Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 21478, for Rufus Sherman, Rhode Island
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[3-1776]

SERVICE                             NUMBER

R.I.          Sherman, Rufus     S. 21478
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27301
Rhode Island
Rufus Sherman
Exeter in the State of R. I.
who was a private in the Comy [Company] commander by Captain Bates of the Regt [Regiment] commanded by Colo Dyer in the R.R. time for 
12 Months private

Inscribed in the Roll of R I. at the rate of 40 Dollars    ___________ Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.

Certificate of Pension issued the 31st day of March 1834 and sent to Wm. P. Newell Esq Kingston R I

Arrears to the 4th of March 1834   $120.00
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4th Sep   20
                                                         $140.00

[section sign] Revolutionary Claim
Act June 7, 1832 [section sign]

Recorded by George Taylor Clerk
Book  E  Vol. 2   Page 130
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I Stephen Champion of Exeter in the County of Washington & State of Rhode Island aged seventy two years, on oath do dispose & say that I know often [two lines crossed out] Rufus Sherman now of Exeter in said county to serve as a soldier against the enemy in the revolution in guarding the shores in North Kingston & two or three times on R, Island
He is reputed to have served much in the revolution & I have no doubt but that he did, but I know of my own knowledge for only the instances of his service that I have above stated.
Stephen Champion

Taken subscribed & Sworn to in Open Court
Sept 3, 1832
Wm. [crossed out] Helme Cler
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371
S0145
Rufus Sherman
Exeter. Washn. Co
RI

Admin
12 months
Capt Bates Col Dyer

Wm. R. Newell Esq
Kingston R.I.
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DECLARATION
IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE ACT OF CONGRESS, , PASSED JUNE 7, 1832.
[section sign] STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, 
COUNTY OF Washington [section sign] 1832
On this sixth day of September personally appeared in open Court, before Judges or Justices of the Court of Common Pleas now sitting, Rufus Sherman as resident of Exeter in the County of Washington and State of Rhode-Island, aged seventy 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 7, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. Viz.

Being a private in Lt Field Company of militia in the town of Exeter in the aforesaid county commanded by Capt Jonathan Bates he was in Dec 1776, then from also fled for a months services I was marched into Boston Neck near [crossed out] narrows.  Oliver Spink was his first.  Col Dyer commanded the Regt at this time having served out his term, he then took as a substitute , the place of his father, who was then on alarm list & served in his stead for on month under Capt Holley at Bissill's Mills, on the Narragansett Bay in North Kingston in the aforesaid under Capt Dyer in March 1777.  He was again drafted & marched to Boston Neck near the Southbury and in the Ensign of his company, whose  name he thinks was Greene, when he served thirty days in Col Dyers Regt in June 1777, he was drafted for a march & served in the same place as aforementioned during the month, and under Capt Bates & Capt Dyer.
In Sept 1777, he was drafted to go to Tiverton R Island in Spencer's expedition, marched then by way of drafted once, from where after remaining there three weeks he was marched back and was discharged.  In this service he thinks that Capt John Plank was his Captain & that he was attached to Dyer's Regt.  He feels safe in declaring that in this term he served five weeks before he was discharged.  In Decm 1777,  he was again drafted from said company & was marched to Bissills Mills again where he was stationed & served thirty days under Capt Joseph Holley, whose Lieut in Col Dyer's Regt. was Benjamin Clarks.  In March 1778, he was drafted from said company for thirty days & marched to the village of Wickford in said North Kingstown & put in a company commanded by Capt Sam Bissell, in Col. Dyer's Regt where he served out this time.  In August 1778, he was again drafted & marched on to the Island of R. Island under Capt Bates in Sullivan's expedition & was then in the battle, retreated off to Tiverton & from thence return home by the way of Providence after having served thirty days, the time for which he was drafted.  After he returned from Sullivan's expedition, in Sept
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A.D. 1778, to the close of the year in 1779, when the British left Newport, he served at diverse times, as a drafted militia soldier from said company in Col Dyer's Regt at Bissells Mills & Boston Neck, at the South Ferry & Wickford for periods of time each varying from two to four weeks, [crossed out] when he was relieved by the other militia:  During these periods he [crossed out] was commanded either by Capt Bates, or Lieut Spink for the most part.  Told by other officers with whom he was not sufficiently acquainted to remember their names & although it is not in his power states definitely that times of his service aforementioned from September 1778, when he returned from Sullivan's expedition to the close of the year 1779, yet he knows declares that the agrigate [aggregate] of his said services during that time could not have been less than four months, that for four months service during said period he received pay.
In April 1781, he was drafted again for thirty days  & went onto the Island of Rhode Island & served on Brenton's-Wick as a guard during the time was aforesaid, at the end of which times he was discharged.  He can not recollect the field officers under whom he served this time as they were strangers to him, with whose names he was not very well acquainted, but his Capt who then commanded said field company was Robert Reynolds Jim.  He further says that all his said services as herein set forth were in the grade of a private and then said Sherman and that he faithfully performed all the aforementioned periods of service in defence of his country in the revolution.  And he further declares that he was born in Exeter in June 1758, tho he has no record of his age or birth, when
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he has from his birth upto the present time always resided in said Exeter.

That he does not remember that he ever had any written discharge from any of his said services, but was verbally discharged by his commanding officers; that he has no documentary evidence of any of said services; & further he knows no clergyman in his town or vicinity [illegible] to Othenial Sherman & refutes to Sherman of said Exeter, who testify to his character or veracity & their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution & to the accompanying deposition.
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.

