Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File B. L. Wt. 40679-160-55, Joseph Watson, Mass.
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[star] Watson, Joseph
Service
Mass.
Number B.L.Wt. 40679-160-55
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act 3 Mar
184.144
5 July 55
Joseph Watson
Pri.
Capt. Thomas Whipples
Col. [blank]
Mass. mil.
Ent. about 1780
Dis. in same 4 months
Revolutionary War
Private
Vt. mil. Capt. Whipple

Ad. 160 acres Sept. 56
Dodge

J. R. Parish
(torn)dolph

Let. J. R. Parish July 29/56
Vol/ W-1-23
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Joseph Watson
Vt 1133

184144
J. R. Parish

Boynton
Mar 25/56

Commissioner of Pensions
Washington, D. C.

J. R. Parish
Randolph Vt
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184,144

L. P. Waldo Esqr.
Commr.of Pensions
Washington City, D. C.
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3-871
Record Division
Department of the Interior
Bureau of Pensions

Briefed by F. W. April 29, 1912
Soldier Joseph Watson
Service Mass.
Additional Service Rev War.

Remarks: No pension claim, Surv. Wid. or Rej. as above
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Washington D. C. June 15th 1820

Dear Sir,
When yours of the 16th of March lst was received I was too much indisposed to attend to business of any kind. for more than two months i was unable to reply to letters from my correspondents in regard to the service of Capt. Joseph Watson as a soldier in the War of the Revolution. I have learned to following facts from the office of the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. the service of Joseph Watson is borne on a pay roll of Capt. Thomas Whipple's Company of guards doing duty at Rutland from April 20th 1780 as a private 4 months and 9 days. the name of Jacob Dealand is also on the roll for one month and 23 days. The service of both is a little over six months, the shortest period of service for which the law allows  a pension upon this proof above Capt. Watson can not obtain a pension for this service and less than six months (illegible) and I have no evidence to show
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that Dealand was hired by Watson to service out the remainder of his term as stated in your letter to me. If Dealand was (illegible) by Capt. Whipple as Watson's substitute it must be proved.
Capt. Watson's last letter took up all the evidence he can tending to from the facts stated in yours addressed to me on the 26th of March last but (illegible) also send his own affidavit stating the facts as he understands them. When all the evidence that can be obtained is sent me I will do the best i can to procure a pension for the Captain.
I am Sir with great respect
Your obedient servant
Wm. Upham

Geo. Putnam Congr.
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Randolph Vt., June 30th 1855

Sir,
I here hand you the declaration of Joseph Watson claiming bounty land under the act of March 3d 1855 for services he rendered the United States in the War of the Revolution. The proof of which he believes is at the pension office as he applied through the late Senator Upham of this State for a pension having engaged in the Army for six months but for a short period of the time employed a substitute whom he supposed (illegible) to his name.
In case Mr. Upham has not left his papers in the office it will be desirable that I may know the fact as I think the proof is in the Secy. of States office, Mass. and the applicant is aged
Respectfully yours,
J. R. Parish

L. P.Waldo Esq.
Comms. of Pensions
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Randolph Vt. Aug. 18, 1856

Comms. of Pensions
Sir,
I am in receipt of yours of the 19th ult. in relation to the application of Joseph Watson for bounty land under the act of Mar. 3, 1855 No. 184,144 stating it is suspended as no evidence of his alledged service is to be found in the office.
Mr. Watson is an aged man & when he made his declaration I am sure stated he was one of the guards of prisoners & that he applied through Senator Upham for a pension but failed as a part of the time his substitute took his place.
I herewith send the letter of the late Mr. Upham which I am sure will enable the department to find the proof of service in 1780 of Mr. Joseph Watson as certified by the Secy. of State of Mass.
An early inference to the case will be gratefully acknowledged.
I am very respectfully
Yr. obt. svt.
J. R. Parish
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State of Vermont
Orange County Ss.
On this twenty seventh day of June AD. oe thousand eight hundred & fifty five personally appeared before me j. R. Parish a Notary Public within and for the County and State aforesaid, joseph Watson who being duly sworn, that he was born in Brookfield Mass in July 1764; that he is now a resident of Randolph in the State of Vermont and declares that he is the identical Joseph Watson who was a private in Capt. Thomas Whipple's company in the War of the Revolution about the year 1780 for some four months as will appear from the proof as he believes now lodged in the Pension Office as this declarant applied for a Pension and the late Senator Upham had charge of his case. He states that at the time of his service he was one of the guard of the Hessian Prisoners confined at Rutland Mass.
He makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining Bounty Land to which he may be entitled under the "act approved March 3, 1855". He also declares that he has not received a warrant for Bounty Land under this or any other act of Congress, not made any other application therefor.
Jos. Watson

We, Ebenezer Hutchinson and Luke Fitts, residents of Randolph in the State of Vermont upon our oaths, declare that the foregoing declaration was signed and acknowledged by Joseph Watson in our presence, and that we believe from the appearance and statements of the applicant that he is the identical person he represents himself to be.
Ebenz. Hutchinson
Luke Fitts

The foregoing declaration and affidavit were sworn to and subscribed before me on the day and years above written; and I certify that I know the affiants to be credible persons; that the claimant is the person he represents himself to be, and that I have no interest in this claim.
J. R. parish, Notary Public

State of Vermont
Orange County ss.
I Burnam Martin Clerk of the County Court for the County of Orange in the State of Vermont, which is a Court of Record, hereby certify that Jacob R. Parish Esq. is an acting Notary Public within and for the County duly qualified by the laws of this State to administer Oaths for general purposes; that I am acquainted with his hand-writing and believe his signature to the foregoing to be genuine.
In testimomy whereof, I hereby set my and and affix the seal of said County Court at Chilson in said County this 27th day of June A. D. 1855.
B. Martin, Clerk
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The National Archives
Form VAN-51
12-5-41
Division of Veterans' Administration Archives

Bounty Land Warrant Record Card*

Name: Watson, Joseph
Grade: Private
Line: New York
Warrant Number: 8028
Acreage: 100
Issued: August 4, 1790
to Henry Hart, assignee

*The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in Volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates. Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800. Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.