Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 15,547, for Peter Niles, Massachusetts
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(3-1776)
SERVICE Mass.
Niles, Peter
NUMBER S. 15547
carded
CONTENTS
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1223
New Hampshire
Peter Niles
of Sullivan Co in the State of NH
who was a private (Corp/Serg?) in the Company commanded by Captain Mortons of the Regt commanded by Col. Poor in the Mass. line for 24 months from 1775 AW

Inscribed on the Roll of New Hampshire
at the rate of 104 Dollars 11 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March 1831

Certificate of Pension issued the 25 day of Feb 1833 and send [illegible] H Hubbard

Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832 
Semi=anl. allowance ending 4 March 1833

156.99
52.33
$209.32

{Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7,1832}

Recorded by Henry H. Chester Clerk,
Book D Vol. 1 Page 173

[lined out] Paid at the Treasury under the [end lineout]

Duplicate Certificate issued 19th May 1842 and sent to Hon. E Bislie. House of Representatives.

Date of death not on AB
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Peter Niles
20735
Sergt - 14 month 70
Corporal 4 Do 14.66
Private 6 Do 20
------------------
26   104.66

3/44/14/66
3
----
14
12
----
200
Hon H. Hubbard
HR
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State of New Hampshire Sullivan County ) At a Court of Probate holden at Claremont in  afor said County on the first day of August 1832 Then personally appeared in open court before Frederick A Sumner Judge of the Probate of Wills &c in & for said County of Sullivan Peter Niles a resident in Claremont in said county of Sullivan & State of New Hampshire aged seventy six years who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order obtain the benefit of the act of Congress, passed June 7th 1832 - That he entered the service of the United States under the following officers and served as herein stated 

That in April 1775 & previous thereto he lived in Dorchester nigh Boston, when the British left that place (Boston) and went to Concord, he belonged to a company in Dorchester called minute men who on hearing of the [illegible]of the British going into the country immediately followed them, he with said company met the enemy at Lexington on their return they had no pitched Batter only what took place at Lexington. from thence followed them to charlestown annoying them & killing all they could untill they got into Boston. he there with said company returned to Dorchester & enlisted into Capt Badlams company of Artillery for eight months, he with will company was stationed at and in the neighbourhood of Roxbury for the full term of his inlistment (eight months) & was discharged some time about the last of December 1775. He does not recollect of having any written discharge for the above service neither does he know of any evidence living of his service as aforesaid, early in the spring of 1776 he again inlisted into Capt Clapps company for then Corporal for four months, the Brittish having left Boston, he with said company was armed & marched to New York. the company were stationed at East & West Chester & in that vicinity until his time of service was out & he was discharged and went home he does not remember of having a written discharge
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if so the same is lost, & he has no documentary evidence of his service aforesaid. in the spring of the year 1777 He then living at Brantry[Braintree] in Massachusetts again in listed into Captain Stephen Pennimans company as a sargent for three months, he was stationed at Dorchester aforesaid & in that neighbourhood the whole term of his inlistment, where his three months had elapsed he was again discharged, he does not recollect of having any written duscharge, he recollects in this last service Easthard had the command, at Dorchester heights & Boston, he has no documentary evidence of this last service, immediately after this last service he again inlisted into Capt Thayers company as a sergeant & was marched with said company to Providence in Rhode Island this term of inlistment was for three months. he was stationed at Providence the whole of said time and was discharged in the fall of the year & went home in the month of May 1778, as nigh as he can recollect. he again inlisted into Capt Mortons company & Col Poors regiment for eight months as a Sargent, this term according to his best recollection was on the continental establishment, his company were immediately marched to White Plains in New York, from there to West Point & there remained during the whole said eight months as Sargent aforesaid & was again discharged. He does not recollect of having any written discharge nor has he any evidence of this last service except the affidavit of John Clark which accompanies this 

