Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 8502, for Samuel Proud, Rhode Island
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(3–1776)
SERVICE
R. I. 
Proud, Samuel 
NUMBER
R.8502.
CONTENTS
[empty]
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Samuel Proud
32.156

8502

Benj Cowell
Providence
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Rhode Island District fs
County of Providence.
On this 14th day of October AD 1834 personally
in open Court being the Municipal Court
of the City of Providence now sitting, Samuel
Proud of the City of Providence in said County
aged 80 years who being first duly sworn 
according to law doth on his oath make the 
following declaration in order to obtain the
benefit of an act of Congress pafsed June 7th
AD 1832 He entered the war of the
Revolution & served as following In any case
to the Interogatories prescribed by the War
Department he answers & says
to 1st He was born in Providence December
2d AD 1753
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2d. His birth is recorded in the town Clerks
office in said town & also in the family
Bible
3d. He lived in said Providence when he was
first called into service & since the war
he has always resided in said town &
City —
4th. He was called first on alarm & there he was
drafted
5 He served under General Spencer Col Jabez
Bowen Captain B Richmond & Capt B Hoppin
6 He never received any written discharge
7. Grindall Reynolds Revd James Wilson & Joseph Rawson
are his witnefs to prove his services & character
no person but Grindall Reynolds is now living that he
knows, who served with him
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And the said Samuel further declares that at
the time the British took pofsefsion of Newport
in December AD 1776 he was enabled as a
private in Captain Barzilla Richmonds Company
& Col Jabez Bowens Regiment of Militia and
he avows that afterwards [“that” is crossed out] he was drafted
three [illegible] times in the year 1777 a
month at a time as a private in said company
to gard against the enemy.  at this
distant period of time he cannot remember
the month except in Spencers expedition
which was October when he was stationed
at Trenton. But he avows that between January 
1777 & December of that year he served
three months at least as a private in said Company 
And the said Samuel further avows that
in the following year to wit in 1778
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between January & December of that year
he served not lefs than one third of the time
or four months at least as a private in said
Company. he cannot at this distant period of
time particular the months or places but it
was all done in Rhode Island in garding
the shores of Naragansett Bay against the
incursion of the enemy - he always
performed all the duty required of him
And he further avows that in the year
1779, he likewise served four months at
least in this same manner between
January & December of that year in the 
same Company —
And the said Samuel further declares
that in the year 1780 when the General
alarm took place when it was apprehended
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the British would reland & again take pofsefsion
of Newport. he was called out in
Capt B Hoppins Company & went to Bristol
where he served fifteen days as a private
in said Company at Bristol.  The said Samuel 
avows that he served Eleven Months & fifteen
days in actual service in manner aforesaid
for which he claims a pension. — He has no
documentary evidence to prove his service
during the Revolution, & he hereby relinquishes
every claim whatever to a pension except the present
& declares that his service is not on the Roll of the 
agency of any State
Samuel Proud [signature]

Municipal Court of the City of Providence  Oct 14, 1834
Signed & Sworn to by Samuel Proud,
in open Court   Albert G Greene [signature]
Clerk
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I Grindall Reynolds. formerly of Providence
but now resident in the City of Boston. being now
79 years of age on oath do testify and say that I
am well acquainted with Samuel Proud who
is now present before me & have known him
for nearly sixty years - And I further testify & say
that during General Spencers expedition against
the British in the year 1777, in the fall of the 
year. I was a Sergeant in Captain James Snows
Company of Rhode Island Militia & served in
said Capacity in said expedition one month
and I well remember that said Samuel was
in said expedition also & served as long
as I did, & was a private altho I cannot now
recollect to what company he belonged But
I remember of seeing him there on duty
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I have no particular recollection of serving with
him at any other time. but I have not the least
doubt he must have served several months
in each year during the time the British 
held pofsefsion of Newport as all capable of 
bearing arms were called upon to do duty
and I have no doubt he always did his duty
when called upon.  In Spencers expedition we
were both in the regiment commanded by
Colonel Jabez Bowen     Grindall Reynolds [signature]

J.P.
Rhode Island District
In Providence October 11 1834
Sworn to before me and I further certify said
Grindall Reynolds is a credible witnefs
John Pitman [signature]
District Judge NS.
for R. I. District
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Rhode Island District
Clerks office U S District Court Oct 11th 1834
I certify the preceding signature of “John Pitman”
is the true signature of John Pitman who
is Judge of the District Court of the United
States within afor said District —  —
In testimony whereof I have hereto
set my hand & affixed the seal of
said Court on this [“tenth” is crossed out] Eleventh day of
October AD 1834
Benja Cowell [signature] Clk
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Mr. James Wilson a Clergyman residing in 
Providence & Joseph Rawson of said Providence
hereby certify & say that we are well acquainted 
with Samuel Proud who has subscribed &
sworn to the preceding declaration we believe
him to be 80 years of age that he is reputed
& believed in the neighborhood where he
resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution
& that we concur in that opinion, he
has always sustained a good character
for truth & veracity & his statements entitled
to full credit
James Wilson [signature]
Joseph Rawson [signature]

