Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 4,854, for John Smith, New Jersey
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SERVICE NUMBER
New Jersey Smith, John S. 4,854
b Mar 4, 1756. Essex Co. N.J. there at enl. & in 1832 carded
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No. 3182
New Jersey
John Smith
of Essex Co. in the State of N. Jersey
who was a private in the Company commanded
by Captain Morrell of the Regt. commanded
by Col. Smith in the N. Jersey Militia
for 3 years
Inscribed on the Roll of New Jersey
at the rate of 80 Dollars --- Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 17th day of Decr
1832 and Sent to Wm. Stiles
Springfield, N.J.
Arrears to 4th of September 1832. 120.00
Semi=anl. allowance ending 4 March 1833 40.00
$160.00
{Revolutionary Claim,}
{Act June 7, 1832.}
Recorded by D. Brown Clerk,
Book D. Vol. 4 Page 175

Payment suspended lt to 
agent [illegible] to pension 3 [Illegible]
1836
let. S.B. Meller 24 aug. 3
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No 2544
New Jersey
Suspd Novr 27 1832
5.14.16
see affidvit in behalf
of Herman Speer
Admitted
private 3 years
$80-
P115
Wm Stiles
Springfield
N.J. 
[Illegible]
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BRIEF in the case of John Smith of Union
County of Essex in the State of New Jersey
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or Judge? Judge
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirming? It does
3. How old is he? 76
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
Period. Duration of Service. Rank. Names of General and Field Officers under who he served.
Years, Months, Days. As a Gen.
In 1776 1 [month] Private Capts. Morrell, Brookfield
" 1 [month] do Brittain, Col. Smith
1776 & 1777 3 or 5 [months] do Genl Williamson &
He also Served at Genl Maxwell
other periods, but not stated
5. In what battles was he engaged? Springfield & [Illegible] Swamp
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Essex County, N. Jersey
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Living & traditionary
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Defective
The duration of Service not given with sufficient accuracy & the magistrate gives no certificate as to the credibility of the Witness
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above.
J M[illegible] Examining Clerk.
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No 2,544
Declaration &c 
of 
John Smith of
Union in the
County of Essex &
State of New Jersey
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State of New Jersey
Essex County Ss On this Eighth day of August AD 1832 before me William Stiles one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Essex personally appeared John Smith a resident of the Township of Union in the County of Essex and State of New Jersey aged Seventy Six years and five months 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 June 7th 1832
That he entered the service of the United States and the following named officers and served as herein stated. That is to say he entered the Service as a Volunteer or drafted Militia Man in a Company commanded he thinks by Captain Thomas Morrel of Elizabeth Town as a private Soldier and served one month is not certain in what year it was but thinks it was very early in 1776 the British had [illegible] landed either on Stadten Island or Long Island after the aforesaid service he returned home but only remained a few days before he again went into the service and marched to Cuckolds Town and the Narrows on Stadten Island in the Company commanded (he thinks) by Capt Jacob Brookfield and that Coll Thomas or Coll [Illlegible] Smith commanded the Detachment, Adjutant Bott was with them Is not certain that they were on the Island a full month, but thinks it must have been so or nearly so, recollects distinctly drawing pay for a month, is not certain in what month this service was rendered by thinks it must have been in february or March, remembers that the weather was extremely cold and that they had to break Ice to get water on the Island or
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he then joined Captain Brittains Company (2
and went to New York City with a detachment, consisting of four Companies but dont recollect that they had any field officers with them Remembers that the same day he (said the detachment with which he was connected) arrived in New York, the British landed on Stadten Island at Night and on the following day marched across the Island opposite to Elizabeth Town Point in consequence of which the Deponent and his Detachment after remaining in New York a few days returned to Elizabeth Town point and these remained in continual active service the whole of the residue of the season under General Williamson Coll Thomas and Lieut Coll J[illegible] Smith - Was out constantly this whole season from early in the spring untill fall one month for [illegible] and one month for his brother William Smith now deceased alternately and assisted in building the fort at Elizabeth Town point and said there untill the [illegible] encampment there was broken up and the British army come into the eastern prt of Jersey, he was then marched to Morris Town and staid at that place one month or a little more in the company of Captain Joseph Horton in Colonel Fords regiment. He then from
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Morris Town returned home but only remained one night, having enrolled himself as a Volunteer in Captain Jacob Win[illegible]'s Compant of Calvery for either three or five months (dont recollect which) on which service he entered immediately the next morning after leaving the troops at Morris Town, furnished his own horse and served his time out under General Maxwell that winter, being the winter of 1776 & 7 - The British then lay at New Brunswick, Amboy, Elizabeth Town and Newark but before the expiration of the time for which he volunteered the British evacuated New Ark and Elizabeth Town and consentrated at Amboy and New Brunswick, general Maxwell there remained his head quarters [illegible] Connecticut Farms (now called Union) to Westfield Thinks General Washington [illegible] lay at Morris Town - No general or great battle took place this winter in which Deponent was engaged, but frequent and almost constant daily skirmishing, was in a [illegible] sharp fight at [Illegible] in Middlesex County, Colonel Buckner commanded the American force, the firing lasted about fifteen minutes, nothing separated the two parties but the road, many of the British were killed & wounded, Colonel Buckner ran away in fight from the battle. Deponent saw him go and was a witness against him when he was tried and [illegible] for the offence - Court martial sat at Chatham - Was in another battle at Ash Swamp - General Maxwell commanded [illegible] that day - after the expiration of this term of service under Captain Winans, returned home was innoculated for
