Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 39872, John Usher, R.I.
Page 1

(3-1776)

SERVICE
RI
Usher, John

NUMBER 
S. 39872

CONTENTS
Page 2

[Left Page]

(2,728)
Rhode Island Roll
--------------------------------
John Usher
Capt Tew [?]
Private 
Rhode Island Line
In the army of the United States during the Revolutionary War.
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Inscribed on the Roll of Rhode Island - 
at the rate of eight Dollars per month, to commence on the 1st of April 1818
---------------------------------
Certificate of Pension issued the 21st of September 1818 and Sent to David Howell, Esq. ["David Howell" crossed out] Judge
Providence R.I.
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Arrears to 4th of Sept. 1818 - 5th Mar 4/3 --- 41__6
Semi-anl. all'ce ending [? date] March 1818 --- 48__
=====
$89__6

{Revolutionary claim, Act 18th March, 1818}

1777 3 Years
sent to Benj Cowell

Smithfield
Continued

[Right Page]

Notification sent -  
Nov 13 1820 to
Benjamin Cowell
Providence, R.I.
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John Usher [crossed out]
David Howell, Esq;
Judge
Providence, Rhode Isl. [Island]
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John Usher,
Rhode - Island line,
Revolutionary  Claim.
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found on the rolls of 
Colo. Angel's regimt. [regiment]

The judge is desired to certify, under the Seal of the court, that he is satisfied that applicant is in indigent circumstances, and needs the support of his country
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["Corect" is handwritten vertically on the middle of the page]
Page 4

I John Usher of Smithfield in the District of Rhode Island on solemn oath do declare and Say that I inlisted as a private soldier in Capt William Tew's company in the regiment Commanded by Col Israel Angell in the Continental army of the United States in Rhode Island line, on the 4th of March AD 1777 for the term of three years, in which service I continued for the term aforesaid and was then regularly discharged. I further declare that my discharge is now lost. I further declare, that I am now in reduced circumstances & stand in need of the assistance of my country for support according to the late act of Congress.

John Usher. [Signature]

Rhode Island District [illegible]
in Providence

Be it remembered that on this first day of April AD 1818 came before me the above named John Usher and made oath to the truth of the above declaration by him furnished.  In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand & caused the the Seal of the District Court for said District to be hereto affixed.

David Howell [Signature]
District Judge.

The signature of the Judge and therefore of the Court are hereto affixed.

April 1 1818 
Witness.  Benjamin Cowell
CLK of the Court
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Smithfield 1st Apl. [April] 1818

This may Certify all whome [whom] it may Concern that the Bearer hereof John Usher Enlisted into the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment the 4th Day of March 1777 for the term of three years, which time he Served as a faithfull Soldier to the Satisfaction of his officers and was Honourably [Honorably] Discharged on the 4th March 1780.

Israel Angell [? Lieut?]
Commanding Said Reg.
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[Left Page]
John Usher
2728
21 Sep '18

Mar '19

Con [handwritten]


[Right Page]
[The document appears to be a bleed-through from the reverse side of the page.]
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
RHODE-ISLAND DISTRICT.
Providence, sc District Court, Special Term  June Sixth A. D. 1820

On this Sixth day of June 1820, personally appeared in open Court, being a Court of Record, within and for said District. John Usher aged 69 years, residing in the town of Gloucester in said District County who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath declare, that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows:
That he served in Col Angell's regiment of Rhode Island Line three years, that he made a previous declaration on the First day of June 1818, and that he has received a certificate for a pension, being No. 2728. And I do solemnly swear, that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the eighteenth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen; and that I have not since that time, by gift, sale, or in any manner whatever, disposed of my property, or any part thereof, with intent thereby so to diminish it, as to bring myself within the provisions of an Act of Congress, entitled "An act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States, in the revolutionary war." passed on eighteenth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen: that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me, any property or securities contracts or debts, due to me; nor have I any income other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed, and by me subscribed.
[signed] John Usher

A SCHEDULE of Property and Income (necessary clothing and bedding excepted) of John Usher
¾ of 3 acres of land in Gloucester, 1 old cow, 1 old chest of drawers, 1 old Table, 1 old pot, 1 Tea kettle, 1 [?Spider], 6 old chairs, some knives and forks and spoons, 4 pewter plates, 1 old wooden wheel, 1 old teapot, 1 axe, 1 warming pan, 6 bottles, 1 old barrell, 2 pails, 6 cups and saucers, 1 Looking Glass---

And this declarant saith, that he is a taylor, but is so blind that he cannot thread a needle and is out of all employment, that he has a wife and 2 children dependent on him for support, that he is deeply involved in debt, that he owes more than two hundred Dollars a greater part of which is for Doctor's Bills, Medicine and attendance, having had so much sickness in his family that if his pension is taken away, he must depend on charity.  
[signed] John Usher

WB  his wife is aged 63 his two daughters 14 and 10 years of age.

Rhode Island District
District Court
Sworn to and declared in open Court on the Sixth day of June 1820 before 
[signed] David Howell, District Judge

RHODE-ISLAND DISTRICT.
Clerk's Office of the District Court, A.D. 1820

I, Benjamin Cowell Clerk of said Court, do hereby certify, that the foregoing oath, and the schedule thereto annexed, are truly copied from the record of the said Court; and I do further certify, that it is the opinion of the said Court, that the amount in value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid schedule, is one hundred twenty eight dollars and [blank] cents. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of the said Court, on this Twentieth day of July, 1820.

