Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 9837, for Richard Smith, New Jersey
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(3-1776)
SERVICE
New Jersey
Smith, Richard
NUMBER
R. 9837
CONTENTS
b Aug 7 1765 in Hanover Twp. Morris Co. N. J. &
lived in said place to 1832.
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9837.
P. O. ____
Richard Smith
Service: ____
{Stamped: REJECTED]
Enlisted: ____, 18  .
Application filed: ____, 18  .
[Alleges: crossed out]
[Re-enlisted: crossed out]
The printed list of 1852 gives cause of rejection as "Served in the French Army."
Attorney: no correspondence found
P. O. ____
____Recognized.  ____Contract.
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Richard Smith
no 4660
New Jersey
Rejected [illegible]
cannot find this letter.
Served in the French army.
Hon L. Condict
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BRIEF in the case of Richard Smith of Hanover County of Morris in the State of New Jersey
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge: Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he: 67
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
Period. 
July or Augt In 1781
Duration of Service. Years, ___ Months, 6 Days. ___
Continental
Rank. As a Artificer
Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.  Gen.
Capts. Reynolds & Cocker
Col Wadsworth
5. In what battles was he engaged?
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Morris County N. Jersey
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Living & Traditionary
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? correct
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Jas Wilson Examining Clerk.
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Richard Smith No 4.662
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DECLARATION, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE BENEFIT OF THE ACT OF CONGRESS, PASSED JUNE 7, 1832.
Morris Com. Pleas, August special term 1832.
STATE OF NEW-JERSEY,
County of Morris} ss.
On this tenth day of August, 1832 personally appeared, in open court, before the Judges of the Inferior court of Common Pleas now sitting, Richard Smith, a resident of Hanover in the County of Morris and State of New-Jersey, aged sixty seven 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, and served as herein stated:
He entered the Army of the United by enlistment as an Artificer, for the period of six months, in the month of July, or early in August 1781, at Parsippany, Morris County, New Jersey. He was enlisted by Captain Reynolds & bound to perform military duty as an Artificer under Captain Cocker, who was himself a mechanic & an Artificer. He was attached as he believes, together with the Corps to which he belonged, to the Quarter-Master-Generals Department under Col. Wadsworth, who with a [illegible] Carter, were acting as Quarter Master Genl. & Agent or Deputy, for the French Army commanded as he believes by General Count Rochambeau. He was by trade a carpenter when enlisted & performed artificers duty under Capt. Cocker during the whole of his engagement.  Immediately after enlistment he joined his corps & moved with the French Army from Compton in New Jersey, by Morristown, Baskinridge, Trenton & Philadelphia, to Annapolis, where part of the troops embarked, & went down the Chesapeake by water, whilst the baggage wagons with some of the troops proceeded by land, this Maryland & Virginia to Yorktown. Deponent went by land with the wagons, & continued to serve with the army till after the capture of Cornwallis by the allied French & American forces, & was verbally discharged, some time in the winter, after his term of enlistment expired, at Williamsburg in Virginia, & returned home. He was born in Hanover township, Morris County New Jersey, on the 7th August 1765, as copied from a record kept by his father in the family bible. When enlisted, he lived in Hanover, where he has lived ever since, & still lives. Never recd. a written discharge nor a commission. Besides the officers already named, he remembers General Washington as Commander in Chief of the allied army. General Lafayette, Col. Alexr. Hamilton & come other of the American forces. General Wayne also. He is well known to Henry Vail & Capt. David Baker, who have known him for 30 years or more, & to them he refers
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for his character as a man of truth, as well as for the general belief of his having been respected & believed to be a soldier in the army of the revolution.
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State New Jersey
Morris County] ss
Personally appeared before me Ebenr F. Smith one of the Justices of the peace in and for sd county Col. Hiram Smith who being sworn according to law on his oath saith that Richd Smith a brother of his of Hanover in sd county in April 1781 went to Wm. Cockers of Hanover in sd county to learn the carpenters trade that the 1st of Augt. following or thereabout Richard Smith as a foresaid informed him that he and the sd Cocker had enlisted for six months as artificers in the army and left this region of country and did not return untill the winter following and when he returned said that he has been in the American Service at the taking of Cornwallis at Yorktown in the State of Virginia and from what the sd Richd Smith told and others that had been with him when they returned believe that he had been in the service as aforesaid six months
Hiram Smith
Sworn & Subscribed before me 7th day of Augt. 1832 
Ebenr F. Smith
New Jersey 
Morris County] ss
Personally appeared before me Ebenr F. Smith one of the Justices of the peace in and for sd county Thomas Cobb of Hanover in the County of Morris who being sworn according to Law saith on his oath that he is personally acquainted with Richd. Smith of Hanover in sd county and has been since infancy and further saith in the year one thousand seven hundred eighty one Richd. Smith as aforesaid joined the army under Genl Washingtons command in the county of Morris as aforesaid in the capacity of an artificer and frequently saw him in sd service on the line of march of the army from sd county to Yorktown in the State of Virginia and further saith that he left the sd Smith in the service at Williamsburgh in the state of Virginia after the surrender of Cornwallis army.
