in the house of one Mr. Hertsbeger & that Burgoyne and his army surrendered the following fall after her marriage the Declarant further saith that her husband the said Charles Near died on the 14th day of July 1826 at Summit in the County of Schoharie since which time she has remained his widow, single, and unmarried and is still unmarried. Declarant further saith that the residence of said husband was in the town of Greenbush opposite of Albany until after the treaty of peace with Great Britain and this deponent also saith that her maiden name was Catherine Hidley.
Subscribed and sworn}
the day and year aforesaid}
before me & certify that}
the declarant Catherine}
Near is unable to attend}
Court by reason of old}
age and bodily infirmnefs}
John Westover Judge of}
Schoharie County Courts}
The words "and for scouting}
expeditions" entered}
before signed} her
John Westover} Catherine x Near
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