Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 748, Aaron Bennet, Conn.
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Service
Conn.

Bennet, Aaron

Number
R.748
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No. 34,614
Aaron Bennett
Declaration
Rutland Co. Vt.
Act 7 June 1832

G.W. Harman
Agent
Pawlet Vermont
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State of Vermont }
Rutland County ss } Declaration.

On this 12th day of July AD. 1838, personally appeared, in open court, before the Probate Court, for the District of Fairhaven, in said county and state, now sitting, Aaron Bennett, a resident of Pawlet, in said county, aged seventy six 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 June 7th 1832.
That about the first of April, in the Spring of the year, 1780, residing at Norwich, in the county of Windham and State of Connecticut, his brother Samuel Bennett was drafted to serve in the militia, and, at the request of his said brother, he, the deponent, took the place of his said brother, and, in his stead, went to Norwich landing where were about twenty others, who, with the deponent, in a boat sailed down to New London at which place they joined their regiment. The officers were Genl John Tyler, Col. Parsons Maj. Peters and Adjt Root, and those of the deponents company were Capt Ebenezer Lathrop & Lt Hall and Ensign Stanton. The deponent was stationed about a fortnight in Groton fort, and afterwards, went over to New London where he remained the residue of their tour, working upon a fort which the deponent called fort Nonsense. About the first of July, the deponent was dismissed having served the period which he was directed by his said brother to serve, being three months. He was engaged in no battle, received no discharge in writing, has no
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documentary evidence, and knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. He served as a private. He is not certain whether his own name was put upon the roll, or whether he answered to that of his brother.

After the deponent was dismissed as above stated, he, returning towards his home, when within five miles of it, was met by Captain Daniel Rose, who told him he was drafted from the Militia, and that he, this deponent, must join the company at Norwich landing the next morning at two o'clock &c. The deponent went home, remained over night, and, in the morning, shouldered his knapsack and went to said landing, whence he, and about twenty others proceeded to New London, in company, and there joined their regiment. The general and field officers were the same as before. His company officers were Capt. Carew, Lt. Hall, and the ensign not remembered. He remained at New London a fortnight and then he with nineteen other privates and Lt. Hall, volunteered to go to Goshen reef to keep a picket guard, and to prevent the tories from carrying provisions to the enemy. He remembers that Elisha Blunt - Blunt, Cyprian Cook, William Stanton, Samuel Pellett, - Palmer, Daniel Stanton and Sergt. Becken were of the above mentioned nineteen. Having served as a private three months, he was dismissed, without a discharge in writing. He was engaged in no battle, has no documentary
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evidence, and knows of no person, whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service -

Immediately after the burning of New London, in Sept. 1781, the deponent volunteered and went with Capt. Daniel Rose and his company, to that place, where they met several other companies. The deponent remained twelve days, and then was dismissed - he served as a private was engaged in no battle - has no documentary evidence - and knows no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service.

And being interrogated agreeably to the direction of the Hon. Secretary of War, he says, he was born at Preston, in the State of Connecticut, on the 3d day of October AD 1761 - He has no record of his age, but supposes it to be entered of record upon the books of the clerk of the town in which he was born. When called into service, he lived at Norwich, Ct. and continued to reside there till 1783 when he removed to Pawlet, afsd where he has since resided. During his first tour he served as a substitute for his brother, Samuel Bennett - he was drafted to the second tour - and volunteered for the third - He names Genl. Tyler, Col. Parsons, Maj. Peters, and the other company officers above and there were no other troops embodied at the same time, as he remembers, except as before stated. He never received a discharge in writing. He names Josiah Monroe, Phinehas Strong, Oliver L. Hermon and Abner Lumbard to whom he is known, and who can testify
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to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution. But the clergymen in Pawlet, being young men & having recently settled therein, he cannot procure their testimony as wished by the Dept of War.
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 and subscribed the day and year afore said.
Aaron Bennett

We Josiah Munro & Phineas Strong residing in the town of Pawlet, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Aaron Bennett who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy six years of age, that he is reputed an believed, in the neighbourhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Josiah Munro
Phinehas Strong

And the said court does hereby declare its opinion, after 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 him that Josiah Munro & Phinehas Strong who have signed the preceding certificate
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are residents in the town of Pawlet, afsd. and are credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit.

I, Silah H. Merrill, register of the Probate Court, for the district of Fairhaven afsd. do certify hereby that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Aaron Bennett for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 13th day of July AD 1838.
S. H. Merrill

[seal affixed at left]
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Ex'r. Invalid.
No. 748

[stamped upper right] Rejected

Aaron Bennett
P.O. __
Service: __
Enlisted: __, 18
Discharged: __, 18
Application filed: __, 18
Alleges: __
Re-enlisted: __
Attorney: __
P.O. __
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Let. to G.W. Harman, Augt. 9 - '38.
do - do - do - June 4 '39
do to Hon W. Slade May 1. 1840.

