Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 12577, William Couch, Mass.
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Mass
Couch, William  S 12577 
carded
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14072
[on side] 14381
New York 
William Couch
of  Chantague in the State of New York 
who was a Private in the Company commanded Captain Denning of the Regt. commanded by Col Ashley in the in the Mass line for 6 mo 7 ds.

Inscribed on the Roll of New York the rate of 20 Dollars 77 Cents per annum commence on the 4th day of March, 1831. 

Certificate of Pension issued the 9 day of May 1833 and Sent to Hiram Couch Westfield Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 $41.54 Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Sep 1 ---10.38
=$57.92 . 

{Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.} Recorded by W. L. Williams Clerk 
Book E Vol. 4 Page 49
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14381 
Wm Couch
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State of New York Chautauque County SS

On this 7th day of October 1832, personally appeared before me Thomas B. Campbell a Judge of the Court of Common pleas of said County, William Couch a resident of the Town of Westfield in said County of Chautauqua, aged seventy three years who first being duly sworn according to Law, do on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832

That he volunteered in the latter part of the summer of 1777 as a Militia man in the Town of Sandingfields, Berkshire County & State of Massachusetts, and marched as far as Stockbridge in said County, and was there discharged. He thinks he was seven or eight days in the service at this time but does not recollect the names of the officers who commanded. he again volunteered at the same place as above mentioned in the fall of the same year under Captain Elijah Deming of the Militia and Col John Ashley of Sheffield in said County of Berkshire, and joined the main army under General Gates at Stillwater, and remained in the Army untill the surrender of Burgoine which was as he thinks the 16th or 17th of Oct of the same year, and according to the best of his recollection he thinks his term of service in this campaign ally about two months that he was discharged at the Surrender of Burgoine and returned to his home. 

That he again volunteered as he believes the next year 1778 for the term of three months under Captain Warner of the Militia of New Marlborough and marched to Albany, was attached to Col John Browns regiment and served the aforesaid three months or more in reverting the British and Indians who are plundering the inhabitants and burning their buildings on the Mohawk river-- 

That he again volunteered and served one month or more under Captain Colter of New Marlborough, joined the army at Newhaven, the object of the Expedition was to resist the landing of the traitor
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Arnold with the British army on the shores of Connecticut. That he resided in the said County of Berkshire in Massachusetts untill the year 1816 he then moved in to the Town of Westfield County of Chautauqua State of New York where he has resided ever since and now resides [crossed out: in said town of Westfield].

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 any agency or any state in the United States-- 

Sworn to and Subscribed this 7th day of October 1832 before me 
W. B. Campbell William C Rapson 

Mr. Kasson Freeman and Eber Stone residing in the Town of Westfield hereby certify that we are and acquainted with William Couch who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, then believe him to be seventy three 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 
Masson Freeman 
Eber Stone

Sworn & Subscribed to the day and year aforesaid, before me T. B. Campbell 

And I T. B. Campbell Judge as aforesaid do hereby declare that in my opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by this war department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states
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and I further certify that it appears to me that Kasson Freeman and Eber Stone, who have signed the preceeding certificate are both residents of Westfield and the preceeding certificate are creditable persons and that their statements are entitled to credit.

and I further certify that the above named applicant is at this time unable from bodily infirmity to attend Court 

T. B.Campbell 

State of New York Chautauqua County - 

I James B. Lowry Clerk of the said County Do hereby Certify that Thos B Campbell Esquire before whom the foregoing affidavits purports to have been sworn was at the date of the the same one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in & for said County, and further that I am acquainted with the handwriting of the said Judge & Verily believe the signature of T. B. Campbell subscribed to the said affidavits are his handwriting & Signatures 

Witness my hand & seal office this 10 day of Oct0ber A.D. 1832, 

James B. Lowry Clk
By Feb Young
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14381 

William Couch, 
Chautauqua County, N. York

admitted 6 mo. 7 days Private 

Hiram Couch Westfield N.Y.
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BRIEF in the case of William Couch
of Chautauqua Co. in the State of N York 
(Act 7th June, 1832.) 

1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Open Court 

2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity? 

