Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File Rej. B. L., for Henry Smith, Massachusetts
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(3 - 1776)
SERVICE
Mass.
CONTENTS
Smith, Henry
---
NUMBER
Ry. B. L.
preceded
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Application for Land,
Widow Abigail Stafford, a native of Natick
Massachusetts, only child and heir of Henry
Smith, a Soldier of the Revolution,

State of New Jersey
Mercer County
I Abigail Stafford, only
child and heir at law of Henry Smith of
Massachusetts (now very far advanced in years)
do upon oath, testify and declare to the best of her
knowledge & belief, that her Father Henry Smith, enlisted on the 19th of April 1775, in Captain Joseph
Morses company in Colonel Samuel Bullard's
regiment, he was slightly wounded at the Battle of
Lexington,
he afterwards enlisted on the
10th of May 1775, in Captain James Milton's Company
Col Jonathan Wards Regiment, & served until they
were discharged
In November 1776 he
enlisted in Captain John Chadwicks, Company
Colonel Brewers Regiment, for the war, he served
until 1780 or 1781, when he was discharged in consequence of wounds received in the service of his country
and died at home from mortification of his wounds.
I further declare that I have a perfect recollection
of the scenes of the Revolution, and can recollect of
the Troops going & returning from the War &
I can recollect seeing my uncle Thomas Bacon
& Thomas Sawin, with my Father, crossing the field
with their guns going to the war
further
declare, that I have never received a Warrant for the
Bounty land promised to Henry Smith on his enlisted
ent on the part of the United States; nor do I believe 
that he ever received it, or transferred his claim 
to it in any manner whatsover, therefore
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Know all men by these presents, that I
Abigail Stafford aforesaid, do hereby constitute
and appoint my daughter Sarah Smith Stafford
to be my true and lawful attorney for me, and in my
name to demand and receive from the Secretary
of war of the United States, a Warrant for the quantity of land, due me as aforesaid and my said
attorney is hereby fully authorized and empowered to constitute and appoint one or more substitutes or attorneys
under her, for the special purposes above expressed
Attest
the above intestination, made before signing
Bailey A West

[signature] Abigail Stafford

Personally appeared the above named Abigail
Stafford subscriber to the foregoing declaration and
made oath to the same and in my presence acknowledged
the power of Attorney thereto subjoined to be her free act
and deed for the purposes therein mentioned
May third 1851.
[signature] Bailey A West
Justice of the Peace

In testimony that the above written Bailey A
was a majistrate authorized to
administer oaths, and take acknowledgments, & in the
State of New Jersey, at the above date, and that his name
there subscribed appears to me to be his usual signature
I have hereunto affixed the County seal, and subscribed
my name and quality at Trenton
this third day of May 1851.
[signature] Ralph H Shreve
County Clerk.
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Middlesex County SS.

Personally appeared before
me Moses Eames one of the Justices of the Peace in and for
said County, Martha Sawin, daughter of Thomas Sawin
and Abigail his wife decd natives of this place, on her oath
saith that she has heard her mother Abigail Sawin and others
say that Mrs Abigail Stafford, a native of this town, but
for many years past, a resident in the State of New Jersey, was
the daughter of her cousin Phebe Bacon, who was the daughter
of Ephraim Bacon and Rebecca his wife, all natives of this State
and for many years residents thereof and former neighbors to our
family. This deponent further says on her oath that her
mother Abigail Sawin, was at her death a United States
Revolutionary pensioner for the service rendered by her husband
Thomas Sawin in the War of the Revolution, and she was informed
by her mother that Abigail Stafford in the niece of Thomas
Bacon decd and it was always understood and believed that the
aforesaid Thomas Bacon and Henry Smith father of
Abigail Stafford were in the Revolutionary War. The aforesaid
Henry Smith was likewise a cousin to my mother: his father
and Abigail Bacon my grand mother, were brother and Sister
I am therefore confident that Abigail Stafford now residing in
New Jersey is a native of this place, and is the identical daughter
of Henry Smith who served in the Revolution and Phebe Bacon
formerly of this place.
Sworn & subscribed before me this
tenth day of November 1849
Martha Sawin
Moses Eames one of the
Justices of the Peace in and for the County
of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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I do hereby certify that I am personally acquainted with
Martha Sawin, who has sworn and subscribed to the foregoing
affidavit and believe her testimony to be fully entitled
to full credit and belief
Moses Eames one of the Justices of
the Peace in and for the County of Middlesex in the Common
wealth of Massachusetts

State of New Jersey
I Thomas S Allison Secretary of
State of the State of New Jersey do
hereby certify that the foregoing is a
true copy of an Affidavit recorded
in Liber H of Deeds page 307 as
taken from and compared with the
original record in my office.
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and affixed my seal of Office at Trenton this second
day of May Eighteen hundred and fifty one,
Secretary of State
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State of New Jersey
Mercer County

