Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 2047, James Cleves, Mass.
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(3 - 1776)
SERVICE | | NUMBER
Mass. | Cleves, James. | R 2047
 | Cleaves | 
=================
CONTENTS
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State of Maine.
COUNTY OF YORK, SS.
ON this eleventh
day of February 1834 personally
appeared before me Ezekial Whitman, chief of the Court of
Common Pleas James Cleaves 
a resident of Kennebunkport in the County of York and State of
Maine 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 entered the service of the United States under the following named officers,
and served as herein stated.
Some time in June 1775 I was detached from
the company of local Militia at Cape Porpoise for three months and stationed
at that place during said time in the publick service, I assisted in
erecting a Fort at Cape Porpoise, and as a guard stationed there until
some time in September of said year. I was three months in this service-
In October 1777. I was drafted into Capt James Perkins company for four months
and march with him to the State of New York and up the Hudson River to Pittskills and
Fort Constitution. We marched from Kennebunk the first of December 1777 and was
discharged at Fort Constitution the last of March following-- I arived home in
April. I enlisted only for four months but was absent five months-
In 1778 I was one of a class of six men that hired Andrew Brown to go into the
three years service for which we paid Three hundred dollars as a Bounty in addition
to the pay advanced by the government to said Brown
I claim seven months as my personal services in the
revolutionary war. but was eight months in it as above
stated. I have been a cripple for nearly seven years past and for three
years wholly confined in my house, and have been totally unable to get
assistance to make application for a pension until now, by reason of
my confinement, and seclusion in my residence from
people who could direct me in my necessary application for said
pension. I know of no individual living by whom my service can be
proved, none that was with me in said services-- Capt Perkins is dead he
resided in the same town with me-- My service in the first of the war was at the Cape
in the same town - only a small guard stationed there. I was born in Arundel 
(now Kennebunkport) in the year 1754 and always resided there-- I have applied with the
Secretary of State office in Boston for evidence of my services but no rolls of Capt Perkins
company was to be found there, nor of any of my services
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, [begin crossout] or (if any) only on that of the agency
of the State of [end crossout]
SWORN TO, and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
James Cleaves
---
before me Ezekiel Whitman Chief Justice of said
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pension. I know of no individual living by whom my service can be
proved, none that was with me in said services-- Capt Perkins is dead he
resided in the same town with me-- My service in the first of the war was at the Cape
in the same town - only a small guard stationed there. I was born in Arundel
(now Kennebunkport) in the year 1754 and always resided there-- I have applied with the
Secretary of State office in Boston for evidence of my services but no rolls of Capt Perkins
company was to be found there, nor of any of my services
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, [begin crossout] or (if any) only on that of the agency
of the State of [end crossout]
SWORN TO, and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
James Cleaves
---
before me Ezekiel Whitman Chief Justice of said
Court

We, Shubael Tripp, a clergyman, residing in the town of Kennebunkport
and Jeremiah Miller, residing in the town of Kennebunkport 
hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with James Cleaves, 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.
Shubael Tripp
Jeremiah Miller
SWORN TO, and subscribed,[begin crossout] the day and year aforesaid. [end crossout]
the 11th day of Feby 1834
Before me and I certify that said Tripp and
Miller are respectable men
Joshua Herrick Just of the Peace
And I do hereby declare my opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after
putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the abovenamed applicant was a
revolutionary soldier, and served as he states. And that it appears to me that
Shubael Tripp, who has signed the preceding certificate, is a
clergyman, resident in the town of Kennebunkport
and that Jeremiah Miller
who has also signed the same, is a resident in the town of Kennebunkport
and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.  Ezekial Whitman
I, Jeremiah Bradbury, clerk of the court of Common 
Pleas for the County aforesaid do hereby certify that the foregoing
contains the original proceedings in the matter of the application of James Cleaves
for a pension.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this seventeenth
day of February A.D. 1834
Jere. Bradbury Clerk
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State of Maine
County of York SS
I Jeremiah Bradbury Clerk of the Judicial Courts
of said County, certify that James Osborne Jun. and Joshua Herrick are
both magistrates as stated on these papers and that the signatures, purporting
to be theirs are genuine-
In witness whereof I hereunto set my name and affix
my official seal this nineteenth day of February
Anno Domini 1834
Jere. Bradbury Clerk
I Barnabas Palmer of Kennebunk in the County of
York and State of Maine testify and declare
I am acquainted with the within named applicant
James Cleaves and from my knowledge of
the infirmities of the man for some years past
I am satisfied that it has not been in his
power to make application for his pension earlier
he having been constantly confined to his house
totally unable to walk except with the aid of
two crotches-
I further testify that I applied at the Secretary's
office in Massachusetts about one year ago to
examine and search the records and files in that
office for the evidence of services in Capt James
Perkins Company from Kennebunkport to the
State of New York in 1777 - 78. but could find
none - I further testify that I also searched for the
rolls or evidence of services of the several detachments
of soldiers stationed along shore in Maine, more
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office in Massachusetts about one year ago to
examine and search the records and files in that
office for the evidence of services in Capt James
Perkins Company from Kennebunkport to the
State of New York in 1777 - 78. but could find
none - I further testify that I also searched for the
rolls or evidence of services of the several detachments
of soldiers stationed along shore in Maine, more
especially that stationed at Cape Porpose in 
the year 1775 - but could find none. I was told 
that the rolls of neither of the services aluded to were
in the office. I had access to the papers myself
and examined them several days without any
success in either of the ones mentioned -
Cape Porpoise is about six miles from me
and that there was a detachment of soldiers stationed there
in 1775 is beyond all doubt. Part of the old fort
is yet to be I can - I have seen it often
There was also a Capt James Perkins who
resided at Kennebunkport, that had command of
a company that marched to New York and North
River in the time of the revolutionary war. I have this
fact from the sons of Capt Perkins and a great many who knew him
and I have not the least doubt that James Cleaves was one of that
Company 
Barnabas Palmer
State of Maine
York Feby 10- 1834 Then Barnabas Palmer a credible witness made
oath to the truth of the above Before me James Osborn Jun. Jus Peace
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James Cleaves

Hon R McIntire