Municipal Court of the City of Providence
October 14 1834
Signed, and Sworn by James Wilson
& Joseph Rawson in open Court,  AG Greene [signature]
Clerk
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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 Court further certifies
that it appears to them, that James Wilson who
has signed the preceding certificate - is a clergyman,
resident in the City of Providence ; and that Joseph
Rawson who has also signed the same, is a resident
in said City of Providence, and is a credible person,
and that Grindall Reynolds who has signed a
preceding certificate is a resident in the city of
Boston, and is a credible person : and that the
statements of all of said persons are entitled to credit.
I, Albert G. Greene Clerk of the Municipal 
Court of the City of Providence, do hereby certify
that the foregoing contains the original proceedings
of the said Court, in the matter of the application
of Samuel Proud, for a pension.
In Testimony
whereof I have hereunto set my
hand, & affixed the seal of said Court
this fourteenth day of October A.D.  1834.
Albert G. Greene [signature]
Clerk
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[“Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.” is crossed out.]
8,502
P. O. __________________
Saml Proud
Service: _______________

Enlisted: REJECTED [stamped on line], 18
Discharged: ____________, 18

Application filed: __________, 18

Alleges: ________________
________________________
Re-enlisted: _____________
________________________

Attorney: ________________
P. O. ____________________
_________________________
__________ Recognized. _______ Contra [rest of word is cut off]
_______ Cert. of Dis.   Searched for ______, 18
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Providence Oct 22. 1834
Sir
I have the honor herewith to return the 
application of Samuel Proud with an additional 
Statement which I hope will be satisfactory —
It gives me pleasure to add that Mr Proud
sustains to my knowledge a very fail [fair] &
unblemished character in this City —
I am respectfully
your Se  —
Benja Cowell [signature]
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R.I. Dec 31

Hon [?] Mr. Edwards
Commisr. of pensions 
[the above two lines are written sideways]

Hon [?] N R Knight
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Washington, D.C. Decm. 29. 1834
Dear Sir
I am requested to enquire into
the situation of the application of Samuel
Proud of Providence, Rhode Island, for a
pension - [“Which” is crossed out] Will you be so good as
to inform me of the objections to it if any exist.
With great respect
your &c
NR Knight [signature]

Honr. Mr. Edwards
Commisr. of pensions
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Agreeably to the requirements of the Commifsioner of
Pension of October 18th  inst — Samuel Proud now 
marketh this supplemental declaration in explanation
of his first declaration made in Court October 14, 1834
First [underlined] Samuel declares that during the years 1777 1778
& 1779. Captain Barzilla Richmond was Captain
of the Company in which he served as he has stated.
Col Jabez Bowen Commanded the Regiment
during 1777 & Col Amos Atwell Commanded it during
the year 1778, & in the year 1779 he thinks the
same Colonel commanded, but he is not certain.
In 1780, he is not certain who commanded the 
Regiment when he served fifteen days as stated.
Secondly [underlined], At this distant period of time in consequence 
of lofs of memory he cannot name the months in each
year he was drafted or called out on the particular
places he was stationed [insert “at”] each time he was called 
out. But he remembers the fact that during the 
three years the British held pofsefsion of Newport
the Militia were divided into three clafses by
the authority of the State. & each clafs had to
serve about one third of the time in garding
the towns, & adjacent country to the shores of Narragansett
Bay — Sometimes he was stationed at Paluxet
sometimes at Warren or Bristol, & sometimes at
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Providence, His services were all performed in
Rhode Island Militia & all in the State of Rhode
Island. & all as a private,  He always did his
duty & served his regular towns when it came
to his turn & many times [insert “besides”] he was frequently 
turned out on sudden alarms, both by night &
day.  But as he stated in his first declaration
he has no documentary evidence of his services
Nor does he know any man living who can 
testify [insert “to his services”], except Grindall Reynolds whose 
declaration is annexed to his first declaration —
He avows that he served Eleven Months & fifteen
days as before stated. — As to his reputation of 
having served. he as produced the testimony
of the Revd James Wilson & Joseph Rawson his
near neighbor — Mr Wilson has been his Pastor
for the last forty years      Samuel Proud [signature]

Providence fs In Providence this Twenty second day of 
October 1834 Sworn to before me
Joseph Hodges [signature]
Justice of the Peace
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State of Rhode Island Providence Plantation
Providence Le    Dexter Randall Clerk of the 
Court of Common Pleas. within & for the 
County of Providence being a Court of 
Record do hereby certify that Joseph Hodges
is a Justice of the peace within the City of 
Providence in said County and that he 
is by Law duly authorized to administer
oaths & take depositions: and that the
signature affixed to the opposite Certificate  
purporting to be his is genuine ~
In witnefs whereof I have
hereto set my hand & affixed
the seal of Said Court at
Providence this twenty second
day of October AD 1834 ~
Dexter Randall [signature] Clk