Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 707, Moses Beecher, Conn. Privateer
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Service  Number
Conn.   Beecher, Moses  R707
Privateer   Dorcas
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State of Connecticut
County of New Haven } Ss. City of New Haven
On this 5th day of August 1832 personally appeared in open court before the County Court of New Haven County now sitting in said city, Moses Beecher, a resident of said city in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut aged 68 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 he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein states:
That he was born the 1st day of December 1766 at New Haven and except when at sea has always resided there; that there is a record of his age in the family bible of his father and mother, - a copy of which he has entered in his own bible which shows the above date. That when in the 15th of his age he enlisted for six months with a private's pay, 40 Shillings per month besides rations in a company of artillery raised for defense of New Haven and its vicinity any authority of the State of Connecticut, then commanded by Capt. Wm. Van Deursen of s'd New Haven in 1781. April or May he thinks, as. waiter on aid to the Lieutenant, who was Joseph Peck of New Haven; Thomas Burr he thinks was ensign, John Ross was orderly sergeant, James Murray was also sergeant, Capt John Warner, afterwards the same summer followed Capt. Van Deursen in the command of said company, he remembers that Martin Parrott and Nathaniel Downs now living were in the company with him; that he remembers now others now living; that the company was quartered in 1781, and doing duty the whole time at the corner of State and Elm Streets in New Haven; that while in said company he was called out several times in the night, by alarm to the shore in West Haven, at a distance of 5 or 6 miles
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and that once the company reached the shore just after a boat belonging to the enemy, that had landed for plunder had left for an enemy's privateer which lay off the sound; and that on one occasion an armed English brig came off the shore, and the company went down to West Haven shore for defense; that he continued to serve 'till his six months was out, and left the company. He thinks in October, 1781, or in the Spring of 1782 Capt John Warner being then in command; that his duty as Lieutenant's waiter or aid was to carry his orders and messages to ride & keep the horses in front of the field pisces and to attend on the cartridge boxes and hand out the cartridges when the pieces were fired, and was always obliged to be on the ground when the company paraded; that he never received any written discharge; That sometime next Spring 1782 he went on board a privateer Sloop owned and commanded by Capt Daniel Jones of New Haven who had a privateer commission from government, said Sloop was of 3 years, and had 3 whale boats attached to her and about 25 men and small arms, swords and cutlasses; It was in April or May 1782, he thinks, the object was to cruise in the Sound and land for plunder on Long Island north and south side of the Island, there being Coasters and armed vessels on the enemy passing often in the Sound; he recollects that Elisha Elerkin commanded one of the whale boats of the privateer; that he continued as one of the hands in that service 6 months - making New Haven the port and making excursions of 10 or 12 days at a time north and south of Long Island; in the course of that time the Sloop and whale boats took two whale boats manned by refugees going with provisions from Branford to the enemy on Long Island; also took a British Coasting Sloop and [illegible], south side of Long Island and ransomed each for about 100 Dolls; also, in July 1782 he thinks the 3 boats to which the applicant belonged commanded by Capt Jones, in company with a privateer Sloop of 10 guns commanded by Capt. Parks of New Haven, off Huntington L.
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[Long] Island shore. Chased several English Coasters, but a larger privateer of the enemy, the Associations, commanded by Capt. Chas. Thomas of New Haven, a refugee, turned the chase on us as far as Black rock on the north shore of the Sound, and sent a whale boat with eight men for us, which we engaged, & it returned with three oars, 5 men probably having been killed, and then said English privateer left us; The applicant, after this service, in November 1782 he thinks, next went on board the letter of Marque Brig Iris, Capt. Lenilie Jas. Hillard, 100 mate, one Sampson 20 mate, 30 men, bound to Havanna, 8 carriage guns, besides swivels, blunderbuss & small arms; and when off Abaco the letter of Marque was chased by a privateer brig, afterwards said to be the English brig Hawk of 16 guns, 3 days & 3 nights, and finally prepared for action and run near the privateer and exchanged 5 broadsides, and the privateer made off, one man was killed and one wounded on board the letter of Marque at the gun to which the applicant was stationed; and was embargoed at Havanna, during the winter and returned in May, as far as the Capes, and there was chased on shore in the Chesapeake by the Br. privateer brig Digby of 18 guns, and fought her until we took her and put a prize master on board, we had 10 men wounded but a gale coming on both vessels went to pieces inside of the Capes in the Chesapeake, and the men barely escaped with their lives, and the prisoners of the Digby were taken ashore and lodged in Northampton jail. The applicant is known to William N, Ellis, Jebiel Forbes, Eli Mix, Isaac C Gilbert, Rev. Henry Lines, Deac. William Austin, Jonathan Alling and Nathaniel Downs, who was in a civilian capacity with in the artillery company in'81, all of New Haven, some of whom live in his immediate vicinity & can testify to his veracity and their belief that he served in the revolution; that he never received a discharge, and that he knows of no one now living who can testify to his service on the water. And he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his
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name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state -
Moses Beecher X his mark
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid 
Attest Jno Beach Clerk
We Rev. Pember Joselin, a clergyman residing in said town of New Haven and William H. Ellis & Samuel W. Chilson residing in the same, acquainted with Moses Beecher, who has subscribed the foregoing declaration that we believe him to be 55 years of age and a man of veracity, 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.
Sworn to & subscribed to day & year aforesaid Pember Joselin William H Ellis Samuel W. Chilson
Attest Jno Beach Clerk
I Nathaniel Downs of New Haven, hereby certify that I was in the company of artillery raised and stationed at New Haven in 1781 under Capt. William Van Deursen and Capt John Warner, that said Moses Beecher, subscribed of the above declaration, was with me several months. I should think as many as six in s'd company, doing such duties as he has stated, I was doing like duty in respect to the Captain and also receiving private's pay, the company was quartered and doing duty at the corner of Elm & State Streets, and that I have known said Beecher ever since, and now live not a great distance from him, and consider him entitled to credit, I do not recollect that any part of his service was under Van Deursen.
Sworn to & subscribed the day and year aforesaid - Nathaniel Downs
Attest Jno Beach Clerk
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 and served as he states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Rev. Pember Joselin, who has signed any of the preceding certificates is a clergymen resident in the town of New Haven, and that William H. Ellis Samuel W. Chilson Nathaniel Downs, who have signed the
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preceding certificates are residents of New Haven, credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit.
By order of Court Attest Jno Beach Clerk
I John Beach, Clerk of the County Court of New Haven County, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Moses Beecher for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 6th day of August 1832.  Attest Jno Beach Clerk
[embossed seal]

