Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 1467, Solomon Burlingame, Continental (Mass). Vt.
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[upper left corner are these numbers] 3-1776
[there is a heading that says SERVICE]
Continental (Mass)
VT
Burlingame, Solomon
Elizabeth
[a heading on top right]
NUMBER
R. 1467
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[two pages side by side]
[left page\
See letter to Seeley Jewell
23rd Apl 1828
See letter to Pensioner [illegible]
July 1828
see letter to Hon J Maynard H.R.
Feb. 2 1829 respecting letters of S Jewell
do 31 July 1829 to S Burlingame
to Agent 21 Augusst 1829
to S. Jarde 7 Sept 1829
to S Burlingame 29 Sept 1829
To S Jarde 8 Oct 19 1829
to W.H. Adams Feb 3 1830
to the Agent [illegible] 1830
[illegible] 4 Feb 1830

{right page]
10.1250    R.
New York
Solomon Burlingame
of [illegible] in the State of New York
who was a private in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Hitchcock of the Rhode Island and Vermont
inscribed on the Roll of a New York 
at the rate of 8 dollars per month, to commence on 
the 13th of April 1818
Certificate of Pension issued the 29 of April 1821
and sent to J Skinner
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State of New York ⎬
County of Wayne ⎬
Personally appeared before the Subscriber a Justice of the peace in & for said County Sarah Ellsworth of the town of Rose in
the County afforesaid, aged Seventy five years the 21st day
of February 1847 who being first duly sworn according to
law, deposeth and saith that at her earliest recollections
she was residing with her parents in the town of Pownal or Bennington, living near the line in the County of Bennington
Vermont, That while residing at the above mentioned
place, Solomon Burlingame, his wife Elizabeth-
Burlingame (whose maiden name was Elizabeth Weaver)
and her son Jonah Hopkins moved into the neighborhood
from Duchess County New York, that this deponent was
intimately acquainted with said persons, & distinctly
recollect of his being absent, (the above mentioned
Solomon Burlingame) much of the time for near
one year, soon after they removed to the neighborhood
in the army of the United States, in the Revolutionary war
as deponent understood, & verily believed that one good
reason why she distinctly recollects the family, his being
absent in service and other particulars is that at the
time he was absent in service his wifes mother Anstence
Weaver, remained with her Daughter Elizabeth Burlingame
the wife of said Solomon Burlingame, & much was said
by her, relative to her son in law said Burlingame,
leaving his family, without providing for them in his
absence, of which she made many remarks to her neighbours
from this circumstance which is distinctly recollected
she can speak in terms positive relative to their being
married in York State, before they came to Vermont
and before he entered the Army in Vermont, that
deponent was quite young at the time she will of
course readily, adjust but from the circumstances above mentioned she as distinctly recollects the events, as though they had
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taken place but a few years since-
Sworn & subscribed before me
this 30th day of June 1847 by
Sarah Ellsworth, who I certify
to be a highly credible person
[signed]Sarah Ellsworth
The words living near the line, in the
Eighth line from the top & the word admit
in the second line from the bottom were
inserted before signing
H. Salsbury Justice of the Peace

State of New York
Wayne County Clerks Office ⎬ I certify that the above named Hiram Salsbury Esq. before whom the above affidavit
purports to have been taken, was at the time of taking
such a Justice of the peace in and for said County, duly
Elected, qualified and authorized by the laws of this State to take the same. Further I am well acquainted with the hand writing of said duties and verily believe his signature to the Jurats of
the above affidavit is genuine In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Court of Common Pleas of said County at Lyons this Lord day of July AD 1847 Susan B. Gavitt [illegible] 
(Clk absent)
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District of New York
County of Seneca SS: On this 3d day of October 1820
personally appeared in open Court being a Court of
common pleas and Court of Record because it proceeds, according
to the course of common law with a jurisdiction
unlimited in point of amount keeping a Record of their
proceeding holders in and for the County of Seneca in the state and district
of the Town of Galen County of Seneca N.Y.
aforesaid Solomon Burlingame aged Sixty five
years who being first duly sworn according to law
doth on his oath make the following declaration
in order to obtain the provisions made by the act of
Congress of the 18th of March 1818 and of the 1st of May 1820 
that he the said Solomon Burlingame
enlisted for the term of one year on or about the
25th day of December in the year 1775 in the State of
Massachusetts in the company commanded
by Capt. Stephen Kimball in the Regiment commanded 
by Col. Hitchcock in the line of the State of
Rhode Island in the continental establishment
and that he continued to serve in the same corps
until he was discharged which was sometime in
 January in the year of 1777 at Peekskill
in the State of New York that he was in a battle on
Long Island the Battle of White Plains, and at Trenton
in New Jersey and that he has no other evidence
now in his power of his said service Except the affidavit
of Jonathan Dobbs hereunto annexed And in pursuance
of the act of the 1st of May 1820 I do Solemnly
swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States
on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I
have not since that time by gift sale or in any
manner disposed of my property or
any part thereof with intent thereby to diminish
as to bring myself within the provisions of an
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act to provide for certain persons engaged in the Land and naval service of the
United States in the Revolutionary War passed the
18th day of March 1818 and that I have not nor has
any person in trust for me any property or securities
 contracts or debts due to me nor have I any
income other than what is contained in the Schedule
hereto annexed and by me subscribed-
Real Estate I have none either in possession reversion
remainder or expectancy -Personal property, I have 
1 cow, 1 Swine, 1 Table 1 Chest, 1 small chain, 2 Axes, 1 Hoe,
1 Five pail Kettle 1 Fish Kettle, tea kettle, 8 chairs, 4 tea cups
4 saucers, 8 plates,a pair of Andirons, 1 shovel, 5 knives & 
forks-1 Tea pot, 6 spoons, 2 Basing. 3 tin pans, 2 teaspoons
total value of the whole $10.
We owe about forty eight or fifty dollars to different persons
My occupation is farming I cannot labor more than
one fourth part of the time my family consists
 of myself and wife and three orphan children
one 14, another 12, and another 7 years old-
And the said Solomon Burlingame further states
that he made an application for to obtain the
provisions of the said act on the 13th day of April 1818
Sworn to & subscribed to this 3rd day of October 1820.
his mark X Solomon Burlingame
before me in open Court-
J. H. Halsey Clk

Shiel H Halsey Clerk of the court of common pleas
 in and for the county of Seneca do hereby certify that the
foregoing oath and the schedule hereto annexed are truly
copied from the Records of the said court. And I do 
further certify that it is the opinion of the said Court
total amount in value of the property exhibited in the
aforesaid Schedule is twenty two dollars and 77½ cents in
testimony is whereof I have hereunto set my hand and 
affixed the seal of said court on this 3d day of 
October 1820
J.H. Halsey Clerk
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Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by Act of Congress of the 4th of July 1836, entitled "An Act  granting half pay to widows &c, 
State of New York Wayne County SS On this 28 day of May 1846 personally appeared before the Court of Common Pleas held at Lyons in and for said County, Josiah Hopkins of said County aged seventy one years the 5th day of February 1846 when being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the third section of the Act of Congress of 4th July 1836.
hat he is a son of widow Elisabeth Burlingame late the widow of Solomon Burlingame who was a pensioner of the United States at the rate of ninety six dollars per annum, and who died on the 16th day of August 1831, and who left the aforenamed widow, who was this deponents mother him surviving, that said Solomon Burlingame late the husband of this deponents mother above named, done some two years service in the Massachusetts line near the commencement of the Revolutionary War; as he has heard him state, he came to the State of New York as was in the state about the year 1778 or 1779 - when he formed an acquaintance with the deponents mother, and who then resided at a place called Nine Partners Dutchess County  New York, and that in the spring of the year 1780 one thousand seven hundred and eighty, he was married to this deponents mother whose maiden name was Elisabeth Weaver that soon after the marriage at the place above named, said Solomon Burlingame, with this deponent who was then about six years of age, and his wife this deponents mother, moved to Bennington Vermont, when in the spring or summer following then removed to Vermont, said Solomon Burlingame, again entered the service of the United States, in the army of the Revolution, that he was in the service from six months to one year, in the Vermont troops
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troops - but whether in the [? perhaps militia] at state troops this deponent is unable to state but that he did perform some considerable service in the year (1781) Seventeen hundred and eighty one in the State of Vermont. this deponent is positive and that this service was performed after his marriage with this deponents mother, as this deponent distinctly recollects from the fact that when said Solomon Burlingame returned home from the army which was late in the fall, or in the winter of 1781. he gave to this deponent a certain piece of money which this deponent kept for a long time afterwards. that he is not positive as to the officers names under whom he done service in Vermont. But he believes one of the Captains name to have been - Comstock. that this deponent was some seven or eight years of age when he returned from the army, and from the circumstance above mentioned. he distinctly recollects that this deponent has had answered of his age for upwards of fifty years. - that said widow Elisabeth Bulingame died on the fifteenth day of April (1837) One thousand eight hundred and thirty seven. that she left the following named children her surviving, being her only children her surviving. this Jonah Hopkins this deponent and Edward Burlingame the latter a resident of the state of Michigan and that such are after age of twenty one years and [illegible] that said widow remained a widow until his death not having inter married after the death of her late husband Solomon Burlingame above mentioned
Sworn and subscribed begun court in open Court the day and year above mentioned
Saxon B Garitt [signature] Dep Clk of Wayne Co. 

