Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 14,291, for Abner Rice, Vermont
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(3-1776)
SERVICE
Continental, Vt.) 
Rice, Abner
NUMBER
S. 14.291
carded
CONTENTS
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[illegible]
Abner Rice
of St. Lawrence in the State of New who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain [illegible] of the [illegible] commanded
by Col Vaxmilory in the VT* min line for 12 mons.
Continental Line.
Records corrected Nov. 1, 1906,
Inscribed on the Roll of New York at the rate of 40 Dollars 00 Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 9 day of May 1843 and sent to Ellen Baldwin. Potsdam
Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Sept " 
 $80.00
   20.00
$100.00
   Revolutionary Claim,
⎨ Act June 7, 1832.      ⎬
Recorded by W. L. Williams Clerk,
Book E Vol. 4 Page 73
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No 14607.
Abner Rice A Lawrence
County New York

admitted
12 mo. Private
Allen V Baldwin
Potsdam N.Y.
[crossed out] A Sow Clerk Lawrence
County Court New York
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BRIEF in the case of Abner Rice
County of St Lawrence in the State of New York
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? a Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he? 77
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
Period.
interasabal in 1775 Fall of 1Jan
Duration of Service.
Years,
1
Months,
Days.
Rank.
As a Private
Names of General and Field Officers
under whom he served.
Gen.  Col Vaxminss
5. In what battles was he engaged? None
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Bennington Vermont
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by
incidental evidence, or by the rolls?
Tradit Evid. Living Witnesses
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? attached
as the regulations require
Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Dyer Castor Examining Clerk.
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In the matter 
of Abner Rice     ⎬
application for a pension under the act of June 7th 1852.
Dr007
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Declaration in order to obtain the benefit
of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
State of New-York ss:
St. Lawrence County⎬
On this twenty fifth day of September 1832 personally appeared in open court, before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in & for said County now sitting, Abner Rice, aged 77 years the 18th day of November last, now a resident of Potsdam in said County and State who being first duly sworn according to law
doth, on his oath make the following declaration, in or 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 in the fall of 1775 he went from Bennington, Vermont his place of residence
then to Nottingham West, in New Hampshire
that while there, he enlisted as a volunteer for
one year from the 1st of January 1776 under
Capt. Farnum in what he understood
Rhode Island Fords-that immediately after his term of service commenced, he marched to Prospect Hill and joined Col Vaxmaniss [spelling?] Regiment where he remained until after the British evacuated Boston. He believes then were continental companies stationed at Winter's Hill then but does not recollect the
names of any of their officers. He marched from Boston to Providence to New London and New York where he remained about one month, and then
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went to Long Island and was then through the battle at Brooklyn under the American General Putnam. Lee, and Sullivan, the latter of whom was taken prisoner by the British, on the retreat of the American Forces, the Regiment to which he belonged passed from Red Hook near Brooklyn on [illegible] to New York
He remained at New York a short time when the American Troops retreated from the city, and he was sent with the sick into New Jersey and was with the sick at New York when his year expired on the 1st day of January 1777. His officers having gone up the North River as he understood. When they retreated from New York, he returned home at the expiration of his
term of service without any written discharge.
.
He further states that only one other person
ment with him from his place of residence
to join the army, and he has several times
written to him for proof his service but has received no answer and supposes he is dead. He has no documentary evidence of his service and no other proof but traditionary. He hereby relinquishes every 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.
He further saith that he was born in Brookfield
Worcester County in Massachusetts,
at 4 years of age move to Cold Rain in
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to Shaftsbury, Vermont and have about
thirteen years and moved to Cambridge,
Vermont and lived there ten or eleven
years and moved to Potsdam where
he has ever since resided and now
resides. He has a record of his age subscribed
& sworn 
the day & year aforesaid ⎬ Abner Rice
A C Low
Mr. Jabez Willes one of the Judges of said court of Common Pleas and Jonathan Hock under Sheriff of said County, both residing in Potsdam aforesaid hereby certify that [illegible] are well acquainted with Abner Rice who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy seven year; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolutionary War, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn & subscribed
the day & year aforesaid⎬
Jonathan Hoit
AC Low Clk Jabez Willes
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion that 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 Jabez Willes who
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signed the preceding certificate resides in Potsdam aforesaid and is one of the Judges of the said Court of Common Pleas, and that Jonathan Hoit who also signed the same resides in Potsdam aforesaid is Under Sheriff of said County and a credible person and that his statement is entitled to credit -
I Alvin C Low Clerk of the said Court of
Common Pleas and of said County of St. Lawrence do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Abner Rice for pension and I also certify that Jonas Clark before whom the following affidavit of William Pike of Clement [illegible] appears to have been taken, was a Justice of
the County aforesaid at the time of the taking of the same and that his signatures thereto and to the certificate following are his own handwriting
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office this twenty fifth day of
September in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred
and thirty two -
A C Lo Clk
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Town of Locke SS.

