Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File for William Tanner, Rhode Island
Page 1

Service.                                     Number
   (Check).      William Tanner.           Dis~
 R.I. & N.Y. residence.     No papers
Page 2

Rev. War Section.
Mr. Herbert O. Brigham,
State Record Commissioner,
State House,
Providence, R. I.

July 13, 1923.

Sir:

I have to advise you that from the papers in the
pension claim, S. 4678, it appears that William Tanner
was born February 5, 1761, in West Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island.
During the Revolution he served as a private for
six months at various times, as a substitute for divers persons, in the Rhode Island Militia, under Captain George
Wilcox, no further details of these services given.
After the above, he enlisted at West Greenwich,
Rhode Island in March or April 1778, and served as a
private for one year in "Captain Hawpin's Company,
Colonel John Tawpin's Regiment" of Rhode Island State
Troops, which was stationed at Howland's Ferry, to
guard the shores.
He enlisted at Pawtuxet, in the spring of 1779,
and served as a private for one year, in Captains Hasting and North's Companies, Colonel Henry Jackson's
Continental Regiment, and was in the engagement at
Morrisania.
Page 3

He was allowed pension on his application executed
August 29, 1832, while living at Fowler, Trumbull County,
Ohio, where his son Alexander also resided. There is no
further data on file as to his family. He died June
1835.
There are no papers on file relative to the pension
claim of William Tanner, who is recorded in the Report
of the Secretary of War in relation to the Pension Establishment
of the United States, which was printed in 1835;
on the list of invalid pensioners who have been inscribed
on the roll of the New York Agency, whose residence, and
other information called for by the resolution of the
Senate cannot be ascertained in consequence of the destruction
of the papers in the War Office in 1801 and
1814. He there appears as William Tanner, private,
Army of the Revolution, annual allowance $32, Transferred
from Rhode Island, March 4, 1793.
Respectfully,
Hays Haymaker
Acting Commissioner.
Page 4

Herbert O Brigham Commisioner Rev

STATE RECORD COMMISSIONER
STATE HOUSE
PROVIDENCE

June 20, 1923.

Washington Gardner, Commissioner,
Bureau of Pensions,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir
Island.
In examining our records we find some confusion between the various pension records of William Tanners serving in Rhode Island.
I should be glad to have a statement indicating such data as may appear on your pension rolls.
William Tanner, Private, Rhode Island State: Rhode Island pensioner residing in Trumbull County, Ohio; placed on pension roll
Nov. 25, 1833; pension commenced March 4, 1831, age 73.
-
William Tanner, Private, Rhode Island [illegible] Regt.; draughted in Commander-in-Chief's Guard, disabled in service in the Army, 1781;
pension commenced Nov. 3, 1783; balance due to March 4, 1789; resolve of Congress June 1785; residence Albany, N. Y.; age 30.

Very truly yours,
Herbert O. Bingham
State Record Commissioner.

nothing in files for this
nothing in American State Papers.
nothing in Resolutions & Laws,
nothing on Albany List of Invalid, printed 1835 or on R. I. List 1835
but in report of 1835, on List of Invalid pensioners
who have been inscribed on the roll of the
New York Agency, whose residence and other in formation called for by the resolution of the Senate
cannot be ascertained in consequence of the destruction
of the papers in the War Office in 1801 and 1814 appears
William Tanner, Private army of Rev. annual allowance $32. Transferred from
Rhode Island, Mar. 4, 1793
over
Page 5

Office Note
[illegible]. July 13. 1923
The extra data given by the State Record Court of R.I. is probably due to the fact that such pensions were adjudicated in the State Courts and paid by the States for several years after act of 1780 June 7, was passed, and the states reimbursed in
lump sum payment by United States.
so there may be more complete records
at the State Capitols which were never
forwarded to the central government.
Page 6

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Form VAM-51
12-5-41
BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD
Name Tanner, William Grade Private Line Rhode Island
WARRANT NUMBER 3539, Acreage 100
Division of Veterans' Administration Archives

Issued
Jan. 13, 1800
to A. Holbrook assignee
The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issued 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 subsequent
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.