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and has the small pox, had it light - was home about a month, and again went into the service and remained in it untill the 29th day of June 1777 in Capt Joseph Hortons Company and Coll Samuel Potters Regt - Coll Potters Reg lay most of the time at Rahway this season - on the 29th day of June returned home was [illegible] on the next day (June 20th 1777) up to which time was constantly in the service having never been absent from the service from the time of his last enterance under Capt Morrel except a few days at a time and except also the him he had the small pox - after he was [illegible] during the remainder of the season of 1777 was but [illegible] in the Army (he thinks only in cases of alarm or in waggon service - In the year 1778 was out he thinks one half of the time - was under General Wines in Capt Hortons company and was lying at Elizabeth Town at the time the battle of Monmouth was fought and marched with Genl W[illegible] when it attempted by a forced march to reach the field of battle but only reached Woodbridge or its neighbourhood when they reseved news that the battle had been fought - General W[illegible] then returned to his quarters at Elizabeth Town - Served a [illegible] General /thinks Stuber/ as [Illegible] while he was in Springfield afterwards served General Green as Guide and continued with him untill after Springfield was burned - dont recollect how long he was out this season
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as a Guide to Genls Green and  Stuber [illegible] entirely confident that he served *three) that season more than three months thinks this was the year 1779 or 1780 - was with General Greene as Guide on Briants hill at the time of the Battle of Springfield bridge, fought on our part [illegible] by the Rhod Island troops commanded by Coll Angell Deponent has no documentary evedence and that he knows no person who can sweare Specifically to the times, months or years of his service/though he has evidence of his having served in the army and of his having served much of the time during the war - was born in the Township of Springfield in the County of Essex and State of New Jersey on the 4th day of March 1756 lived there when called into Service, and untill within about thirty years past at which time he removed to the place where he now lives which though Still within the bounds of the Parish of Springfield is in the Township of Union in the County of Essex and State of New Jersey, has a family record in his Bible in which his own age is recorded, has it now in his own possession and exhibits it to the Court - was always a Volunteer , drafted Militia Man or substitute, served one month for himself and one month for his Brother William Smith alternately his Brother died a few months ago. Never received a written discharge from the service never served as a Substitute for any other Person but his Brother William Smith.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or Annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of Any State
Sworn & Subscribed before me the day
and Year aforesaid} John Smith
William Stiles}
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Amendment by John Smith to his declaration (4
State of New Jersey}
Essex County} Ss Personally appeared before me William Stiles one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the Said County John Smith the foregoing Declarant who being duly sworn on his oath 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 grade:
For Three years I served as a private Soldier
and for such service I claim a pension
Sworn & Subscribed before
me the 3d day of December [Illegible]
A.D. 1832 at the residence of  John Smith
the Declarant in the Township
of Union in the County of
Essex and State of New Jersey
the Said declarant still being
by reason of bodily infirmity
unable to attend court for the
purpose of makeing his dec-
laration, all which I do hereby
certify William Stiles
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State of New Jersey
Essex County Ss Before me William Stiles one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Essex Personally appeared Matthais S[illegible] of Springfield in said County who being duly sworn according to law on his oath saith That he is Eighty One years of age that he has resided in Springfield or its neighbourhood all his life that he is well acquainted with Capt John Smith who has sworn to and subscribed the foregoing declaration and has been so acquainted with him from his youth, that he personally knows that the said John Smith was an active and almost continual Revolutionary soldier in the Militia service during the war, That New Jersey was the Theatre of War for a considerable time and that the Militia were almost constantly under Arms That the said John Smith always has been and Still is a man much respected and highly esteemed in his Neighbourhood and is fully intitled to credit and belief in his foregoing declaration and that he believes the said declaration is substantially correct and true and that he has no doubt that the Said John Smith performed more than two years service in the Army dureing the Revolutionary war and that the Deponant was in company with the said John Smith at the [illegible] time spoken of in his declaration at [Illegible] Town on Stadten Island and that he also served with him in the Cavelry under General Maxwell in Captain Jacob Winans Company that they voluntered [illegible] he thinks five months in Said Company with the said John Smith at the Ash Swamp fight [illegible] that he was also present with him in several skirmishes or battles - Sworn & Subscribed the 16th day of August 1832
