Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 24730, for Ebenezer Reed, Rhode Island
Page 1

(3-1776)

SERVICE
Mass
Mass Sea Service
R. I.

Reed, Ebenezer
Read
Lydia

NUMBER
W. 24730

CONTENTS
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3419
Massachusetts
Ebenezer Reed
of Wellington in the State of Mass
who was a Pri Sgt in the Company commanded b y Captain Thomas of the Regt commanded by Col. Topham in the R Island line for 1 year Private
1 " Sergeant
The certificate issued in lieu of one dated Dec. 20, 1832.  Cancelled

Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts
at the rate of $100 Dollars 00 Cents per annum, 
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 4th day of Jan'y
1834 and Sent Hon Wm Bayles House of Reps

Arrears to the 4th of Sept 1833          $250.00
Semi-anl allowance ending 4 Mar '34    50.00
                                                             ________
                                                             $300.00

{ Revolutionary Claim, }
{ Act June 7, 1832. }

Recorded by D. D. Addison Clerk, 
Book  D   Vol. 2d   Page 79

See letter to the Post of the Commonwealth 
Bank Boston
Jany 20. 1834
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Ebenezer Reed the son of Joseph Reed & Elizabeth his wife was born in Taunton January 21 1759.
As appears on Record in Town Book
Attest Alfred Williams, Town Clerk
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1292
Massachusetts
Lydia Reed.
widow of Ebenezer Reed
who served in the Revolutionary 
War, as a Private & Sergeant

Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of
100 Dollars --
Cents per annum, to commence on
the 4th day of March, 1848.

Certificate of Pension issued the 19th day of August 1848 
and sent to
Lemuel Morse
North Rehoboth
Mass

Recorded on Roll of Pensioners under act
February 2, 1848, Page 128 Vol. 2

Reported
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Ebenezer Read
No. 3482
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts, }
Bristol, ss }   

AT A COURT OF PROBATE holden at Dighton in and for said County o the sixteenth day of August one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two by (illegible) before the Honorable HODIJAH BAYLIES, Judge of the Probate, &c. for the said County, personally appeared Ebenezer Read a resident of Dighton in the County and Commonwealth aforesaid, aged seventy three years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832, make the following declaration, That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as hereinafter stated; to wit, first under Capt Philip Trafton, whose company officers I have forgotten, in Col John Toppin's regiment in Gen. Cornwall's Brigade; next under Capt. Alexander Thomas, Lt. Nathaniel Humphrey, the ensign's name I have forgotten; under the same Colonel, I cannot remember the names of the other officers of the Regiment.
and further declares as follow, in reply to the interrogatories propounded by the Secretary of War; to wit:

1.   Where, and in what year were you born? 
Ans.  That he was born in Taunton in the County of Bristol and State of Massachusetts in the year one thousand seven hundred and fifty nine.

2.   Have you any record of your age; and if so, where is it?  My birth is recorded in the book kept for that purpose by the Town of Taunton, a certified copy form which under the hand of the present Town Clerk is hereunto annexed.

3.  Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, and where do you now live?  I lived in Taunton when I entered the Service, since the revolutionary war I have lived in Dighton aforesaid.

4.   How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute?  and if a substitute for whom?  I voluntarily enlisted, as I thought, in the continental service but within a few years have been informed that it was in the Rhode Island State Troops.

5.   State the names of some of the Regular Officers who were with the troops when you served; such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your service,  For my first time of Service above mentioned, I was enrolled on the Pension List under the Act of March 1818.  I then resided in Dighton, my name was stricken from the List, as I was informed because it was thought that the Corps in which I served was not of the Continental line, but of the Rhode Island State Troops, how that was I do not know, but I do know that when I was in the army our Corps was Called Continental, and we received the same pay and drew our clothing &c the same as the Continentals.  My pension certificate I transmitted by the Hon. James L. Hodges to Sec'y of War in the winter of the year eighteen hundred and thirty, and he told me he delivered it at the Department.  This form of service was for a whole year, and is likewise proved by the affidavit of Earl Sears hereunto annexed.  Under Capt. Alexander Thomas I entered as third sergeant, and served in his company one year, commencing in the month of March in the year seventeen hundred and seventy nine; I enlisted at Tiverton in the State of Rhode Island; and we staid there some time & marched thence to Little Compton in the same State where we staid some time; our service was guarding the coasts from any incursion of the enemy from the Island; when the British evacuated the Island we crossed to it and were stationed in Newport till Fall, when a detachment was sent to Providence, and I staid there till a few days before our term of service expired when we returned to Newport and were then paid off and dismissed.  Some years ago my children got my Sargent's warrant to
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but within a few year have been informed that it was in the R. Island State Troops.

