Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 23865, for Bailey Read, Connecticut
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93-1776)
SERVICE
Conn.
Read, Bailey
NUMBER
S.23865
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NEW YORK, NO. 24370  
Bailey Read 
of Schoharie Co, in the State of N. York who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain Briggs of the Regt. commanded by Col. Richmond in the Connt. Troop line for 2 years.
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Inscribed on the Roll of New York at the rate of 80 Dollars -  Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831. 
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Certificate of Pension issued the 3rd day of Decr 1833 and Sent to P. Randall Ames, Canajoharie, Montgomery Co. New York
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Arrears to the 4th of Sept 1833   200.00
Semi-anl allowance ending 4 March 1834  40.00
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$240.00
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{Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832}
Recorded by Geo C. Stiles Clerk
Book E Vol 4 Page 118.
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[Left column text)
Pension Declaration & papers of Bailey Read of Sharon & County of Schoharie State of N York for a pension under the law of June 7 1832 
P Randall agent on Rolls of Bradford Regt

[Right column text]
on Roster of Bradford Regt
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Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 1832 
State of New York 
Schoharie County ss } 
On this fifteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty one personally appeared before me William Beckman first Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in & for the County of Schoharie aforesaid being a Court of Record Bailey Read now a resident of the town of Sharon & County of Schoharie aforesaid aged 74 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 served as herein stated to wit:   Deponent was born in Freetown in the County of Bristol State of Massachusetts in 1759,  I then resided at the commencement of & during the Revolution (except when in service)  near the borders of the State of Rhode Island. On a call for a given number of Militia from the several companies of a Regt of militia to which deponent belonged, Deponent volunteered about the 15th January 1776 at Freetown aforesaid for six weeks in a company of Massachusetts State troops, commanded by Capt. James Briggs,  Lieut James Nichols of the town of Barclays,  County of Bristol to go to Boston.  Went there with said Company distance 43 miles. Cols name does not recollect. While there deponent stood on guard,  stood sentry & other duties at the expiration of deponents term he was requested with others of the company by their Captain to stay on the line duty & was longer in consequence of advice  or orders from headquarters
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deponent remained accordingly in said Company under the same offices & was discharged on the middle of March at Boston, 1776, and returned to Freetown aforesaid, after having served two months
2 Mos }
On a call of the government for Rhode Island State troops deponent thinks in the month April or the early part of May deponent crossed the River in to the town of Newport (often called Rhode Island town) in the State of Rhode Island it into a company of what were called years men (a part of which year had already elapsed) commanded by a Capt. Riggs.  Deponent enlisted for the remainder of a year or campaign what was expire & [unreadable] on the last of November of that year according to the best of deponents recollection.  When he was discharged at Newport Rhode Island having served seven months to the best of deponents recollection.   
Deponent thinks his company was attached to Col Richmond’s Regt, was on drill, stood Scouting & on guard & labored at the Forts at New York & at Brittons Neck four or 5 weeks before his time was out.  Deponent company with [unreadable] of the Regt went in boats to Long Island.  The company was under the command of a Major Barton of Richmonds Regt - after landing on the Island deponent went with a detachment of men in the night time under Major Barton and took from the British two sloops loaded with wood at Sartocket Harbor and took a few prisoners & returned to
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to Rhode Island again where they were discharged.   There was also a Col Lippett commanding at R. Island & Deponents father Benjamin Read was a Militia Capt & served in the Rev. Deponents Gr [grand] Father was also a Major in the Militia served in the war [unreadable].  About the middle of December 1776 when the British came to R. Island deponent entered at Taunton as a substitute for Edward Cudworth for 3 months, were stationed at Taunton to guard the store at that place under Col John Hathaway,  Isaac Hathaway adjutant.  Does not recollect his Capt name.  When the 3 months were out deponent took the place of another soldier for one month longer - soldiers name does not recollect -  in Capt Wilcox company, same Regt &  was discharged or dismissed in the middle of April 1777, discharged at Taunton & returned home to Freetown, this was in the [unreadable].  In the same month of April 1777. deponent enlisted at How Caulls Ferry in Taunton R. I. into a company of Artillery commanded by Joshua Lawyer in Col. Robert Elliotts Regt of R.I. Artillery - Deponent understood them to be state troops, called 15 months men – 4 months of which had already elapsed.   Deponent enlisted for the remainder of their term & served in said Company until he with the company were discharged in Providence about the middle of March 1778.   They were stationed at Fog [unreadable] Ferry at the head of [unreadable] - the enemy even my in sight on the opposite side of the River a great portion of the time-- A British ship called the King Fisher lay off in the river but out of the reach of our guns. Deponent had his foot broken two places in this service & has