Jonah Hopkins [signature]
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The Court hereby certify that satisfactory evidence was addressed before the court to show that Solomon Burlingame  was a pensioner of the United States that he done service in the Revolutionary Army, was married at the year (1780) Seventeen hundred and Eighty, died on the 16th day of August 1831 that he left a widow the identical person whom he married in the year 1780, that she remained his widow untill her death which took place on the fifteenth day of April (1837) eighteen hundred and thirty seven that she left the following named children surviving, Viz Jonah Hopkins, whose Declaration is hereto annexed
& Edward Burlingame, the latter a resident of Salem in the State Michgan and that each  one of the  age twenty one years of age and upwards That the above named Jonah  Hopkins is a respectable person
By the Court
"
Jaxon B Gantt Dep. Clerk

State of New York
County of Wayne ⎬ss. 
Personally appeared before
---
the subscriber a justice of the peace in and for said  Co. James Hooper of said County aged fifty years in 1846, who being first duly sworn according to law deposeth and states 
that he was personally acquainted with
Solomon Burlingame late a pensioner
of the United States, who  died in the year the 
1831, who  left a widow named Elizabeth Burlingame who remained his widow untill her death which took place of about the 15 they
of April 1837, Eighteen hundred and thirty seven that she remained a widow untill her death at the time above stated, that she left the following named children her survivor,
Viz Jonah Hopkins, of Gale W. York and
Edward  Burlingame  of Michigan
James Harper
Sworn and subscribed before me
this day of May 1846
C. R. Collins & Justice of the Peace
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I certify that the aforenamed applicant is a respectable person.
C. B. Collins Justice of the Peace
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1467

REJECTED

Elizabeth Burlingame
widow of Solomon Burlingame
 Service: 
listed:
ischarged:
plication filed:
ges:
enlisted:
Attorney:
Recognized.
Cert. of Dis. Searched for
18
18
18
Contract.
18
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No 6765
Elizabeth Burlingham
NY
Let. W.G. Wade, Aug 5, 46
to same Jan 4 '47
to Ditt. August 14 '47
Hon J Hasford May 21 /152
---
Act 4 July 1836
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Placed on Roll April 27, 1821
See letter 31 July 1829 to S. Burlingame; to Agent 21 Aug 1829; to S. Jewell 7 Sept: to S Burlingame Sept 29, 1829; to S. Jewell Oct 8, 1829; to W.H. Adams Oct 19, 1829. See letter to S. Jewell Nov 27, 1829. 
Before writing again to Burlingame see letter to S. Jewell 27 Nov 1829; Suspension removed. See letter 3 Feb 1830 to W. H Adams 4 Feb 1830 to J Lawrence P. Agt
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Salem Wayne County NJ

To the Honorable the
Secretary of War

Dear Sir

I have a short time since ascertained that there has been a letter or letters addressed to your department intimating directly or indirectly that I am not under the act of congress entitled to my pension as a soldier of the Revolution. I know not Sir, the contents of that letter or letters but by indirect means, but I understand that it is that I did not serve or that I did not serve a sufficient time to entitle me to receive the compensation by the act theretofore alluded too.

In the letters alluded to I have reference to Mr. Selah Jewell of this town - I humbly solicit your Honor for a copy or copies of the correspondence which has passed between him and yourself (or others in your department) in order that I may make the necessary proofs to convince you that I am justly entitled to the pension which I have heretofore received from the government of the United States.

I forbear saying that Mr. Jewell is a violent and implacable enemy of mine, farther than to convince you of the reasons which has induced him to attempt to withhold the bread from the lips of a helpless old man and woman who have no other means of support than the pension which he has heretofore received.

Solomon Burlingame
His X Mark
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For the matter of 
Solomon Burlingame
Pension & aff copy

The applicant's name is written differently in different parts of the declaration

Proof of Service is required. The affidavits of two creditable witnesses certified to be such by a magistrate will be satisfactory.

Dec 12, 1820
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State of New York
County of Seneca

Pain Hines of the town of Romulus in the county of Seneca District aforesaid being duly sworn according to law doth depose and say that he served in the revolutionary war as a corporal in the company commanded by Capt. Stephen Kimball in Col Hitchcock's regiment in the line of Rhode Island and that he was well acquainted with Solomon Burlingame and that the said Solomon Burlingame served as a private in said company along sometimes in the month of December in the year 1775 until sometime in January 1777 when he was discharged at Berkshire in the state of New York. That he enlisted in prospect hill in the state of Massachusetts and further this deponent saith that he knows the person whose application for a pension is hereto attached to be the same one described in this affidavit and further this deponent saith not.

Pain Hines

Sworn to this 4th day of October 1820 before me
John McLean Jr
1st Judge Seneca County

Seneca County - I do certify that Pain Hines the above deponent is a man who may be believed under oath.

John McLean Jr
1st Judge Sen Com. Pleas

Jan 4, 1821
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Admitted on the affidavits of Peter Hines & Jonathan Dolbe but the residence of the applicant must be inscribed in the declaration and the date of his former declaration as sated by him to have been made must be certified by the Judge before whom it was made or other
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proof equally satisfactory must be adduced
W Dept Pension Office
25 Jany 1821.
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District of New York
County of Seneca ss: Jonathan Dolbe of said District being duly sworn according to law doth depose and say that he served in the Revolutionary War in the company commanded by Captain Stephen Kimball in the Regiment commanded by Col. Hitchcock in the Rhode Island [Island] line that he was well acquainted with Solomon Burlinggame [Burlingame] the person described in the within application for a pension and that the said Solomon Burlinggame [Burlingame]  served as a private in said company Regiment and line from Sometime in the Month of December in the year 1775 untill [until] sometime in the Month of January in the year 1777 when he was discharged at Peekskill in the state of New York and further this deponent saith not -
Jonathan Dolbe

Sworn this 4th day of October 1820 before me
John McLean Jr.
1st Judge Seneca Com. Pleas

Seneca County: ss I certify that the above deponent Jonathan Dolbe is a credible witness - Jan 4, 1821
John McLean Jr.
1st Judge Sen. Com. Pleas
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4

County of Seneca - Joseph Skinner of the town of Junius in the county of Seneca being duly sworn saith that he wrote the papers hereto attached & that they were written during the sitting of court and that Solomon Burlingame is a man who can neither read or write and that he this deponent asked the said Burlingame how he should spell his name and the said Burlingame said his name was sometimes written with one g and sometimes with two and he did not know how it was written by the office who enlisted him and that the reason of the name being written differently in different parts of the annexed papers is owing to this deponent having a *** of business on hand at the time it was written and this deponent further states that the same person who made the within application was present at the time that Pain Hines and Jonathan Dolbe make the annexed depositions and that they were questioned as to the identity of the person of Burlingame and said that they know him to be the same person who served according to their depositions.

Joseph Skinner

Sworn this 4th day of January 1821 before me

John McLean Jr
1st Judge Sen, Comm. Please
S.N.Y.

I Elias Scudder Deputy Clerk of the court of common pleas in and for the county of Seneca do hereby certify that John McLean Junior who signed the above certificates and depositions is first Judge of the said court.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said court at Waterloo this 4th day of January 1821.

Elias Scudder - Dep Clk
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State of New York Seneca County Clerk's Office

I certify that John Sayre Esquire whose handwriting I am acquainted with and whose signature appears to the within certificates relating to the within affidavit in his own proper handwriting as I verily believe was at the time that the same bear date & also on the 13th day of April 1818 was a judge of the court of common pleas in & for the county of Seneca acting under the authority of this state.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of said court this 7th day of February 1821.

J.H. Halsey - Clk.

In the matter of Solomon Burlingame

[Illegible] this claim - the regulation requires two credible witness - one of these appears to have passed by two separate names & by the rolls in the office is marked as a deserter - full & faith credit not to be attached
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Northern District of New York
County of Seneca

Lemuel Warner Ruggles of the village of Waterloo attorney and counselor at law being duly sworn doth depose and say that he is acquainted with Solomon Burlingame whose application for a pension is hereto annexed and that the said Solomon Burlingame on the 13th day of April 1818 made an original application to obtain the provision made by an act of congress to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary war passed March 18th, 1818 and that he the said deponent did draft the said application and that it was made before the Hon John Sayre one of the judges of the court of common pleas in and for the county of Seneca and further that the said Solomon Burlingame is a resident of the town of Gabon in Seneca County.

Lem Warner Ruggles

Sworn this 7th day of February 1821 before me

John Sayre
Judge Sen Comm Please

County of Seneca - I John Sayre one of the judges of the court of common pleas do hereby certify that Solomon Burlingame whose application for a pension is hereto annexed did make and original application before me to obtain the provisions made by an 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 and that according to the best of my knowledge and belief the application was made at the time in the above affidavit mentioned and according to the directions of said act - I do further state that Lemuel Warner Ruggles Esq in the above deponent entitled to full credit as a man of truth and veracity - dated Waterloo Seneca County State of New York Feb 7th 1821

John Sayre
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State of New York
Wayne County Ss

Jacob Leek of the Town of Galen in said County being duly sworn deposeth and saith that he is well acquainted with Solomon Burlingame a petitioner of the United States resident in said Town and that he has lived his nearest neighbor for the last fifteen months and in that time has had many conversations with him as the old man would frequently come and sit with him in his shop & converse - and this deponent saith that about two months ago the conversation turned on who were or had been stout men and the said Burlingame observed that Paine Hines was a very stout man in his time and then said I presume you must have known him as he lived in Romolus close by you before you came here to live - deponent replied that he did not know any such man in Romolus. Burlingame then observed that he meant Jonathan Pray this deponent then replied that he knew Jonathan Pray well he had always known him for many years that he had been a very stout man indeed deponent has heard him Burlingame say that he learned the trade of a brick layer has heard him read in Books, has heard
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say that he had a very good Education when he went into the Army and when he came out or was discharged he could not either read or write and further this deponent saith not.
Signed: Jacob Leek

State New York
Wayne County  SS

Personally appeared before me Jacob Leek to me known. Subscribed and made oath to the foregoing deposition as being true and I further certify that for truth and veracity his character stands fair.
Galen this 20th day of January 1830
Frederick Boogher Justice of Peace

State of New York
Wayne County  SS

I certify that Frederick Boogher was at the time of taking the foregoing affidavit a Justice of the Peace in & for said County, duly authorized by law to administer Oaths: and that I am acquainted with his hand writing and verily believe that the signature to the certificate of the ??? of the same, to be his proper hand writing.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said County this 23d day of Feby 1830.
Daniel Chapman, Dep. Clk.
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Pension Office
I want *** in this case and probably of the units letters have been suffered to go out of the office - I A E

