USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Plymouth > History of Plymouth, New Hampshire; vol. I. Narrative--vol. II. Genealogies, Volume I > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
served in all this time three years & two months, the last two months for Sargent Currier whose place I took by the officers permission. I
cannot say just how long I was fife Major but think it about two years. There are very few of my company alive & none that I know of now but there are several of the same regiment, Major Preston then Sergeant Preston of Rumney, N. H., was out all the three years, also Smart of Rumney and Keyes of Plymouth & Thomas Currier of Bath, all of the same regiment, I believe are living & if so & my name is not found for all the years, I can prove it by them I think. I was appointed fife Major when we lay at Valley Forge in the beginning of 1778. I have found an old paper that the Lieut. of our company gave me to show what pay he had drawn for me and I subjoin it, also the testimony of Thomas Currier, he being present in Court. He hereby relinquishes
157
THE VETERANS' STORY.
every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any ageney of any State.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
JOSHUA THORNTON.
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states.1
EDWARD WEBBER, Judge of Probate.
Declaration.
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed Feb. 3, 1853.
State of New Hampshire, County of Grafton ss.
On this 25 day of April A. D. 1853, personally appeared before me Andrew S. Woods, Judge of the Superior Court of Judicature in and for said State, Sarah C. Thornton, a resident of Orford in said county, aged fifty nine years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration, to obtain the benefit of an act of Congress entitled " An act to continue half pay to certain widows and orphans " passed February 3rd 1853. That she is the widow of Joshua Thornton and has been his widow ever since he died ; that he was a sol- dier in the Revolutionary war and served as a fifer in the army ; that up to the time of his death he was in the receipt of a pension from the United States at the rate of eighty eight dollars per annum & that his name was on the roll of the Concord, N. H. agency for paying pensions in New Hampshire. She further declares that she was married to the said Joshua Thornton by Ambrose Porter of Lyman on the 1st day of Feb- ruary A. D. 1830, that her said husband died on the 27th day of July A. D. 1843, that she was married to him at the time above stated. She further swears that she was a widow at the time of the passage of the said act and is still a widow and that her name before her marriage afore- said was Sarah Converse and that she has not applied for a pension before.2
SARAH C. THORNTON.
Sworn to & subscribed before Andrew S. Woods, Judge of the Superior Court of Judicature for the State
1 Certificate of Pension, issued the 24th day of October, 1832, and sent to Ira Goodale, Bath, N. H. Inscribed on the rolls of New Hampshire at the rate of eighty-eight dollars per annum.
2 Certificate of Pension, issued the 24th day of September, 1853, and sent to L. D. Stevens, Concord, N. H. Inscribed on the roll at the rate of eighty- eight dollars per annum.
158
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
Declaration.
State of Vermont On this fourteenth day of July 1819, before me Caledonia County SS. the subscriber, one of the Judges of the County Court within and for the county aforesaid, personally appeared Star- ling Heath of Danville in said county, aged sixty one, who being by me first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the follow- ing declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the late act of Congress entitled " An act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolu- tionary war " ; That he the said Starling Heath enlisted for the term of during the war on the 27th day of February A. D. 1777 in Plaistow in New Hampshire in the company commanded by Capt. Benjamin Stone of the regiment commanded by Col. Alexander Scammel in the line of the State of New Hampshire on the Continental Establishment and he continued to serve in said corps, or in the service of the United States until the month of June 1783 when he was honorably discharged from service in Newburgh in the State of New York; that he was in the battles of Mom- mouth and Kingsbridge and that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of the assistance of his country for support and that he has no other evidence now in his power of said services.
Sworn to and declared before me the day and year aforesaid.
JOHN RANKIN, Judge of Caledonia County Court.
I, Benjamin Stone, of Landaff in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, depose and say that in the month of February A. D. 1777, I enlisted Starling Heath into my company of infantry in Col. Alexander Scammel's regiment of the New Hampshire line of which company I then was Captain ; that he continued to do duty in my com- pany for during the war for which he enlisted & was in June 1783 hon- orably discharged from the service at Newburgh in the State of New York; that he was a good, faithful soldier.1
BENJAMIN STONE.