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deponent remained accordingly in said Comp being partially a cripple [unreadable] 
On the 16th day of June 1778 Deponent Volunteer at Freetown aforesaid with others on requisition of Militia for the respecting companies of the Militia Regt to fill a deficiency in the Continental troops for 9 months.  Was marched to Taunton Massachusetts, were mustered under General Benjamin  Williams and were then put under the command of Major Carver & then were   marched to Fishkill near West Point N York, then put under the command of a Lieutenant whose name deponent does not recollect & after leaving [unreadable] at fort Constitution Deponent with said company was marched to White Plains in West Chester Co N Yor & was there put into a company of which Zebedee Reading was Capt in Col Bradford’s Regt of Continental troops & soon after deponent had the charge of the Col’s Baggage waggon during the remainder of the term.  During this period the Regt marched to the City of Hartford Connecticut, staid there some time &  then returned in the fall to West Point for winter quarters & when the nine months were out Deponent enlisted without having the [unreadable] at all for six months longer  in consequence of a previous engagement continued his charge of said Baggage Waggon for said Capt, was discharged in New Windsor New York by his Waggon Master who was called by the troops the Wagon Master Genl in Sept 1779 which discharge is lost. Deponent was in the fall of 1779 & in the Spring of 1780 in the privateer service.
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the middle of Sept 1780,  Deponent enlisted on a requisition of Militia to fill up deficiencies in the Continental troops, as aforesaid at Freetown aforesaid was marched Muster at Springfield Mass, then taken by a Continental  Lieutenant across Kings Ferry at Tolaway N. Jersey, & then joined the Continental Army then under Capt Brook in Col. Brooks Regt in Genl Pattersons Brigade & served a part of the time at Jersey, went to Westpoint, lay there a while,  then were called out at Croton River near 20 miles below West point until the middle of  March 1781 & was then discharged.  Deponent during the last period of time was in a battle at Morrisania with the Collaborator Tory Delancie [Delancey] – to [unreadable] head of cattle & some prisoners.  After his last discharge aforesaid deponent entered & into the privateer service,  was taken prisoner & carried to Freeland, broke prison then escaped to [unreadable] then was taken on board of an Amercian Brigg,   Capt Johnson commander & retuned to his native place where he has mostly resided until recently.  Deponent was in no regular battles except as above stated except while in the privateering service, has not now in his possession or power any documentary evidence of his service nor does he know of any person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his services except what is attached to this declaration.  He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity
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except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of my State.
In the all the above service the deponent acted as a private,  had one or two or more written discharges but they are all lost. He served in all the above periods in an organized corps commanded by competent authority was all the time in Garrison in the field or marching under order of the officer & performed in the above periods no civil business. Recollects the names of a Major Tubles.  Capt Cooper, Capt Soper,  John Fuller Capt of his [unreadable] as he recollects [unreadable] before.
The deponent saith that by reason of old age & the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his services but according to the best of his recollection he served in the periods above specified as a private in the militia & State troops not less than two years and under the command of Continental officers as a private not less than one year & nine months, for which service he claims a pension.  Does not recollect the names of officer with whom he served except those above mentioned.  
Bailey Read
Sworn  and subscribed the day last above mentioned before me William Beckman first judge &c We Ebenezer Howland a warrant of Sharon & County of Schoharie & State of New York aforesaid and Nathaniel Little Merchant of the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with – 
Pension papers of Bailey Read of the town of Root Co of Montgomery & State of New York for a pension under the Law of June 7 1832
P Randall Agent
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Bailey Read who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration for a pension, that we believe him to be seventy four years; that he is reputed believed in the neighborhood where he now resides & where he last resided in Root Montgomery County & State of New York to have been a soldier of the Revolution. That we concur in that opinion.   