He was born in Brantry[Braintree] aforesaid in 1755 Nov 20th as he has been informed by his parents he has no record of his age- He lived in Dorchester aforesaid where he was first called into serve, also the said service the same place after that he lived in Brantry during the residue of the war, about the year eighteen hundred & ninety six he moved to Stoddard in New Hampshire, where he resided until eighteen hundred & ten when he moved & has resided in
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was known, He voluntarily enlisted at each and every one of the foregoing services. That he does not [illegible] any more
of the offices than he has before stated & the general circumstances of his service he has before stated-
That he is acquainted with the the Hon Jonathan Nye & Uriah Dean who can testify as to his character for truth & veracity & their belief as to his services as a solder in the revolutionary war with Great Britton.
Peter Niles
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid
Frederick A. Sumner Judge of Probate and the court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter,  & 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 court certifies that it appears to them, that Jonathan Nye Esquire & Uriah Dean Esqr both writing in said Claremont are reputable persons & their testimony should have perfect credit - Frederick A Sumner Judge of Probate
I Aaron Nettleton Jr Register of Probate for the County aforesd do hereby certify, that the forgoing contains the original proceedings
of the writ aforesaid in matter of the application of Deacon Peter Niles for a pension, the testimony whereof I have hereunto
set my hand & seal of office, this first day of
August A.D. 1832
Aaron Nettleton Jr Register of Probate
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November 12, 1938
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
PETER NILES
S. 15547
BA-J/MLB
Mr. Robert M. Sherman
The Fitchburg Phoenix Lighting Company
114 Summer Street
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Dear Sir:
Reference is made to your letter in which you request the record of Peter Niles, your great-great-grandfather who was born November 20,
1755, in Braintree, Massachusetts, served in the Revolutionary War from Dorchester, that state, was one of the minutemen at Concord and Lexington, and spent the last years of his life in Claremont, New Hampshire.
You are furnished herein the record of Peter Niles as found in pension claim, S. 15547, based upon his service in the Revolutionary War.
Peter Niles was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, November 20, 1755. The names of his parents are not shown.
While residing in Dorchester, Massachusetts, near Boston, Peter Niles belonged to a company of minutemen and marched with them in April, 1775, to the alarm at Concord and Lexington, where he was in battle, then returned to Dorchester and volunteered in Captain Badlam's artillery company and served eight months stationed the whole time at Roxbury and
was discharged the last of December, 1775. He volunteered in the spring of 1776 and served four months as corporal in Captain Clapp's Massachusetts company. While residing in Braintree, Massachusetts, he volunteered in
the spring of 1777 and served three months as sergeant in Captain Stephen Penniman's Massachusetts company, stationed at Dorchester. After being discharged he immediately reenlisted and served three months as sergeant in Captain Thayer's company, stationed at Providence, Rhode Island. He
volunteered in May, 1778, and served as sergeant in Captain Morton's company, Colonel Poor's Massachusetts regiment and was discharged after having served a tour of eight months.
The soldier moved about 1796 from Braintree, Massachusetts, to Stoddard, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, where he remained until 1810
then moved to Claremont, Sullivan County, New Hampshire. In 1832, he
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was referred to as Deacon Peter Niles, with no explanation of the title.
Peter Niles was allowed pension on his application executed August 1, 1832, while a resident of Claremont, New Hampshire.
In 1832, one Jonathan Clark, of Washington, Sullivan County, New Hampshire, aged seventy-six years, stated that he married a sister of
Peter Niles' first wife but did not give the name of his or Peter Niles' wife. No reference was made to any other wife of the soldier, Peter Niles,
or to any children.
In order to obtain date of last payment of pension, the name and address of the person paid and possibly the date of death of Peter Niles, you should write to the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and cite the following data: Peter Niles, certificate #6223, issued February 25, 1833, rate $104.66 per annum, commenced March 4, 1831, Act June 7, 1832, New Hampshire Agency.
Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER
Executive Assistant
to the Administrator
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In reply to your request of ___, received ___
a statement of the military history of Peter Niles
a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his application for pension on file in this Bureau.
S. 15,547
DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. |
LENGTH OF SERVICE. | RANK. | OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED. CAPTAIN. COLONEL. | STATE. |
Apl. 1775 | to Dec. 1775 | Private | Badlam's Artillery Co. | Mass. |
Spring 1776 | 4 mos. | Corpl. | Clapp | | |
Spring 1777 | 3 mos. | Sergt. | Stephen Penniman | | |
 | 3 mos. Srgt. | Thayer | | |
May 1778 | 8 mos. | Srgt. | Morton | Poor | |
Battles engaged in, Lexington
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Dorchester & Braintree, Mass.
Date of application for pension, Aug. 1, 1832. His claim was allowed.
Residence at date of application, Claremont, Sullivan Co. N. H.
Age at date of application, born Nov 20 1755 at Braintree, Mass.
Remarks: There is no family data on file. Date of death not known.
Respectfully,
Commissioner.
6-2856
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Hotel Marie Antoinette
BROADWAY, 66th & 67TH ST S.
New York,
H. STANLEY GREEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR
May 26 - 1915
Dear [illegible] Curry:
Will you kindly send Mr. Albert D. Spaugler
Registrar. Served of Am Rev. the Pension Dept. letter and oblige
Yours truly
F.H. Niles
c/o Mr. Spaugler
Hist of Peter Niles S. 15. 547
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ROBERT M. SHERMAN, TREAS. 
HENRY W. BROOKS, FACTORY MGR. TELEPHONE FITCHBURG 1227
THE FITCHBURG PHOENIX LIGHTING CO. ESTABLISHED 1905 MANUFACTURERS OF GENUINE VERMONT ROCK MAPLE BOWLING PINS FACTORY AT WARREN, VERMONT 
MAIN OFFICE 114 SUMMER STREET FITCHBURG, MASS. 