William Stiles Matthias Denman
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I William Stiles one of the Judges of the Court of Common pleas in and for the County of Essex and one of the Justices of the Peace in and for the said County do hereby Certify that Matthias Denman who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing deposition is a man of credibility and that his deposition is intitled to credit
William Stiles
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We Stephen Thompson aged fifty five years now and for the last twenty Nine years pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Union formerly called Connecticut farms in the County of Essex and State of New Jersey and Jonathan Burnett residing in the same place aged fifty Eight years do hereby Certify that we are well acquainted with John Smith commonly called Capt Smith who has subscribed and Sworn to the foregoing declaration. That we believe him to be Seventy Six years old. The he is reputed and believed in the Neighbourhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and [the word that is crossed out] to have been [illegible] active to have done and more service during the Revolutionary war than ordinary and that they concur in that opinion - That is has never been doubted but universally believed that he was a Soldier in the revolutionary war much of the time And they do further Certify that he is and ever has been since their recollection of him a Man highly esteemed and respected in his neighbourhood and that he is fully entitled to credit and belief
Sworn and Subscribed before me Stephen Thompson
William Stiles One of the Judges of Jonathan Burnett
in and for the County of
Essex the 18th day of August
AD 1832
William Stiles
And the Said William Stiles doth hereby declare his opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the Interrog
atories
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atories presented by the war department (6
that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states - and I do further Certify that it appears to me that Stephen Thompson who has signed the preceeding certificate is a Clergyman resident in the Township of Union and that Jonathan Burnet who has also signed the same is a resident in the same place and is a credible person and that their statement is intitled to credit and I do also Certify that the said John Smith cannot from bodily infirmity attend court for the purpose of making his declaration required by the war department and that his infirmaties are of a permanent nature so that it is not at all probable he will ever be able to do so
William Stiles
[Everything in the following entry was crossed out]
State of New Jersey}
County of Essex} Ss: I Elias Van Arsdale Junior, Clerk of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas, holden at Newark in & for the County of Essex aforesaid Do hereby certify That William Stiles Esquire, before whom the foregoing declaration and affidavits were taken & by whom the above certificate was signed, was at the time of taking said Affidavits & Signing the Said Certificate (& now is) One of the Judges of said Court, residing in said County duly Commissioned & Sworn & authorized to take the same - That I am acquainted with the hand writing of said Judge & verily believe the Signatures "William Stiles" are genuine & that full faith and due to his affidavits -
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto Subscribed my name & affixed the seal of said Court, at Newark in the County aforesaid the Eighteenth day of August A.D. Eighteen hundred and thirty two -
E Van Arsdale Jr Clk
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State of New Jersey
County of Essex Ss: I Elias Van Arsdale Junior Clerk of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in & for said County of Essex Do hereby certify That William Stiles before whom the foregoing Declaration of John Smith for a Pension & Amendment thereto, affidavit of Matthias Denman & Certificate of Stephen Thomspon & Jonatha Burnet & by whom the foregoing certificates of Credibility [illegible] were Signed was at the time of taking Said Declaration Affidavit & Certificates & now Still is one of the judges of said Court duly commissioned & Sworn & residing in Said county of Essex, That I Am acquainted with the hand writing of said Judge & that the Signatures "William Stiles" Subscribed to Said Declaration, affidavit & Certificates are the genuine Signatures of Said Judge & that full faith & Credit are due & may be given to his official acts -
In Testimony Whereof I have hereunto Subscribed my name and Affixed the seal of Said Court at Newark in the County of Essex aforesaid this Seventh day of December in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred & thirty two & of the Independence of the United States the fifty Seventh
E Van Arsdale Jr Clk
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4854.
Rev War
INVALID.
File No. 4854
John Smith
Privt Rev War
Act: June 7" 1832
Index:--Vol. 16, Page 346
[Arrangement of 1870.]
Page 18

John Smith
Essex payments to be made
at Trenton
by the Prest. Trenton Bkg. Compy. &
Agent for paing Pension
ers, in the Agency of New Jersey
Recorded by D. Brown
Clerk, in Bood D. Vol. 4
page 17
[Written upside down are the words]
John Smith
[Illegible]
Page 19

WAR DEPARTMENT.
Revolutionary Claim.
I certify that in conformity with the Law of the United States, of the 7th June, 1832, John Smith of Essex County of the State of New Jersey who was a Private in the army of the Revolution
is entitled to receive Eighty dollars [The words and cents are crossed out.] per annum, during his natural life, commencing on the 4th of March, 1831, and payable semi-annually, on the 4th of March, and 4th of September, in every year.
Given at the War Office of the United States,
this Seventeenth day of December 
one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two
L[illegible] Cass
Secretary of War.
Examined and}
Countersigned.}
J L. Edwards