Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 18690, Seth Arnold, Conn. Privateer
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Service
Conn. 
Privateer

Arnold, Seth

Number S18690

Carded
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2597
Vermont
Seth Arnold
of Westminster in the State of Vermont who was a Priv. & Sergt. in the company commanded by Captain Higgins of the Regt. commanded by Col. Douglass in the lower troops
for 11 months as  private 36.66
        8 "           "    Sergt.    40.00
     _____                             _______
      19                                 76.66
Conn & Privateer

Inscribed on the Roll of Vermont at the rate of 76 Dollars 66 Cents per ann. to commence on the 4th Day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 3rd day of December 1832 and sent to W. C Bradley
Westminster Vermont

Arrears to 4th of Sept. 1832  114.99
                                                 38.33
                                            $153.32
Semi=anl. allowance ending 4 M'ch 1833

{Revolutionary Claim, 
Act June 7, 1832.

Recorded by J MCaffield Cl
Book x Vol 4 Page 44

Date of Death not on
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State of Vermont
County of Windham
On this twenty fifth day of July AD 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Probate Court in and for the District of Westminster in the County of Windham and State of Vermont now sitting Seth Arnold a resident of the town of Westminster in the District County and State aforesaid aged eighty four 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 7th 1832 -- that he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated that is to say that he was born at Haddam in the County of Middlesex and state of Connecticutt on the 3rd day of September 1747 as appears by the record in his bible copied about fifty years ago from the minute in his father's family bible - that in April 1775 an alarm was given that the regulars were killing our people near Boston and he being twenty seven years of age volunteered and repaired to Roxbury for one month under, to the best of his recollection, Captain Abraham Tyler After his return to Haddam and in June following, he enlisted for six months, in the company of Capt. __ Gale of Killingworth in Colonel Parson's regiment and Sert. Spencer's brigade and repaired to New London where the company was stationed until midsummer when he was marched to Roxbury aforesaid and remained there until the expiration in December of his term of enlistment which was six months.  He then returned to his native place and labored at his calling until April 1776 when he was drafted to go under Captain Brainerd of Haddam to go to New York which he did and served about one month when he returned with the company Almost immediately after his return (the precise time he cannot recollect) he enlisted as a sergeant for eight months into what was called the new livies and into the company of Capt. Conelius Higgins, James Arnold Lieut and Samuel Scovil Ensign - the regiment was commanded by Col (afterwards General) Douglas,  Lieu Col Arnold of Dershaw and Major Porter and was marched to New York and was stationed in Stone Street until he was marched on to Long Island from where in the two or three days they were forced to retreat back in the night and he came to his old quarters in the city where he remained until adow out to Turtle Bay & from that place after a skirmish, in which he recollects seeing Major Porter go over to the enemy and surrender himself, the regiment was driven and retreated by order of Gen Spencer as he understood to White Plains.  Theregiment aforesaid and he believes a part of another regiment under one Buel but of this last fact he is not certain was there marched out to check the advance of the enemy and ranged behind a stonewall under protection of which he and he rest of the troops fired upon the enemy advancing up the hill until they were obliged by superior numbers to give way and retreat back and encamp on White Plains and soon after were marched to Harlaem Heights and thence to North Castle where he remained until (as he thinks and believes) early inJjanuary when he was discharged most of the troops having left there before - at the time of his discharge he assisted in pulling out the tents which were deeply buried in the snow.  Soon after his return to Haddam he returned to the vicinity of New york under a three months enlistment under Capt. Heines, James Smith being one of the under officers and joined the regiment in a very severe snow storm.  This short tour of service being completed he again returned to Haddam but soon after went to New London and entered on board The Revenge of fourteen guns of which the Captain's name was Parker and the first officers's Mott and in
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which they sailed out of New London in July or August 1777.  In three days after leaving port they found themselves at daylight in the morning between two British men of war the Romulus and Roebuck by whom they were captured and carried directly to New Yrk  There the declarant was put on board the prison ship Old Good Hope lying at the Wallabout and near the Jersey hospital ship which was burnt during his imprisonment as was also the Good Hope (in March 1778) when he was removed on board a small guard vessls lying near by and on board of which he was kept until about the finish of May 1778 when he was exchanged and landed at New London on the day of the Connecticutt State election as he well remembers. During his imprisonment he suffered a great deal and not only a great many of our people died there but the greater part of a body of seventy to one hundred Frenchmen who were also on board the prisonship and this declarant does not now remember the name of but one person who was exchanged and returned with him to New London and this was James Green of East Haddam but whether he is now living this declarant does not know.  From New London he retured to Haddam where in consequence of he believes of the treatment he had received on board the prison ship he was taken dangerously sick and remained ill a long time.  As soon as he was strong enough to travel and on the 16th day of May 1779 he left his native place and and removed to Westminster, Vermont, where he has resided ever since.  He received the pay for his services in continental money and all the fruits of his former labor and care had become vested in the same currency (and this latter amounted to a considerable sum) but such was its depreciation that after paying the expenses of his sickness and travelling to Vermont he was worth when he arrived there only one quarter of a dollar in the world.  By the blowing of Providence and a proper share of economy and industry he has been able to rear a large family and keep himself not only from straightened but in easy circumstances so thehe had no occasion to apply under the former law but he feels himself entitled to under the present to some remuneration for what he has done and suffered in the cause of his now enriched country altho from the great lapse of time and his long absence from teh scenes in which they took place he is not able to prove them by his associates of whom he does not know that any are now living. He never had any written discharge to his recollection nor did those who were with him but when he came to Vermont he brought with his him Sergeant's warrant which he loaned to Capt. afterwards Col. Edward R. Campbell of the Vermont militia who wanted it as a form to draw others by and who never returned it and who is now dead.  He will also add that from his advanced age he may not have stated the names of persons and places with precise accuracy but has put the whole down as it remains on his recollection and he hereby relinqueshes away any 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.  
Seth Arnold

Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid Before Peter R Taft Judge
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We Sylvester Sage a clergyman residing in the Town of Westminster in the County of Windham and State of Vermont and Ellery Allbee Esquire - of the same Westminster and residing therein do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Seth Arnold of said Westminster who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be eighty four years of age; that he is reputed and belived in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion.

Sworn and subscribed the and year aforesaid} 

Sylvester Sage
Ellery Allbe

Before -- Peter R Taft Judge

and the said court do hereby declare their opinion after investigation of the matter and afgter putting the interragations prescribed by the war department there the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states.  And the court further certifies that it appears to these that Sylester Sage who has signed the preceeding certificate is a clergyman residing in the Town of Westminster aforesaid and that Ellery Allbe wha has also signed the same is a resident in the Town of Westminster and is a reliable person and that these statements are entitles to credit

Peter R Taft Judge

I Asa Keyes 2nd Clerk a& Registrar of Probate Court for said District of Westminster do hereby certify that the fore going [illegible] the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Seth Arnold for a pension.  [SEAL]

In testimonry whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this twenty fifth day of July AD 1832 -

Asa Keyes 2nd
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1374
Seth Arnold
Westminster Windham County
Vermont

Suspended Oct 25 1832

Special letter to Claimant
Westminster Vermo

Admitted
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11 mo Priv   36.66
  8  "    Sergt 40.00
76.66
Retd Reciving a non public repel
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Brief in the case of Seth Arnold
of Westminster, Windham County } in the state of Vermont
(Act 7 June, 1832.)

1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge ? In open court (Probate)

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

3.  How old is he ? 84 years

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

Period |  Duration of Service.|  Rank.|  Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.

April In 1775
June  .....
April 1776
May or June ....1777
& from Augt 1777 to May 1778|

Years, Months, Days 

Months
1 as a volunteer
6
1 drafted
8
3
 (Capt. Henry)
19 mo proved

2|

As a 
Private
-
-
Sergeant
-
Not stated|
Capt Osale
Col. Pearson's Regt. Gen Spenser's Brig
Capt. Brainerd
Col. Douglass & L Col Arnold
Capt. C. Higgins, Lt. Jarnold
Entered on board the Revenge of 14 Guns
Capt. Parker and Mott and was captured in said vessel and confined in the Good Hope Prison Ship until exchanged in May 1778.  He implies that he cannot provide evidence

5. In what battles was he engage ? 
On Long Island & Turtle Bay

6.  Where did he reside when he entered the service ?
Haddam, Middlesex County Connet
 Connecticut Troops

7.  Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls ?
By traditionary evidence (a clergyman)

8.  Are the papers defecttive as to form or authentication ? and if so, in what respect ?
They are correct

I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.

Rob Fowler
Examining Clerk.
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Westminster 2 November 1832

D Sir
Mr. Seth Arnold of this town has called upon me & exhibited your letter of the 25. Oct. in which you inform him that there is no evidence in the Departments that "the Revenge" in which he is stated to have enlisted in 1777 was a public vessel & requiring further information.  On that point he says he can only say that he entered in common with many others under a stipulation to have his share of whatever might be captured but has no knowledge or recollection of the captain's authority or that he ever knew under what power he acted but presumed no vessel of 14 guns would go out as a pirate without any authority whatever - (I have no doubt that the vessel was a privateer or letter of marque) He further observes that his age and infirmity wholly disqualify him from riding through the county to collect testimony on the subject and he must leave it to your good discretion taking his other services into consideration to do with his claim as you think proper.  I will only repeat my former conviction that Mr. Arnold is one of our most respectable inhabitants, the father of two clergymen and that no one who knows him will doubt but that he intends on all occasions to state the truth.  His sufferings in the revolutionary war especially on board the prison ship have been topics of beleif {sic} & remark whenever [illegible] such subjects have been mentioned here for a period extending as far back as my memory.
With great respect
I have the honor to be 
Yr Ast. Servt.
Wmle Bradley

L.L. Edwards Esqr.
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18690
INVALID.

File No. 18690
Seth Arnold
Sergt Rev War 

Act: June 7th 32
Index : - Vol. 1, Page 438

{Arrangement of 1870.}