5.  State the names of some of the Regular officers who were with the troops when you served;  such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and general circumstances of your service.    For my first time of Service above mentioned I was enrolled on the Pension List under the Act of March 1818.  I then resided in Dighton, my name was stricken from the List, as I was informed because it was thought that the Corps in which I served was not of the Continental Line, but f the Rhode Island State Troops, how that was I do not know, but I do know that when I was in the army our Corps was called Continental, and we received the same pay and drew our clothing &c. the same as the Continentals.  My pension certificate I transmitted by the Hon. James L. Hodges to Secy of War in the winter of the year eighteen hundred and thirty, and he told me he delivered it at the Department. This term of service was for a whole year, and is likewise proved by the affidavit of Earl Sears hereunto annexed.  Under Capt. Alexander Thomas I entered as third sergeant, and served in his company one year, commencing in the month of March in the year seventeen hundred and seventy nine; I enlisted at Tiverton in the State of Rhode Island and we staid there some time & marched thence to Little Compton in the same State where we staid some time; our Service was guarding the coasts from any incursion of the enemy from the Island, when the British evacuated the Island we crossed to it and were stationed in Newport till Fall, when a detachment was sent to Providence, and I staid there till a few days before our term of service expired when we returned to Newport and were there paid off and dismissed.  Some years ago my children got my Sergeants warrant to play with & destroyed it;  I do not know of any person living who served with me this las mentioned term; Earl Sears states the fact of my enlistment in his affidavit.  Col. (illegible) black regiment was at Providence when we arrived; but marched soon after
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our detachment was sent there to take their place.   In Tiverton, Little Compton and Newport, there were no other troops than our regiment while we were there.  We had no engagement with the enemy
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6.   Were you a Soldier or an Officer? if a Soldier, did you ever receive a discharge from the service; and, if so, by whom was it given, and what has become of it? if an Officer, did you ever receive a commission, and if so by whom was it signed, and what has become of it?   I was a soldier one year, a Sergeant another year;  I never had a written discharge, when our terms were out, our companies were paraded & dismissed by the Col. 

7.   State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity, and their belief of your services as a Soldier of the Revolution.
Preston Cummings, & Richard Wastcoat both of said Dighton

An the said Ebenezer Read doth further declare that he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any State, or (if any) only on that of the agency of the State of 
(Signed) Ebenezer Read

Sworn to and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.  
(Signed) H. Baylies, Judge of Probate.

WE Preston Cummings residing in Dighton in said County of Bristol and Richard Wastcoat residing in the same town hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Ebenezer Read who subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be about seventy three 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.  
(Signed) Preston Cummings
(Signed) Richard Wastcoat

Sworn to and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid. 
(Signed) H. Baylies, Judge of Probate.

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 abovenamed applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states.  And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that Preston Cummings who has signed the preceding certificate is a Clergyman resident in the Town of Dighton in said County of Bristol and that Richard Wastcoat who has also signed the same is a resident in said Town, and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit. 
(Signed) H. Baylies, Judge of Probate.

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, }
BRISTOL, ss. }
I Anselm Bassett Register of the Court of Probate in and for said County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Ebenezer Read of Dighton in said County, for a Pension.  
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of the said Court the day and year first above written.
(Signed) Anselm Bassett

[ SEAL ]
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I Earl Sears of Middleborough in the County of Plymouth and State of Mass. do Testify and Say that I am now Seventy years of Age.  In March 1778 I enlisted as a private, and served one year in the American Revolution under Capt. Philip Trafton & Capt. Wm. Whipple in Col. John Toppin's reg. Gen Cornwall Brigade at Tiverton and on Rhode Island in the State of R. I.  In the Month of March 1778 I became acquainted with Mr. Ebenezer Read then of Taunton Bristol County, who Enlisted and Served in said Capt. Philip Trafton Company Coll John Toppin Regiment one year which year expired the 16th March 1779.  In March 1779 before my year expired the said Ebenezer Read Enlisted as 3d Sergeant under Capt. Elexander Thomas for the next year comencing (sic) when this campaign had expired, and I have been acquainted with the said Ebenezer Read ever since the American Revolution and he now is in active life and Resides in Dighton Mass. and I have this Day seen the aforesaid Ebenezer Read and he is the same identicle (sic) person that served with me and Enlisted as 3d Sergeant in the aforesaid Capt Elexander Thomas company in col Topping, Regiment
(Signed) Earl Sears

Bristol ss.   Town of Raynham  August 13th 1832.   Then the above named Earl Sears personally appeared and made oath to the truth of the above declaration by him subscribed
Before me Godfrey Robinson Justice Peace

[ SEAL ]

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Bristol ss.  I James Sprock Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for said County of Bristol, do hereby certify that Godfrey Robinson Esq.  when signature is affixed to the above certificate is a Justice of the said, in & for said County of Bristol and duly qualified to administer oaths.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of said Court, this fifteenth day of August in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred & thirty two.
(Signed) Jas. Sprock
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11 360
Lydia Reed
Wdow of Ebenezer
Mass
Act 7 July 1838

M 82.040