Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 29070, James Chase, Mass.
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Mass.  Chase, James  S. 29070
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15114
Massachusetts
James Chase of Essex Co in the State of Mass. who was a pr/sergt in the Company commanded by Captain Norrell of the Regt commanded by Col. Francis in the Mass. [illegible] line for 6 mo [illegible] 4 a Sergt
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the rate of 40 Dollars 00 Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 28th day of May 1833 and sent to W. Woart of Newburyport
Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 $80.00 Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Sept 20.00  Died Oct 15, 1832 $100.00
Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832.
Recorded by W. L. Williams Clerk  Book E  Vol. 2  Page 11
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James Chase

15120
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Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7th 1832

State of Massachusetts: County of Essex Ss:
On this twelfth  day of September, A.D 1832. personally appeared before the Honorable Daniel Appleton White, Judge of the Court of Probate for the County of Essex, aforesaid, now sitting James Chase a resident of Newburyport
, and State of Massachusetts, aged Eighty three years, who being first duly sworn according to Laws 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 stated.

He first enlisted at Newburyport in the month of May, or of June AD 1775, in the
company commanded by Captain Moses Nowell, a company raised to serve as guards on the sea coast, to serve for six months, and did faithfully serve as a private in said company Plumb Island, at the entrance of Merrimack river, and as Sergeant at Gloucester, Cape ann until the last of December of the same year, and was then discharged at Gloucester, had an written discharge--

Also enlisted at Newburyport in the month of June or of July 1776, in the company commanded by Captain Peabody: in the regiment commanded by Colonel Francis, and
faithfully served in said company at Dorchester in said State as first Sergeant, the full am four
months, being the term for which I enlisted, and was then discharged at same place and was then discharged at same place--had no written discharge.

He was born in Newburyport in the year 1769 as a record of his birth in his family - lived
at Newburyport at the time he enlisted [illegible]-- refer to Moses (?) Cap Greenleaf Clark for evidence of his character for veracity, and their belief in the services in the revolutionary war.

He he was resident Newburyport aforesaid and has resided there nearly sixty years before [remainder of sentence illegible]
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever by [illegible], except the present, and declared that his name is not on the pension Roll of the Agency of any State. 

Sum and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid by said  Chaise who from bodily infirmity cannot attend Court
D A White Judge of Probate
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We Revd Selah Stocking a Clergyman residing in Newburyport aforesaid and Soloman H Currier Esquire, a magistrate, residing in Newburyport aforesaid, do hereby Certify that we are well acquainted with James Chase
who has subscribed and sworn to the 
 aforewritten declaration : that we believe him to be Eighty three years of age  -that he is reputed and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we (?)  in that opinion
Signatures of Selah Stocking
S H Currier

subscribed and sum to before
W Woart   Justice of the Peace
---
And the said Court hereby declare its opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and
after putting the interrogatives prescribed by the War Department, that the above named
applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and come as he states. And the Court further
Certifies that Revd Slate Stocking
who has signed the preceding Certificate is a Clergyman
resident in said Newbury part, and that the said Peter H Currie Gastress has als signed the same
is a Magistrate resident at said Newburyport and is a credible person and that their
statement is entitled to credit
Dill Judge of Probate
I Nathaniel Land Suny Register of the Court of Probate for the County of Essex aforesaid,
do Certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter
of the application of James Chase for a pension also that William Woart is a Justice
of the Peace for the County of Essex, and that his signature to each of the affix
davits annexed is genuine.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand
and seal of office the eleventh day of September A.D. 1832
Nath Lodge
&
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I Moses Davenport of Newburyport, in the County of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts - Merchant aged Seventy five years on oath do testify and declare, that I am personally acquainted with James Chase of the same Newburyport, and done that he the said James Chase was a private in the company by Captain Moses Nowell, a company employed  as guards to the sea Coast, and that he did duty therein as such from Jun 1775 to the last of December of the same year, the full term of six months -- I was on duty in said Company the same term of time at Plum Island at Gloucester Newburyport July 5th 1832
Signature of Moses Davenport
 
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Essex So. Town of Newburyport July 5th 1832 Then personally came Moses Davenport above
named and made oath in due form of Law, to the truth of the above written declaration by him subscribed in my presence. I do also certify, that I am personally acquainted with the said Moses Davenport and do believe that he is a credible witness.
W Woart  Justice of the Peace
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Samuel Chase
Mass

Private  6 months
Sergt  4 months

15120


W. Woart
Newburyport
Mass
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BRIEF in the case of James Chace
60 of Essex in the State of Mass
(Act 7th June, 1832.)

1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Before the Court

2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?

3. How old is he?  83

4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.

Period.
In 1775 enlisted
July 1776 enlisted

Duration of Service.
6 Months
4 Months

Rank.
private
and
Sergeant

Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served. 
Capt. Norrell
Capt Peabody   Col Francis

5. In what battles was he engaged?  None

6. Where did he reside when he entered the service?  Newburyport  Mass

7.  Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls?  Traditionary  One living witness

8.  Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?

I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above
Signature of George Payton
Examining Clerk.
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Rev. and 1812
Wars Section
NEL

July 13, 1930

Mr. R. E. Dale
540 North 28th Street
Lincoln, Nebraska

Dear Sir:
You are advised that it appears from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, S.29070, that James Chase was born in 1749, in Newburyport, Massachusetts. 

While residing in Newburyport, Massachusetts, he volunteered in May or June, 1775, served as a private and sergeant in Captain Moses Nowell's Massachusetts Company and was engaged in guarding the sea coast at Plum Island and Gloucester, and was discharged in December, 1775.

He enlisted in June or July, 1776, and served four months as first sergeant in Captain Peabody's Company, Colonel Francis' Massachusetts Regiment.

Pension was allowed on his application executed September 12, 1833, at which time he was a resident of Newburyport, Essex County, Massachusetts, where he had resided
for nearly sixty years.

He died October 15, 1832.

There are no data as to his family.

The above is the history of the only soldier named James Chase, under any spelling of the surname, who served with the Massachusetts Troops that is found on the Revolutionary War records of this bureau and said records fail to offer any information in regard to Linus Beach or Linus Black. 

Very truly yours
E. W. MORGAN
Acting Commissioner.
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29070
INVALID
Rev

File No. 29,070
James Chase
Sergt  Rev War

Act: June 7th  32
Indes :- Vol. 2, Page 70

[Arrangement of 1879.]
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BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of
James Chas which require further proof or explanation.

1. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides?  yes

II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? Yes

III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? 

IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? Yes

V. *Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amout of pension he is entitled?  Yes

VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations?  Yes

VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832?  Yes

VIII. Has the Court given their opinion?  Yes
TOTAL

IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate?  Yes

X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal?  Yes
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XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service?   Yes

XIII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? 

XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had?

XIV. +If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service?

If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath,
certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses?   Yes
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? Yes

XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service?   Yes

XVI. Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct?   Yes

XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered?

EXPLANATORY NOTES.
*QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affadavit in the following words :

   "Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection
he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For _____year _____months, and days, I served as a_______ For _____months and ____days, I served as a _________ for such service I claim a pensions for months
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It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensionsmerely state 
 they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the
officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the
applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed
in any civil pursuit.

QUERE XIV. Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths
must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.

QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.

In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of
office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.