Sworn to and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
in open court               Rufus       his X Sherman
[crossed out] Sam. Helme Clk          Mark

We Othenial Sherman residing in P. Exeter and Sheffied Sherman residing in (the same) hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with Ruffus Sherman who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy four 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.
Sworn to and subscribed the day aforesaid. in open Court  
Wm. [crossed out] Helme Clk
Othonial Sherman
Sheffel L Sherman

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatries [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 is appears to them that Othonial Sherman & Sheffield L Sherman who has signed the preceding certificate, [crossed out] residents in [crossed out] said Exeter [crossed out] that their statement is entitled to credit.  And the Court [crossed out] also Certify that from their knowledge and Examination of Stephen Champlin the preceding Deponent the Court considers his Testimony Contained in the preceding Deposition entitled to Credit.

I Samuel Helme Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas & General Sessions of the Peace do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the applications of Rufus Sherman for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this Twenty Ninth day of April AD. 1833.
[{Sam} crossed out] Helme Clk
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John Northup of Exeter in the County of Washington & State of Rhode Island, on oath saith that he is seventy ones years of age; that from his youth he has been acquainted with Rufus Sherman of said Exeter and knows that the said Sherman during the War of the Revolution belonged to the militia in said Exeter & was frequently in the militia called into the service against the enemy; and his deponent remembers particularly that the said Sherman & himself were drafted from the militia & served together one month guarding against the enemy on the Island of Rhode Island in the year A.D. 1780.

Witness to John Northup 
                                         [section sign]
mark as signature
T R Beckham

his
John   X     Northup
       mark

State of Missouri
Washington County ss
Town of Exeter, this 14th day of March 1834, Personally appeared John North up, the above named deponent, & before
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me gave & subscribed the preceding deposition on this sheet of paper & was by me hereto duly sworn according to law.  I further certify that the said John Northup is personally known to me, that he is a credible witness that his said deposition is entitled to credit.  
Before me " T. R. Beckham, Justice Peace
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Michael Dawley of Exeter in the County of Washington & State of Rhode Island, on oath deposeth & saith that he is seventy seven years of age that during the war of Revolution this deponent performed considerable service in the militia under different officers of the militia of said Exeter in guarding against the enemy in Boston Neck in North Town Kingston in said county in Col Dyer's Regt.  During the war of the Revolution,  during times that time, this deponent was well acquainted with Rufus this man of said Exeter, who he understands is an applicant for a pension and is the law of the united states.
This deponent remembers also the said Rufus Sherman much in said service in Boston Neck when this deponent was then as he for stated, particularly in said
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North Kingston in Capt Bates Company & under Capt Holley This deponent served thirty days on the Island of R Island at Sullivan's Expedition, which he thinks was in the summer or fall of 1778 & remembers that the said Sherman served then at the same time.
Witness to Michael Dawley 
                                         [section sign]
mark as signature.                    
T.R. Beckham
                                              his
                          Michael         X    Dawley
                                             mark

State of Rhode Island, Washington County ss.
Town of Exeter this 14th day of March 1834, personally appeared Michael Dawley, the above named deponent & before [crossed out] me gave & subscribed the preceding deposition on this [crossed out] sheet of paper & was by me hereto duly sworn according to law.  I further certify that the said Michael Dawley is personally known to me, that he is a credible witness that his said deposition is entitled to credit.
Before Me " T.R. Beckham. Justice Peace
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State of Rhode Island & Providence Plantations Washington County Js [section sign] Clerks Office Court Common Pleas

I Samuel Helme Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of State & County aforesaid do hereby Certify that Timothy R Peckham Esq whose Signatures in his own proper hand writing are annexed to the Certificates regarding John Northup and Michael Dawley was at the time of his said Signatures a Justice of the Peace in and for said County duly Commissioned & Qualified

In testimony whereof & have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of the Court aforesaid this fourteenth day of March A.D. 1834
Sam Helme Clk
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O. W. and N. Division     3-525.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Pensions, 
Washington, D.C.,                        190

In reply to your request of _________________, received ________________ for a statement of the military history of Rufus Sherman a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his [{ (or his widow's)} crossed out} application for pension on file in this Bureau.               S21478
[column headings:  DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. LENGTH OF SERVICE. RANK. OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED.
STATE
CAPTAIN. COLONEL.

1.  Dec 1776. 1 mo. Private.  Jonathan Bates. Dyer. R.I.
2.  1777.  5 mo 1 wk.  Holley. Bates.  Dyer.
3.  __________ John Clark.  Joseph Holley
4.  1777. 2 mos. [illegible].  Bates.   Dyer
5.  From Sept 1778 to fall 1779 he was drafted four times from Capt Jonathan Bates 1st rgt Exeter militia, serving above in all 4 mo.
6.  Apr. 1781 1 mo

Battles engaged in, [illegible] Sullivan's expeditions R.I. and
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Exeter, Washington Co. R.I.
Date of Application for pension, Sept 6, 1832. Clu al.
Residence at date of application, Exeter, RI
Age at date of application, b. Exeter R.I. June 1708
Remarks:  [ilegible] Mar. 31, 1834.

Very respectfully, 

                                        Commissioner
31793b5m1C-07
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[Left side]
21478
INVALID
Revolution [written diagonally across corner]

File No.   21478

Rufus Sherman


Pri Rev War

Act:  June 7th 32'

Index:--Vol. 2,     Page  363

[Arrangement of 1870.]

[Right side]
1911, Apr. 21 Hist to 
Mr. Frank Dempster Sherman
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The Department will please send the cirtificate [certificate] in this case of Rufus Sherman, to Wm. P. Newell, 
Kingston
R.I.