Post Office
30th July 1829

Angells Conners
July 24th

To the Honorable
John H Eaton Esq
Secretary at war
Washington City
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Pension Office
I want *** in this case and probably of the units letters have been suffered to go out of the office - I A E

Post Office
30th July 1829

Angells Conners
July 24th
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For the Pention [Pension] Office War Department

To the Honorable
John H Eaton - Secretary of War

Sir

Sometime in the winter of 1828 I represented to your predecessor by letter that Solomon Burlingame a ^pentioner [pensioner]^ resident of Wayne County NY in my opinion was not entitled to a pention [pension] & gave my reasons in said letter why I thought him disqualified expecting if anything further was required in support of the complaint that there was or would be some proper officer or agent appointed to investigate the matter - sometime in the month of June 1828 I received a letter from the War Department under date of April 23, 1828 that my letter to that office had been duly rec'd and also pointing out the manner of supporting the facts in the sd letter set forth & that the said letter had been placed on the files of the pention [pension] office & fin
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the expense of obtaining the testimony duly authenticated together with having time of the year for business & defined doing anything further about it in the lapse of time since the said Solomon Burlingame has by the assistance of a hungry lawyer who wanted business obtained a copy of my letter from the said pension office on which a suit has been instituted against me for libel and I understand that sometime last winter or more recently my original letter has been obtained from the said pension office on the credit of a receptor for the same for no other purpose but to harass & vex me in the land - under these circumstances I am determined to furnish all the testimony within my reach to support the charges in my said letter if possible by the fourth of Sept next & sir I hope I may correctly request that you forthwith recall my said letter if such is the case that it has been let out of the office & I have to say that the call must be preemptory and absolute one or it will not be returned for the return will be a dilatory one. NOw sir as the lawyer Joseph Skinner by name that assisted the said
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Burlingame to his pension was a very dishonest & profligate man and has since been convicted of perjury in this county & sentenced to our state prison for several years for his offence therefore I cannot come at him for any information. Therefore, I must earnestly request a copy of all the papers of the said Burlingame which stand in support of his right to a pension for if I rightly understand who the witnesses where they are easily impeached to the greatest extent. Whatever is done please to let it be as soon as possible in order to enable me to furnish the proof before another pension becomes due.

I am respectfully
your obt serv
Seeley Jewell

Be please to direct yours to Angels Corner Post Office Galen in Wayne County New York
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Penna County N Y.
Tyre Nov 12th 1829
John Coffin deposeth and saith that he is well acquainted with Solomon Burlingame the pensioner of the United States residing in the Town of Galen Wayne County  and that he lived  for five or six years  neighbour to him for the most part of the time within six or eight rods of him at or about the time that Burlingame obtained his pension Saw the man that was Col Pain Hines at or about the said
Burlingame understood that the said
Hines went to Washington to obtain
his pension deponent asked the said
Burlingame why he did assist the said
Hines he could as well assist him  as he Hines had him Burlingame replied that he never knew him by that name Hines or that he never
knew him in the army by that name
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deponant saith that he is well acquainted with  the general Charachter  of the said
Burlingame having had allmost dayly conversation with him for years and for truth and verasity it is very bad
John S Coffin 
Seneca County
Personally appeared before me
John S Coffin and made oath to and
Signed the above affidavit and do believe him to be Lyle Nov 12th 1829 a Man of truth and verasity 
W. G. Woodworth  J. Peace
State of New York 
Seneca County 
Clerks Office 

I Mather Marvin Clerk of the County
of Seneca do hereby
certify that W. G. Woodworth Esq before
whom the annexed affiant was taken was at the time of taking said affidavit
tice of the peace for the Town of Tyre in the 
County of Seneca duly authorized to take
the same, and that I am acquainted with
a writing of the said Justice and believe the signature subscribed to the affidavit is the proper hand writing of the said justice.
In Testimony whereof I have
hereunto set my hand and affixed the
seal of said County this 6 day of Jany 1830.
Mather Marvin
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State of New York Wayne County SS
Seeley Jewell being duly sworn deposeth and saith that he became acquainted with Solomon Burlingame eight or nine years ago & that he this deponant then lived about a hundred miles to the east of Wayne County & received a letter from said Burlingame stating that he had obtained a pention for services as a revolutionary soldier and that he wished to purchase a lot of land in Galen in said County which this deponant owned, and on or about the 22nd of August 1821 this deponant made a journey out to Galen & found the said Burlingame there - and also found from his statements that he would not draw any money untill the following 4th of September, and this deponant further saith that he was very inquisitive with the sd Burlingame to know by what evidence he supported his claim as it was a matter of some consequence to this deponant to be
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sure of pay if (black smudge) sold him the land the said Burlingame then stated to this deponant that he had been at great paines and trouble to find his witnesses that he bleived he had spent six months in hunting for his old revolutionary brothers and could not find any and had concluded to give up that he could not obtain a pention, but finally he was so luckey as to find plenty of testimony within a few miles of him, this deponant then asked him who the witnesses were he said one Jonathan Dolby and one pain Hines fully identified him, he said that Dolby lived 4 or 5 miles distant Hins lived in the Town of Romolus about 20 miles distant this deponant then asked the sd Burlingame if his witnesses were pentioners he answered that Dolby was but Hines was not. This deponant then asked him if he Hines had ever tried to obtain a pention he answered that he had but could not make out sufficient evidence of his services, this deponant then asked
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Burlingame if he could not identify Hines as well as Hines could him, he answered that he never knew the man by that name Hines but he had known him by the name of Jonathan Pray this deponant then asked the the sd Burlingame why he did not use his right name he answered that was a matter of his own chooseing this deponant then requested the sd Burlingame to let him see his papers he replied that he had put them into the hands of one Harry West a merchant and had empowered him to draw his money who lived about three miles distant this deponant then went and see West & found that he was empowered to draw the money & gave it as his opinion that there would be no failier of money. this deponant then concluded a a contract with the sd Burlingame and was to receive $150 in thirty eight days but the said Burlingame never fulfiled any part of his contract with this deponant. the next year this deponant went out to see sd Burlingame a second payment haveing become due
Page 35

this deponant first went and see the sd West and by his statements found that (illegible) pentions had been drawn that was in arrears this deponant then cald on some of Burlingames near neighbours for information how the sd Burlingame was doing and what the probability was as to geting money. this deponant saith that he was informed that after Burlingame drew his first money he keept a day of rejoicing & feasting and that the said Paine Hines attended and that he gave the said Hines five dollars for assisting of him to get his pention. this deponant then went on to the sd Burlingame for the purpose of geting his pay but could get nothing. this deponant further saith he talked rather sharply to the said Burlingame & told him that he ought not to squander away his money if he had got it for nothing, that he understood he had given Paine Hines five dollars to pay him for swearing for him he said he had given Paine Hines five dollars and it was nobodys buisiness he had been to a goodeal of trouble for him and he had a right
Page 36

to reward him for it - this deponant further saith that he had one other conversation with the sd Burlingame reffring the pention of the sd Hines & asked the sd Burlingame why he did not use his utmost exertion to obtain it he replied that he had he did not see what he could have done more for he had been all the way to Washington in person presented his case to the proper officers there but they would not grant it, this deponant then asked him if he knew by what  name he cald himself there, he replied that he understood that he cald himself Hines, this deponant then replied why did you not assist him with your own affidavit you could as well and had the same meanes to identify him as he had you, he replied that he did not know him by the name of Hines but that his name was Jonathan Pray - this deponant further saith that the common fame and character of the sd Burlingame for truth verasity is bad not only bad but it is very bad and more particularly in the circle of his own immediate neighbourhood so that on many occasions it is common to say that's one of old Burlingames lies or you will lie
Page 37

as bad as old Burlingame - this deponant further saith that he was partially acquainted with the sd Jonathan Dolby in the Town of Burlington County Otsego N.Y. about 130 miles to the east of Senaca County where he last lived and died. this deponant saith that he had near connections where he often visited. who lived neighbours to the sd Dolby that this deponant learnt that he was one of the most worthless drunken creaturs in community that he was allways telling some mervolous incredible stories & confirming them by the greatest of oaths that he was able to utter, this deponant has heard his character in Senaca County & finds from credible sources that to the last of his life he continued to be the same worthless man which (illegible) blieved to be true, the last scane of his life was drunkeness as he has been informed he had empowered a man in the  litle Villag og Clyde in the Town of Galen four or five miles from his residence in the Town of Jameus to draw his pention money in N.Y. he went & received his pention got drunk & by falling himself or being tumbled about by others he received such injiries & bruises which soon after terminated his existance or was the cause of his death - this deponant further saith that he has heard the sd Burlingame frequently say that he served through the whole of the
Page 38

Revolutionary war. and he has also herd him say that where he went into the army he had a prety good education could read and write tolerably well and when he came out he found that he had lost it all he had been in the army so long, this deponant knows that he can read in books + bleves that he can read some in writing as he asked this deponant to let him see a certain writing which he dissected deponants haveing read right it was handed to him and he appeared to read it to himself and gave up the chalenge -- deponant has herd him say that he learned the trade of a mason to lay Brick & stone used after his apprenticeship was out he followed the trade for eight or nine years constantly, has frequently herd him say that he was at the takeing of Burgoyne and his army that he was at the Bunker hill Battle. that he went one campain with General Sullivan into the indian country destroyed all thier villages, fruit trees & corn, and also herd him tell of being in sundry Battles in the southren states. Seeley Jewell. State of New York [illegible] County
Personally Approved before me Sealey Jewell to me known, and subscribed and made oath to the foregoing deposition as being true, and I further certify that for truth and verasity his character stands fair. 
[illegible] January this 15 day 1830
Frederick Bougher Justice of the Peace
Page 39

State of New York   }
County of Wayne     } ss:  I certify that Frederick Boogher was at the time of taking the within affidavit a Justice of the Peace in and for said county, duly authorized by Law to administer oaths: and that I am acquainted with his hand writing, and verily believe that the signature to the Jurat of the same, to be his proper hand writing.  in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of said county this 23d day of Feby. 1830.
Daniel Chapman, Dep. Clk.
Page 40

