Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 10653, Comfort Towner, N.H. Vt.
Page 1


(3 - 1776) 
SERVICE
N. H.
Vt.


Towner, Comfort 

NUMBER
R10653

CONTENTS
Page 2

New York
Revo-
Comfort Towner
Rejected

[crossed out]
Set to E S Cuyler
March 21 1835


Act 7th June 1832
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[crossed out 'Act of July 14, 1882, and March 3, 1873']
10653
P.O. Comfort Towner
REJECTED 

Enlisted:
Discharged:
Application filed:
Alleges:
Re-enlisted:
Attorney:
P. O.
Recognized.
Contract.
Cert. of Dis. 
Searched for
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Comfort Towner
+ Capt Oliver Ashley Col. Bellvue 3 mos. 77
Capt Oliver Ashley Col. Bellvue 3 mos.  --

* Capt Nelson Col. Wait  9  '78
Capt Benjamin Col. Wait  4  '79


+on rolls for month only
* Capt Nelson in 1778 was in Col Bedels' regt - found 12
mo. Pri  Blue Book
Page 5

Edward S. Cuyler
March 21st 1835
O. C.

Reptd Vol. 33. p. 423
Page 6

War Department
Pension Office
March 21 1838
Sir
The papers relating to the claim of Comfort Towner
have again been examined by the rolls of Capt Ashley’s
company. It appears that he served one month only - 
 Captain Nelson was in the service in 1778 but neither in the
regiment or in the kind of service described by the claimant.
The claim is rejected the papers are placed on
file.



Edward S. Cuyler Esq.
Essex
County of Essex
New York
Page 7

for the term of four months in the aforesaid regiment
commanded by Col Wait in Capt. ___ Benjamin’s Company,
& was marched from thence immediately up the said River to
a fort at Bethel in Vermont where he remained in the
Service scouting around the country untill the four months
expired & was then discharged in the latter part of the
Summer by Capt. ____ Benjamin who had commanded at
fort Bethel. That he cannot recollect all the officers under
whom he served at any one term nor the christian names
of his two last Captains- Nelson & Benjamin. That both of
his said discharges have been destroyed about ten years
since by some children who in his abscence from home
got from his chest a pocket book in which the said
discharges had been placed with other papers & destroyed
them, as he supposes, for that the said discharges have
neither of them since been seen as he can learn & that
he has now no documentary evidence of his said services.
And that he knows of no person by whom he can prove his said
 service except Shaler Towner whose affidavit is hereto annexed.
 And he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension
or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not
on the Pension Role of the agency of any State.
Comfort Towner

Sworn & Subscribed in open Court & before the Court
before me Sept 30. 1834.
Edw’d S. Cuyler Clerk

State of New York
Essex County ss I Shaler Towner of the Town of
Crown Point in said County of the age of seventy
 two years being duly sworn do depose
and say that I am the Brother of the above named
Comfort Towner & any Well acquainted with him.
That I was knowing of the said Comfort Towner
having served as a Soldier in the revolutionary War
in the United States Army, against Great Britian
for the number & length of terms in his declaration
above specified as near as I can recollect & verily
believe, that I have seen the discharges mentioned in
the said declaration signed by Major Sandford Kingsbury
[insert] and Capt Benjamin, that I saw about ten years since.
 & further say that I had the same in my possession about
 six months previous to that time
Shaler Towner

Subscribed & Sworn to in open Court
before me.
Edw’d S. Cuyler Clerk
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Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress
of the 7 of June 1832
State of New York
County of Essex ss On this first day of October in the
year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and
thirty four personally appeared before Wolcate Tyrell,
 Richard Reese, John Gould, & Joseph S Weed, Esq’s
Judges of the Court of common pleas of Essex County
 of the state of New York held at the court house
in Elisabethtown in and for the County of Essex
in said County before the aforesaid
Judges for the said County being a Court of record, 
Comfort Towner a resident of the Town of Crown Point
in said County of Essex and State of New York
aforesaid aged Eighty 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 provisions made by the act
of Congress past June the Seventh 1832. That some time
in the spring of the year 1777 he entered the
Service of the United States as a Substitute
for his father Benjamin Towner who was drafted
for said service for the term of three months
in the Newhampshire Militia at the Town of
Clermont in the County of Cheshire in the State of
Newhampshire under Capt Oliver Ashley and Lieut.
Jeremiah Spencer, the other officers not recollected.
In a regiment commanded by Col. Benj Bellows,
other field officers not recollected. That he marched
under the said Officers in the spring aforesaid
from Clermont through Rutland Castleton and
Hubbardton in the now State of Vermont to
Ticonderoga in the State of New York where he continues
untill the same was evacuated by the army under
General St. Clair that he does not recollect the names
of any other officers in the regular service with whom
he was acquainted. That he retreated with the army
under General St. Clair to Hubbardton & Castleton where
they had some Skirmishing with the British Troops who were in

