Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 14522, for Benjamin Smith, New York
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Continental (N.Y.) Smith, Benjamin S.14522
b. July 2, 1762 at Smithtown, Long Island
res. at Poundridge, Westchester Co. N.Y.
New York City in 1834
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14959 14959
New York
Benjamin Smith
N. York in the State of N. York
Who was a dragoon in the camp commanded
Captain Webb of the Reg. commanded Col. Sheldon in the Count for Q. Gn.
scribed on the roll of N. York the rate of 100 Dollars 0 Cents per annum, commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.  Certificate of pension issued the 26th day of July 33 and such to Oct. N. York Arrears to the 4th of Ma: $200 embrane. allowance ending 4 Sep. 33 30 $230 Revolutionary Claim, Acp June 7, 1832 Recorded by G.C. Stiles Clerk Book C. Vol. 3 Page 78 Eul. Wood
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Duplicate issued Jany. 23. '34 and sent Hon. A. Ward 
Hou: of Representatives the papers on which it was issued are herein filed.
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Out Notes of Sheldons
Regt (War)
admd [admitted]
2 years Dragoon
100$
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City County of New York ss. On this fourteenth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open Court before the Marine Court of the City of New York the said
Marine Court being a Court of Record the said Court now fitting Benjamin Smith a resident of the City and County and State of New York aged seventy years four months and some odd days 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 seventh one thousand eight hundred and thirty two that he
entered the service of the United States under the following
named officers and served as herein stated this declarant states that he was born at Smith town on Long Island
on the second day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty two that in the year seventeen hundred and seventy eight this declarant enlisted in the United States service as a volunteer at a
place called pound ridge in Westchester County, State of New York and this was about [crossed out replaced with in] March of that year cannot
tell the exact day this declarant was enlisted by Sergeant Jacob Hunt a recruiting officer in a company of dragoons commanded by Captain John Webb of Weathers field
Elisha Sheldon was the Colonel and Lieutenant Seymour of Hartford was there when declarant first entered and there was subsequently another Lieutenant but cannot tell his
same as declarant forgets and this declarant further states that immediately on enlisting this declarant was marched in the others to Chatham in New Jersey when Colonel
Sheldon was at Winter quarters declarant passed from poundridge to Camp pond and crossed the North river at Kings Ferry and from there to Chatham then in the May following of the year one thousand seven hundred and
seventy eight the declarant was sent in a detachment to the Philadelphia lines and continued there until the British evacuated
that place the detachment then marched on with the main
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army and pursued the British. passed through Jersey and crossed over the Ferry at Trenton and then came on to Monmouth and there had an engagement with the British. The advance corps that engaged at that time was commanded by General Lee. This was in July as near as declarant recollects.  General Washington came up with his main army and then the British retreated that night to New York. The rank and the names of the company wherein this declarant was at that time was the same from that place  we were marched to the New York lines and stationed there through the season. from thence marched to Durham Connecticut to winter quarters in the June following went to York lines were at Bedford North Castle White Plains which were all on the lines. from the lines went again into winter quarters at Weathersfield and Windsor on Connecticut river. the first of the next June marched to York lines and there stationed for the season. while we were thus stationed at Poundridge on the lines we had a severe engagement with the British - can't remember who commanded British. Colonel Sheldon commanded our company and the American Company lost their standard and numbers of their men - British burnt the church and Major Lockwood's house - and the winter quarters that season were at North Hampton and Hadley in Massachusetts the next season went to Litchfield and on the way to York lines declarant obtained a written discharge and the place where declarant was discharged was Litchfield and signed by Colonel Sheldon and this declarant further states that he has lived in  New York (illegible) ever since his discharge and that the discharge that he received he handed over to Daniel D Tompkins when he had his office in the City of New York and acting as Governor in the last war and that he 
gave it to him for the purpose of getting a commission in a company of sea fencibles thinking that the discharge would be of service and that the war closed before declarant received a commission and the discharge was
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left with Governor Tompkins and from New York probably carried away papers to Albany, this department knows no more of it thinking that it would be of no other advantage to him paid no attention to it and this declarant knows of no other person whose testimony he can obtain except Benjamin Bouton of Huntington Long Island whose affidavit is amended and there are only two persons as this declarant believes who were with the company, living Lieutenant King in Bridgefield Connecticut who is in a state of mental derangement and has been so far a number of years the other Henry Pinkett lives in Boston and his testimony cannot be obtained without great trouble and some expenses this declarant relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not in the pension Roll of the agency of any states and this declarant further states that he has not now  any record of his age it having been destroyed with other papers by a fire two years ago last June - and this declarant is known to John A. Graham Esq and Isaac Halsey -
who resides in the City and neighbourhood of declarant- and this declarant further saith that he was a prisoner confined in the old sugar house in the year one thousand seven hundred and eight in the City of New York and was there about five months until exchange and was taken a prisoner on the York lines between  Tarry-Town [Tarrytown] and Sing Sing and further saith (crossed out word) that he is not acquainted with any minister except Mr. Baldwin and he has left the city 
[signed] Benj Smith

