Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 31379, for Matthew Smith, Connecticut
Page 1

(3 - 1776)
SERVICE
Conn.

Smith, Matthew or Mathew
NUMBER S.31379

b. May 12, 1753 at East Haddam Conn. there at all
res. in 1832. Middlefield Hampshire Co. Mass.
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6385
Massachusetts
Mathew Smith
Middlefield in the State of Mass
was a private in the company commanded
Captain Willey of the Regt commanded
Col Throop in the Conn
for 11 month & 6 days

Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts
the rate of 37 Dollars 32 Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831

Certificate of Pension issued the 1st day of March 1833 and sent to Hon
J C Bates H.R.

Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832
53.98
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Mar -

55.98
18.66
$74.64

Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832

Recorded by Daniel Boyd Clerk
Book D Vol. 2 Page 98
Page 3

Spencer Hospital 13th Oct 1775
Sir Matthew Smith a Soldier in Capt John William's Company
has been sick in Hospital for a long time of three months
Very weak & unfit for the Duty of the Army Recommend 
a Discharge that he may return home to Connecticut to
recover his health

BP Turner Surgeon

Col Saml H. Parsons
Esq

The above named Mathew Smith
for a Discharge from the Army on a
Sam Wyllys
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Camp at Roxbury 13 Oct. 1775.

By order of General Ward the within named
Soldier is discharged from any further
Service in the Continental Army

J Ward, Aid de camp

Mathew Smith
S.731379
Conn.

Oct 17 day
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8103
Matthew Smith
Middlefield
Pens.
11 months & 6 days

$37.32 Willey
Throop
Hon. J. C. Bates
HR

Saml Hinckley
Southhampton ?
Mass.
Page 6

BRIEF in the case of Matthew Smith
of Middlefield in the State of Mass
Hampshire Co
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? a Judge
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity? yes
3. How old is he? Seventy nine years
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.

Period.
Volunteer In 1775 Apr 21
to 13 Oct
1776 Aug
1777
Duration of Service.
Years Months, Days
            5           22
            3
            2
     other       14
says all his remain 
several days over 11 moths

Rank.
As a

Names of General and Field Officers
under whom he served.
Gen.
Capt Willey C Wyllis
Capt Cone. Col Throop
Capt Willey
Capt Cone

5. In what battles was he engaged? none stated
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? East Haddam, Conn
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by
incidental evidence, or by the rolls? two persons certify to testimony evidence
John Dickson proves service in 1776 & 7. & the 14 days service
Calvin Smith ___   ___  generally. ___ a discharge from service in 1775
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?
iI Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above
mentioned.
D King Examining Clerk
Page 7

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress
passed June 7, 1832.
State of Massachusetts
County of Hampshire ss. On this Twelfth day of September
1832 personally appeared before me Samuel Hinckley Judge
of Probate in said County Matthew Smith resident of Middlefield
 in the County of Hampshire, State of Massachusetts aged seventy
nine 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 7, 1832.
That he was born at East Haddam, State of Connecticut on the twelfth
day of May 1753. that he has no record of his age, but believes, there is
record thereof in the Clerks office of the said town of East Haddam.
that he resided at East Haddam till June 1783 and there removed
to Middlefield State of Massachusetts where he now resides.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following
named officers, and served as herein stated: On the 21 of April 1775
he set out as a volunteer against the British forces at Boston, the five
militia companies of East Haddam having got together, and their officers
having requested those that could go to volunteer, Captain
John Willey volunteered to command the volunteers; that he
marched directly to Roxbury under Captain Willey's command
and after serving a few weeks there, as soon as the state authority of Connnecticut
 authorised enlistment, he enlisted for the campaign under the
said Captain Willey in Colonel Samuel Wyllys Regiment and served
therein at Roxbury till 13 October 1775 where being sick he was discharged
by order of General Artemas Ward, who commanded the division.
General Joseph Spencer at the time commanded the Brigade,
that he received a discharge, dated 13 October 1775 which is hereto attached
some words of Col. Wylly's note are torn off and lost from one corner thereof.
about the last of August 1776, the militia Regiment to which this
applicant belonged was called into service three months, and that
he served the whole of the three months in Captain Daniel Cones Company
 Colonel Dyer Throop Regiment, marching directly to East
Chester in the State of New York, afterwards to Harlem River, and when the British
went to White Plains, marched to the neighborhood of King Street, afterward to
Wrights Mill, and other places. there being generally together in the
said three months service, the said Throop and another militia
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Regiment and Colonel Huntington's Regiment of Continental
which had been very much reduced in numbers, all under
the command of Brigadier General Tyler. Early in January
1777, when a detachment of Militia was called for to go to New London this applicant entered said detachment and served two
months at New London in Captain John Willey Company
under Colonel Dyer Throop, that he was most of the time employed
in making musket Cartridges, that from these two services
he does not recollect to have had any written discharge after
this he was several times called out in alarms with the militia that
in the said several devices he served as a private; and in the
three periods of service he served ten months & twenty six days, and
at each time of entering the service resides as above stated at
East Haddam state of Connecticut he further states that the several times he was called on alarms was nearly a months service in all
at one time he was soldier under Capt Cone in Col Throop's Regt 14 Days
and was guarding the coast at and near New London he actually served
several days over of Eleven months in all

