Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 17851, for Mathew Simpson, New York
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(3-1776)
SERVICE                                             NUMBER
New Jersey   Simpson, Mathew       R17851
New York
CONTENTS
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9528
Matter of Mathew Simpson
a revolutionary soldier
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State of New York   }
Washington County }ss.
On this twenty ninth day of August in the year eighteen hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open court before the Judge of the Court of Common Pleas now sitting at Salem in said county, Mathew Simpson a resident of Salem in the county of Washington in the state of New York aged seventy seven years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress and the provisions thereof passed 7th June 1832.
That he enlisted in the army of the United States at Johnstown in the state of new York with what was then called (as he thinks) the "Jersey Blues" and (as he also thinks) commanded by Colonel Vandick in the line of the state of New York for the term of three years (as he thinks) and remained in the service in said regiment as near as he can recollect one year and a half, when being at Albany as waiter to Colonel Vandick who was at that time sick of being displeased with the company of the "Jersey Blues" he through the agency of Captain Hawkins got a discharge from the regiment before mentioned and enlisted in the company of Captain Hawkins in the regiment which (he thinks) was commanded by either Colonel Schyler or Colonel Gates of the line of the state of New York at Albany and continued for the whole of said term in the service in said company and regiment being stationed most of the time at West Point but frequently marching to Albany and the surrounding places - but that he was once but cannot recollect at what time at White Plains in the said company at the Battle at that place and was engaged in the whole of that Battle with several (illegible) fighting and once at a place called Covers Kill a few miles west of Schohassie in a skirmish which took place between two scouting parties, but cannot recollect the state  of any of the above enlistments as of the Battle or skirmish above
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(illegible)
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State of New York  }
Washington County ss.}
On the 27th day of February in the year 1833, personally appeared before me, John William (illegible) Lanngate of the County of Washington and state of
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at West Point in State of New York at Albany frequently marched to the [illegible] County during the time he served as aforesaid. That he reserved a written discharge from Colonel Jacksons Regiment at West Point, at the expiration of his term of service, but has lost the service, as was not [illegible] what has become of it. That he has no [illegible] of his age. [illegible] is documentary evidence of his service and further he says [illegible] he until neither read or write of time of said service and that in [illegible] of its health & advanced age his memory is very poor & many [illegible] & date in relation to his service have been [illegible] from his memory. And the said Mathew Simpson further says, that he was born in the town of [illegible] in the county of Harbman in the state of New York in the year 1756 as he is informed & believes. That he has no record of his age. That he was living in the town of [illegible] in the county of Munty [illegible], state of New York when he first entered the service. That often he was discharged at West Point and returned to [illegible] aforesaid, where he resided until the [illegible] to [illegible] where he was [illegible] with but little interruption from [illegible] then [illegible] Years. That he now resides in Salem in the county of Washington & State of New York. That he enlisted into the service in the summer
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and under the circumstances above mentioned as a [illegible] soldier, in the Regiment of Col. Vandick & Colonel Jackson as [illegible]. And he received a discharge at West Point as above [illegible], but that he has lost it. That one John Searls, who formerly resided in the town of Salem, was [illegible] to the [illegible] service during the Revolution as above stated, but that he went a number of years since to the state of Ohio, & thus since [illegible] as he has been informed [illegible]. That the said John Searls is the only person that he was [illegible] who knows of his service, but who is now decd. as he before stated, as he believes.
And the said Mathew Simpson further says that by reason of old age and consequent loss of memory he was not [illegible] the particulars of his service any further than he has done in his said amended declaration, but Mathew is certain that he served three years and eighteen months as he above stated. Mathew Simpson X - his mark

Sworn this 27 February 1833 in open court, and I certify that I with [illegible] name of Mathew Simpson at his request in being unable to write by reason of age & infirmity and his [illegible] an illiterate man. John Willard surrogate
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State of New York, Washington County ss
Amhurst Wheeler of the town of Salem, County & State aforesaid being duly sworn says, that he has resided in the town of Salem in the County of Washington close to fifty two years. That he has known Mathew Simpson about forty four or five years. That he heard him mention of being at Albny & at being acquainted with a man by the name of Arnold (& as he thinks Thomas Arnold) who was a baker in the Revolutionary Army. That the said Simpson stated to this deponant about forty five years ago that he was at Saratoga, West Point & Albany with the army during the Revolutionary war. And this deponent further says that the said Mathew Simpson gave him a history of the movements of the army with great [illegible] which he could not have done at that time he thinks, unless he had been in the service, as he said Simpson could not have obtained his information by reading as he was very illiterate. And this deponent further says that he well knows Arnold to be a baker, & was well acquainted with him and his family. This deponent further says that he was sixty two years old the second day of
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October last, that he believes that said Mathew Simpson to be a man of truth & verasity & of good moral character as he has been well acquainted with him for the time aforesaid. Amherst Wheeler