Galen
Wayne County
N. Y.  August 28th 1829
Respected Sir yours of the 31st
of July has been
duly received and making a statement of the testimoney that supported Burlingame right to
a pension I have been sick ever since that
I received it and unable to go abroad to obtain any testimony relative to the case but have made all the enquiry that I have been
able under my situation, and find that the
result will be be this- & Dolber the witness
that the character of Burlingame are highly impeachable are not worth a straw for truth & veracity that there was no such man as Payne Hines in the Town of Romulus as stated in the Deposition that the true name of the man that Deposed for him was Jonathan Pray a most worthless Character and vagrant as I am informed signed and that he assumed & swore under the name of Payne Mines  I think I shall 
be able to prove that Burlingame has owned this fact himself
I think that I shall be able to prove from Burlingame's own statements that he learned e trade of a mason or brick layer after his time was out he followed the trade conjointly if so he could not have been in the revolutionary war
Page 41

it is stated in the affidavit of Joseph Skinner that the said Burlingame could not either read or write I shall be able to prove that he can read - as to this said Joseph Skinner I cannot come at him the law has him in custody in the state prison if living or he may have been pardoned out for ought I know I can only come at what he has said to others which is as follows - after he Burlingame had got his pension established by and with the assistance of the said Skinner his attorney. Skinner then solicited Burlingame to pay or secure him his fee. Burlingame refused to do anything about it and made an assignment of his pension to one Harry West, Skinner then told Burlingame in the most preemptory manner that he would have him indicted for perjury at the [illegible] learn of the Court for he had perjured himself in the affair and he could prove it whereupon the said Burlingame came forward and procured the said west to give his promissory note for $25  to the said Skinner for settlement - whatever testimony can be obtained I will forward duly authenticated as soon as my health will possibly admit - yours with esteem
Seeley Jewell

John N Easton Esq
Washington City
Page 42

In the matter of Solomon Burlingame, a Pensioner of the United States

Elisha Brown of the town of Plymouth County of Chenango and state of New York deposeth and saith that he is about seventy-two years of age and that he was a soldier of the revolutionary war; that he served in the company commanded by Stephen Kimball in the regiment commanded by Colonel Hitchcock of the Rhode Island forces - that he was well acquainted with Solomon Burlingame who was a soldier of the same company and one of the same miss - that he knows that the said Solomon served in the army one year in the line of continental forces. This deponent further testifies that he has been informed and verily believes to be true that Solomon Burlingame resides in the town of Galen in the county of Wayne and state of New York and that his pension has been suspended further this deponent saith not.

Elisha Brown

Sworn and subscribed this 14 day of November 1828 before me John Noyes Judge of Chenango Common Pleas.

I certify that the above signer Elisha Brown is a man of truth and veracity.

John Noyes - Judge
Page 43

State of New York
Chenango County
Clerk's Office

I hereby certify that John Noyes Esq before whom the within affidavit was taken was at the time of taking the same a Judge as within stated and duly authorized to take the same and that the signature is genuine.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said county this fourteenth day of November 1829.

P Randall - Clk

I certify that the within named deponent Elisha Brown is to me well known and that he is the identical person who testified to the within affidavit and that he is entitled to full faith and credit.

John Noyes - Judge
Page 44

Lyons, NY
Jan 5

FREE

Hon John Maynard
H.R.
Washington City
Page 45

Lyons, Jany 2nd 1829

Dear Sir

In my last I addressed you on behalf of some old soldiers who have done the state some services whether they know it or now and now in the first place I present you an opportunity to do a kind office for a youth who would serve the public with leave of the government - Mr. William P Patrick of this town aged 20 years wishes to enter the public service as a midshipman.

Mr. Patrick is a worthy young man who has made good improvement of the means he has enjoyed for improving himself - It may be said to be a pretty good English scholar for one of his years, has been employed as a teacher of common school & as a merchant's clerk. He has studied mathematics and I believe made good proficiency.

Will you call on the Secy of the Navy & endeavor to have his name placed on the list of applicants and do those things which may to you seem proper to promote the advance of his application? It will gratify me to see him succeed - He appears to me to be of that case of character which makes it way in the world through obstacles that discourage many who are home [illegible] higher fortunes and larger means and opportunities and he would I think with proper excitement of his [illegible] by having the way opened to the present of the profession he has chosen to credit to his county & himself.

Please let me hear from you on the subject at your convenience.

You will I hope excuse my giving you some trouble in another business.

In February (2nd) 1828 Seeley Jewell and others wrote a libelous letter to the secretary of war designed to stop the pension of a worthy old soldier whose
Page 46

name is Solomon Burlingame resident in Galen - the motions of Jewell are very unworthy, and I wish to have him punished as he ought to be by indictment etc. as well as by being called to answer in a civil action.

The original letters were filed at the pension office as appears by the letter of James L Edwards Esquire dated in July last - I wrote the Sec of War in July or August last requesting that he would cause the original letter or letter to be sent to me or to be deposited with the clerk of this county to be used as evidence.

The Sec was probably not at Washington on the receipt of my letter. No answer has been rec'd.

I wish to be able to use the letters (originals you know for copies will not do especially in a criminal prosecution) and I cannot see that there is any impropriety in having them copied & authenticated copies kept on file in the pension office and the originals sent to the proper district to be used in legal investigations. We have copies from the pension office, but they are worth nothing more than clean papers in court. They only show us that the old soldier has been libeled occurred of comfort and caring etc. without enabling us to prove the accurate to the proof of his allegations.

Does not the government owe it to these old worthies when they are thus assailed to put it into the power of the courts to try the facts alleged and to vindicate themselves when they are assailed by malevolence?

When the peurious are accused of procuring their pensions by perjury and subrogation of perjury why should the
Page 47

officers of the government keep fact hold of the evidence of these charges being made and thereby effectually prevents the proper record & receipt? These men have families with connections who set a value on their good name and the government ought to regard them as entitled to the means of protecting their characters through the medium of those [illegible] which they the old heroes established.

I cannot think that their papers will be withheld - I signed my request to have them sent as district attorney of this county [illegible] if need be, you and Gen Marrin can certify the secy that I am such.

I am very desirous that these letters should be placed within the power of the court for the purpose above stated[illegible] I am indignant at the treatment of Jewell to the pensioner - He has vexed & harassed him in many ways & has cheated & wrought him & his son out of their property after distressing them with a great deal of groundless litigation in the courts - Jewell deserves punishment and with evidence keeping & the [illegible] of the Secretary or war I am determined he shall have his desserts.

Now my dear sir permit me to rely on you obtaining the papers. If necessary, get a resolution passed for the purpose - the papers are signed by Zebediah Hatfield, Rueben Smith with Seeley Jewell and the letters are perhaps on the same sheet. You can see at the pension office by reference to the date of 2nd Feby 1828.

I am with true
respect & esteem
yours sincerely

William H Adams

Hon John Maynard
Page 48

Benj Boss affid
of
Solomon Burlingame
Revolutionary services
in 1775 & 1776
20 months service
Page 49

State of Rhode Island
County of Providence

I Benjamin Cowell of the city & county of Providence do certify & say that I have in my possession an old roll of Capt. Stephen Kimball's Company. The roll is headed thus:

"Capt. Stephen Kimball His Company
Lieut. Jonathan Smith
Caleb Cosgrove
Ensign Nehemiah Angels
Zephaniah Cowan
Sergt. Nathan Olney 
Morris Cockran
Sergt. Timonthy Hopkins 
Sameul Singleton
Sergt. Isaac Medbury
JOnathan Dolby
Sergt William Arnold
William Edmons
Othniel Arnold
Bethuel Curtis
Philip Salsburg
Abel Ford
Thomas Bickford
Joel Hopkins
Jalen Arnold
Oliver Hopkins
Elisha Ormsbee
Thomas Parce
Squire Backlin
Homer Perkins
Benjamin Arnold
David Remock
Charles Brown
John Swain
Solomon Burlingame
Pettigrew Smith
Zachariah Bassett
Israel Sheppey
James Blocher
Thomas Thornton
Joseph Bosworth
David Whitman
Amaziah Blackman
John Whitman
Benjamin Boss
Joseph Williams
Rufus Chapman
John Walker
Nathan Walker
Page 50

Jeremiah Westcott
Comfort Weatherhead
Ephraim Hopkins
James Wescot
Jothan Hawkins
Rueben Hines
Jeremiah Walling
Hezekiah Medbury
Pain Hines
Abel Thornton
Abram Jones

And I said Benjamin Cowell do further certify that said roll is without any date upon it but that the following certificate is annexed to it at the bottom thereof viz:

"Senate Sept 11, 1846, I certify that the above-named persons belonged to Capt. Kimball's company in Col. Hitchcock's regiment in the eight months service in the year 1775. I distinctly remember the greater part of them when the regiment was stationed near Boston.

Benjamin Boss

Sept 11, 1846 Sworn to before me
Joshiah Westcott J.C.C.

All the above names are distinctly legible on the old roll & are correctly copied by me.

Benja Cowell

Providence Sept 24, 1846

Providence

In Providence September 25th, 1846, then personally appeared the above-named Benjamin Cowell and on oath testified to the truth of the above affidavit by him signed and I further certify that said Benjamin Cowell is a credible witness.

Franklin Greene - Just Peace
Page 51

SEAL

State of Rhode Island
Secretary's Office Sep 26, 1846

I certify that Benjamin Cowell has this day submitted to my inspection an old manuscript which purports to be a roll of Capt. Stephen Kimball's company; a correct copy whereof is hereunto annexed.

I further certify that there are no rolls of Hitchcock's Regiment in this office: and that Josiah Westcott at the date of his foregoing certificate was associate Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for the county of Providence and Franklin Greene on the day of his certificate annexed a Justice of the Peace for the City of Providence duly elected and commissioned as appears of record.