Sworn to and subscribed before John French, Justice of the Peace
Affidavit of Joshua Thornton of Lyman who served in same company, for Starling Heath, is also attached to his declaration
1 Certificate of Pension, issued the 2d of August, 1819, and sent to Hon. Wm. A. Palmer, Danville, Vt. Inscribed on the roll of Vermont at the rate of eight dollars per month.
159
THE VETERANS' STORY.
Declaration.
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th July 1838 entitled " An act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows." State of New Hampshire, County of Grafton ss.
On this fourteenth day of August A. D. 1838, personally appeared before Edward Webber, Judge of the Court of Probate for said County of Grafton, Elizabeth Heath, a resident of Plymouth, in the County and State aforesaid, aged seventy two years, who being first duly sworn ac- cording to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 7, 1838 entitled " An act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows"; That she is the widow of Starling Heath, late of Cabot in the County of Caledonia, and State of Vermont, deceased, who was a soldier and private in the war of the Revolution and was a pensioner of the United States, as she believes, under the act of Congress passed in A. D. 1818 and so continued to the period of his death. She refers to the evi- denee on file in the War Department for evidence of his services and officers under whom he served. When placed upon the pension list he was a resident of Danville in said County of Caledonia and State of Vermont. She further states that she was married to the said Starling Heath at New Chester (now Hill) in said County of Grafton the thir- teenth day of December, one thousand seven hundred and eighty three by Carr Huse, Justice of the Peace; that her husband, the aforesaid Starling Heath died on the twenty-eighth day of October, one thousand eight hundred and twenty eight at Cabot aforesaid ; that she was not married to him previous to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to the first day of January, seventeen hundred and ninety four viz. at the time above stated ; and that she is still the widow of the said Starling Heath having never married since said Starling Heath died as above stated. She further states that to the best of her recollection, said Starling Heath enlisted at said New Chester in March 1776 in Capt. Everett's company, and was stationed to guard the frontiers - said en- listment she thinks was for one year which he served out and returned home. Soon after his return he again enlisted and served during the war but his officers' names she does not recollect. For further particulars of his services she must refer to evidence now on file in the War Department. Has no documentary evidence.
Witnesses to signature Edward Webber Dearborn Perkins
her ELIZABETH X HEATH.
mark.
160
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year first above written.
Before me - EDWARD WEBBER, ( Judge of the Court of Probate for said County of Grafton.
And I hereby certify that the said applicant cannot from bodily infirmity attend Court.
EDWARD WEBBER, Judge of Probate.
I, Samuel C. Heath, of Plymouth in the County of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, of lawful age, depose and say that Starling Heath, late of Cabot in the County of Caledonia and State of Vermont, deceased, died at said Cabot on the twenty eighth day of October, eighteen hundred and twenty eight. I was present at his death and attended his funeral. I further state that Elizabeth Heath of said Plymouth, was the wife and is now the widow of the said Starling Heath and that she has not married since the said Starling Heath's decease and that the said Elizabeth Heath is an applicant for a pension.
Aug. 14. 1838.
SAMUEL C. HEATH.
State of New Hampshire Grafton County
Aug. 14, 1838, personally appeared
SS. Samuel C. Heath, who is a credible witness and who subscribed the above affidavit and made solemn oath to the truth of the above affidavit.
Before me, EDWARD WEBBER, Justice of the Peace.
Starling Heath was married to Elizabeth Ladd by Carr Huse, Just. Peace ; a true copy of the record with the exception of the date which is expressed on the record in fair, legible figures as follows - December the thirtieth, one thousand seven hundred and eighty three, December 30th 1783.1
WM. W. PROCTOR, Clerk of the town Hill.
Declaration.
State of New Hampshire Grafton ss.