3. How old is he 73 years 

4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
[table column headings] Period. | Duration of Service Years, Months, Days | Rank. | Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served. 
[row 1] In 1777 | - 2 7 | Private | Capt Denning Col Ashley
[row 2] 1778 | - 3 - | " | Capt Conner Col Brown
[row 3]  1778 | - 1 - | " | Capt Collier

5. In what battles was he engaged? none 

6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Berkshire Mass'tts
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Testimony

8 Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Papers attached as req'd 

I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Richard Cutts
Examining Clerk.
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RECORD DIVISION. 
2 3525. 
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 
BUREAU OF PENSIONS. 
Washington, D. C. 19 

Sec 12, 577

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

[row 1] Summer 1777 | 7 mo 3 days | [blank] no officers stated | |  Mass
[row 2] Fall of 1777 1778. | 2 mos | [blank] |  Elijah Denning | John Ashley
[row 3] 1778 | 3 mos. | Warner | John Brown
[row 4] " | 1 mo. | [blank] | Collar 

Battles engaged in, [blank]
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Vol of Sandisfield Berkshire Co 
Date of application for pension,Oct. 7, 1832 et al 
Residence at date of application, Westfield Chautauqua Co N. Y. , 
Age at date of application,73 yrs.

Remarks: No data as to family 

Very respectfully, Commissioner.
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3-076
This Bureau can furnish the military record of only such Revolutionary soldier as were pensioned or whose widows were pensioned for their services. Such of the original muster and pay rolls of the Revolutionary war and the war of 1812 as are now in the possession of the Government are on file in the Record and Pension Office, War Department . Original rolls and other records pertaining to service in the Revolutionary war may also be found on the to the atives of many of the original States. 
O. W. & N. DIV. REVOLUTIONARY WAR,

Department of the Interior, BUREAU OF PENSIONS, Washington, D.C.___
189__

In reply to your communication of a recent date, you are informed that the courtesy of furnishing information relative to Revolutionary war soldiers, on account of whose service pensions were granted, is extended by this Bureau only to their descendants, and to them only when it is desired for historical or genealogical purposes. In view of the large number of such inquiries now being made, and of the length of time required to make a proper search of the records in each case, information will not be given to any applicant concerning more than two soldiers. In order that the claim of the soldier concerning whom you desire information may be identified, it is requested that you furnish as much as possible of the data called for below. 
Very respectfully, [blank] Commissioner. 

Full name of soldier, William Couch, 
Place of residence before service, Wethersfield Conn. 
Place of residence after service, received pension at Westfield NY
Approximate date of death, Died in 1845, aged 86 
Given name of widow, [blank]
Did either  the soldier or his widow receive a pension? Soldier was a pensioner Additional information, Soldier enlisted three times-- was 17 years of age at first enlistment 

Signature, Miss Belle White 

Post-office address, signature Miss Belle including street and number, town, county, and State, 52 E. Main St., Fredonia, N. 
c/o Mass To Miss Barnett Westen
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12577
Wm Couch 
Oct 7 - 1832 
Westfield N.Y, - 7

Service 77 Sandisfield, Mass
Capt ---
Col --- 7 or 8 days
------
4 79
Capt Elijah Denning
Col Jn. Ackley 2 mon 
------
78. Capt Warner 
Col Jn. Brown 3 mo
------
- Capt Callen 
Col --  1 mo
------
No Bat
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Room 504 McEachlin Bldg., 
Washington, D. C. 
November 1, 1912. 

Commissioner of Pensions, Department of the Interior. 

Sir: Replying to your communication of October 31st in regard to Revolutionary War record of William Couch, you are advised that the record which I desire is for William Couch, Sur. File No. 12 ,577, born in 1759, served in the Massachusetts troops from Sandisfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, was pensioned in 1833, at $20.77, while residing at Westfield, Chautauqua County, New York. 

Respectfully, C.C. Hungerford 
[postmark] US PENSION OFFICE NOV 1 1912
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[left page]
Dec 7 1900
Miss Belle White 
Fredonia, N.Y.

1912 Nov 7 Mass Lot to Col Hungerford. U L 

[right page]
Rev War
12577
INVALID. 
File No. 12 ,577 
William Couch 
Priv. Rev War
Act: June 7th 1832 

Index: Vol. A Page 78

[Arrangement of 1870.}