Witness my hand and the seal of said state at Providence the day and year above written.

Henry Bowen - Secry

I further certify that in May 1775 an act was passed by the general assembly of said state entitled "An act for embodying supplying and paying the army of observation ordered to be raised for the defense of the Coloney". That the time of service was from the day of enlistment to the last day of December then next, unless sooner discharged. That at said session, Nathaniel Greene Sen was appointed Brigadier General. Daniel Hitchcock Colonel of the regiment to be raised in the county of Providence and Stephen Kimball Captain Lieutenant in said Regiment as appears of record.

Witness my hand and the seal as aforesaid.

Henry Bowen - Secry
Page 52

State of New York
Wayne County

Personally appeared before the subscribe a Justice of the Peace in and for said county Marabe Hopkins of Galen in said county aged about seventy-two years and upwards who being first duly sworn according to law deposeth and saith that she was personally acquainted with Solomon Burlingame a pensioner of the United States and who died on or about the 16th day of August 1832 - when left a widow him surviving viz Elizabeth Burlingame, who remained a widow until her death not having intermarried after the death of her late husband Solomon Burlingame but a pensioners of the United states who died as a [illegible] that said widow Elizabeth Burlingame died on or about the fifteenth day of April (1837) eighteen hundred and thirty-seven that she left at her decease the following named children her surviving being her only children her surviving viz: Josiah Hopkins & Edward Burlingame the latter a resident of one of the western states and that everyone of the age of twenty-one years & upwards.

Marabe Hopkins

Sworn and subscribed before me this 28th day of May 1846

C B Collins - Justice of the Peace

I certify that the above-named affiant is a respectable person.

C B Collins - Justice of the Peace
Page 53

State of New York
Wayne County Clerk's Office

I hereby certify that C B Collins Esq whose name is subscribed to the within affidavit and before whom the same purports to have been taken was at the time of taking such a Justice of the Peace in and for said county duly elected and authorized to take the same and further I certify that I am well acquainted with the hand writing of said Justice and verily believe that his signature to the within is genuine.

Witness my hand & official seal this 28th day of May AD 1846.

S B Gavitt - Dep. Clerk

SEAL
Page 54

Galen Feb 23rd 1830

Dear Sir

My health has been so poor that I have not been able to forward ay papers to you respecting Burlingame the pensioner I shall send you some tomorrow & more soon I doubt not but your patience has been exhausted long ago. I have been informed that Burlingame & his creditors & attorney has been making great exertions to have his pension go on again. Sir if any new testimony has been or should be offered on his part in support of his claims I wish you would furnish me with a copy of it - for I am strongly in the belief that there is some corrupt practice been played of I wish to have it in my power to ferret it out if such is the case - Sir I observe that Pain Hines swears that he was Corporal in the same company that Burlingame served in and yet strange to tell the affidavits accompanying this well tell you that Burlingame never knew the man although might fall to his lot to take the command of him
Page 55

perhaps an hundred times in a year 
Sir I was turning over the page of history 
the other day I found that the Battle of Trenton 
was fought on the 26th of Dec. 1776 which would 
be one day after his time of service 
had expired I also find that the army had 
dwindled away to a hand full of troops I 
also find that those troops were the 
most actively engaged for the space of nine 
days that is to say from the 26th of Dec untill [until] 
the 3d of January on which day the Battle of 
Princeton was fought by the same 
troops making the most active and 
vigirous [vigorous] movements according to these 
numbers for the space of nine days that 
ever took place during the war and 
untill [until] they arrived at winter quarters 
in Morristown which was late in Jan. 
I say therefore that it would be allmost [almost]
morrally [morally] impossible & totally incredible to 
believe that a soldier who was actively engaged 
at Trenton Battle would not also be engaged
untill [until] they arrived at winter quarters 
as there was no cessation of active duty 
either night or day.  Burlingame 
made a statement to one of my neighb
ours [neighbors] about two weeks ago in the following 
manner he said that he and all the
Page 56

Regement [Regiment] to which he belonged volinteered [volunteered] 
for one month just before the Battle of Trenton 
and that as soon as the Battle was over he marched 
directly to Peekskill where he was [struck out: discharged by]
discharged by the word of mouth, now sir 
I undertake to say without fear of contradiction 
that no soldier was ever discharged during 
the war without a written or printed certificate 
from the commanding officer of the [illegible] place 
now sir Peekskill at this time was not a 
military post of any consequence but a mear [mere] 
place of deposit for the collection of stores & 
guarded only by a few men could he not 
as well been discharged at Trenton or on  
his march or any where else by the 
word of mouth as he terms it.  I shall 
endeavour [endeavor] to obtain an affidavit of these 
facts for if I understand what constitutes 
circumstantial testimony this is of the first 
class. One thing more sir if they had 
volinteered [volunteered] they would not been allowed 
to quit the army when there was so great 
a want of troops at no time during the 
war was there to great a want of troops.

Your Respectfully

John P Calon Esqr | Seeley Jewell
Page 57

Lyons NY
Jan 19

free
Hon. H. R. Storrs
H. R. 
Washington City
Page 58



Lyons Wayne County Jun 16, 1830
Hon H. R. Storrs
Being under the necessity
of giving some Gentleman at Washington a little trouble in behalf of an old pensions who is beside him very poor abused as I think, and being obliged to serve gratis myself I hope you will excuse me for addressing you
The history of the case is thus
Solomon Burlingame, a revolutionary soldier
of the Rhode Island forces, was a U.S. pensioner prior to the 2nd day of February 1828
At what time his pension was first allowed
I can not state
On the 22nd Feb 1828. Seeley Jewell wrote
a letter to the then Secy of War charging Burlingame with having procured his pension by perjury & subornation of perjury, these were the charge in substance and stated by
Jewell in opinions - to the above letter Mr Edwards of the pension office replied informing Jewell that the department could not act on his letter but must have proof.
In July 1828. Mr Edwards sent to Burlingame
the Pensioner a copy of Jewels letter containing the charges and a copy of the answer. This was done at Burlingame's request. You will here observe that at this time 
Nothing existed against Burlingame right to the pension and nothing was required of him in answer to the charges that he was informed that the department could not notice charges in that form_________
Burlingame friends and myself among the
number knowing as we thought that the charges were without foundation, and that they proceeded to improper motives and being informed that he  Jewell had taken
considerable pains to exhibit and read his letter (to the Secy) before he sent it determined to prosecute him for libel 
and accordingly I advised a letter to the Secy
Page 59

Gen Porter requesting him to send the letter to me as 
Dist. Atty. of this county or to the court of this county for 
the purpose of having an investigation of the charges

The Secy. was as I suppose absent from the seat 
of government at the time & nothing was done till the winter 
of 1828.9 when the application for the letter was renewed 
through the Hon. John Maynard of the H. Reps. 
The letter with another was enclosed to him on the 4th 
Feby. 1829, and by him transmitted to me for the purpose 
above stated.  Jewell was prosecuted for libel in a civil 
suit and indicted.  The civil suit he remained by Hab corp 
and on its being put on the calendar of our Circuit 
Court which sat this [illegible]. he swore it off on acct 
of the alleged absence of a material witness, viz, a 
person in Washington city.  He has as yet kept off the 
trip of the indict by similar means.

But in the meantime he Jewell has had the 
benefit of counsel at Washington, where the following 
proceedings have been had

On the 31, July 1829, Mr Edwards addressed 
Burlingame a letter informing him that the above 
letter had been obtained from the pension office and 
saying that the Secretary of War directed him to say 
that if the letter was under his control it must be forthwith 
sent to the pension office or his pension would be stopped &c 

Now, this letter was not under Burlingames control 
nor had he any thing to do or say about its procurement.

The above mentioned letter of July 31, 1829 was sent to Waterloo 
Seneca County, and not to Clyde (town of Galen) Wayne 
County, where Burlingame resided and where Mr 
Edwards had before addressed him.  Burlingame 
got possession of the letter of 31, July 1829 for the first time on the 
30th Septr. 1829 after his pension had been 
stopped.

On the 9th Octr 1829, I addressed a 
letter on behalf of Burlingame to the Secy of War giving some
Page 60

details of these affairs and seeking to remove the 
difficulties about the old mans pension, and I learned 
from the pension office that under date of the 19th 
of Octr. 1829 anonymously other things as follows [struck out: that] "The pension of Solomon 
Burlingame must remain suspended.  His name 
is not on the rolls of revolutionary soldiers. In such 
cases the claimant is required to produce the testimony 
of two credible and disinterested witnesses.  Burlingame 
has produced the affidavits of Paine Hines and Jonathan 
Dolbe.  The evidence of Paine Hines cannot be admitted 
because on a full investigation of the case it appears 
from the rolls of the regiment in which he served that 
he was a deserter and further that he [illegible]
two different names" &c.  Now you will per [right side of image torn]
that it was not Burlingame, but Hines who [right side of image torn]
& passed by two different names" and besides this 
new matter - going to the original right to the pen [right side of image torn] 
and Mr Edwards seem to have changed his [right side of image torn]
for depriving B. of his pension.

To supply the place of Hines testi [right side of image torn] 
I now send you the enclosed affidavit.

Will you have the goodness to see th [right side of image torn]
is filed in the Pension Office, and ask for [right side of image torn] 
restoration of Burlingames Pension.

