Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 15660, for Pliny Stannard, Vermont
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(3-1776)
SERVICE          NUMBER

Vt.
Stannard, Pliny
S. 15660
Carded

CONTENTS
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Vermont 28.446
Pliny Stannard
of Addison in the State of Vt
who was a Pr in the Company commanded by Captain Allen of the ____commanded by ___ in the Vt line for 2 years.

Inscribed on the Roll of Vermont at the rate of 80 Dollars - Cents per annum to commence on the 4th date of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 11th day of June and (illegible) Hon. W. Slade - H. R. 

Arrears to the 4th of Mar: - 240 - 
Semi-anu allowance ending (illegible): 40 - 
______
$280 - 
Revoluationary Claim, 
Act June 7, 1832
RECORDED BY Nath. Rice CLERK
Book E
VOL 3
PAGE 93.
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Pliny Stannard
Vt 30,846

ans'd Hon. W. Slade 
Jany 3d 1834

___
$80 per ann


Hon. W. Slade
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I Ebenezer Wright of Weybridge in the County of Addison and State of Vermont do depose and say that I was born as I understand in Northampton in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the second day of February 1754 from thence I removed with my Father to Newmarlborough in said Massachusetts where I lived about twenty years from thence I removed to Poultney Rutland County in the state of Vermont where I resided about three years from thence I removed to Weybridge afforesaid in the year 1784 where I ever have since lived and I further say that I have been well acquainted for the greater part of the time for the last sixty years with Plinny Stanard now residing in Newhaven in said Addison County a soldier of the revolution my Wife being the sister of said Stannard and do further say that at the time That I removed to said Poultney that said Stanard was serving as A private soldier at Castleton in said Rutland County and that I understood by himself and others that said Stanard had enlisted the spring before in what were ['what' crossed out] called the Vermont State troops and his time of enlistment had not yet expired which [margin note: 9] enlistment must have been I think in the year 17881 which time of enlistment I understood to have been for nine months which he served the following Spring said Stanard [margin note: 9] enlisted for nine month more which terms of service at the end of the last mentioned term he again [margin note: 6] enlisted or volunteered for six month longer which time he served the close of which term was about the Close of the war the above service was mostly performed in and about Said Castleton with occasional excursion from thence to the Lake at Mount Independence Ticonderoga and Crown point said Stanard was frequently at my home during the time of this above service and I was myself occasionally with the troops stationed at Castleton as A soldier and frequently called upon as A teamster from there to the Lake and do now well remember that I was present as a soldier at the taking of two deserters by the name of Leland Elwell who had been deserting from the American Army and again enlisted at said Castleton as I understood ['and proposed' crossed out] attempting to desert from said
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Castleton but was betrayed by A pretended friend brought back and were whipt after which they were carried to the place from which they first deserted and as I understood were shot
The design of the above described service I understand to have been to help a small garison at said Castleton for the protraction of some story at the fort as the country in that region was considerably infested with Tories and Indians. 
And I now farther state that said Stanard has at all times since my acquaintance with him sustained the character of an honest man that he is now poor and had never to my knowledge been possessed of but very little property and farther your deponent saith not

State of Vermont 
Addison County ss } Weybridge April 1834 Then Ebenezer Wright of Weybridge in the County of Addison and State of Vermont personally appearing and after being carefully examined and duly cautioned made solemn oath that the foregoing Deposition by him subscribed contains the whole truth and nothing but the truth /s/X his mark Ebenezer Wright
Wit /s/Jehiel Wright
Before me /s/Joseph Hayward Justice of the Peace

