Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 8596, for Abner Ransom, Connecticut
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(3-1776 )
SERVICE
Conn. Sea Service
Continental (Conn)
Ransom, Abner

NUMBER
R. 8596

CONTENTS
[remaining lines left blank]
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In the Matter
of Abner Ransom

No. 21.083
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State of New York of
Otsego County ss
On this 13th day of July 1829 personally ["in open court" crossed out] appeared before the subscriber a Judge of the Court of Common pleas in and for said County Abner Ransom resident in said County aged 73 years who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the provision made by the acts of Congress, of the 18th March 1818, and the 1st May 1820: That he the said Abner Ransom enlisted for the term of 12 months in the month of January ["day of May" crossed out] in the year 1776 in the state of Connecticut in the company commanded by Captain Joseph Jewet in the regiment commanded by Colonel Huntington in the line of the State of Connecticut on The regular continental establishment That he continued to serve in the said corps till a short time before the evacuation of New York by Genl. Washington when he was transferred to Col. Knox's Regiment of artillery on long-island [Long Island] and continued to serve in said Knox's Regiment till the end of the time he enlisted for when he was discharged from the service in Peekskill in the State of New York the time of his enlistment may not be exactly stated by a month or more his memory not being explicit on that point and that in the year 1777 he enlisted under Captain Coit of the Ship Oliver Cromwell at New London for the term three months and served in said vessel till Captain Hardin took the command of her when he was discharged That the reasons for not making an earlier application are that he believed those soldiers that had any property and were not wholly dependent upon their friends or the public did not come within the provisions of said acts- And in pursuance of the act of the 1st May 1820, I do solemnly swear that I was a
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resident Citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March, 1818, and that I have not since that time, by gift, sale, or in any manner, disposed of my property or any part thereof, with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an Act of Congress entitled "An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the Land and Naval Service of the United States in the Revolutionary war" passed on the 18th day of March 1818; and that I have not nor has any person in trust for me, any property or securities, contracts, or debts due to me; nor have I any income, other than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed 
Schedule of my Property 
77 ½ acres of Land $500.00 
1 Cow (Poor) 10.50 
1 Heifer 15.00 
1 yearling 4.00 
2 Calves $1.00 2.00
$531.00 
I owe to Martha Aylsworth $113.00 Mony [money] borrowed of her about a year ago & the interest on the same for which she holds a Mortguage [mortgage] on my land That there has been no material change in my property since the 18th March 1818 except at that time I had in Cattle & other personal property to the amount of $300 which has been expended in my support & in paying debts incurred in defending a Lawsuit about my Land. That I have no family except myself and that I am blind and am not able to do any labour or other business of profit that my land is in a situation that it does not produce me a nett [net] profit of ["my land does not exceed" crossed out] twenty Dollars per annum
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that I cannot do any labour on it and I cannot make sale of it without making a great sacrifice and I am unable to manage it in any way to get a comfortable support from it - that in consequence of my blindness I am unable to attend in open Court, the distance that I reside from the Court House being fourteen miles
Abner his X mark Ransom

Sworn and subscribed before me this 13th day of July 1829
James C Walworth a Judge of Otsego County Court of Common Pleas

I James C Walworth Judge of the Otsego County Common pleas holden in and for said County where the declarant resides do hereby certify that the above named
Abner Ransom is from blindness and the infirmities of old age with which I am fully satisfied and believe he is afflicted and is likely so to remain unable to attend the court of which I am a Judge at its next session.
I have therefore in pursuance of the act of Congress of the 1st March 1823 attended at Mr Sill's Store near his place of abode, and administered the foregoing oath
J. C. Walworth a Judge of Otsego Coun [County(?)] Pleas
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I Abner Cook Junr. Clerk of the Court of Common pleas in and for the County of Otsego Certify that James C Walworth before the foregoing affidavit of Abner Ransom who is blind and confined to his house by the infirmities of old age, was made, is Judge as aforesaid I also Certify, that the above said schedule and oath have been admitted to the record of said Court, and that the same are truly copied therefrom and I do further Certify, that it is the opinion of the said Court that the total amount in value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid schedule is 531 Dollars.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Court on this [blank] day of [blank] 182[blank]

Clerk of the Court for the County of Otsego
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8596
P.O.
Abner Ransom
Service:
12w
REJECTED
Enlisted: [blank], 18[blank]
Discharged: [blank], 18[blank]
12 mos. Jany 1776 Cont(?) Capt Jewett Col. Huntington
Application filed: [blank], 18[blank]
to regt. arly Col. Knox
1777 Capt Coit Ship Oliver Cromwell 3 mos
Alleges: 
Re-enlisted:
Attorney:
P.O.
35057
[blank] Recognized. [blank] Contract. 
[blank] Cert. of Dis. Searched for [blank], 18[blank]
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No 21083
Abner Ransom
Otsego County N.Y
Act 18 March 1818