On this sixteenth day of May 1818, before me the subscriber, one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for said county, personally appears Joseph Homan aged fifty three years, resident in Campton in said State, who being by me first duly sworn according to law, doth, on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the provision made by the late Act of Congress, entitled " An act to provide for cer-
1 Certificate of Pension, issued the 7th day of September, 1838, and sent to Hon. Robert Burns, Plymouth, N. H. Inscribed on the roll of Concord, N. H., at the rate of eighty dollars per annum.
161
THE VETERANS' STORY.
tain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war." That he, the said Joseph Homan enlisted in April 1781 in the State of New Hampshire in the company commanded by Capt. Ellis of the first New Hampshire regiment commanded by Col. Scammel, Col. Henry Dearborn and Major Scott; that he continued to serve in the said corps, or in the service of the United States, until the 20th Dec. 1783. when he was discharged from service in West Point State of New York; that he was in several battles and that he is in reduced circumstances, and stands in need of the assistance of his country for support ; that he has no other evidence now in his power of his said services.
Sworn to and declared before me, the day and year aforesaid.
EZRA BARTLETT.
[Copy of Joseph Homan's discharge.]
By the Honourable Michael Jackson, Esq., Bri. General Commanding the Garrison of West Point and its Dependentcies.
These are to certify that the bearer, Joseph Homan, Soldier in the N. Hampshire Line is honourably Discharged from the American Army.
Given under my hand, Garrison West Point, Dec. 20th, 1783.1
M. JACKSON, B. General.
Registered in the books of the Regiment.
J. ADAMS, Adj.
Ezra Bartlett, Esq Haverhill
Declaration.
State of New Hampshire Grafton County ss.
On this seventh day of August in the year of our Lord eighteen hun- dred and thirty eight, personally appeared before the Court of Probate of Wills &c. within and for said county, holden at Plymouth in said county, the same being a Court of Record, Sarah Homan a resident of Plymouth in said county, aged seventy three years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Con- gress passed July 7, 1838, entitled " an act granting half pay and pen- sions to certain widows." That she is the widow of Joseph Homan, who was a private in the Revolutionary army in the New Hampshire line as this applicant understood and to the best of her knowledge and belief served in Capt. Ellis' company in the 1st New Hampshire Regi-
Certificate of Pension, issued the 18th of March, 1819, and sent to Ezra Bartlett.
VOL. I .- 11
162
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
ment commanded by Colonel Dearborn and others and left the ser- vice December 20th 1783 being discharged then by Brigadier General Michael Jackson commanding the garrison at West Point and its de- pendencies, that this applicant has no means of stating time when said Joseph entered said service or how long he remained in it, that he entered it as she believes at Kingston in New Hampshire, that she does not know whether he was drafted or was a volunteer or substitute, the battles, if any, he was engaged in or the country through which he marched. That he was a revolutionary pensioner at the time of his decease and resided at the time of his certificate in Campton in said county of Grafton. She further declares that she was married to the said Joseph Homan at said Kingston on the fourteenth day of May in the year of our Lord 1789, that her husband the aforesaid Joseph Homan died at Warren in said county of Grafton on the second day of February Anno Domini 1830 - that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to the first of January seventeen hundred and ninety four, viz. - at the time above stated.
SARAH HOMAN
Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year as above written. before EDWARD WEBBER, Judge of Probate.1
Declaration.
State of New Hampshire } Iss.
County of Grafton
On this fourth day of September personally appeared before the Judge of the Court of Probate for said county now sitting, Samuel Morse, a resident of Plymouth in the county of Grafton and State of New Hamp- shire, aged eighty two years, who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832, That he enlisted in the service of the United States under following named officers and served as he states (to wit) That in April 1775 at Chester in the county of Rockingham and State aforesaid, he volunteered in the company commanded by Capt. Moses Baker of Candia, N. H. on hearing of the battle of Lexington and immediately marched toward said Lexington - When he arrived at Medford, Mass. they found the enemy had returned to Boston and he was there stationed (Medford) and in the vicinity for one month when he was discharged and returned home to said Chester. Soon after arriving here and among the first of the troops enlisted, he again entered the service of the United States by
1 Certificate of Pension, issued April 6, 1839, and sent to N. P. Rogers, Esq., Plymouth.
163
THE VETERANS' STORY.