That John Dickson and Calvin Smith are persons to whom I am known
in my present neighborhood who can testify as to my character and veracity and to their belief of my services as a soldier
of the Revolution

He herby relinquishes any claim whatsoever 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
Matthew Smith

Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid by said Matthew Smith
at his dwelling house in Middlefield in said County the day &
year aforesaid he being very aged and infirm and wholly
unable to attend Court
Before me Samuel Hinckley Judge of Probate for said County

We John Dickson and Calvin Smith residing in Middlefield, County of Hampshire State of Massachusetts, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with
Matthew Smith, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration
that we believe him to be seventy nine years of age, that he is reputed
and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier
of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion, we also certify that he
is in our opinion a person of truth and veracity
John Dickson
Calvin Smith
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Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid by said John Dickson
and Calvin Smith whom I know to be credible witness
before me Samuel Hinckley Judge of Probate

State of Massachusetts County of Hampshire John Dickson of Middlefield in said
County being duly sworn deposeth and saith that in the latter part of the year
1776 this deponent then being a resident in East Haddam Connecticut served
three months in the service of the United States in Colonel Dyer Throop's militia
Regiment in the State of New York, in the neighborhood of the City of New York and
White Plains and this deponent frequently saw the above named Matthew
Smith applicant for a Pension, in the said service and has not the least
doubt that the said Matthew served the whole of the said three months
that almost immediately after the return of the said Matthew from the said
three months service this deponent understood that the said Matthew
served the months at New London, this deponent also at the time under
to that the said Matthew served in the neighborhood of Boston
during the campaign of 1775. He further states that he was knowing
to his being called out to go with Capt. Cone in Col. Throop's Reg't to protect the
coast from the landing of the enemy at and near New London & was actually
in service at that time fourteen days
John Dickson
Sworn to & subscribed by said John Dickson whom I know to be a person of veracity
Before me Samuel Hinckley Judge of Probate

State of Massachusetts County of Hampshire Calvin Smith of Middlefield in said County being duly sworn deposeth and saith that from the
requiring of the year 1775 to the close of the year 1777 this deponent, resided
at East Haddam in the same family with Matthew Smith
the above named applicant who is brother of this deponent
and from the knowledge and recollection of this deponent, respecting the
said Matthews being from Home in the service of the United States he fully
and firmly believes the said Matthew served the whole of the service being
in his application and declaration above set forth each of the period of
his absence, being well recollected by this deponent, and it being well
understood and a subject of frequent, and interested conversation at the time
in their fathers family where this deponent then resided He further
states that he was knowing to his being called out to go with Capt. Cone Col Throop's
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Regt. to protect the Coast from the landing of the enemy at and near
New London and was actually in Service at that time about
fourteen days              Calvin Smith
Subscribed and sworn to by M Smith who I know to be
person of veracity
Before me Samuel Hinckley Judge of Probate

State of Massachusetts County of Hampshire
I Samuel Hinckley Judge of Probate of the County of Hampshire
do hereby declare my opinion after the investigation of this
matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War
Department, that the above named applicant Matthew Smith
was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states. And further
certify that it appears to me that Calvin Smith and John Dickson
 who have signed the preceding certificate and who have severally
made a deposition also preceding are residents of the said town 
of Middlefield in said County and are credible persons, and that
their statements and depositions are entitled to credit.
Middlefield Sept 12. 1832
Samuel Hinckley Judge of Probate for said County

State of Massachusetts, County of Hampshire. I Samuel F. Lyman
Register of the Court of Probate of said County hereby certify that
Samuel Hinckley is Judge of the Court of Probate in said County
which court is a Court of record and that the several signatures
of the said Judge to the annexed declaration affidavits and
certificate are the proper hand writing and signature of the said
judge, with whose hand writing I am well acquainted

In testimony whereof I have hereto affixed
 the seal of the said Court of Probate at
Northampton in said County this seventeenth day
of September 1832 and subscribed the same
with my hand.
Saml F Lyman Register

Matthew Smith
Application for Pension
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31379
Reg INVALID.

File No. 31379

Mathew Smith

Pri Rev War

Act: June 7 32
Index Vol. 2, Page 382
Arrangement of 1870.