Oct. 4 1938. 
Veterans Administration. Washington, D. C. 
Gentlemen: My great-great-grandfather, Peter Niles of Dorchester, Mass. was a Revolutionary soldier. My grandfather always said he was one of the Minute Men at Concord and Lexington. Also in some old family writings it says he enlisted at various times throughout the duration of the War. 

He was born in Braintree, Mass Nov. 20, 1755. I would very much appreciate any information you can find in your records of him and if there is a charge for same, kindly let me know and I will send check. 
Respectfully yours, R. M. Sherman
R. S. M.
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I
15547
INVALID.
File No. 15547
Peter Niles
Sergt Rev War
-
Act: June 7" 32 
Index:-- Vol. 1, Page 275
(Arrangement of 1870.)
1915 June 4. Hist. to F.H. Niles &
1938 Nov. 12 - Hist to R.M Sherman KB
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Original Certificate destroyed by fire. See proof on file with the papers of Nathan Carr, N.H. roll, Act 1832, No 2084.
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I Jonathan Clark of Washington in the County of Sullivan and State of New Hampshire, aged seventy six years, depose and say that in the month of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight, at Braintree, in the County of Suffolk and Common Wealth of Massachusetts, but called and
known by the name of Randolph, Peter Niles, then of said Braintree, afterwards of Stoddard in the County of Cheshire on State of New Hampshire, but now and for several years past,
Claremont in said County of Sullivan and State of New Hampshire listed, I think, as a Sergeant in Capt. Morton's company and Col Po regiment of Continental Troops, as I believe. Having so enlisted, the said Peter Niles marched immediately with said Company to White
Plains, so called, in the State of New York and from thence to Westpoint and there remained doing duty, as a Sergeant, during the [illegible]
of said eight months. This deponent was brought up in said [illegible] with said Peter Niles and married a sister of the said Niles' first wife
has always been acquainted with said Niles ever since we were boys I furthermore depose and say, that I enlisted at the same time and place,
for the same term of time, in the same company and regiment, above mentioned, with said Peter Niles and was with said Niles when he joined
said company, and till the expiration of said term of eight months and, afterwards, returned home with him to said Braintree
Jon Clark
State of New Hampshire Sullivan ss. July 14. 1832
I, Joseph Healy of Washington in the County of
Sullivan and State of New Hampshire, a Justice of the Peace and of the Quorum within and for said County of Sullivan, do hereby certify that Jonathan Clark, well known to me as a man of truth and veracity, personally came before me, at
said Washington and made solemn oath that the foregoing affidavit, by him subscribed is true
Joseph Healy
[illegible] of New Hampshire
Sullivan
Here may certify that I am well acquainted with the hand writing the Hon Joseph Henry who signed the foregoing certificate and know [illegible] his own hand writing & that he
is justice of the peace within & for said county
and [illegible] him as such.
Henry Hubbard
Member of bar
[illegible]