Ebenezer Howland
N. Little
Sworn & subscribed the day year last mentioned before me William Beckman first Judge of the County of Schoharie 
And the said Judge doth hereby certify & declare his opinion after the investigation of the matter other putting the interrogatory presented by the war department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier served as he states. and the said Judge further certifies that it appears that no Clergyman resides in the County of the Residence of the said Read who has had the means of knowing anything of his services by reputation, and that it appears to me that the said Ebenezer Howland & Nathaniel Little who have signed the preceding certificate are credible persons residing in the town of Sharon, County of Schoharie aforesaid that their statement is entitled to credit. And that the said applicant is from bodily infirmity unable to attend Court. And in answer to the Interrogatories presented by the War Department the Applicant says he was born at Freetown in the State of Massachusetts in
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the year 1759,  there resided at the Commencement of the Revolutionary war.  Has no record of his age, within his knowledge & resided at Freetown aforesaid when he was called into service,  has resided there & in Middleborough & in Grafton New Hampshire & for the last twelve years  in the State of New York since the Revolution & now resides in the town of Sharon Schoharie County & State of New York. was called into service by volunteering, by enlistment. as a substitute for one Edward Cudworth & another whose name he does not recollect - all the time as a private - States the names of the officers with whom he served the same as those named in the body of his declaration.  Rec’d two or more written discharges, which are lost – is not certain by whom signed, except one signed by Belly Porter Col Commd & all which is duly certified by me the said Judge the day year first above written. 
William Beckman first Judge of Schoharie County
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State of New York
Schoharie County ss }
Phinehas Randall of Canal [unreadable] & County of Montgomery & State aforesaid, a person  well known to me to be a person of credibility being duly sworn doth depose & say that he drew up the body of the annexed declaration last September for the said Read, that the said applicant told deponent he knew of no living witness as to his services unless he could go to Rhode Island, which he was not able to do, & deponent supposed that the great length of his serving would increase the presumption in the minds of the department that there would be some living witnesses as to his services & therefore determined not to forward to papers until an effort was made to search for more evidence. The deponent saith that at June or July an old Gentleman by the name of William Wilkinson from Providence R. I. a Revolutionary soldier whose affidavit is hereto annexed on a visit to his friends in [unreadable] in Montgomery called at the deponents office & on finding said Wilkinson was from the Region of the said Reads’s Service, Deponent Read to him the declaration of the said Read – All the accounts related in which seemed to be familiar to the said Wilkinson and the deponent thereupon your said Wilkinson a copy of said declaration.  In substance precisely the same as the annexed when the said Wilkinson promised to examine some papers in his possession & also kindly offered to search for some direct evidence of his services which has been fortunately resulted in the transmission to this deponent
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by the said Wilkinson, of the annexed affidavits of the said Wilkinson,  of Henry Alexander & of Mary Clarke and the deponent saith that the above are the reasons why the papers of the said Read have not been some forwarded & further the deponent saith not.  
P Randall
Sworn & Subscribed the 15th day of August 1833 before me William Beckman first Judge of the County of Schoharie
State of New York, County of Schoharie ss I John Gebhard Jr. Clerk of the said county do certify that William Beckman before whom the annexed affidavits purport to have been sworn was at the time of the  same First Judge of the court of common pleas in and for the said County: and that I am acquainted with his hand writing and verily believe his name subscribed to the said affidavits and to the certificates of opinion and credibility of witnesses, to be his proper hand writing and signature. Witness my hand and seal of office this 16th day of August 1833.    