[signed] Benjamin Cowell Clerk of said Court.
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REVOLUTIONARY WAR RECORDS SECTION. 3-525
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 
BUREAU OF PENSION.
Washington, D. C., Sept 3, 1920

In reply to your request of  blank], received [blank] for a statement of the military history of John Usher a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his [lined thru] (or his widow's) [/lined thru] application for pension on file in this Bureau.  S.39872

[the following was displayed in table format on the original document]

DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. Mar. 4, 1777
LENGTH OF SERVICE 3 yrs.
RANK. Pvt.
OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED
CAPTAIN. Wm. [William] Tew.
COLONEL. Israel Angell
STATE. R. I.

Battles engaged in, None stated
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Not Stated
Date of application for pension, Apl. 1, 1818 His cl. al [claim allowed]
Residence at date of application, Smithfield Dist. of R. I.
Age at date of application, 67 yrs [years]
Remarks: In 1820 his wife was 63 and his two daughters 14 and 10 years of age -No names stated. No further family data.
The Above noted is the only John Usher of R.I. found on the Rev War R. I. found on the Rev War  R's [Records] of this Bu [Bureau] -

Respectfully,
[Not Signed]
Commissioner.

6-285C [document #]
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[Left Page]

39872
INVALID.
Revy
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File No. 39872
John Usher
Pri Rev War
--------------------------------

Act: 18 March 18
Index: - Vol. 8,  Page 520

[Arrangement of 1870] 
[brackets above are on document]


[Right Page]
1920, Sept 3 Hist to J.M.C. Usher, Esq
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Form No. 2-5M-5-20-H

[Framed Letter Head}

THE PRICE SAND COMPANY
INCORPORATED
SHIPPERS OF ARKANSAS RIVER SAND

HOME OFFICE: TULSA OKLA.
PLANTS AT PRICE, OKLA

ORDERS FILLED PROMPTLY

[Company Logo]

FOR BUILDING, PLASTER AND CONCRETE
CAPACITY THIRTY CARS PER DAY

TERMS: 2%. 10 Days,   30 Days Net

------------------------------------
--------------------------------------

TULSA, OKLA.,
August 2nd., 1920.

return envelope [handwritten in pencil]

[lined thru] Miss Anne E. Wilson, [/lined thru]
c/o Bureau of Pensions, 
Washington, D.C.

Referred to Com of Pensions for a reply Aug. 6, 1920 [hand written]

My dear Miss. Wilson:

I have read with pleasure an article in the July 1920 issue of the Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine by Ella Loraine Dorsey, and notice that you are connected with the Pension Bureau of the Government.

Mrs. Usher is a daughter of the American Revolution, and I have been importuned by a member of the Sons of Tulsa to endeavor to prove my eligibility to membership in the Tulsa Chapter of the Sons.

With this in view I am writing to ask if you will   be so kind as to look through your files on both the Usher and Watrous names, and advise me if you can of the Revolutionary service of one John Usher Jr of 'Providence, [underline] John Usher Jr of Providence [/underline] [X above] Rhode Island, or one John Frederick [underline] Watrous of Hartford [/underline], Conn. My grand father was born on Jul 1st, [underline] 1800 [/underlined], his name being John Usher, [underline] Jr. also [/underlined] [X above] and John Frederick Watrous, my great grand father on my grand mother Usher's side, was a Colonel in Connecticut State Militia, and was no doubt a young man during the Revolution, as my grand mother Mary Julia (Watrous) Usher was born the third child in 1809.

It might be that if my G.G.Grand father was living he would not be too old for service, and if you can throw any light on the matter to show what his name and service was ( he being the father of Col. John Frederick Watrous of Conn.), I could prove my eligibility to membership without further trouble.

Any suggestion as to where I can secure more data, or any thing you can do for me in looking up these two lines and giving me all the data you can as to Rev. service of persons of these two names will be highly appreciated.  I am sure I am eligible but of course must prove it.

And merely the given and sur names of one or the other line with date of birth, death, place of birth and death and other data which you know to ve [sic - be] vital might lead me to
Page 11

Form No. 2-5M-5-20-H

[Framed Letter Head}

THE PRICE SAND COMPANY
INCORPORATED
SHIPPERS OF ARKANSAS RIVER SAND

HOME OFFICE: TULSA OKLA.
PLANTS AT PRICE, OKLA

ORDERS FILLED PROMPTLY

[Company Logo]

FOR BUILDING, PLASTER AND CONCRETE
CAPACITY THIRTY CARS PER DAY

TERMS: 2%. 10 Days,   30 Days Net

------------------------------------
--------------------------------------

TULSA, OKLA [Centered]

my goal. I have my father, grand father, grand mother, great grand father and mother placed, but have nothing to show what service Col John Frederick Watrous may have rendered.

I don't seem to be getting anywhere as yet except that I have located a straight line back to my great grand father, and it looks to me that thereshould [sic - there should] be no difficulty in locating the Revolutionary service of a Colonel and he must have been old enough to render service in the Revolution, if not, his father, my G.G.G.father should be easily located, and he surely was old enough for service.

If you can do anything for me, I would certainly appreciate it, and will say that were I in the East I could trace this matter down easily.

Yours very truly,
J.M.C. Usher [signature]

P. O. Box No.1325.
Page 12

Glocester  August 7th 1818
We the the[there were 2] undersigned do hereby certify that we are personally acquainted with Mr. John [illegible]isher of Glocester and know him to be a man far- advanced in years and of a feeble constitution and consider him to be [illegible] of but [ illegible] little property quite insufficient to support himself and [illegible]family in his declining years--
[illegible] Cooke
[illegible]  ilder
[illegible] Armstrong
Job Armstrong
John [illegible] Woods
[illegible]
[illgegible][ illegible]mball
Joseph Wilmarth