Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 42682, Solomon Durkee, Conn Continental
Page 1

Service                                      
Conn      Durkee, Solomon      
Continental
Number S42682
Page 2

Solomon Durkee,
of Ashtabula Co in the state of Ohio,
who was a private in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Durkee of the Connecticut line, for the term of 1 year from 1775.
Inscribed on the roll of Ohio at the rate of 8 Dollars per month, to commence on the 21st of April 1818.
Certificate of Pension issued the 8th of Dec 1822 and sent to Hon. J. Sloan H. R. 
Arrears to 4th of Sept 1822           $419..73 
Semi-anl. all'ce ending March 1823 48..00 
52 mos: 14 30                                    467..73 
{Revolutionary claim, Act 18th March, 1818.} of May 1826
Page 3

State of Ohio
Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas of the Term of April AD Eighteen hundred twenty two
On this second day of April AD 1822 personally appeared in open court being a court of record for said county Solomon Durkee aged fifty nine years resident in Monroe Township in said county who being first duly sworn according to law, doth, on his oath, declare that he enlisted and served in the Revolutionary War as follows that he enlisted some time in the month of December seventeen hundred & seventy five as a waiter in Captain Thomas Dyer's Company of the Regiment commanded by Colonel John Durkee, on the continental establishment. Joined the army at Cambridge in January 1770 went with the army to New York, retreated through [the] Jersey into Pennsylvania and was honorably discharged in that state opposite to Trenton in the month of December seventeen hundred seventy six the day previous to the capture of the Hessians at that place.
And I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the 15th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gift sale or in any manner, disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the permissions 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 the 18th day of March AD 1818 and that I have not, nor had any pension in trust for me any property or securities contracts or debts due to me nor have I any income whatever.
And the said Solomon on his oath aforesaid hath said that his occupation has been that of a Farmer but by reason of a lameness in his knee joint and the infirmity of age he is unable to pursue said occupation. That he has eight children six of whom are of age and laboring of for themselves viz. Betsey Sylvia Solomon David Philuria Lucy William W. aged 19 years and Alanson A. aged 16 years are able to support themselves; that he lives with his son Solomon Durkee, and further that he is unable to support himself without the assistance of his Country. Sworn to and subscribed in open Court this day of April AD 1822 Solomon Durkee T R Hawley Clerk
Page 4

State of Ohio Ashtabula County
I Timothy R. Hawley clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of said county, do hereby certify that the within oath is truly copied from the record of said courts, In testimony,
whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said court on this second day of April AD 1822T. R. Hawley Clerk C. P.
Page 5

NOTE: This document has two layers of writing. The more recent is as follows]

                                                          No one
                                     Solomon Durkee
                                                 21 April -
                                   Not in Roll
                                                  DH

    Honbl. J. Calhoun
          Secretary of War  at the
          City of Washington

[The original, in part reads as follows]

The evidence of
.... are credible in
respect to the
service & discharge 
of applicant
as
is required -
The Judge must 
certify that the
claimant is  in
indigent circum-
stances -
Page 6

Statement of Solomon Durkee, formerly of the State of Connecticut, and now residing in the County of Crawford, State of Pennsylvania, who applies for a pension from the United States in pursuance of an act of Congress entitled "an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land & naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War" passed the 18th day of March 1818.
Said Solomon Durkee saith that he enlisted for the term of one year in December 1775, in Captain Thomas Dyer's company, in Colonel John Durkee's regiment in the Connecticut line on the Continental establishment, and served in the said company and regiment for the full term of his enlistment, and was honorably discharged in the month of December 1776 near Trenton the day previous to the Capture of the Hessians at that place, and has long since lost his discharge. The said Solomon Durkee further saith that he afterwards was frequently called out in the militia of the State of Connecticut, and the whole time he served in the Continental and State Service during the war of the revolution amounted to about four years. The said Solomon Durkee hereby relinquishes all claim to any pension that may heretofore have been allowed to him by the laws of the United States, & further saith, that from his reduced circumstances he needs the assistance of his country for support. Solomon Durkee
Page 7

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Crawford County ss.
on the twenty first day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, personally appeared before me Jesse Moore, President of the Sixth Judicial district of Pennsylvania, Solomon Durkee, whose name is subscribed to the statement on the opposite page of this paper, and having been duly sworn as the law directs, did declare and say, that the said statement was just and true
Sworn and subscribed the day and year above written before me.  Solomon Durkee
Jesse Moore