voluntary enlistment at said Chester for eight or nine months, he is not positive which, in the company commanded by Capt. Hutchins of Hamp- stead, N. H. in Col. Reed's regiment, N. H. militia and served faithfully the full term of his enlistment in the vicinity of Boston. Mass., during which time the ever memorable Battle of Bunker Hill was fought in which he was engaged and took an active part. At the expiration of his term of enlistment he was honorably discharged and returned to said Chester. In the year 1776, the last of August or first of September, he again enlisted for three months in the company commanded by Capt. Runnels of Derry, N. H. and was attached to the regiment commanded by Col. Tash, marched to Fishkill, N. Y. where he was stationed about one week, thence went to Peekskiln, N. Y. where he served out his full term of enlistment and was discharged and returned home to said Chester. The battle of White Plains happened soon after he went to (word torn from paper) Gen. Washington commanded. In the year 1777, about the last of August or first of September, at Plymouth aforesaid he volunteered on an expedition to stop Gen. Burgoyne, with others and started with a determination to take him at any rate. On this expedition he was in the company commanded by Capt. Willoughby. He marched from said Plymouth to Saratoga, N. Y. and served in said expedition until after the surrender of Burgoyne (Oct. 17th. 1777) when he was discharged and returned to said Plymouth, having served in this last expedition a little short of two months. In the whole of his service, he has served, he thinks, about fourteen or fifteen months, not positive which as he cannot say positively whether his enlistment in the vicinity of Boston was eight or nine months. He has no documentary evidence, never received any but a verbal discharge. Since the Revolutionary war he has lived in said Plymouth where he now lives. He was born 1750 at said Chester, does not know of any record of his age. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any agency in any State.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
SAMUEL MORSE.
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states. EDWARD WEBBER, Judge of Probate.
Amendment to the within Declaration.
State of New Hampshire { ss.
County of Grafton
On this 2nd day of April 1833, personally appeared before the Judge of the Court of Probate for said county now sitting, Samuel Morse, a resi-
164
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
dent of Plymouth in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, aged 82 years, who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration as an amendment to the within, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832, (to wit) That under his second enlistment he served a period not less than eight months which term he served out under the within named officers. He refers to the Rev. Ebenezer Blodgett, Solomon Bayley, Col. William Webster and D. M. Russell all of Plymouth aforesaid, to all of whom he is known in his present neighborhood and who can testify to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of revolution.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.1
SAMUEL MORSE.
[The testimony of Ebenezer Blodgett and Solomon Bayley is attached to this amendment and is simply a repetition of the above statement. ]
State of New Hampshire Strafford ss. On this 24th day of April A. D. 1818, before me the subscriber one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for said County, personally appears Adna Penniman aged sixty two years, resident of the town of Moultonborough, County and State aforesaid, who being by me first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the follow- ing declaration in order to obtain the provision of the late act of Congress entitled " An act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War": That he the said Adna Penniman in the month of April 1775 enlisted as a private soldier in said service in the town of Uxbridge, State of Massachusetts, for eight months in the company commanded by Capt. William Wyman and regiment commanded by Col. John Patterson and Massachusetts line ; that he continued to serve in said corps as aforesaid until December 1775 when he was dismissed at Cambridge, State of Massachusetts. And on the eighth day of November 1776 he was commissioned and entered the aforesaid service of the United States as a second Lieutenant in the com- pany commanded by Capt. James Gray and regiment commanded by Col. Alexander Scammel, New Hampshire line ; that he continued to do duty as said second Lieutenant until the first day of May 1778 when he took rank and did the duty as a first Lieutenant in said regiment and on the 16th day of June 1779 he was commissioned and that he continued to serve as a commissioned officer as aforesaid in the continental service of the United States in the war aforesaid from November 1776 until some- time in the year 1781 when he was deranged as a supernumerary officer
1 Certificate of Pension was issued the 25th day of September, 1833, and sent to Edward Webber, Rumney, N. H.
165
THE VETERANS' STORY.
and dismissed at a place called Soldiers Fortune in the State of New York until called for and that he was never called for afterward ; that he was in both battles at Fort Anne and both at Stillwater in 1777, in Mom- mouth in 1778 and at Newton in 1779 ; and that he is in reduced circum- stances and stands in need of the assistance of his country for support. Sworn to and declared before me the day and year aforesaid.1
WILLIAM BADGER.