State of Vermont
Addison County ss ] I, Samuel Swift, Clerk of the County Court for the said County of Addison do hereby certify, that Joseph Hayward, before whom the foregoing affidavit of Ebenezer Wright was made is a Justice of the peace for said County, and his name subscribed thereto is his own signature. 
[court seal affixed] In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of Said Court this 15th day of April A.D. 1834
/s/Sam'l Swift Clerk
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State of Vermont
Addison District ss } On this 5th day of April 1833, before the Probate Court for Said District, being a Court of record, personally appeared Pliny Stannard, residing in New Haven in the County of Addison aged 74 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, passed on the 7. day of June 1832: - That he enlisted in the service of the United States in the Revolutionary war under the following named officer & served as as herein after stated. - 
I was born, as I understand, at Suffield Connecticut on the 25th day of September 1759, - I know of no record of my age; but depend on my own recollection, and comparing my age with the record of the birth of my sister Mrs. Spalding, in her family bible, who was about 10 years older than myself: When about eleven years old I removed to New Marlborough, Massachusetts, - here my father died - About the year 1780, I came to Poultney, Rutland County, Vermont, with my brother & worked for him through the summer, - In the fall, he returned, after his family expecting to return in the spring following and in the meantime he left me at Rupert, in ['Addison' crossed out] Bennington County: - Before he returned, I enlisted for the term of nine months, in a company of Vermont State troops, commanded by Captain Allen, a man by the name of Smith being Lieutenant, - I was stationed with said company at the fort in Castleton, keeping guard at said fort, and the neighborhood, and there served nine months to the close of the period of my enlistment. - While in this service, a report came that the enemy had landed on Lake Champlain, on the west side, near Crownpoint, and we were ordered out to go in pursuit of them - and crossed the Lake at Mount Independence & marched up the west side - At Ticonderoga we met some York State troops, & were joined by them. When we reached the place, where the enemy had landed, they had retreated & we marched back. At this time there was only
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our company stationed at Castleton. I know that I enlisted early in the Spring & served nine months, but cannot be certain, that it was in the year 1781, but think it was. - I remained in Rupert & Pawlet, an adjoining town until the following spring: - When I again enlisted or volunteering at Pawlett, for the term of nine months, into a company commanded by Captain Starks of Pawlet, - and served for said term of nine months at said Castleton. - There were during this season several companies of Vermont troops stationed at the fort in Castleton, under the command of Colonel Fletcher. - While there during this service, I went with a guard to take some British prisoners to Mount Independence to be exchanged for American prisoners, in the possession of the British; but I was sent back to the fort before the British prisoners arrived. While stationed there, two of our men, who, as I understood, had before deserted from the American army, and joined the Vermont troops, at Castleton, attempted again to desert, and were detected & taken, and brought back & whipped. 
During this season, the country, in the neighborhood of Lake Champlain, was much infested by the depredations of the tories, Indians & British, and it was thought necessary to keep a guard at the different forts & especially at Castleton; and the several [illegible] as were required to furnish their proportion of the men necessary for that purpose; and, in both the cases above mentioned, I volunteered, or enlisted, in behalf of the town of Pawlet, and received from that town a small compensation as a bounty. 
A few days before the last mentioned term of enlistment expired, I again enlisted for six months, to commence at the expiration of that enlistment, into a company commanded by Captain Fletcher of Bennington: - Only one company, or part of a company remained during the winter. I continued to serve under this enlistment, until the expiration of said six months
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under this enlistment, until the expiration said six months
which, I well recollect, was the first day of May. The day before we were discharged, it was agreed by the troops, that at midnight, when it was understood, their term of enlistment would expire, they would be ready & start for home; - and the Captain in some way, getting knowledge of it, gave out the countersign - "Don't leave me till day": - Upon which we concluded to remain until morning: when we were paraded outside of the fort, treated & dismissed, it was understood, that peace had taken place, which excited considerable expressions of joy, at the time. 
And I recollect that no other troops were raised for the war, These circumstances satisfy me, that the last mentioned service ended on the first day of May 1783: - And in that case my first service must have commenced in March or April 1781 - and my second about the first of February 1782. - I never had any written discharge, and have no other documentary evidence; and I have no knowledge of any person, whose testimony, I can obtain, respecting my said service, except Ebenezer Wright, whose affidavit is annexed. - After the war, I worked in several towns in Addison County, for so several years, until I settled in Panton in the County, where I remained two or three years. After that I resided, for that period, in Pittsford Rutland County, & Bristol & Waltham in Addison County - And about twelve years ago I settled in Keene, in Essex County New York - where I resided until last January, when I came to said town of New Haven. 
At the time the ['act' crossed out] late act of Congress was passed & since, I lived in a very reduced situation in Keene, New York, where there were no applicants, within my knowledge, for persons under that act, and had never heard, until I came to New Haven last winter, that the Vermont troops were entitled to a pension. - Under the act of 1818, I made application, and was told, that those
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troops could not obtain a pension. This is the only reason I have delayed making application until this time. - 
I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present; and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
/s/X his mark Pliny Stannard
Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid, 
/s/Sam'l Swift, Judge

