Declaration of James Kitchel

Morris County, New Jersey

Here is part two. This was easier to read. I have left all place names written the way they were. Slight editing by myself consisted of breaking this into paragraphs and adding a small amount of punctuation.
Enjoy and take care , Kevin

Declaration of James Kitchel ,esq. age 79 July 3 , 1838

I am in the 79th year of my age, was a Militia soldier of Morris county in the revolutionary war & was well aquainted with William Willis who married Phebe Wilson. Said Willis lived in Hanover township & within about 3 miles of my father's residence. We often performed Militia duty in the same company & regiments.

In the summer of 1776 I was stationed at Elizabeth town point under Capt. Isaac Halsey & recollect William Willis was there performing Militia duty at the same place , under Capt. Josiah Hale & Col. Munson one month. In the fall of the same year , Willis was performing guard duty under Capt. Hall at Elizabeth town when Gen'l Washington's retreating army passed through, followed by the enemy. Hall's company, with Willis fell in the rear of the main army & retreated with them as far as New Brunswick. The Militia seperated from the main army near Brunswick & returned to Morris County by Baskingridge & Veal town. Willis was out on this tour not less than six weeks.

Early in December of '76, the enemy came over from Staten Island by Elizabeth town through Connecticut Farms as far as Springfield, where Gen'l Heard, commanding the Militia, fought a battle with them. Willis was present & engaged , under Capt. Hall & Col. Munson's regiment. Col. Ford, Col. Drake , Major Bott were all present. Col. Spenser had his horse shot under him. A body of Hessians , or Waldeckers, 70 or 80 in number, were made prisoner & sent to Morristown. Willis & his company were stationed a month between Springfield & Elizabeth town performing guard duty.

Whilst the enemy were encamped in New Brunswick & Amboy, Capt. Hall enlisted a company of men to form 3 months.William Willis & myself both enlisted in Capt. Hall's company for that period & served out the enlistment that winter along the lines near Woodbridge, Amboy, & New Brunswick in the winter of 1777. Gen'l. Winds commanded and was stationed near Quibble town. Colonels Seely, , Munson, Drake with their regiments were there all winter, & there was much fighting & skirmishing with patrols of the enemy. Willis & myself were discharged in the spring, having served 3 months.

In May & June following I served a month near Pompton performing guard duty under the orders of Gen'l Winds & Col. Seely. Willis performed the same duty a month at that place & in its' neighborhood in Capt. Hall's company.

I was with Willis a month in Bergen County near Hackensack & in an attack upon a fort called Pollifly under command of Col. Seely & Gen'l Winds. I was with Willis a month at Haverstraw on the Hudson river near the Jersey line under command of Col. Seely. There was a skirmish with the enemy there in which Willis got a knapsack from them, which by Willis was always after known & called "the Haverstraw sack". This was soon after the burning of Esopus & the taking of Burgoyne.

Willis was with me on a month tour of Militia duty at & near Acquackanonck under Gen'l Winds & Col. Seely in the fall of the year. There was a severe fight with the enemy at Acquackanonck bridge- a large Militia force present. Colonels Frelinghuysen, Hathaway & Hays with their regiments.

He was with me at the battle of Connecticut farms in May 1780, under the same officers & after the burning of the Church & village , the enemy retired & we guarded the lines a month near elizabeth town. I remember him at Sprinfield in the same summer (80), when a severe battle was fought & the enemy burned the Church & the town & retreated through Elizabeth town to Staten Island. Gen'l. Winds commanded the Militia & Colonels Dayton & (?) the continental troops. I believe Capt. Job Allen commanded our company at Connecticut farms & Springfield.

In the sring of '81, I remember Willis on a months' tour of Militia duty at Chatham & another month in the fall season at Elizabeth town point in the fall of the year in which Cornwallis surrendered. In some of Willis' Militia duties, I believe he was under Capt. Jonas Ward's command & perhaps in some instances I may have mistaken the names of his Captain in particular tours. Willis was a New England man, employed by Col. Sam'l Ogden at Boonton Iron works & then he married Phebe Wilson before the war broke out. Willis died some 18 or 21 years after their marriage & his widow married one Howard who died after a few years & she married Barnabas Winds , who lived but a year or two & died. His widow married Aaron Kitchel, my uncle, in June 1808, with whom she lived 'till Juny 1820, when he died & the said Phebe whose first husband was William Willis before mentioned is still living & is at this day the widow of said Aaron Kitchel & is an applicant for a pension on acc't of the Militia revolutionary services of said William Willis.