John Rice of Locke in the County of
Cayuga, being duly sworn, makes oath and says that Abner Rice, Brother of this deponent, left home in or about the year 1776, and went as this deponent then understood in the Revolutionary Service, and was gone something over one year, before he returned
home, this Deponant further says that it was always understood in Deponants family, or father's family, that Abner Rice served
one year in the Revolutionary War, and that this Deponant has him understood, among the neighbors and never heard it questioned, but what Abner Rice Served one year in the Revolutionary War.
John Rice
Subscribed and sworn this 31 day of
August 1832, before me.
Samuel M. Croft Justice

I certify that John Rice is a credible person, and have never heard but what he is a man of truth and verasity
August 31st,1832
S.M. Croft

State of New York
Cayuga County    ⎬ I Michael S Myers Clerk of said County do certify that Samuel M Croft Esquire before whom the affidavit above purports to have been as Sworn was at the date of the same one of the Justice of the Peace in and for said County and that I am acquainted with his hand writing and verily believe his name subscribed to said affidavit to be his proper hand writing and [illegible]
Witness my hand and seal of Office this fourth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two.
M. S. Myers Clerk
for P. H. Myers D
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State of New York
St. Lawrence County⎬
I, William Pike of Potsdam in said County,
being sworn deposeth and saith that he
is sixty two years of age that about forty years
ago he moved into the town of Shaftsbury
Vermont when Abner Rice now of Potsdam
aforesaid who is making application for a
pension then resided; that he has heard the said Rice and his fathers family and a great
many of his neighbors give an account
repented of the service of the said Abner Rice
for any year during the Revolutionary War,
that about 27 years ago this deponent moved into the said town of Potsdam of when the said Rice had moved the year previous that with the
exception of five or six years this Deponent has
lived a near neighbor to said Rice for the last 40 years and has saith the story that said Rice and his fathers family and persons living a near neighbor to him have given of the said Rice's service has always been the same ,the purport of which is according to deponent's best recollection, that said Rice and one Thomas Whittle went from Bennington towards the close of the year 1775 to Nottingham West and enlisted for one year in Capt. Vann's [illegible] Company. that he went to
Prospect Hill to Providence, New York.
and on to Long Island when he was engaged
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in a battle and was compelled to [illegible] to
New York and soon from there into the [illegible] when he was sick and was put into a
Hospital understood that said Rice never
received any written discharge that the
officers under whom said Rice served were
not with him when his term expired. Deponent further saith that said Rice has always been esteemed a man of perfectly fair character for truth and veracity.
William Pike
Sworn & subscribed this 11th day of September 1832 before me
Zenas Clark Just. Peace
Said Pike is a man of fair character for truth
and veracity. Sept 11 1832.
Zenas Clark Just Peace
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{illegible] of New York
St. Lawrence County    ⎬
Clement Carpenter of Potsdam in said County
being sworn saith that he is fifty one year
of age, that for twenty eight years last part
he has been well acquainted with Abner
Rice of said town that he has all that time lived
a near neighbor to him and he saith that he hath heard said Rice give an account of his service in the Revolutionary War a great many times that it has always been the same the substance of which is that he went from Bennington Vermont with one Thomas Whittle and enlisted at Nottingham West in New Hampshire during the fore part of the war and went to Prospect and Joined Col Varnum's Regiment in Capt Varnum's [?] Company that he was there till the British evacuated Boston, that he then went into Boston and from there to Providence, New London, and to New York and from there to Long Island, that he was then during the battle at that place that he retreated back to New York and from there into the Jersey. that he was sick then and put into a hospital. that he was there when his time of service expired. that he was engaged in the service for one year and this deponent further saith that from the fair character of said Rice and the minuteness and consistency and
uniformity with which he has always
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related the story of his service he has no doubt
but the said Rice did perform one year's
service in the Revolutionary War.
Clemment Carpenter
Sworn & subscribed this 11th day of September 1832 before me
Zenas Clark Justice Peace
Said Carpenter is esteemed a man of good
character for truth & veracity.
Sept 11. 1832.
Zenas Clark, Just. Peace
Said Rice served one year from the 1st of January 1776

In the matter of Abner Rice.  Application for a pension under the Act of June 7th 1832.
14607
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14291
INVALID.
-
File No. 14. 291
Abner Rice
Priv. Rev. War
---
Act: June 7th 1832 
Index: -- Vol. 1, Page 317
[Arrangement of 1870.]
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BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of
Abner Rice which require further proof or explanation.

1. 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 the department to determine to what amout 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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XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service?
No
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it?
No
XIII. If the applicant has no 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?
Living Witnesses
XIV. If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service?
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? 
No
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered?
2. 3. 5
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, &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 the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, 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 a 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 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
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 any 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.