Sworn before me this 21 day of February 1833.
Cyrus Stevens, Commissioner of Deeds in & for the County of Washington

Alexander Proudfit, a cleryman residing in the town of Salem in the county of Washington and state of New York, and Bernard Blair of the same place attorney and counsellor at law being duly sworn say that we are well acquainted with Mathew Simpson, who has taken and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy seven years of age. That he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
Alex. Proudfit, B. Blair

Sworn by the said Bernard Blair on the 27th & by the said Alexander Proudfit on the 28th February 1833 & I certify that the deponants are credible persons.
John Willard Surrogate
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State of New York, Washingnton County ss
On this 28th February 1833 I certify that the annexed affidavits have been taken before me, and that the said Mathew Simpson was sworn to the amended declaration hereto annexed, after putting to him the question proposed by the war department. And I further certify that I bound the papers together with a piece of tape and affixed my seal of office at the hand of said tape.

In witness whereof I have hereby set my hand & seal of office the day & year above written.
John Willard, Surrogate
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Matter of Matthew Simpson, Revolutionary soldier.
Amended declaration
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Power of Atty. from E. Simpson
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State of New York, Washington County ss
I the undersigned do hereby make affidavit that I am the heir of Matthew Simpson a soldier of the Revolution who applied for a pension & whose claim was as I am informed & believe suspended for want of evidence. And I do hereby appoint John N. Craig of Washington City my attorney to examine whatever papers may be on file in the Office of Pensions in the case of said Matthew Simpson in which I am interested as his heir at law for the purpose of enabling me to obtain whatever I may be entitled to.
Ebenzer D. Simpson

State of New York, Washington County ss
On this 29th day October A.D. 1853 personally appeared Ebenezer Simpson who on being duly sworn did depose and say that the facts set forth in the above affidavit are true & at the same time did acknowledge the above power of attorney to be his act for purposes therein named. And I certify that I well know the said Ebenezer Simpson & that he is the same person who is desented in the above power of attorney & who executed the same.
A.B. Law, Justice of the Peace
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N. 9528
Matthew Simpson
(Page 78)
Rejected
43 11.12.17

31 Aug '32
20 Nov

Wm. H. McKee
Salem N.Y.
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in the case of Matthew Simpson
of Salem
in the State of N. York
(Act 7 June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? in open Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he? Seventy Seven years
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
5. ┃
15
Period.
Years,
Duration of Service.
Months,
Days.
Rank.
As a
Names of General and Field Officers
under whom he served.
Gen.
States that he enlisted as
the State
he thinks) in the Jersey Blues in
of N. York for the term of three years (as he thinks) under
Col. Van Dyke, and remained in said company about a year
and a half, was then transfered to Capt Hawkins Compy, Same
Regt and served the balance of his term of enlistment in that
Company Furnisher No dates of the period of entering or of
In what battles was he engaged? White Plains
quiting the service
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Johnstown
New York
Examining Clerk.
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence,
by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? by either
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? the papers
are properly authenticated
certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case
above mentioned.
Wm Gordon
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17851 Rejected
Matthew Simpson
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New York
Revo:
Mathew Simpson
Rejected
Col. Allen & Blain
6 July '33
Act 7 June [illegible]
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Brief objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Matthew Simpson which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? Yes
II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? Yes
III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so?
IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of war when he served? No
V. *Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? No
VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? Yes
VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? Yes
VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? Yes
IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? Yes
X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? Yes
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XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? No
XII. If the cleryman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? None
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had? Yes
As it is contradictory of the information in possession of the Dept. that any enlistment was made in VanDyke's Regt. for three years. The claimant should prove his service as the regulations require by satisfactory evidence.
XIV. +If the applicant has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility?
And is the official character and signature of the magistrate certified by the proper officer under his seal of office?
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service?
XVI. +_ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? Yes
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? The interrogatories do not appear to have been put to the applicant.

Explanatory Notes.
Quere V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisly how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the period mentioned below, and in the following grades: For ____ year ____ Months and ____ days. I served as a ____. For ____ months and ____ days, I served as a ____; and for such service I claim a pension."
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It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which the applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable.

+Quere, XIV. Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.

+_ Quere XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticated the papers in not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the end of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.