New Haven County Ss. New Haven July 13th 1833.
I Frederick Beecher of the town of Orange, County of New Haven, only surviving brother of Moses Beecher declarant aforesaid, aged 69 years of age on the 18th day of September next, hereby certify at the time of the service of my brother s'd Moses Beecher in Capt Van Deursen and Capt Warner's said Matross or artillery company in 1781 - I was myself the same summer for 3 months attached to a Militia Company of the State troops quartered in New Haven in Broadway commanded by Henry Daggett Esqr. Thomas Bird was orderly sergeant; - and I distinctly recollect of said Moses Beecher in the month of May 1781 enlisting in said artillery company raised at and for defense of New Haven and commanded by Capt. William Van Deursen, for the tour of six months, and that he continued to serve six months and was discharged in the fall of 1781; and I well remember of often seeing said Moses Beecher out in periods of Alarm that summer and fall and one occasion in particular of seeing him riding the horse in front of the field piece at Allentown a part of New Haven on the west, when I was myself out in Capt. Daggett's Company and of often seeing said Moses on duty that year in said artillery
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P.

Dorcas Beecher, widow of Moses Beecher dec'd
Revolutionary - June 7/32 - 
Power of Attorney
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Connecticut 707
Moses Beecher
rejected
see letter to J Beach
30 Sept 1833

1832
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War Dep
P.O.
Sep 30th 33
Sir
The claim of Moses Beecher to a pension has been rejected. It does not appear that his service in 1781 as aid or waiter to Lt Peck was Military service - but the facts stated by him render it altogether improbable that his name was ever borne on the rolls of the company. The service on board privateers is not within the act. The papers are placed on file.
John Beach Esq
New Haven
Ck