I shall to day prepare a petit [right side of image torn]
for B. to present to Congress praying that this 
proceeding may be enquired [inquired] into, to be 
forwarded in a few days and to be presented 
in case his pension is not restored on the 
production at the Pension Office of the enclosed 

As Burlingame belonged to the Rhode 
Island forces I thought of sending this to one of the 
Hon gentleman from that State.  The propriety
Page 61

of doing so is submitted to you.  I wish only to secure 
a proper attention to it and I can hardly bring 
myself to believe that any good man will omit an 
opportunity to testify his regard for the rights of an 
old soldier. I ought to say that I feel [illegible] to believe 
that this business has not been brought to the 
knowledge of the proper officers, or that their ears 
have been abused.  I am with great respect 
and esteem your ob servt

William H. Adams

[partial address]
free
Storrs 
R. 
hington City
Page 62

6765
Elizabeth Burlingham
dec'd widow of Solomon
N Y
Act 4 July 1836

1467
Page 63

State of New York } 
Wayne County } Ss Personally appeared 
before the subscriber a 
Justice of the Peace in and for said County 
John W Hopkins of Galen in said County 
aged forty six years and upwards who 
being first duly sworn according to law 
deposeth and saith that he was person
ally acquainted with Solomon Burlingame 
[illegible] a pensioner of the United States at the 
rate of ninety six dollars per annum, 
and who died on or about the 16th day 
of August (1831) eighteen hundred and thirty one 
and who left his surviving a widow 
viz Elizabeth Burlingame with whom 
this deponent was also acquainted, that 
this deponent was personally acquainted with 
the children of said Solomon and Elizabeth 
Burlingame, and judging from his own age 
compared with that of their children, he knows 
the eldest of their children if living would 
be near or quite sixty six years of age.

That the said widow Elizabeth did not 
intermarry after the death of her late husband 
Solomon Burlingame the pensioner, but re
mained his widow untill [until] her death which 
took place on the fifteenth day of April (1837) 
one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven, 
that she left the following named children 
her surviving being her only children her 
surviving. Viz Jonah Hopkins & Edward 
Burlingame, the latter a resident of the State 
of Michigan in town of [illegible] and that each are of 
the age of twenty one years and upwards.
Sworn and subscribed before }
be this 28th day of May 1846 } John W Hopkins
C. B. Collins Justice of the Peace

I certify that full credit and belief 
is, and should be given to the statements of the 
above named affiant, the correct Jonah [illegible]
what blotted.
C. B. Collins Justice of the Peace
Page 64

I certify that the word oath was written upon an erasure in each of the forgoing affidavits before executed

C B Collins  Justice of the Peace
Page 65

State of New York
Steuben County

Personally appeared before the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for said county James Weaver Esq of said county aged seventy-five years the 14th day of February 1844 who being first duly sworn according to law deposeth and saith that he was formerly a resident of Duchess County New York from the year 1777 until the month February (1781) one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one ,when this deponent with his parents removed from said county and from a town then called Swazo into Albany County.

That while a resident of said town of Swazo in Dutchess County as aforestated this deponent distinctly recollects that a assisting his father whose maiden name was Elizabeth Weaver lived with deponents father and while a resident of this family she was visited by on Solomon Burlingame and that in the spring or summer of the year (1780) seventeen hundred and eighty said Elizabeth made preparations for being married to said Solomon Burlingame - and that she left the house of deponents father (in company with several others who went to attend the nuptial ceremony) for the purpose of being married. The said Solomon Burlingame as deponent then understood and firmly believes, and that they returned to the house of deponents father and lived together as husband and wife, and that it was understood and believed in the family and neighborhood that said Solomon Burlingame and Elizabeth Weaver had been lawfully married and that deponent has always understood and believed never having heard anything to the contrary - that they were at that time lawfully married and that the is firmly believes it was so as though he had seen and heard the ceremony pronounced.

That deponent is positive as to the date of the marriage having been in the spring or summer of (1780) one thousand seven hundred and eighty from the fact that deponent knows it was in the spring or summer previous to the winder in which
Page 66

State of New York
Steuben County

I Paul C Cook Clerk of the said county do certify that John Jamison Esquire before whom the foregoing affidavit purports to have been sworn and also who signed the certificate of character of the affiant was at the date of the same one of the Justices of the Peace in and for the said county and that I am well acquainted with his handwriting and verily beleive his name subscribed to the said affidavit and certificate to be his proper handwriting and signature.

Witness my hand and seal of office the 14th day of December 1846

P C Cook - Clerk
Page 67

State of New York  }
Steuben County ss }  I Paul C. Cook clerk of the said county do certify that John Jamison Esquire before whom the foregoing affidavit purports to have been sworn and also who signed the certificate of character of the affiant was at the date of the same one of the justices of the peace in and for the said county and that I am well ^acquainted^ with his hand writing and verily believe his name subscribed to the said affidavit and certificate to be his proper hand writing and signature  --
Witness my hand and Seal of Office the 14th day of December 1846
P. C. Cook Clerk
Page 68

Rose Wayne Co N.Y.
Dec 11th 1846

Sir,
Please add seal and certificate to this as to the official character of Esquire Jamison, and return to me at Rose Wayne Co. N.Y.
Respectfully Yours,
Willis G. Wade

County Clerk
Steuben Co.
N.Y.
Page 69

Rose, New York
December 21st 1846

Sir

Herewith is enclosed additional proof in case of Elizabeth Burlingame an applicant for a pension under act of Congress of 4th July 1836.

No further proof is furnished as to the date of Solomon Burlingame's death as it was fully shown at the time the arrears of pension was paid after his decease.

I have the honor to be
very respectfully
your obt servt

W G Wade

Hon J L Edwards
Comm of Pensions
Washington 
D.C.
Page 70

Rose New York
July 21st 1847

Sir

Herewith are enclosed the application and proof in support of the claim of Sally Seyor claiming a pension under the act of 7th July 1838.

I am respectfully
your obt servt

W G Wade

Hon J L Edwards
Comm of Pensions
Page 71

Rose New York
July 19th 1847

Sir

I have the honor to forward the enclosed proof in support of the claim of Elizabeth Burlingame dec'd an applicant for a pension under act of Congress 7th June 1832.

This with the proofs filed I trust will satisfy the department of the Interior of the claim.

I am respectfully
Your obt servt

W G Wade

J L Edwards
Comm of Pensions
Page 72

Washington DC
June 13th 1846

Sir

I beg leave to present the enclosed application for the arrears of pension claimed to have been due widow Elizabeth Burlingame at her decease under act of 4th July 1836.

When it is convenient to make the examination please forward the report to my address at Rose, NY.

I am respectfully
Your most obt servt
W G Wade

Hon J L Edwards
Comm of Pensions
Washington 
D.C.
Page 73

State of New York
Wayne County

Personally appeared before the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for said county Harlow Hyde of said county of lawful age when being first duly sworn according to law deposeth and saith that he is superintendent of the county house for the poor in and for said county and that of persons sent to such house for support - he finds the following concerning Elizabeth Burlingame - that she was brought to said county house twenty-third day of May eighteen hundred and thirty-six from the town of Galen and died April fifteenth eighteen hundred and thirty-seven.

 And he further certifies that the above is an exact copy of the second made in the back above referred to with the exception that the dates expressed in the above in writing is in [illegible] legible figures in the original.

Harlow Hyde

Sworn and subscribed before me this 26th day of August 1846.

H Salsbury -Justice of the Peace
Page 74

I certify that the aforenamed affidavits of Harlow Hyde is a respectable person that he is superintendent of the county house for the poor in and for said county and further that I have personally examined the record referred to by him in the within affidavit and that it is truly copied with the exception aforestated.

H Salsbury - Justice of Peace

State of New York
Wayne County Clerks Office

SEAL

I hereby certify that Hiram Salsbury Esq before whom the above affidavit was taken was at the time of taking such a Justice of the Peace in and for said county duly elected and qualified to take the same - and further that I am well acquainted with the handwriting of said Justice and verily believe the signature to the above affidavit & writing purporting to be his is genuine.

Witness my hand and seal of the court of common pleas of said county this twenty-sixth day of August AD 1846.

S B Gavitt - Dep Clerk
Page 75

Rose New York
March 26th 1845

Sir
I beg leave to request the favour of being informed, of the amount of service, and of the exact date, at which it was claimed to have been done, By Solomon Burlingame who was pensioned under the act of 18th March 1818, and who died leaving a widow.
This information is requested for the purpose of ascertaining whether the widow is entitled to a pension under act of 1836 or 1838. It is claimed that one years service was done after marriage.
I have the honor to be
very respectfully
Your most obt servt
[signature] W. G. Wade
Page 76

Wm. H. Adams
Letter of Explanation

Hon John H. Eaton
Secretary of War of the United States
Washington
Page 77

Hon John H. Eaton
Secretary of War of the United States
Washington

Adams
of
[illegible]
Page 78

page 1
Hon. John H. Eaton
Secretary of War of
The United States 

Lyons Wayne County
New York Oct 9 1829

Sir
Your personal attention is requested to the following statement --
Solomon Burlingam a U.S. Pensioner has very recently put into my hands a letter which as I am informed and believe he rec'd the last of September last or the first of the this month. the following is a copy

"War Department
Pension Office July 31 1829"
"Sir The Secretary of War directs me to inform you that charges have been prefered at this department going to shew that your claim to a pension has been wrongfully and falsely [illeg]. the original letter containing the information has been obtained from this office. - The Secretary of War directs me to say that that letter if in your possession or under your controul must be forthwith returned to this office: Otherwise instructions will be sent to the Pension Agent directing him to stop payment of your pension
I am Respectfully
Your obt. servt"
(signed) James L Edwards
"Mr Solomon Burlingame
"Waterloo Seneca County
New York"
Page 79

2)
The envelope covering the letter as handed to me has the Washington Post mark "July 31" and is addressed to "Waterloo Seneca County New York" Mr. Burlingame has resided in Galen Wayne County many years. I am not aware that he ever resided in Waterloo, or within the territory now embraced by the bounds of Seneca County -- It is unfortunate for him that Mr Edwards mistook his place of residence on this occasion although form communications have been correctly directed to him at Galen Wayne County - The error has prevented his receiving the letter until the time above mentioned. He is informed that his pension has been stopped --
"The original Letter" refered to in the above recited communication of Mr Edwards is in my possession. -- The history and the reason of its coming to my hands are briefly these -- In July 1828 Burlingame put into my hands the copies of Letters which I now enclose to you, a copy of "the original letter" being the principal paper in the the [parcel?]
accompanying these was a letter from Mr Edwards under date of July 9 1828 acknowledging the recpt of a letter from Burlingame "requesting copies of the communications" "lately made of this department by Seeley Jewell and others" and saying thst the copies were sent [illeg]
Page 80