Crawford County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ss
To the Secretary of the Department of War

I the subscriber, President of the several Courts of Common Pleas in the Sixth Judicial district consisting of the Counties of Butler, Mercer, Crawford, Venango and Erie within the said Commonwealth, do hereby certify, that from the deposition of Solomon Durkee, which I believe is entitled to full credit, it appears to my satisfaction, that he the said Solomon served in the revolutionary war, as he has stated in the foregoing deposition, against the common enemy. In testimony whereof this twenty first day of April 1818 at Meadville in the said county of Crawford; I have hereto subscribed my name and affixed my seal
Jesse Moore
Page 8

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Crawford County ss.
I William MacArthur prothonotary in and for the County of Crawford in the said Commonwealth do by these presents certify that the Honourable Jesse Moore before me in the foregoing deposition was made and whose name is subscribed to the Certificate on the preceding page  this paper as President of the sixth Judicial district of the said Commonwealth consisting of the counties of Butler, Mercer, Kenango, Crawford and Erie. That now duly commissioned and sworn and that he is now acting under authority of the foresaid Commonwealth to whose official acts as such faith and Credit is due and of right ought to be given as well in Courts of Justice of the United States of America as elsewhere.

In testimony of which I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the county seal of Meadville the twenty fifth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.
William MacArthur
Page 9

BA-J/MCS
Solomon Durkee
S.42682

Edward Alson Poore
College Highway
Westfield, Massachusetts

Dear Sir:
The data which follow were taken from papers on file in the pension claim, S.42682, based on the Revolutionary War service of Solomon Durkee.
Solomon Durkee was the son of Benjamin Durkee but the date and place of his birth and the name of his mother are not shown.
While a resident of Hampton, Windham County, Connecticut, Solomon Durkee enlisted in December, 1775, and served one year as waiter in Captain Thomas Dyer's company in Colonel John Durkee's (no relationship shown) Connecticut regiment; his father, Benjamin Durkee, was ensign in said company. Solomon Durkee afterwards served in the Connecticut militia, details of this service not given, but he stated that his entire service during the Revolution amounted to about four years.
Solomon Durkee was allowed pension on his application executed April 21, 1818, at which time he was living in Crawford County, Pennsylvania.
In September, 1818, it was stated that Solomon Durkee was then living in Ohio but had recently lived in Tunbridge, Vermont.
In April, 1822, Solomon Durkee was living in Monroe Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio, with his son, Solomon, and he was then fifty-nine years of age and stated that he had eight children, that Betsey, Sylvia, Solomon, David, Philurian and Lucy were of age, and that William W. was nineteen years of age and Alanson A. was sixteen years of age. He did not give the name of his wife.
It was stated that Colonel John Durkee, late of Norwich, Connecticut, was dead in 1821.
Page 10

There are no further data on file in this claim relative to the family of Solomon Durkee. 
If you desire to obtain the date of last payment of pension of Solomon Durkee, the name and address of the person to whom it was paid and possibly the date of soldier's death, it is suggested that you address the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, Washington, D.C., giving the following data: 
Solomon Durkee, Certificate 18830, issued December 6, 1822, rate $8 per month, commenced April 21, 1818, Act of March 18, 1818, and May 1, 1820, Ohio (Pittsburgh) Agency. 
Very truly yours 
A. D. HILLER Executive Assistant to the Administrator
Page 11

1939, Aug 30. [illegible] to Mr Edward Alson Poore, See letter in Rev. clm Benj. Durkee S39473 
42682 INVALID
[illegible]
File No. 42682  
Solomon Durkee
[illegible] Rev War --- Act: 18 March 18
index:- Vol. 3 Page 143 
[Arrangement of 1870.]
Page 12

This may certify that we the under Signers having been for many years personally acquainted with Solomon Durkee late of this Town & now of the State of Ohio he is poor indigent and under needy circumstances & is not able to support himself & Family without assistance --- Tunbridge Vermont Sept 8th 1818- Samuel Austin Just Peace 
Abijah Putnam  
J. C. Hall 
[illegible]
Ammie Dodge of Tunbridge 
Elias Curhaps of Tunbridge 
James Hutchinson of Tunbridge 
James Huges 
George Weymouth 
Ben Hall
Page 13