This deponent further saith not.
Thomas Cobb
Sworn & subscribed before
[page cut off]
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New Jersey
Morris County} ss
Personally appeared before me Ebenr F. Smith one of the Justices of the peace in and for sd county Thomas Cobb of Hanover in the County of Morris who being sworn according to Law saith on his oath that he is personally acquainted with Richd. Smith of Hanover in sd county and has been since infancy and further saith in the year one thousand seven hundred & eighty one Richd. Smith as aforesaid joined the army under Gen Washingtons command in the county of Morris as aforesaid in the capacity of an artificer and frequently saw him in sd service on the line of march of the army from sd County to Yorktown in the State of Virginia and further saith that he left the sd Smith in the service at Williamsburgh in the state of Virginia after the surrender of Cornwallis army.
This deponent further saith not.
Thomas Cobb
Sworn & subscribed before me the 2nd day of Augt 1832
Ebenr F. Smith 
Morris County 
State of New Jersey ss
David Day Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Morris aforesaid hereby certify that Ebenezer F. Smith {illegible} before whom the foregoing deposition were taken was at the time of taking the same a Justice of the Peace of said County duly Commissioned and sworn and that the signatures Ebenr F. Smith are his genuine signatures.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of the said Court this eight day of August A. D. Eighteen hundred and thirty two.
David Day Clk
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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 the Agency of any State, {line crossed out -is only on that of the Agency of the State of New Jersey.}
Sworn to, and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
Richard Smith
We, Stephen Vail Henry Vail & David Baker,
residing in the County of Morris hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Richard Smith who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be sixty seven 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.
Sworn and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
David Baker Henry Vail Stephen Vail 
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states.  And the court further certifies, that it appears to them, that David Baker who has signed the preceding certificate, is a resident in the Township of Morris in the County aforesaid, and that Henry Vail who has also signed the same is a resident in the Township of Hanover in the County aforesaid and are credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Stephen Vail
I David Day Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Richard Smith for a pension. 
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this Eight day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two.
David Day Clk
(Seal)
I certify that Richard Smith the above Declarant is a min highly respected as a man of truth & that implicit confidence may be placed in his Declaration. 
Lewis Condict one of the Representatives from N. Jersey.
Morristown, August 14th 1832.
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DECLARATION, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE BENEFIT OF THE ACT OF CONGRESS, PASSED JUNE 7, 1832.
Morris Com Pleas August special term 1832.
STATE OF NEW-JERSEY,
County of Morris} ss.
On this tenth day of August 1832 personally appeared, in open court, before the Judges of the Inferior the court of Common Pleas now sitting, Richard Smith, a resident of Hanover in the County of Morris and State of New-Jersey, aged sixty seven 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, and served as herein stated:
He entered the Army of the United by enlistment as an Artificer, for the period of six months, in the month of July, or early in August, 1781, at Parsippany, Morris County, New Jersey.  He was enlisted by Captain Reynolds & bound to perform military duty as an Artificer under Captain Cocker, who was himself a mechanic & an Artificer.  He was attached as he believes together with the Corps to which he belonged, to the Quarter-Master-Generals Department under Col. Wadsworth, who with a {illegible} Carter, were acting as Quarter Master Genl. & Agent or Deputy, for the French Army commanded as he believes by General Count Rochambeau.  He was by trade a carpenter when enlisted & performed artificers duty under Capt. Cocker during the whole of his engagement.  Immediately after enlistment, he joined his corps & moved with the French Army from Compton in New Jersey, by Morristown, Barkinridge, Trenton & Philadelphia to Annapolis, where part of the troops embarked & went down the Chesapeake by water, whilst the baggage waggons with some of the troops proceeded by land this Maryland & Virginia to Yorktown. Deponent went by land with the wagons, & continued to serve with the army till after the capture of Cornwallis by the allied French & American forces, & was verbally discharged, some time in the winter, after his term of enlistment expired, at Williamsburg in Virginia, & returned home.  He was born in Hanover Township, Morris County New Jersey, on the 7th August 1765, as copied from a record kept by his father in the family bible.  When enlisted, he lived in Hanover, where he has lived ever since, & still lives.  Never recd. a written discharge nor a commission.  Besides the officers already named, he remembers General Washington as Commander in Chief of the allied army, General Lafayette, Col. Alexr. Hamilton & some other of the American forces. General Wayne also. He is well known to Hanry Vail & Capt. David Baker, who have known him for 30 years or more, & to them he refers
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for his character as a man of truth, as well as for the general belief of his having been reputed & believed to be a soldier in the army of the Revolution.
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THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES 
Form VAM-51
12-5-41
BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*
Division of Veterans' Administration Archives
NAME Smith, Richard GRADE Corporal
LINE New York
WARRANT NUMBER 7751 ACREAGE 100
ISSUED July 29, 1790 to ___ not shown ___
* The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates.  Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800. 
Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.