Sworn to in open court before me this 14th day of December 1832

Effingham Schieffelin
Justice of the Marine
Court of the City of New York
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We Isaac Halsey - residing in the City of New York and John A. Graham of the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Benjamin Smith who has subscribed and sworn to the aforementioned declaration that we believe him to be seventy years four months and some odd days of age that he is reported and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion 
Sworn and subscribed in open court the 14th day of December 1832
as to Isaac Halsey and as to John A Graham.
Sworn before me March 27, 1833
[signed] E Schieffelin

[signed] John A. Graham
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City County & State of New York ss  Benajah Bouton of Huntington Long Island
being duly Sworn Saith that he is
Seventy two years of age and upwards
and is acquainted with Benjamin Smith
the applicant above named has
known him since he was a small boy
he resided at Poundridge in Westchester
County State of New York, this
deponent remembers when Serjeant
Hunt enlisted the said Smith and a
number of other [caret at Poundridge] this was in March of 1778 they then marched away, and
as this apponent understood to join
the main army this deponent was
during the war, in the service himself
& frequently saw Smith with the
Regiment of Col Sheldon with whose
regiment he enlisted recollects of having seen him at different times & at different places of northcastle Bedford Whiteplains - this
deponent saw Smith with his company a few days after the affair mentioned in his affidavit at Poundridge this deponent remembers Smith having served as a volunteer as aforesaid 
and said Smith has lived in New York nearly ever since this deponent remembers of
having gone with Smith to Governor
Gompkins to get a commission in
the sea fencibles during the last war
and saw him hand his discharge
to Governor Gompkins which he had
received from Col Sheldon and the
said Smith is a man of good character
& worthy to be believed and further
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this deponent saith that he remembers well that the said Smith was a prisoner in New York city & confined the sugar house for about 5 months and further he believes the statement of Smith from his several character and from his own knowledge and further saith not 
[signed] Benajah Bouton
Sworn in open Court December 11th 1832. 
[signed] E Schieffelin Justice of the Marine Court of the City of New York
City County & State of New York ss.  Abraham Leggett and William Van Wyck being sworn saith that Benajah Bouton is a man of Good character and worthy of belief in all his statements 
[signed] Abm Leggett  Wm Van Wyck
Sworn before me in open court this 11th day of December 1832 
[signed] E Schieffelin Justice of the Marine Court of the City of New York
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and the said Court called the Marine Court of the  City of New York do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states and the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Benajah Bouton is a credible witness and is worthy of belief the court being acquaintance with both certifying witnesses and believe that Boughtons statement is written to full credit.