I, Elijah Cheney of Hampton County at Putnam in the state of Connecticut of lawful age do testify and say that I came here in the year [illegible] never heard it [illegible] [illegible] Solomon Durkee ( then of said Hampton and now residing in the state of Ohio) Enlisted into the Continental service of America and continued in said service for the term of eighteen months [illegible] services [illegible] [illegible] remembers in the capacity of [illegible] to a commissioned officer in the regiment commanded by Colonel John Durkee (late of Norwich in said state (deceased) said regiment being then stationed upon the Hudson in the state of New York and the deponent further says that he the deponent belonged to the same regiment during the time of serving and further the deponent saith not
[illegible] and [illegible] this 19th day of October 1821.
Elijah Cheney
Page 14

Windham county ss. Hampton, October 19, 1821. Personally appeared the aforesaid declarant and after [illegible]  was  cautioned and examined saith he the truth of the facts in the above deposition by him subscribed tooken [sic] at the request of [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] for the aforesaid Solomon Durkee to be used for the purposes under the law of the [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] November [illegible] 1818
Before me
Chauncey Cleveland Justice of the peace.
Page 15

David C. Bolles Clerk of the County Court of Common Pleas, within and for the County of Windham in the State of Connecticut do certify that Chauncey F. Cleaveland Esquire before whom the foregoing affidavit hath been made, is duly enrolled as a Justice of the Peace within &  for said Windham County, that the signature of his name to the certificate annexed thereinto, and in his hand writing and full faith & credit ought to be given this acts as such in testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name, and affixed the Publick seal of sd Court at Brooklyn in sd County, this 20th day of October AD 1821 David C. Bolles
Page 16



To the Honorable County Court or Court of Common Pleas for the County of Ashtabula  in the State of Ohio.
The within is a deposition to be used and improved before said Court for the purpose of obtaining a pension for  said Solomon Durkee as a County under the Law of the United States of the 18th of March1818 and [illegible] up [illegible] [illegible]
Chauncey F. Cleveland Justice of Peace
Page 17

Meadville Crawford County Pa 10 Apr. 1822 
I believe some time since the war a letter in this office from the war office addressed to Solomon Durkee at that  time Mr. Durkee had moved to the Ohio State & Made application to some of his friends where I should forward it to the answer I think was to Salem or New Salem and I did by the next mail forward it to New Salem Ohio 
Daniel Andrews P. Master
Page 18

James L. Edwards Esq Pension office
Page 19

House of Rep 4th Dec 1822
Sir
I enclose a letter of Col. King on the subject of a pension. Will you be so good as to inform me the status of the claim
I am Sir respectfully your obt. ser.
J. L. Edwards Esq 
Nehemiah King's letter returned to W. Sloan 6 Dec 1822 will certificate of pension for John Durkee
Page 20

Crawford County Ss.
Before me Sheldon Sherwood Esquire one of the Justices of the Peace in and for said County, Personally came James N. G. Hunt, and being duly sworn as the Law directs says that on or about the Eighteenth day of April in the year One thousand eight Hundred and eighteen, Solomon Durkee did to his certain knowledge make Application before the Honorable Jesse Moore Esquire for to obtain a pension from the government of the United States, and that documents for that purpose were made out and put in the Post office at Meadville Crawford County Pennsylvania. and that some time after the Letter inclosing the documents were returned to Meadville Post office, and was stated to him that it was returned for further proof &c, he was also asked by the Post Master what he should do with it, who directed him to send it to Salem in the State of Ohio, and that the said Solomon Durkee has now (as he believes) received the said Letter and Supposed It to be lost. 
Sworn and Subscribed before me and further saith not this 10th day of April 1822 Sheldon Sherwood 
James N Y Hunt 
I Certify that James N. Y. Hunt is a resident of this place and a Man of Respectability and undoubted veracity 
Salisbury Township April the 10th 1822 Sheldon Sherwood 
Perm. [?]
Crawford County, ss.
I Daniel LeFevre Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Crawford County, being a Court of Record established as such by the act of assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania do hereby certify that Sheldon Sherwood Esquire before whom the above affidavit was taken, and whose name in his proper hand writing is thereto subscribed as also to the certificate thereto above and is one of the Justices of the Peace in and for the said County of Crawford that he is duly commissioned and sworn, and now acting as such and that full faith and credit are due and of right ought to be given to all his official acts as such, as well in the Court of Justice of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as elsewhere In Testimony whereof I have hereto subscribed my name and affixed the Seal of the said Court at Meadville in the County of Crawford aforesaid this tenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty two 
D. LeFevre Prothonotary
Page 21