3)
compliance therewith" The last mentioned letter is in my possession and it does not request or direct Burlingame to take any measures to refute Jewells Statements --
This was the first knowledge I remember to have had of Burlingame being a pensioner though I had known him five or six years.
The papers were first put into my hands for advice and seeing by them that nothing was then required of Burlingame as answer I immediately determined to prosecute Jewell in a civl suit for libel and to endeavor to [illeg] him to be indicted and tried for a libel --
Accordingly I as district attorney of this county addressed a letter to the Hon. The Secretary of War requesting him to send me or to the Court "the original letter" and aprising him that I would use all reasonable efforts to give Jewell the opportunity to sustain his charges here where he certainly had the best means of doing so if they had any foundation in the truth -- As action of Libel was commenced in the county court. The paper however was not received from the department, and in the winter (last) the application was renewed through a gentleman of the House of Representatives. On the 4th February 1829 the letter with that of Hatfield and Smith (see copy now sent you) was [illeg] to the Hon. Gentleman above refered to. (Hon John Maynard) by some person in the pension office (The envelope is in my possession and by him transmitted to me
Page 81

[N.B. Writing from the other side of the paper shows through, making the letter difficult to read]

4)
At the court in May last A hearing of the Court after I rec'd the letter I laid it before the Grand Jury of this county and they presented a bill of indictment upon & against Jewell for a malicious libel. Jewell avoided the court though he had two civil suits on the calendar, and though I apprised his counsel that I intended to bring him to trial if I could. The civil action for the libel was then on the calendar and we were ready to try it. The attorney of Jewell avoided a trial by removing the civil [illeg] in the Supreme court by writ of Habeas Corpus retainable in august last. I have just compelled his appearance in the Supreme Court and intend to bring the [illeg] on the tried at the next January circuit-- A Bench warrant was sent for Jewell and he was recognized out of court to appear at the late September court in this county to answer the indictment for libel -- I sent subpoenas to Hatfield and Smith to attend the September court and was ready for trial
Jewell did not appear but his bail came into court and prayed for further time for Jewell to appear until the next January court alleging that he was sick. some proof of his illness was adduced such as to induce the court to listen to the application though it left some doubt of the fact of his sickness being hearsay --
Under this State of facts I think [illeg] you will perceive the entire
Page 82

5)
propriety of my retaining the letter until after the trials of the above causes shall have been had and I think no one can doubt of the motives of Jewells officiousness to procure the return of the letter to the department, that it may not appear in court against him. It is perhaps difficult to point out a mode of ascertaining the truth of Jewells charges and opinions more likely to develope all the facts than the one selected. As soon as the trials shall be over I purpose to return the letter to the deparment Jewell has carried on a course of litigation against a son of Burlingame for many years in which the old pensioner has been nominally involved
I say nominally because he has no means of carrying on the smallest law suit independent of his pension. He has lived upon his pension as I learn and is now in debt to the amount of quite all that is unpaid to him --
I hope [illeg] you will indulge me in a single remark concerning the carges in Jewells letter of Feby 2 1828. Respecting the alleged fraud in obtaining the pension he pretends to state nothing material but what is the behest of others, and this I believe he states falsely. The only pretence of suspicion which I can ascertain is that Burlingame originally [illeg] as a witness, a man who has two names The reason of his having two names was that he (the witness) deserted from the Rhode Island forces
Page 83

6)
and enlisted under a feigned name in the Pennsylvania line. Burlingame had other witnesses as I am informed -- As to the manner in which the old soldier "fights his battles oe'r again" this appears to me to be frivilous -- Respecting the aspertion that he owns a farm I know the statement to be entirely erroneous. The facts are that Jewell contracted to sell a piece of Land almost entirely new to the old man Burlingame and his son, and after the son had paid him a part of the price in cattle and other property and had in part cleared the land and made other improvements upon it Jewell took advantage of their default of payment in time refered to complete the contract, and made two unsuccessful attempts to dispossess them by action of ejectment -- they never had title to the land and Jewell has some time since got them out of possession partly by force, and is now in possession himself -
The bad feeling excited by this litigation is as I believe the only cause of Jewells attempt to stop the old mans pension - That he is pretty strictly and legally entitled to it I believe is not doubted by any respectable man of his acquaintance - He resides however ten miles from me and my means of judging are the information
Page 84

of himself and his own men, except as to the affair of the land and property. I have been attorney and counsel for the Burlingames in their litigation with Jewell and on this part of the case I state from accurate and full knowledge derived from the trials. I have very sufficient evidence of their poverty.
Whether Jewell has furnished to the department any evidence of the truth of his statements, or has in any degree complied with the requirements of Mr Edwards letter of the 23 April 1828 (a copy accompanys this) Mr Burlingame is not advised. No evidence has been furnished here as I have learned or believe of charges  proof except what I now send you.
It would perhaps be unbecoming in me to offer any opinion on the propriety of his being heard before he is made to suffer. 
I am informed that that there is a Soldier still living a hundred miles from this who served with him the whole time and that there are several others in Rhode Island.
Should there be other charges by letters from Jewell of a libelous character, or alledging that Burlingame has property, I submit to you the fairness and propriety of putting it in the power of Burlingame to compel a public investigation here where they are both known and where proof can be had by Jewell certainty if he can get them any where
Page 85

8
copies of written instruments are not received by our Courts in evidence when the originals Exist.
If there is a pretense that he has property and his pension is stopped for, that cause the means are at [illegible] putting that subject in its proper light.
You will allow me to say Sir that my motive in attempting to aid Burlingame is not pecuniary reward. I have not received nor do I expect any thing of the kind. I am determined however with the aid of the department to get the matter
adjusted. I am not certain that it is in my power to refer you to [illegible] now in Washington for my character and standing.
I have however a slight [illegible] with the Hon. the Secretary of State on whom you may call should you deem it necessary. I have the honor of [illegible] intimate acquaintance with the acting Governor of this State, whom you
may addup should the credit to be attached to the statements I have made be thought of importance.
Page 86

9)
I send the accompanying copies because it appears probably that official Copies have not been kept of all of them.
Should the suspension of the pension be continued that may be of consequence to Burlingame especially the letter of Mr Edwards [illeg] to Jewel in reply to his first communication -- in such case therefore I will thank you to send them to Burlingame or to me at this place
I have the honor to be
very Respectfully
Sir
your obt. servt
William H. Adams
Page 87

Copy
Honoured Sir,
Having been soliticted by many of the Neighbours of one Solomon Burlingame a pensioner of the Town of Galen, formerly of the County of Seneca, now County of Wayne, State of New York, to write you on the subject and propriety of his claims, as it is generally believed by all acquainted with the man and the circumstances of his obtaining his pension that he was never justly entitled to it, but obtained it by fraud and deception, with the assistance of a Lawyer, who received fifty dollars out of the first drawn money as a fee. The various reasons why he ought not to be entitled are as follows: 1st. Because he tells of such great and wonderful Battles, skirmishes, and engagements, that he has been in, suffered and fought for the United States, during the the Revolutionary War -- the different encampments, marches, and stations of the time of staying and performing each, when added together make more than thirty years. He tells of being in Battles where were both fought on the same day and more than three hundred miles apart, all which he tells for the [illeg] truth. 2ndly Because it is generally believed that he and three others combined together, to assist each other, and swear for each other -- These men's names were Hyndes, Dolbee and Whiter -- I understand these men all swore for Burlingame -- He in turn swore for Doolby and Whiter, but dare not swear for Hyndes, for fear of detection, and Hyndes dare not annul or contradict what he had sworn for Burlingame, for fear of being convicted of perjury, but after he had got his pension, he gave Hynes five dollars for his services, and in lieu of swearing for him -- 3rdy It is believed that
Page 88

his circumstances are good enough to enable him to live without a pension, and as good or better than his Neighbours in general. I sold him a farm of one hundred acres of most excellent Land as any in the County of Wayne, with about ten acres of improvement upon it, on the 22d day of August 1821, a few days before he drew his first pension Money for the sum of six hundred dollars, and gave him time so that he could meet the instalments with his pension money -- He was put in possession of this farm -- has made large improvements on the same -- has a good Stock for the farm of Cattle, Horses, sheep and hogs, with a great variety of Poultry -- has fattened and killed more than two thousand weight of pork, has a plenty of every thing as any farmer in the vicinity -- has had three or four hundred dollars more pension money than the price of the Farm, which was six hundred dollars at the time of purchase -- Fortune has thereon the great western canal through the State of New York, within three quarters of a mile of this farm -- for all these reasons, it is believed he ought not to have any more of the United States money.
I am, Sir,
Yours with respect
(signed) Seley Jewell
N.B. -- the above statement will not be contradicted by any person except some who are directly interested in having his pension come into their hands -- he generally trades out his pension at the stores of James Dixon and Arta Lewis, and they draw the money for him and pass it to his credit -- they might probably use their exertions in his favor -- his son-in-law, Jonah Hopkins might
Page 89

[document continued]

might lend his aid to have his pay continued -- Mr. Burlingame has been threatened of having his case represented to you about two Months ago -- this induced him to move onto his son-in-laws land a few rods from the farm that I sold him, and let his son stay on his farm but he as much owns it now as he ever did
Your respectfully
(signed) Seeley Jewell
February 2d. 1828
James Barbour, Esq
Secretary at War
N.B. -- I would here observed that it was a long time before he could obtain evidence, such as it was sufficient to induce the allowance of a pension, so that he had 3 or 4 years of arrears allowed at his first drawing in 1821 or 2.