[left margin notes]
Enl’d 21 Sept.
Dis? 21 1777
Page 9


pursuit of them.  That the said three months for which his
Father was drafted having expired, he with others in said regiment
marched to Cleremont & were discharged by Capt. Ashley without
any writing. That in about one week as near as he can
recollect after his discharge aforesaid, he was himself drafted for
three months in the same company and regiment commanded
by the same officers aforesaid and was marched immediately
from Cleremont through Rutland in Vermont and to Saratoga
and was there at the Surrender of the British Army under
General Burgoyne. That he continued with the Army at
Saratoga and in that quarter for some short time after his
three months service had expired. That he was in a Battle
at Saratoga previous to the Surrendered & also at the taking
of the British boats loaded with provisions in the night.
That he was marched to Fort Edward & [Hayway] Brook
and assisted in taking several parties of Tories & Indians.
& that shortly after his three months had expired he was
again marched back to Cleremont through Manchester in
Vermont under the same officers & again discharged.
Sometime in the latter part of Oct or first of November
in the year 1777. having served in both terms a short time
over six months in the Newhampshire Militia. That
at Saratoga he knew Generals Bates, Arnold, Schuyler and
Starks & some other officers which he does not recollect, 
except Major Whitcomb of the rangers that in the month of
April as near as he can recollect of the spring of 1778 he
enlisted into the regular service at Clermont aforesaid, 
under Capt [blank] Nelson in a regiment commanded
by Col Benjamin {crossed out-’Joseph’] Wait for the term of nine months. 
That he does not recollect the number of the regiment. That
he was then marched immediately after his enlistment
along up the Connecticut River to Corinth in the State of
Vermont where he was employed under Major Sandford
Kingsbury rebuilding a Fort & scouting about the country
untill within a few days previous to the expiration of
the nine months,  when he obtained a furlough to return
home to Clermont & that before the expiration of his furlough
the Troops at Fort Corinth were discharged & sent home & on
their return a discharge was sent by them to him Signed
by the said Major Sandford Kingsbury in the forepart of the
Winter. That in the month March thereafter in the
year 1779 he volunteered at Clermont aforesaid
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32252
Comfort Towner

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion
after the Investigation of the matter and after putting
the Interrogatories prescribed by the War department
that the above named applicant was a revolutionary
soldier and served as he states. And the said Court
further states that it appears to them that the State
ment made by him and Shaler Towner hereunto annexed
and signed by him is entitled to credit and that
Shaler Towner who has signed the above certificate is a
resident in the said Towner of Crown Point and is a
credible person and that his statement is entitled to
credit
Signed by order of the Court
Edw’d S. Cuyler Clerk

I Edward S. Cuyler Clerk of the Court of Common
Pleas aforesaid held in and for the County
of Essex as aforesaid do hereby certify that the
foregoing contains the original proceedings
of the said Court in the matter of the application
of Comfort Towner.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set
my hand and seal of office this first
day of October in the year of our Lord
one thousand Eight hundred &
thirty four
Edw’d S. Cuyler Clerk

Essex County ss  I Edw’d S. Cuyler Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas
of the County of Essex aforesaid do hereby certify that it was [explained?] &
stated by the [applicant] at the time he subscribed & swore to the foregoing
Declaration that Erasure of “Judges of the Court of Common” between 4th & 5th lines from top were erased before [ensertion?] of the words "Richard Reese, John Gould & Joseph S. Weed” between 2nd & third line from top was interlined before signing & also the word "Benjamin”
one place & the words “[?]”in another place  & “and that he knows of no person by whom he
can prove his stated service Except Shaler Towner whose affidavit is hereto annexed and”
[?] the Bottom of the Declaration were enterlined before signing & also that the words
“And Captain Benjamin” in the affidavit of Shaler Towner also enterlined
before signing & [serving] & the same. 
 In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand
& Seal of office in open Court by Order of the said Court this
14th day of Jany 1838. 
Edw’d S. Cuyler
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Jan 24
N.Y.
Ret’d Case

10653

Crown Point, N.Y.
Jan 17

Free
Hon J.L. Edwards
War Department
Pension Office
Washington D. C.