Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 22,029, John Vaughan, R.I.
Page 84

Deposition of
S.G.Sherman
Page 85

I Sylvester G. Sherman of North Kingston in the
County of Washington, or solemn oath do testify & say
that I was present at the taking of the Depositiion of
James & Thomas Parker & [illegible] Young who gave depositions
as pertained [?] the application of John Vaughan for a pension.
I attended to the taking of the case as Agent for Mr Vaughan,
I explained to them the meaning of the term [illegible] 
& they well understood the meaning of the same. And I
said to them that the meaning of [illegible] was [illegible]
from home is emmbodied or is under the command of officials
in the Dist, in the town or in the [illegible]. and that according
to the solemn [illegible] understanding no [illegible] they [illegible]
in their depositions to have been [illegible] by the said John
James , nor at service within the meaning of the law
Sylvester G. Sherman
Washington fs-In North Kingston
July 10th 1839

Personally appeared before me the [illegible] or Justice of
the Peace of said town of North Kingston- Sylvester
G. Sherman the [illegible] to the annexed & aforementioned
depositions-And I further certify that the said
Sylvester G. Sherman is well known to me & his
[illegible[ for truth and veracity is good.
Richard Thomas Jus Peace
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Washington fs-State of Rhode Island 
Town Clerks Offfice for the town of North Kingston
I [illegible] I am Clerk to
the town of North Kingston in said
County of Washington, do hereby
certify that Richard Thomas,
before whom is annexed the written seal to the [illegible]
is a Justice of the Peace for the town of North
Kingston in said County of Washington, legally whose
commission & qualified-that the signature hereto annexed
is his proper signature in his own handwriting- And that
full [illegible] & credit ought to be given to all his official
Acts-In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my
seal of said North Kingston, tis 10th day of 
[illegible] in the year 1839
Jon. Reynolds T. Clk
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3 Oct 30
Digg.
Oct. 30. 1839
Pension Office
Mr DeWitt [lined out]
Mr. Vaughan

upside down text-
Hon. Joel R. Poinsett
Sec of War
Washington City
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The deposition of John Vaughan late of Scituate in the
State of Rhode Island,now residing in the town of 
Norwich, State of Connecticut of the age of eighty six
years being duly cautioned, and on oath doth depose
and say that he served a a soldier in the war of
the Revolution, as will appear from his declaration
now in the Pension Office at Washington with the testi
mony accompanying the same- that in the year 1837
as he believes he employed Mr. Sherman of North Kingston
to assist him in obtaining a pension from the United
States for said revolutionary services-that said de
ponent has understood and verily believed that he
has been allowed a pension by the War Department
of thrity dollara a year- and that the same has been
drawn by some persons without his knowledge
or consent-the deponent would further state that
he has never recieved or seen a certificate, that
he was entitled to recieve a pension, nor has he
ever recieved any money for or on account of his
pension, nor has he ever signed any  power or au
thority to any person to recieve the same for him
nor does he know that he is a pensioner except
as he is so informed, and from such information
he verily believes that he is a pensioner and that
some person (who he knows not) has and does draw
the monies belonging to him without his knowledge
or consent-and that he is a poor man and has been
assisted by said town of Scituate and that the
town Councill [sic] of said Scituate as he is informed
about the time that his pension was allowed
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appointed a Mr Prescott to be his guardian
so as to forward his recieving [receiving] his pension
and that he has never directly or indirectly 
recieved [sic] any part of said pension ro any bene
fit therefrom   If one has been allowed him
and he would further state and request
that if he is a pensioner he may be allowed
hereafter to recieve his money at Hartford
Connecticut and a certificate for him for
warded to John DeWill Norwich Connecticut
and that said DeWitt may be advised what can
be done for him in regard to the allowance
hertofore made for him. dated Norwich
October 24, 1836
       his
John X Vaughan
      mark