Col. Tilden's Deposition

[writing on side illegible]
Page 22

I Daniel Tilden late of Lebanon in Windham and State of Connecticut; now late of Warren in the State of New York now a resident in the Town of Hiram in the County of Portage in the State of Ohio Certify and say. That in the war of the Revolution in the Campaign 1776 I served one year in the 20th Regiment commanded Captain John Durkee that is to say. I served as first Lieutenant in a Company commanded Captain Thomas Dyer and Ajutant [adjutant] of Regiment untill about 15th of September in 3 years when I was appointed to a captain and commanded P.  Company untill the 3rd of January 1777- when [illegible] was discharged and I was [illegible].  Solomon Durkee Son of Benjamin Durkee who served as Ensign in said Company and said  Solomon Served part of said year as waiter to his Father this circumstance is the reason of [illegible] him and Solomon and of his faithfull service the whole of said Company service.  
Daniel Tilden 
Parkman Granger County State of Ohio July 10th 1822 
personally appeared before me John W Scott one of the [illegible]  judges of the court common pleas for the county of Granger then duly sworn deposeth and saith that the [illegible] are true accounting to the best of his knowledge and belief
John W. Scott
Page 23

The State of Ohio Geauga County  
Eleaser Paine Deputy Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in & for said County do hereby certify that John W. Scott Esquire before whom appeared the within affidavit was made, is an associate Judge in and for the County of Geauga aforesaid, duly commissioned and sworn and that I am well acquainted with the hand writing of the said J W Scott, and do verily believe that the within certificate & signature thereto is his proper hand writing In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court at Chardon the 10th day of July 1822  Eleaser Paine Dep. Clerk
Page 24

No. Eight Lyman Bucks Deposition- Clerks fees $0.50
Page 25

I Lyman Buck of Royalton in the County of Windsor and State of Vermont depose and say that I was well acquainted with Solomon Durkee formerly of Canada (now called Hampton) in the State of Connecticut and have since known him in Tunbridge in the State of Vermont and have in short been acquainted with him from his childhood almost to the present time and well know of his enlisting into the United States Service in the Revolutionary war with Great Britain and was knowing to his serving or being in United State service more than twelve months. And further state that he the said Solomon Durkee sustained a fair character 
Lyman Buck
State of Vermont Orange County ss.
Be it remembered that at Tunbridge in said Orange County on this 6th day of October AD 1821 Personally appeared Lyman Buck the person who subscribed the a deposition and made Solemn oath that the same is strictly true 
Before Samuel Austin Justice Peace 
N.B I hereby certify that the above named Lyman Buck is a person to me well known and that he is a man of integrity and veracity
Attest Samuel Austin Justice Peace
Page 26

State of Vermont 
Orange County Clerks Office October Seventh AD 1821- H E G  McLaughlin Clerk of Orange County Court do hereby certify that Samuel Austin of Tunbridge before whom the foregoing affidavit was taken is a Justice of the peace within and for the County of Orange aforesaid acting under the authority of this State and that his name subscribed to the aforegoing Certificate is in his own hand writing Attest H. E. G McLaughten Clerk of O. C. Court.
Page 27