Surrogate's Office
May 1851

I certify that satisfactory evidence was adduced to me to proved that Abigail Stafford, a native of Natick, Massachusetts, is the daughter and only heir at law in fee to Henry Smith, a Soldier of the Revolutionary War, who served in the Massachusetts line, in the war of the Revolution.
Given under my hand and seal of office this third day of May 1851
Wm. P. Sherman
Surrogate
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I make this application for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land due my father Henry Smith & also the reward of Eighty dollars promised him under a resolve of Congress passed May 15th 1778.
And I further declare that his discharge was destroyed by fire many years ago.
Abigail Stafford
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Abigail Stafford
child & Heir of
Henry Smith for
land bounty War
Revolution


Evans & Fant
Present
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Know all men, by these present, that I, Sarah Smith Stafford of the City of Trenton, N.J. daughter & Attorney for Abigail Stafford, do hereby constitute and appoint Evans and Fant of the City of Washington my true and lawful Attornies for me and in the name of Abigail Stafford to demand and receive from the Secretary of War of the United States, a Warrant for the quantity of land due Abigail Stafford as aforesaid, and my said attornies are hereby fully authorized and empowered to receive any monies or land due the said Abigail Stafford for services rendered by her father Henry Smith of the Massachusetts line.
March Ninth, 1852
Sarah Smith Stafford
Attest:  Baily A. West

Personally appeared the above named Sarah Smith Stafford subscriber to the foregoing declaration and made oath to the same in my presence acknowledged the Power of Attorney  then to subjoined to be her free act and deed for the purposed therein mentioned.
Bailey A. West
Justice of the Peace and Commissioned for taking acknowledge????
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State of New Jersey
County of Mercer
On this thirteenth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and fifty two, personally appeared before me the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace duly authorized by law to administer oaths in and for the County aforesaid, Captain Ephraim B. McIntire, on his oath saith that he has been acquainted with Mrs. Abigail Stafford for about sixty years.  That his Mother was a native of Natick, Massachusetts and lived on a form adjoining to Mrs. Stafford's (or Henry Smith's family). That he was informed that Henry Smith, father of Mrs. Abigail Stafford died at home of wounds received in Battle in the War of the Revolution.  That he has never heard it disputed by anyone, and no doubt of the fact was ever expressed by his Mother, or any other person.  That he believes Mrs. Stafford's statement to be correct, and is fully entitled to full credit and belief, from the universal repute of such being the cause of his death and from the fact of my not hearing it contradicted during so many years, no doubt exists in my mind but that Henry Smith of Natick, Massachusetts, a soldier of the Revolution (father of Mrs. Stafford) died of wounds at home, received in Battle in the War of the Revolution, which is my full belief: from every circumstances connected with my acquaintance with her family.
Ephraim B. McIntire
Sworn and subscribed before me this 13th day of April, 1852.
Wm. C Howell
One of the Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Mercer
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I do hereby certify that I am personally acquainted with Capt. Ephraim B. McIntire who has sworn and subscribed to the foregoing and believe his affidavit to be correct, and is fully entitled to full credit and belief.
Wm. C. Howell
Justice of the Peace
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Bounty land
Additional Proof
Abigail Stafford
Answd Oct. 30, 1854
Child & heir of 
Henry Smith

Rev

Presented by
Evans & Fant
ILLEGIBLE
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State of New Jersey
County of Mercer
On this fifteenth day of April one thousand eight hundred and fifty two personally appeared before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace duly authorized by law to administer oaths, in and for the County aforesaid, Henry Andrew Beck on his oath saith that he has been acquainted with Mrs. Abigail Stafford (daughter of Henry Smith of Natick, Massachusetts) for many years.  That his Mother and his Uncles were natives of Natick, Massachusetts, and near neighbors of Mrs. Staffords fathers family near the town of Natick.   That he was informed and believes that Henry Smith, father of Mrs. Abigail Stafford died at home from mortification of his wounds received in Battle in the War of the Revolution.  That he has never heard it disputed by any one and no doubt of the fact was ever expressed by his Mother or his Uncles who were personally acquainted with and were schoolmates with Mrs. Abigail Stafford, nor by any other person of our acquaintance and from the uncontradicted and universal report of his death being caused by wounds received in Battle.  No doubt can exist in the case but that the aforesaid Henry Smith of Natick, Massachusetts as soldier of the Revolution, father of Abigail Stafford died of wounds received in Battle in the war of the Revolution, which is my full belief from every circumstances connected with my acquaintance with her family.
Henry Andrew Beck
Sworn and subscribed before me this 15th day of April AD 1853.
Bailey A West, Jus. of the Peace

I Bailey A. West one of the Justices of the Peace in and for the County of Mercer, do hereby certify that I am personally acquainted with Henry Andrew Beck who has sworn and subscribed to the foregoing affidavit, and believe it to be correct and entitled to full credit and belief. 
Baily A. West
Jus. of the Peace
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State of New Jersey
County of Mercer
I Ralph H. Shreve, Clerk of the county court in and for the county and State above mentioned do certify that Wm. C. Howell & Bailey A. West whose genuine signatures appears above is and was at the time of signing the same, Justices of the Peace in and for the County and State aforesaid; duly commissioned and sworn that all their official acts as such are entitled to full faith and credit, and that the aforesaid county court is a Court of Record having General Jurisdiction.
Given under my hand and seal of office at the City of Trenton, this 21st day of April 1852.
Ralph H. Shreve  Clk