By the Court
John Barberie
Clerk

I, John Barberie Clerk of the Marine Court of the City of New York do herby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceeding of the said Court in the matter of the application of Benjamin Smith for a pension and I do hereby further certify that Effingham Schieffelin upon whom the forgoing affidavits were made is now and was then one of the Justices of said Court

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Marine Court this first day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three

John Barberie

(illegible seal stamp)
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14522
Invalid

Rev War
(illegible word)

File No. 14.522

Benjamin Smith
Dragoon Rev. [Revolutionary] War

Act: June 7th, 1832

Index: - Vol. 1, Page 342

[Arrangement of 1870]
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Payments to be made
at N. York [New York]
by Pres: M.J. (illegible)
Agent for paying Pensioners, in the Agency of 

New York (circled word)

Recorded in the Pension Office, in Book C. Vol. 3
Page 18 by (illegible name)
Clerk.
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WAR DEPARTMENT.
Revolutionary Claim.

I certify that, in conformity with the law of the United States of the 7th June, 1832, Benjamin Smith of the State of New York who was a Dragoon in the army of the Revolution is entitled to receive One hundred dollars and cents (crossed out) per annum, during his natural life, commencing on the 4th of March, 1831, and payable semi-annually on the 4th of March and 4th of September, in every year

Given at the War Office of the United States this 26 day of July one thousand eight hundred and thirty three

John Robb
Actg Secretary of War

J L Edwards
Commissioner of Pensions

Examined and Countersigned
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City County & State of New York ss: John A Morrill of the City of New York counsellor at Law being duly sworn saith that on or about the fourteenth day of December 1832 this deponent made out the papers for a pension for Benjamin Smith the witnesses sustain the good character of the said Smith before the Marine Court in the City of New York were John A. Graham the said Graham proving something [in] reference to the services [illegible] and Isaac Halsey and Benajah Bouton who proved the services of the said Benjamin [Bouton, crossed out] Smith and William Van Wych Esq and Abraham Legget were examined as by the good character of Bouton and further this deponent saith that he also remembers that the said Smith set forth in his application that he served [under, crossed out] in the Regiment of dragoons of Sheldens and further that [I have, crossed out] this deponent has not received any answer to the application which was sent to the war department and neither has he received any pension certificate from any person or persons whatever on behalf of the above Benjamin Smith and further that the Benjamin Smith [allude, crossed out] the deponent in the annexed affidavit is the same individual who made application as above before the Marine Court in the City of New York on or about the 16th day of December 1832 and further saith not 
[signed] John A Morrill
Sworn before me this 15th day of January 1834
[signed] E Schieffelin Justice of the Marine Court of the City of New York
I certify that I am personally acquainted with the above named J. A. Morrill & that the above is his signature & that he is a man of character & respectability 
[signed] A Ward   M C
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City & County of New York ss. John A Morrill being duly sworn saith that on the fifteenth day of January instant this deponent called at the Loan office of the United States Bank in the City of New York and enquire whether a pension certificate had been paid to one Benjamin Smith the clerk deponent thinks from his appearance informed him that the name of Benjamin Smith was entered on the book to receive a pension $100 the said Smith belonging to a company of Dragoons in the Revolutionary war and that the amount had not been paid to any individual and further that the clerk stated by affidavit it could be shown on the part of Smith that the pension [was, crossed out] certificate was lost and as it was not the said clerks practice to endorse on any affidavit the fact of its non payment - he could not do it but adds that it has not been paid further the entry in the loan office corresponds with Benjamin Smith application & therefore deponent believes that the afore mentioned Benjamin Smith & the one entered the books of the loan office are the same & further saith not 
[signed] John A Morrill
Sworn before me this 16th day of Jany 1834 
[signed] E Schieffelin Justice of the Marine Court of the City of New York
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City County & State of New York Ss: Benjamin Smith being duly sworn saith that he has heard read the annexed affidavit of John A Morrill and as far as it regards his service it is perfectly true and further that he made the application for a pension under the Law of the United States on or about the time therein specified and further deponent & never has received any pension certificate for or by reason of said application from any person or persons nor has any person to deponents knowledge and neither has any money or gain by reason thereof been received therefrom and further this deponent is the same Benjamin Smith who made the application in the amended affidavit alluded to and further this deponent is in poor circumstances & the money would be acceptable at this time 
[signed] Benjn Smith
Sworn before me this 15th day of January 1834
[signed] R. S. Swanton one of the Justices of the Marine Court of the City of New York