Honbl. J. C. Calhoun
Secretary of the War Dept.
Washington City
Page 28

Connaught C. July 12th 1822 
Sir,
At the request of Mr Durkee I forward the enclosed papers to you. The deposition of Col. Tilden is in addition to other evidence before forwarded. This I have good reason to believe is the last in the power of the applicant to provide. It will be seen by the papers that he has been at considerable trouble and expense in providing the evidence so far as it goes and altho' the writings are not executed with that technical nicety of form that would be wished, yet it is preferred that his services for the requisite time etc. are substantially proved. Tilden's Statement, who was an Officer under whom the applicant served puts the question beyond a reasonable doubt. Tilden's high reputation for a man of integrity and veracity is a sufficient guarantee of the truth of his declaration. I am well acquainted with the circumstances of the applicant and know that such is his poverty and that of his family that it is not probable that he can make any further effect than what he has done be deemed insufficient. He has the use of but one leg, and must be supported by public or private charity immediately without he is placed on the pension list. Perhaps some of the papers, in consequence of Mr. Durkee's coming in possesion of his first application, are of help; but it was Judged but to present the whole He is anxious for an early decision of his case and hopes soon to be notified of the result The Witnesses, I am fully satisfied, are wholly disinterested in the transaction or its result. I am, with consideration of respect, yours, etc.  Hon. J. C. Calhoun Neh. King
Page 29

State of Ohio Ashtabula County
On this second day of April AD 1822 before me the subscriber one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for said county personally appeared Solomon Durkee aged fifty nine years resident in Monroe Township in said county, who being by me first duly sworn according to  law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provision made by the late 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": That he the said Solomon Durkee enlisted in Windham in the State of Connecticut in the company commanded by Captain Thomas Dyer of the Regiment Commanded by Colonel John Durkee as a waiter in the month of December seventeen hundred seventy five; That he continued to serve in said corps or in the service of the United States untill [sic] the month of December Seventeen hundred Seventy six when he was discharged in the State of Pennsylvania opposite Trenton in Jersey the day before the Hessians were taken at that place and that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of the assistance of his country for support and that he has no other evidence now in his power of his said service.
Solomon Durkee
Sworn to and declared the day and year appeared before me. Neh King
I Nehemiah King Judge etc. as aforesaid do certify that it appears to any date of action that the said Solomon Durkee did serve in the Revolutionary War as stated in the preceding declaration against the common enemy for the term of more than nine months on the Continental establishment: and I now transmit the proceedings and testimony had before me to the secretary of the department of War, pursuant to the direction of the aforementioned act of Congress.
April 2d, 1822
Nehemiah King
Page 30

The State of Ohio Ashtabula County
I Timothy R. Hawley Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas within and for the county aforesaid do hereby certify that Nehemiah King Esquire whose name is annexed to the within certificate is and of the associate judges of the Court of Common Pleas aforesaid duly commissioned and qualified and that due faith and credit is and ought to be given to his official act,
In testimony whereof I have herewith set my hand and affixed my official seal at Jefferson this second day of April A.D. 1822
T. R. Hawley Clerk C. P.
Page 31

College Highway
Westfield, Massachusetts
July 20, 1939

Mr. A. D. Hiller
Veterans Administration
Washington, D. C.

My dear Mr. Hiller:

Thank you for your letter of June 27, and the information enclosed. I appreciate your courtesy in sending this material.
I would appreciate information which you must have regarding Captain Benjamin Durkee, born in Windham, Connecticut, in 1754, who died in Tunbridge, Vermont, in 1827. He served during and after the Revolutionary War, part of the time under Colonel John Durkee, so family legend has it. I believe in 1782 or 1783 he commanded a privateer out of Groton, Connecticut. He was later in command of Fort Trumbull, Connecticut.
Would you please send me the complete record of his services as recorded in your department? I believe that his widow (possibly his second wife - this I do not know), who died in 1830, had a pension, and that two sons, Solomon and Asahel (whose records of service I would also appreciate), served under their father and also received pensions.
You can see that this material is largely family tradition. I wish to get the accurate facts.
Very truly yours,
Edward Alson Moore

Received Jul 29 1939 Mail SUB-DIV Reader No. 22 VETS ADM
Page 32

August 30, 1939

BA-J/MCS
Benjamin Durkee, S. 39473
Solomon Durkee, S. 42682

Mr. Edward Alson Poore
College Highway
Westfield, Massachusetts

Dear Sir:

Reference is made to your request for the records of Revolutionary War soldiers, Benjamin, Solomon and Asahel Durkee.

Because of the large number of requests for records of Revolutionary War soldiers and the lack of clerical force available for furnishing such information, it has been impossible to comply in full with requests similar to yours. The records of Benjamin and Solomon Durkee are furnished herewith.

Very truly yours

A. D. Hiller
Executive Assistant to the Administrator