Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 14,202, for Samuel Polley, New York
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Service 
New York

Polley, Samuel 

Number
S 14202

Contents

carded
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146

494
New York 1404

Samuel Polley 14016
Starkey in the State of New York who was a (unknown) in the company commanded by Captain Maffitt of the REgt commanded by Col Nichols in the N.Y. mo line for court or 
s drum

Inscribed on the Roll of New York at the rate of 49 Dollars and 33 cents per annum to commence the 4th day of March 1831

Certificate of pension issued the 6 day of May 1833 and sent to Wm Potter Pens Com

Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 $98.66
Pension allowance ending 4 Sept 24.66
$123.32

Revolutionary Claim Act June 7 1832

Recorded by W.J. Williams Clerk, 
Book E Vol 4 Page 70
14016
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13.494
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State of New York 
Yates County 
On the twenty ninth day of September personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the court of common pleas of the county of Yates and State of New York Samuel Polly a resident of the town of Starkey in the County of Yates, aged seventy two years. Who being duly sworn according to law doth made on his oath the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed 7th June 1832. That he enlisted in the service of the United States under the following named office and sowed as herein stated. Enlisted in the year 1775 under Capt Thomas Moffat Col Isaac Nichols Gen James Clinton claimant then resided in the town of Goshen Orange Count NY State- remained stationed at West Point on the west shore the Hudson river nine months. Claimant also served 1776 five months stationed at New York under Capt. Joshua Brower. He also served six months stationed at Newburgh Orange County in the year 1777. In which year Capt Moffat received the company of May after which time claimant was born the 19th May 1760 was sixteen years of age at the time he enlisted as a drummer for the two first terms above month and was in no engagement just a skirmish at White Plains claimant resided at Goshen Orange Coty NY at the time he enlisted does not remember the previous time when he left the service he thinks he left the service sometime in April 1778 after the service he resided in same county until 1810 when claimant moved to the town of said Seneca County NY where he resided until 1828 when he moved to the town of Starkey Yates county where he now resides the record of her age has been lost for a number of years he cannot tell in whose papers the words are at this time. He is acquainted with Benjamin Tuthult Post Master of Starkey and Henry Soencer and Joseph Smith all whom are ready to certify to his character as to truth and veracity claimant was born in between 1760 has been naturalized in the muted state.
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Claimant received a discharge by Capt Thomas Moffate which has been lost some twenty years ago. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pension for annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

Samuel Polley 

Subscribed and sworn the day and year aforesaid 
T.J. Nevins Dep. Clerk
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We Wm Potter of Milo in the County of Yates and Joseph Luderaux of Milo in the County aforesaid do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Samuel Polly who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration that we believe him to be seventy two  years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of a revolution and that we concur in that opinion. 
Wm Potter
his
Joseph Luderaux 
mark

Subscribed and sworn the day and year aforesaid 
T.J. Nevins Deputy Clerk 

And the said Court do hereby declare other opinion after the investigating of the matter and after putting the interrogations prescribed by the war War Department to all above named applicant that he was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states which statement is amply sustained by the testimony of Joseph Lameraux who was also interrogated by this court on oath testified that he knew the applicant when he served as he stated.
And the court further certified that it appears to them that Joseph Lameraux who has signed the preceding certificate is a resident in the county of Yates aforesaid and that Wm Potter who has also signed the same is a resident of the same place and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit

By order of the court
T.J. Nevins Dep. Clerk
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I George Sherman Clerk of the Court of common pleas of the County of Yates do certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Samuel Polly for a pension. In testimony coping I have hereunto set my hand seal of the Court of Common Pleas the county of Yates on this 29 day of September 1832.

George Sherman

T.J. Nevins
Dep. Clerk
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13494
Samuel Polly
Yates County 
NY

admitted
6 mo. Private
8 mo.

20
22
7.32
49.33

Wm Potter
Penn Yan
NY
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13494

Brief in the case of Samuel Polly
Town of Starkey in the State of New York
(Act 7th June 1832) 

1. Was the declaration made before a court of Judge? Open court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he?
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

In 1776
3 months
As a Drummer
Gen Jas Clinton Col J Nichols Reg 
Capt. Wm Moffate Co }enlisted 

00 
5 months 
00 
Captain Brown 

1777 
6 months 
As a Private
Ditto 

5. In what battles was he engaged? in a skirmish at White Plains

6. Where did he reside when he entered service? at Goshen New York

7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Only the traditionary evidence of two witnesses certified to be creditable persons

8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? 
Not attached according to the regulations

I certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned. 
E. Stephery 
Examining Clerk
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Rev War 

14202
INVALID

File No. 14202
Samuel Polley 
Priv. and Drummer Rev War 

Act: June 7th 1832
Index:-Vol: 1, Page 300

[Arrangement of 1870]
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13.494

Brief objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Samuel Polly which require further proof or explanation.

I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides?
II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides?
III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so?
IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served?
V. Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable to department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled?
VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations?
VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832?
VIII. Has the court given their opinion?
IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate?
X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal?
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2

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and other respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service?- No clergyman, but others
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? none
XIII. If the applicant has not documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had? no
XIV. If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of the military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service? none
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses?
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct?

XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service?

XVI. Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? illegible 

XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered?

Explanatory Notes

Quere V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
" Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, and c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For - year-months, and - days, I served as a - For - months and -days, I served as a -; and for such service I claim a pension.
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It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia & c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shown under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by the competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
Quere XIV. Proof of Service
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in  their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
Quere XVI Mode of authenticating papers
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent and paper from being improperly attached to the certificate. 
In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.
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The National Archives
Form VAM-51
12-5-41

Bounty Land Warrant Record Card*

Division of Veterans' Administration Archives 

Name Polley, Uriah

Grade Private 

Line Connecticut 

Warrant Number 6335
Acreage 100 
Issued Jan 18, 1798
to Uriah Polley 

*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.