State of Connecticut
New London County, fs Norwich Oct 24 1839
There personally appeared John Vaughan
the above deponent & whose mark is above
made, and made solemn oath to the truth
of the above deposition before me
John DeWill Justice of the Peace
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Norwich October 24 1839
Hon Joel R. Poinsett
Sir Annexed is the deposition of
John Vaughan personally known to me as the
John Vaughan of Rhode Island who has been an
applicant for a pension.  I have known him for many
years and as a man to be relied on for truth &
veracity. He went from here some years since to
R. Island to try to get further proof of his services
as soldier in the Rev. I have not seen him since
untill yesterday. he has come here on foot in order to
have something done for him. and at his request
I have taken his depostion as annexed and of the truth
of it I do not doubt. and from which it appears
he has [lined out] and also the public have been defrauded
in a high handed manner & that he has never ever
benefitted one cent by all that has been [illegible] for
his pension money. will you please to direct
that his furure payments be made at Hartford
Con and forward me a certificate. and also
let me know what can be done as to the sums
which have been paid and of which he has been deprived?
then if he could receive them with the thirty dollars a
a year would probably make him comfortable as long as
he may live he is now suffering for clothes & has not
a dollar in money. who the persons are who have
taken the management I know not but from his
account I think no time should be lost in in
vestigating.  Very Respectfully Your Ob Serv
John DeWill
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John Vaughan of Norwich County of
New London of lawful age deposith and 
saith. That sometime in the year 1832 he
employed Joseph Williams to make out his pa
pers in order to obtain a pension, and that
Mr. Willams did make out, and as he under
stood & verily believes transmitted the same
to Washington, that it was some months after
that he understood that his papers were retur
ned, and more proof of service required. that
as soon after as he could he went into the
State of Rhode Island and to the place where
he was born and lived before, during the time
of his service and afterward, in order if possi
ble to obtain futher testimony. and he so far
succeeded as to find one person Samuel Eldred
who could and did testify to his service in part
as soon as he obtained as he obtained [lined out] this testimony 
he gave the same over to Mr. Williams and sup
posed that his application was again forwarded
and was for months in daily expectation of
being authorized to draw a partial compen
sation for the services rendered to his country
during the Revolutionary War. and he was
very much surprised to learn as he did in
the month of December last that his papers
had not been forwarded the second time.
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but that Mr. Williams had put the deposition
of Eldred together with the otherr papers into his
desk and has entirely forgotten them, untill
he was called upon for them.  Mr Williams having
undertaken a new business was so entirely oc
cupied that he could not now attend to [illegible]
his papers anew, that he then applied to John
DeWitt to do the same for him, which he
did. That in regard to the contents of
the first papers he can state as far as he
can recollect that his declaration contain
ed the time of his going into ther service
the place where he was born and the answers
to the several interrogations in substance
the same as in the papers now at the pension
office.  the officers that he served under
so far as could be recollected and also
as much of the history of his services as
as was by him recollected. that he has
affixed to his papers the deposition of
John Hills in regard to his services in part,
which deposition is now attached to his 
papers as also the deposition obtained af
terward of Samuel Eldred. that in his first
declaration he referred to James at [illegible]
and Nathaniel Gilbert of this city as being
acquainted with him. and that in his
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first application he did not have the
certificate of any clergyman that he
does not recollect of any further facts
in relation to the contents of his first papers
that he was never aware of any impor-
tance or value being attached to them
and consequently took no care to preserve
them. that he never saw them from the
time they were first made out in 1832 
untill he saw them in court in December
1833.  when his first application was made
and who took them or whether anyone at that
time he does not know.  but he has not been able
to hear or find any vestige of them and/or
veriify,  believes they are lost and destroyed
Norwich February 4. 1834
Witness                    his
John DeWitt      John  X  Vaughan
                                mark

State of Connecticut, New London County fs
Personally appeared before me the above
named John Vaughan and make oath to the
truth of the above affidavit by him submit
ted.  Norwich Feb 4 1834
Geo. Hill Justice of Peace
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State of Connecticut
New London County fs
I John DeWitt clerk of the
County court in and for said New
London County do hereby certify that
George Hill  esq before whom this within
deposition of John Vaughan was taken
is a justice of the peace in and for said
New London County, and that his signa-
ture thereto affixed is in his own proper
handwriting.  In testimony to hereof
I have hereunto set my hand and af-
afixed the seal of said County this 4th
day of February AD 1834
John DeWitt Clerk