John Gebhard Jr. Clerk of Schoharie County
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Henry Alexander of Providence R.I. on Oath Testifies that he served in the War of the Revolution as Ensign in Capt Riggs Company and Col. Richmond's Regt of Rhode Island State Troops which was raised to serve for one year from November 1775 and was stationed at Newport.  Deponent perfectly recollects Bailey Read as a Soldier in said Company but cannot remember how long he served as Men were enlisted at various times to serve to the end of the Term.   Towards the close of said Term Deponent went with a part of said Richmond's Reg. to Long Island and was present with a detachment under Major Barton at the capture of Two Wood Sloops and some Prisoners but does not particularly recollect Read being there but Deponent recollects that Read went to Long Island.  Deponent has no knowledge of said Read since the War.   
Henry Alexander 
Sworn to this 30th day of July A.D. 1833 by the above named Henry Alexander a credible witness before me 
John Pitman 
District Judge US for Rhode Island District 
Mary Clark wife of Richard Clark of Providence R.I. On Oath testifies that she was born at Freetown in the State of Massachusetts. Her maiden name was Mary Grinnett & resided until the Revolutionary War very near to Bailey Read who now resides as she is informed in the State of New York. Deponent perfectly recollects that said Read in company with her Brother enlisted into the Continental Army went to the West and returned together having as she fully believes served out their Term of Service. Deponent does not recollect the year but remembers to have heard her Brother and Read frequently converse together about this service. Deponent knew Read after the War and until he removed to the State of New York. Deponent remembers perfectly that Read and her brother enlisted for Nine Months.  
Mary Clark 
Sworn to this 31st day of July A.D. 1833 by the above named Mary Clark a credible witness before me 
John Pitman District Judge U.S. for Rhode Island District
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William Wilkinson of Providence R.I. on Oath Testifies that he served in the War of the Revolution in the Rhode Island Brigade of State Troops from July 1777 to March 1780. The Brigade consisted of Two Regiment of Infantry commanded by Col Crary & Topham and one of Artillery by Col. Elliott. The Brigade was first raised to serve for fifteen months from Dec 16, 1776 to March 16. 1778 and then for his successive years to March 16. 1779 and 1780. Deponent has in his possession a list of the names of those who served in said Brigade which by an act of the General Assembly of Rhode Island in October 1785 was made from the Pay Rolls is order to ascertain the amount of the Depreciation of their wages but no time of service is specified thereon.  The copy in his possession was made in 1792 and he fully believes from his own personal knowledge and from other sources that it is substantially Correct. The name of Bailey Read as a Soldier in Elliotts Regiment is on said list with the sum of £16. 7. 9  Lawful Money attached thereto which sum will be found to agree to the depreciation of his wages for the Term said Bailey Read States in his Declaration,  that he served in Elliotts Regiment.   Deponent has no personal knowledge of said Read.   
William Wilkinson 
Sworn to this 30th day of July A.D. 1833 by the above named William Wilkinson a credible witness before me 
John Pitman District Judge U.S. for Rhode Island District
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Revolution 23865
INVALID
File No.  23865 
Bailey Read  
Pri Rev War 
Act: June 7” 32” 
Index: -- Vol. 2 Page 336 
[Arrangement of 1870.]
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28252
Brief of Bailey Read 
pension applicant 
2 years Private 
$80 
P Randall agent 
Ames, [unreadable] Monterey County  N. York
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Brief in the case of Bailey Read 
The applicants statement as to his service in Capt Briggs Company in Col Dickersons Regt is sustained with afft  [affidavit] of Henry Alexander.  
Stated services – 7 months.
His artillery service by the afft W Wilkerson  -  11 Months 
His Mass State services - 2 months at Boston in 1776 & 4 months in 76 & 77 as a substitute for Edward Cudworth & another in Col Hathaways Regt & State service rests on his own statement alone. This added to the above  makes upwards of 2  years.   He has not the success of procuring any evidence for the other periods above named But sustains as he is in the main portion of his services in the State Troops.  His hoped he has entitled himself to such credit with the department to the allowed for the 2 years or more of the above named periods is for Continental services.  
In the afft [affidavit] of  Mary Clarke states the Continental service which we do not pretend is proved according to the rules of the department. His petition of his [unreadable] service is so circumstantial & definite it is hoped his service for some of those periods at least will be proved at Washington & that his case will be allowed with no difficulty.  
All which is most respectfully submitted. 
P Randall agent-