Rejected
see letter to the Hon W.G. Angel 8 Jany 1830

8596
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Washington City, Decr. 18, 1829-
Sir,
Enclosed are the papers in the case of Abner Ransom of Burlington Otsego Co. N.Y- claiming a pension for Revolutionary service.
I am personally well acquainted with Mr Ransom who is & long has been my neighbor. He is & has been blind about two years. I know his lands and think they are not worth as much as he has valued them at in his declaration. I was his attorney & counsel in the Lawsuit of which he there speaks, & know that he was obliged to & did mortgage his property as stated-. He is poor & helpless and needs the assistance of his country for support
I am personally acquainted with James C. Walworth the Judge before whom the declaration of Mr. Ransom was made and the affidavit of Giles A. Tiffany was taken- Know his hand writing & that his name subscribed to the jurats to said Declaration & affidavit is in his proper hand writing & that he was at
the time the same purports to have been done a Judge of the County Courts
of the County of ["Herkir" crossed out] Otsego in the
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the State of New York & had full power and authority to administer an oath. I further state that the said Ransom and Tiffany are each persons of good moral character and entitled to credit. 
In deciding this case I wish it to proceed on the supposition that the papers & proofs are sufficient & in due form and if they are not I will cause them to be duly certified enrolled and authenticated-. Should this Department be of opinion against the claimant on the merits of his case as not falling within the act of 1818 & 1820 I wish the papers to be returned to me that I may present the case to Congress for relief. Yours &c 
W. G. Angel 
Mem. Cong-
John H. Eaton Esq
S. of War
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Abner Ransom
Hamburgh Ct
13 June-

37½

Henry Sill Esqr
Burlington
Otsego County
New York-
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State of Connecticut 
County of N. London 
Theophilus Lord aged Seventy Two years of said County being duly sworn saith that he was well acquainted with Abner Ransom formerly of Lyme in said County & State. that this deponent was well acquainted with said Ransom from his Childhood untill [until] he moved to Burlington in the County of Otsego in the State of New York. that in the beginning of the year 1776, in the State of Connecticut, this deponent enlisted into the Company commanded by Capt Joseph Jewett and served in Col Huntingtons Regiment that this deponent knew when said Abner Ransom enlisted into said Company which was about the same time that this deponent enlisted, that this deponent served together in said Company with said Ransom untill [until] the end of the year for which they Both enlisted and were both discharged together in Peekskill in the State of New York, about the close of sd year and further that this deponent saw said Ransom on Board of the Oliver Cromwell knows that sd Ransom was on board said vessel in her Cruise in the year 1777 
Theophilus Lord
Sworn & Subscribed this 5th day of June AD 1829 
Before me Ezra Pratt Justice of Peace County of New London for Lyme
I hereby Certify the that the above deponent Theophilus Lord lives in sd County of New London, that he is well known to me & that he is a credible person given under my hand this 5th day of June AD 1829
Ezra Pratt Justice of Peace
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Henry Sill Esqr
Sir Inclosed [enclosed] I send you Theophilus Lords deposition, & the other Document from the Clerk of the Court- which I hope will answer the desired End. I shall get Mr Huntlys Soon, various circumstances have heretofore occured to Prevent
Hamburgh N. London County
13 June 1829
Yours Respectfully
Ezra Pratt
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State of New York 
Otsego County ss
Giles H. Tiffany of said County being duly sworn deposeth and saith that he is about 63 years old that in the the [sic] year 1776 and till the close of the revolutionary war he lived in Lyme in the State of Connecticut that this deponent was well acquainted with Abner Ransom then of Lyme aforesaid and now resident in Burlington in the County of Otsego in the State of New York that this deponent in the year 1776 was a boy about 10 years of age and that he well remembers that it was currently talked of & believed by all persons in said neighborhood and among the acquaintance of said Ransom that the said Ransom served in the army of the United States in the year 1776 and also that said Ransom served on Board of the ship Oliver Cromwell on her cruise in the year 1777 and that this deponent well remembers that said Ransom was absent from home both years That he verily believes and has not the least doubt that said Ransom did actually serve in the revolutionary war as aforesaid 
Giles H. Tiffany

Sworn and subscribed this 1st day of April 1829 before me JC Walworth a Judge of Otsego County Courts
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I certify that I have been acquainted with ["Mr" crossed out] Giles H Tiffany the within Deponent for ten years past and that
he is a creditable person of Otsego County and a respectable citizen of said County
April 1st 1829
J. C. Walworth a Judge of Otsego County
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New London County ss.
I do hereby certify that Ezra Pratt of Lyme in New London County Esquire, is a Justice of the Peace in said County, duly qualified, having power by law to administer oaths, and acting under the authority of the State of Connecticut. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of the County Court of sd New London County at Norwich this 29th day of May AD 1829
Charles Lathrop Clerk.