748
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J. Randall Just Peace

State of Vermont }
Rutland County ss } I, Robert Pierpoint, Clerk of the county court, of the county and state aforesaid, do hereby certify, that Jonathan Randall is a Justice of the Peace, in and for said county, duly commissioned and qualified; that his commission was dated on the 1st day of Nov AD 1837, and will expire on the 30th day of Nov. AD 1838; and that his signature above written is genuine.
Given under my hand and the seal of said court, at Rutland, this 1 day of Feby AD 1838.
R. Pierpoint
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I, George W. Harman, of Pawlet, in the county of Rutland and State of Vermont, of lawful age, being duly sworn, depose and say. That in the year 1832 or 1833, by some means, not now remembered, I became aware of the fact, that Aaron Bennett, of said Pawlet, had applied to one Rollin F. Strong, then of S. Pawlet, now deceased, for assistance in procuring a pension, on account of services which the said Bennett alleged he had performed in the Revolutionary War. That in the month of August or Sept 1836, the said Bennett came to me and requested me to render him my assistance in procuring him a pension. And at that time, the said Bennett stated to me fully the different periods during which he served, the names of his of officers and of several privates - and the places where the duty was performed, with many other facts which were noted down by me at the time. It was then agreed that I should embody those relations in the proper form of a declaration and that the said Bennett should meet me at the then next Sept term of Rutland County Court, with a view to make his declaration before that court. Accordingly, the declaration was drawn up by me, but the said Bennett did not appear at the session of said court, and I did not again see him in a situation to converse with him until the winter or spring of 1838. He then called upon me and stated, that he had called in Sept 1836, and at one or two other times during my absence, and that, as he never had found me at home, he thought he would wait until chance should bring us together. He then proceeded to relate the particulars of his military service, and
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gave the same relation as in the first instance.
Afterwards, several letters were written and sent by me, to various towns in Connecticut, requesting information respecting the persons named by the said Bennett, as having been his comrades, to which answers were returned, stating the death of all the persons enquired for. With considerable difficulty, I ascertained the place of residence of Elisha Blunt (named by said Bennett) to have been DeRuyter, Madison Co. N.Y. and forthwith addressed a letter to the Post Master at that place, who returned me an answer, that "Mr. Blount died about 2 years since." which answer was received by me on the 31st of Augt 1838. Today, I have shown and read to Josiah Monroe (a very respectable man) a true copy of the original declaration of said Bennett, by me transmitted to the Comr. of Pensions.
Pawlet Nov. 23. 1838 - G. W. Harman
Sworn to before me, by said Harman, whom I certify to be a credible witness, Nov. 23d 1838
J Randall Just Peace.

I, Josiah Monroe, of Pawlet, in the county of Rutland & State of Vermont, of lawful age, being duly sworn, do depose and say - That during the year 1832, I applied to Rollin F. Strong then of said Pawlet, to assist me in procuring a pension - and that a short time after I applied to said Strong, Aaron Bennett of said Pawlet, to my knowledge, applied to said Strong for like assistance as aforesaid in procuring a pension for said Bennett - that said Strong took some minutes or did some other acts in relation to the business, but soon after left Pawlet, and has since, as I have been informed, deceased.
I further depose and say that in the summer of the year 1780, my brother John Monroe, was drafted from the militia of the town of Canterbury,
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in the State of Connecticut (in which town within resided) and was required to perform service in the vicinity of New London. My said brother being older than myself and better able to carry on the farm, he requested me, who was then sixteen years old, the January previous, to take his place. I did so - being accepted by the officers. Our rendezvous was at New London where we were the chief of the time but we went a part of the time to the neighbouring Indian villages of Pockatanock and Mohegan, where we made facines and gabions, calculated for use on Long Island. This tour of duty was, to my certain knowledge of three months duration. There were two brigades embodied there at that time - I have forgotten the names of all the officers except my Lieut who was named Day - & orderly sergeant Russell.
After the war ended, I became acquainted with the said Aaron Bennett and have continued that acquaintance to the present time. Soon after I became acquainted with said Bennett, and long before any our thought of receiving a pension for such services, I heard him repeatedly narrate the particulars of his serving from which it appeared that he was embodied with the troops above referred to -
I have to day been shown and had read to me by G. W. Harman, a paper which he stated to be a copy of Aaron Bennetts declaration - the first term of service therein set forth, I know nothing of - but the second is, as I verily believe, the same which I have described above. I was formerly acquainted with Elisha Blunt, and have heard him repeat the particulars of the term of service by me
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above described - and he said he was present during the same. I have long been acquainted with said Bennett and have no doubt that he has told the truth according to his best recollection. The said Bennett in his narrations as above mentioned, stated that he was in service the two tours in the year 1780, and the one after the burning of New London, in 1781 -
Pawlet Nov. 23. 1838 Josiah Munro

Rutland County ss. On this 23d day of Nov. 1838, personally appeared Josiah Monroe, and made oath to the truth of the foregoing affidavit by him subscribed, before me. And I certify, that I am well acquainted with said Monroe, and that his character for truth and honesty is perfectly good - and that he is a man of high moral worth.
J Randall Just Peace