We, Jehial Wright, a clergyman residing in Weybridge in the County of Addison, and Joseph Hayward residing in said Weybridge, and in the neighborhood, where Pliny Stannard, who has subscribed the foregoing declaration resides, in the adjoining town of New Haven, do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with the said Pliny Stannard; that we believe him to be seventy four years of age; and that he is reputed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, & that we concur in that opinion. - 
/s/Jehial Wright
/s/Jos Hayward
Sworn & subscribed the day and year above mentioned. /s/S. Swift Judge
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I, Daniel Wright, residing in New Haven in the County of Addison being duly sworn, testify & say, that my mother was a sister of Pliny Stannard, who has subscribed the foregoing declaration: - And I have been from my earliest recollection well acquainted  with him, as he has frequently been at my house, & lived in my father's family, while I lived there: - At the close of his service in the army, I well recollect the said Pliny Stannard, came to my father's house in Poultney, - about ten miles from the fort in Castleton, - in company with several other soldiers, - And I recollect there were strong expressions of joy, especially  between the said Stannard & my mother, on account of the fact, that peace had then been declared & there would be no more war: - I  recollect also, that the said Stannard related the fact, that two of the soldiers had been punished with "cat o' nine tails." - This, I suppose, must have been in the Spring of 1783, - from the fact that peace was made at that time: - At which time I was only about three years & three months old having been born on the 4th February 1780. - /s/Daniel Wright
Sworn 7 subscribed the day & year aforesaid, 
/s/S. Swift, Judge
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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 & served as he states. 
And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Jehiel Wright, who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in the part of the town of Weybridge in the County of Addison, which adjoins New Haven & in the neighborhood of the applicant and that Joseph Hayward Esquire, who has also signed the same is a resident in said Weybridge, and is a credible person; and that their  statement is entitled to credit: - And the said Court further certifies that it appears to them ['then' crossed out] that Ebenezer Wright whose affidavit is annexed, is a very respectable man and credible witness. - 
/s/Sam'l Swift, Judge
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State of Vermont
Addison District ss } I, Edward D. Barber, Register of the Probate Court for the said District of Addison do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Pliny Stannard for a pension. 
[court seal affixed] In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and the Seal of said Court this 17th day of April 1834
/s/Edward D. Barber, Register.

I am well acquainted with the foregoing witnesses. Ebenezer Wright, Daniel Wright, Jehial Wright, and Joseph Hayward, and know them, all, to be men of undoubted veracity. 
/s/William Slade April 28. 1834.

I have long been acquainted with the foregoing Ebenezer Wright, he having been an inhabitant of the immediate vicinity of my birth, ever since my childhood. He is, & has always been one of the most respectable & substantial citizens of the town where he resides - a man of more than common strength of mind, & a reputable member of a Christian church. I ['should' crossed out] have
(over)
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full confidence in his honesty & capacity of recollecting past events. 
/s/William Slade June 9, 1834
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3-871.
RECORD DIVISION.
Department of the Interior,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS.
Briefed by L. D. L. 
Claim No. [blank]
Certificate No. [blank]
Claimant [blank]
Soldier Pliny Stannard
Service [blank]
Additional Service Rev. War
No [blank] claim, State records [blank], 190[blank]
No claim, combination records [blank], 190[blank]
REMARKS:
No claim, other than J.#15660
[blank] Chief Division

B-5
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15.660
INVALID.
File No. 15,660
Pliny Stannard
Pri Rev War
Act: June 7" 32
Index: - Vol. 1, Page 362
[Arrangement of 1870.]
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THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES Form VAN-51 12-5-41

Division of Veterans' Administration Archives

BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*

NAME Stannard, Samuel

GRADE Private

LINE Connecticut

WARRANT NUMBER 6457

ACRE AGE 100

ISSUED [illegible] 12, 1792 to Stephen Thorn, assignee

*The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issues Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subse-quent [line-break] dates. Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800. Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.