[Affidavits by Nathaniel Shannon and Jonathan Richardson of Moul- tonborough for Adna Penniman.]
Filed with Adna Penniman's papers is a badly torn document which appears to be his commission, by Congress, as Second Lieutenant in Captain Gray's company in the Third Battalion of New Hampshire troops commanded by Col. Alexander Scam- mell. It is dated Nov. 8, 1776, and signed by John Hancock. The following are copies of two other papers filed with his claim : -
" I Adna Peniman 2ª Lieut. in the 3ª N. Ham. Regt. do acknowledge the United States of America to be Free, Independent and Sovereign States, and declare that the people thereof owe no allegiance or obedience to George the Third, King of Great-Britain ; and I renounce, refuse and abjure any allegiance or obedience to him; and I do swear that I will, to the uttermost of my power, support, maintain and defend the said United States against the said King George the Third, his heirs and successors, and his or their abettors, assistants and adherents, and will serve the said United States in the office of Second Lieut. which I now hold, with fidelity, according to the best of my skill and understanding.
ADNA PENNIMAN.
Sworn before me Camp Valley forge May 15, 1778. ENOCH POOR, B. General.
The United States of America in Congress Assembled.
To Adna Penniman Gentle Greeting, We, Reposing especial trust and confidence in your Patriotism, Valour, Conduct and Fidelity, Do by these presents constitute and appoint you, to be a Lieutenant in the third New Hampshire Regiment in the Army of the United States, to take rank as such from the 1st day of May A. D. 1778 ; You are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of a Lieutenant by doing and performing
1 Certificate of Pension, issued the 5th of March, 1819, and sent to William Badger, Esq., New Hampshire. Inscribed on the roll of New Hampshire at the rate of twenty dollars per month.
166
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTHI.
all manner of things thereunto belonging. And we do strictly charge and require all Officers and Soldiers, under your command, to be obedient to your orders, as Lieutenant And you are to observe and follow such orders and directions, from time to time, as you shall receive from this or a future Congress of the United States or Committee of Congress for that purpose appointed, a Committee of the States, or Commander in chief for the time being of the Army of the United States, or any other your superior Officers ; according to the rules and discipline of war, in pursuance of the trust reposed in you. This Commission to continue in force until revoked by this, or a future Congress, the Committee of Con- gress before mentioned, or a Committee of States.
Witness his Excellency John Jay, Esq. President of the Congress of the United States of America, at Philadelphia the 26th day of June 1779, and in the third year of our Independence.
Entered in the War Office
JOHN JAY - and examined by the Board.
Attest
P. SCULLS, Secretary of the Board of War.
The declaration of Bruce Walker, who married Mehitable Cur- rier (see Vol. II), states that he enlisted at Concord, serving in Colonel Baldwin's regiment, 1776; also in Captain Bowman's company at Portsmouth, one month, early in 1777; also served in Colonel Senter's regiment at Rhode Island from May 1, 1777, to Jan. 1, 1778. Following his death his widow was a pensioner. It will be noted that her papers were drawn by Governor Berry.
State of New Hampshire. Grafton County ss.
On this twenty eighth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and forty three, personally appeared before me the subscriber, one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas within and for the county of Grafton aforesaid, Mehetible Walker, a resident of the town of Hebron in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, aged eighty one years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the pro- visions made by the Act of Congress passed July 7th, 1838 entitled " An act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows " and joint resolution passed Aug. 16th 1842 extending the provisions of said act. That she is the widow of Bruce Walker who was a private soldier in the war of the revolution and was at the time of his death a revolutionary
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.