Aaron Bennett
G. W. Harman &
Josiah Monroe
afts
Vt.
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Sir,
Your letter of the 9th Augt in relation to the claim of Aaron Bennett came to hand in due course.
On the 22d Augt I addressed the Comptroller at Hartford, making to him the statement which I was required to do by the third paragraph of your letter. On the 31st Augt. I received the comptrs answer, which is herewith enclosed to you.
No person, acquainted with Mr. Bennett, has the least doubt of the intended correctness of his relation - and that it is true in point of fact, I think no candid person will deny after reading in connection with his full and explicit declaration, the corroborating affidavit of Josiah Monroe.
I think the objections of the Comr. are all answered. The declaration itself is a piece of evidence entitled to great weight. It sets forth the circumstances of the declarants services with great particularity, and doubtless would have been sufficient had it been preferred immediately after the passage of the act - in deed pensions have been granted with scarce a tittle of the  evidence contained in that declaration. The delay in making his application is accounted for and explained by the inclosed affidavits - and the inability to procure the testimony of his comrades, is, I think, satisfactorily proved to be the result of no fault in him.
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The declaration is strongly corroborated by the affidavit of Capt. Monroe. The affiant states, distinctly, the duration of the second tour of service and the place where rendered; together with the number of troops embodied. He also swears to the declarations of the applicant made at a period far anterior to the passage of the law - under which the claim is made - and what is of more importance, to the declarations of the identical Elisha Blunt, fully sustaining the declarants allegations. It seems however that no proof of the service in 1780 & 81 can be found in the Comptroller's office - What then? We have the testimony of three credible men, that such services were rendered - in addition to which, it is notorious to every American citizen, that operations like those detailed by the declarant were actually performed after the burning of New London. Where then is the record evidence of those services? Lost, certainly lost, if any ever existed - And it is a sound maxim of law, and one which commmends itself to every well constituted mind, that injustice should not be done because a record is lost.
I hope the papers will receive your prompt attention and that I may be informed of the result.
I am very respectfully
Yr. Most Obt. St.
G. W. Harman

J. L. Edwards Esq
Comr. of Pensions
Washington City
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Pawlet May 29, 1839.

The letter of the Comr. of Pensions enclosing a certificate of pension to Sibbel Leach, has been received by me. The seal of the packet was broken when it came to my hands, and as nothing was written, I could not know whether or not the packet originally contained more than one certificate. As I have been expecting to receive a certificate to Aaron Bennett, it occurred to me that it might have been inclosed with the other and have been abstracted from the packet. I do not wish to trouble the officer unnecessarily, and therefore shall expect an answer only in case Bennetts certificate was enclosed with the other.
Respy
Yr. Obt. St.
G. W. Harman

J. L. Edwards, Esq
Comr &c
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Pawlet July 19. 1838.
Sir,
Herewith is inclosed the declaration of Aaron Bennett.
Great exertions have been made to procure evidence of his services, aside from Mr. Bennett's own relation, but without success. Letters have been addressed to Connecticut, making inquiries respecting the individuals whom Mr. Bennet has named as having been his fellow soldiers to which answers have been received stating their deaths; The Comptroller, at Hartford Ct. has been applied to for evidence and he has written back that no proof of service appears upon his books.
I trust however that the full and clear narration of his services which Mr. Bennett has given, will of itself, be sufficient evidence of its truth.
I am Sir
Very Respy
Yr. Ob. St.
G. W. Harman

J. L. Edwards Esq
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Aug 26 1838
Sir
In answer to your several letters - I have to state that we have no pay rolls of any amount after the year 1775 - and as you are unable to furnish the names of his officers after that year - I cannot, of course even certify the service of the Officers - which the Commissioner of Pensions would receive as evidence could it be furnished - The former Comptroller certified his service in 1775 because there are pay Rolls of that year - The present Comptroller certified to the service of one Mosses Porter in the Connecticut Line which it seems is an other person but the only one of the name I could find - You will therefore perceive that the attempt must be abandoned unless you can give the officers subsequent to 1775 in which case I can certify to their service which will be the best evidence the nature of the case admits of - With respect to Aaron Bennett I can only repeat that the officers mentioned did not by our Books appear to have served at the times mentioned at New London & that is in 1780 & 1781 as is alledged in your first letter & asserted in your last of 22 inst - But that it appears by the books that there services were rendered in 1775 - and as we have no pay rolls of those officers, we can of course only certify to their service in 1775 from our Books -
If such a Certificate I repeat, will be of service please [illegible] it and it shall be sent -
Yours Respectfully
Henry Kilbourne Compt

[written vertically in left margin] Bennett Porter

G. W. Harman Esq.
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The National Archives
Form VAM-51
12-5-41

Bounty Land Warrant Record Card*

Division of Veterans' Administration Archives

Name Bennet, Aaron Grade Private Line New Jersey

Warrant Number 8158 Acreage 100 Issued June 14, 1791 to - not shown -

*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.