Galen, Feby 2d. 1828
Dear Sir -- We have seen a letter directed to you by Seeley Jewell touching the propriety of Solomon Burlingame's being any longer a pensioner - We feel to approve the statements therein made, and were we to particularize the subject , should not say less -- the thing has long been threatened, and in our opinion ought to have been represented to you long ago.
(signed} Zebediah Hatfield
Reuben Smith
Galen, Wayne Co.
N.Y.
Page 90

Washington, Feb. 4. 1829. Received from the Pension Office two letters, of which the foregoing are true copies.
John Maynard
Page 91

State of New York
County of Wayne } ss
I Edward Burlingame aged 61 years and upwards, being. first duly sworn according to law, Saith that Elizabeth Burlingame late the widow of Solomon Burlingame a pensioner of the United States at the rate of $96 per annum from [illeg] Co. N.H,. was deponents Mother-- that he distinctly recollects of having often heard his said father and Mother speak of the Revolutionary services of said father Solomon Burlingame, and that he was always understood from each of them, as well as from other persons who were acquainted with them during the war ["during the war" underscored] that said Solomon Burlingame, was in Service in Rhode Island, and also in Vermont, and that the service in Vermont was performed after the marriage of said Solomon Burlingame to Elizabeth Weaver deponents Mother-- that it has always been so understood in the family & neighborhood,, where they resided that deponents Mother said Elizabeth Burlingame remained a widow untill her death in 18?? after
Page 92

[document with handwritten entry at top, printed form at bottom]

the death of Solomon Burlingame in 1851, & that W. C. Wade of Rose[?] N.Y. is the attorney to [illeg] and claim,
Sworn and Subscribed 
before me this 25th day of August 1851 
Hiram P. Janes a [illeg] of the
Peace in and for the county of Wayne
and State of New York }
[signed by] Edward Burlingame

I certify that 
the above named affiant Edward
Burlingame is a credible person
Hiram P. Janes of P--

[printed form filled in by hand]

STATE OF NEW-YORK,
Wayne County Clerk's Office, } ss.
I, Deputy Clerk of the County Court in and for the Count and State above mention, do hereby certify that Hiram P. Jones whose genuine signature appears to the annexed jurat & Certificate was at the time of signing the same, a Justice of the Peace in and for the county and state aforesaid, duly elected and sworn; that all his official acts, as such, are entitled to full faith and credit; and that the aforesaid County Court [is the] Court of Record, having general jurisdiction, a Clerk and seal.
In Testimony [whereof] I have hereunto set my and affixed my official seal (the seal of said Court and County) at Lyons, this 25th day of Feb [?] A.D. 1851
[illeg] Dep Clerk.
Page 93

I Benjamin Boss of Sictuat in the County of Providence and State of Rhode Island aged Eight nine Years enlisted in Capt Stephen Kimballs Company and Col Hitchcocks regiment of Rhode Island Troops for eight months as a Private and served my time out. Jonathan Smith was Lieutenant & Nehemiah S[illeg] was Ensign Timothy Hopkins was Sergeant Solomon Burlingame of Said Sictuat was a private in Said Company and Served eight months as I did we were Stationed during Said Service near Boston afterwards I enlisted again in the Same Regiment for twelve months and went to New York and also Remember Said Solomon Burlingame also inlisted and served twelve months Ending January 1777, when the Regiment was discharged in New Jersey Col. Hitchcock died soon afterwards I was with him when he Died as his waiter he died at Morris Town in New Jersey.
Benjamin Boss
Page 94

[illeg] [Illeg] In Sictuat September 11th AD 1846

Personally came Benjamin Boss, and made oath to the truth of the within Deposition or Statement by him Signed, the Said Benjamin Boss by reason of his great age and infirmity is unable to attend Court and I further testify that he is a credable witness and his Testimony is entitled to full credit
Before me Josiah Westcott, [illeg]
Page 95

I HEREBY certify that the accompanying pages numbered from one to [illegible] are truly copied from the originals in the Department of War.
James L. Edwards

BE IT REMEMBERED, That James Lewis Edwards, who has signed the foregoing certificate, is charged with the general superintendence of the Pension Business in the Department of War, and with the safe-keeping of the Rolls, Books, Papers, and Documents on file in said Department, in relation to said business;  and that to his attestations full faith and credit are and ought to be given.  In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name, and caused the seal of the Department to be affixed, [seal attached to right] on this ninth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty eight.
P. B. Porter
Secretary of War.
Page 96

1
Honoured Sir,
Having been solicited by many of the neighbours of one Solomon Burlingame a pensioner of the Town of Galen, formerly of the County of Seneca, now County Wayne, State of New York, to write you on the subject and propriety of his claims and as it is generally believed by all acquainted with the man and the circumstances of his obtaining his pension, that he was never justly entitled to it, but obtained it by fraud and deception with assistance of a Lawyer, who received fifty dollars out of the first drawn money as a fee -- The various reasons why he ought not to be entitled are ast follows. 1st. Because he tells of such great and wonderful Battles, Skirmishes & engagements that he has been in suffered & fought for the United States during the revolutionary war -- the different encampments, marches, and Stations, and the time of staying and performing each when added together make more than thirty years, he tells of being in Battles which were both fought on the same day, and more than three hundred miles apart, all which he tells for the strictest Truth - 2nd Because it is generally believed, that he and three others combined together to [illeg] each other and swear for each other -- these men's names
Page 97

[letter continued]

2
were Hyndes, Doolby and Whites. I understand these men all swore for Burlingame -- He in turn swore for Dollby and Whites, but dare not swear for Hyndes, for fear of detection & Hyndes dare not annul or contradict what he has sworn for Burlingame, for fear of being convicted of perjury: but after he had got his pension [blot] [illeg] Hyndes five Dolars for his servicees and in lieu of swearing for him -- 3rdly It is believed that his circumstances are good enough to enable him to live without a pension, and as good, or better, than his neighbours in general. I sold him a farm of one hundred acres of most excellent Land, as any in the County of Wayne, with about ten acres of improvment upon it on the 22d day of August 1820 [1821?], a few days before he drew his first pension money, for the sum of six hundred dollars, and gave him time, so that he could meet the installments with his Pension Money -- He was put in possession of the farm - has made large [improvements?] on the same - has a good stock for the farm of Cattle, Horses, sheep and hogs, with a great variety of poultry - has raised the last season, four or five hundred Bushels of grain - has fattened and killed more than two thousand weight of pork - has plenty of everything as any farmer in the vicinity - has had three or four hundred dollars more pension money than the price of the farm, which
Page 98

[letter continued]

3
which was six hundred dollars at the time of purchase -- fortune has [illeg] the great [illeg] [illeg] through the State of New York, within three quarters or a mile of this Town - for all these reasons, it is believed he ought not to have any more of the United States money.
I am, Sir,
Yours with respect.
Seely Jewell
N.B. The above statement will not be contradicted by any person, except some who are directly interested in having his pension come into their hands -- He generally [illeg] out his pension at the store of James Dixson and Arta Lewis, and they draw the money for him, pay it to his credit -- they might probably use their exertions in his favor -- his son-in-law Jonah Hopkins might lend his aid to have his pay continued -- Mr Burlingame has been threatened of having his case represented to you about two months ago -- this induced him to move onto his son-in-laws land a few Rods from the Farm that I sold him and let his son stay on his farm, but he as much owns it now as he ever did.
Yours respectfully
Seely Jewell
James Barbour, Esq
Secretary of War
Feby 2. 1828
Page 99

[letter continued]

4
N.B. I would here observe, that it was a long time before he could obtain evidence such as it was sufficient to induce the allowance of a pension, so that he had 3 or 4 years of arrears allowed at his first drawing in 1821 or 2.
Page 100

War Department
Pension Office
April 23rd. 1828

Sir,

Your letter to this Department, containing information relative to the fraudulent Manner in which Solomon Burlingame's name was placed on the Pension List, has been received, in reply to which, I have to state to you, that no information which is intended to operate [illeg] suspension of a pension, can be received as evidence, by this Department, unless the same be sworn to, and properly authenticated. It will be necessary, therefore, to give to your statement the effect which is intended, that you shall swear to the facts contained in it, and that the credibility of the witness in such case, should be certified by the Magistrate administering the oath, whose official character and signature must be certified by the Clerk of the Court, where the Magistrate resides under his Seal.
The letter transmitted by you to this Department has been placed on our files.
I am respectfully,
Y. obt. Sert
James L. Edwards

Mr. Sheely Jewell
Maseno [?] Seneca County
New York
Page 101

6
Galen, Feby 2nd 1828

Dear Sir,

We have seen a letter directed to you by Seely Jewell, touching the propriety of Solomon Burlingame's being any longer a pensioner - we feel to [illeg] the statement therein made, and were we to particularize the subject, - should not say less. the thing has long been threatened, and, in our opinion, ought to have been represented to you long ago.
Yours respectfully
signed}
Zebediah Plaifield
Reuben Smith

Galen Wayne County
N.Y.
Page 102

Subsistence office
The Hon
John H Eaton
Secy of War

the Secy of W directs me to inform you, that [illeg] have been prefered at the Dept., going to show that [illeg] to [illeg] pension has been [illeg] [illeg] [illeg]. The [illeg] letter [illeg] the [illeg] has been obtained from this office. the Secy instructs me to say that that letter in yr possession [illeg] yr [illeg] must be ret[blot] [illeg] pension will be suspended until [illeg] [illeg] the letter

[bottom of paper torn]
Page 103

Solomon Burlingame
8 Months Service 1775
12 Months ser 1776
7 Months se 1781
[underscore]
27 Months Service
[underscore]
married in Spring of 1780.
Page 104

State of Vermont
Chittenden
County ss.  }
Secretary of State's Office
I James M Shafter Secretary of State of Vermont hereby certify that upon [illeg] pay roll of Capt Daniel Comstock company on record in this office of revolutionary war service [illeg] the name of Soloman Burlinghame with an allowance to him of [pound sign] 4-14-8 for service "from the beginning of the [paper torn] campaign 1781 to the 30th of June in said year"

I also certify that upon another like recorded pay roll of the same company occurs the name of Soloman Burlinghame with an allowance to him for one hundred and forty eight days service [illeg] July 1st 1781.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of this office at Burlington August 31 1846
James M Shafter