Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30114, for Samuel Small, Massachusetts
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(3 - 1776)

SERVICE
Mass

Small, Samuel

NUMBER 
S.30114

CONTENTS
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Samuel Small
9 
W2.713

Small, Samuel
Mass. 530144
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STATE OF MAINE.
COUNTY OF LINCOLN SS.

AT a Court of Common Pleas holden at Bath
in said County on the 11 day of August
A. D. eighteen hundred and thirty-two, personally appeared in open Court, before JOHN RUGGLES, Esq. one of the Judges thereof,

Samuel Small a resident of Phipsburgh [Phippsburg] in the County of Lincoln
and State of Maine, aged seventy five years, who being first duly sworn according to
law, doth on his oath make the following delaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States in the Militia, about the first day of July in the year 1775, as a volunteer under Capt. Larrabee of Brunswick & Lieut. Isaac Snow of Harpswell in the
County of Cumberland -- the militia of the town of Brunswick & Harpswell at that time, were under the command of Brig
Sam'l Thompson of Topsham -- that he served that year four
months at Fort Higgins & at Falmouth. This applicant says that in the latter part of October of that year & the week after; Falmouth (now Portland) was burnt by
Commodore Mowat, he proceeded to that place under the immediate command of Lieut. Snow, that he went from
fort Higgins by water, to Falmouth about a fortnight, & finding that Mowat was not likely to return to burn the remainder of the town, he was ordered back to
fort Higgins & served in guarding the Seacoast
against the British & Tories the remainder of the year. That in the month of march 1776 he
again enlisted in the militia service & proceeded immediately to Falmouth & on arriving there was mustered + enrolled in the company commanded by [balance of statement is crossed out] Capt William Lithgow of Georgetown at [illegible]. 
he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on any pension roll of any agency in any State, [balance of statement is crossed out] or (if any) only on that of the agency in the State of
Samuel Small
Sworn to and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid. Before
John Ruggles } Judge of the Court of Com. Pleas for the State of Maine.
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Joseph Sewall a Magistrate resident in Bath near Phipsburg and Asa Palmer residence in said Bath
hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Samuel Small who has the Subscribed & sworn to the above declaration, that we believe
him to be seventy four years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he reside to have been a
Soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opened & that there is no clergyman residing near said Samuel Small
Joseph Sewall
Asa Palmer
Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid
John Ruggles J.C.C.P.
And it appears to said court that there is no
Clergyman residing in the vicinity of said applicant
J. Ruggles J.C.C.P.

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatives prescribed by the War Department) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he state. And the court further certified that the applicant who has signed the foregoing certificate to them that Joseph Sewall resident at Bath and that Asa Palmer [illegible] who signed the same is resident in Bath and are credible persons & that there statement is entitled to credit. 
J Ruggles Jus. C. C. P. 

I, Clerk of the Court of Record and Court of Common Pleas for Lincoln County, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of for a pension.
Attest Nath'l Coffin, Clerk

IN TESTIONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Court, on this day of A. D. one thousand eight hundred and thirty

{ Clerk of the Courts of Record and Court of Common Pleas in Lincoln County.

[note: The date section above is crossed out and replaced with the following handwritten statement by the court.]

Lincoln ss. Court of Common Pleas
December Term 1832
the Court further certify that Mark Small
who has subscribed and sworn to the annexed
affidavit in behalf of Samuel Smart the
applicant is a credible person and his
statement is entitled to credit & belief --
J. Ruggles J.C.C.P.
Attest Nath'l Coffin Clerk
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Maine 18.219
Samuel Small
Phipsburgh in the State of Maine
who was a private in the Company commanded by Captain Coombs of the Regt. commanded by ___ in the Mass [illegible] line for 21 mo.

Inscribed on the Roll of Maine at the rate of 70 Dollars 00 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 31 day of July 1839 and sent to N. Groton - Bath

Arrears to the 4th of March 1931 $140.00
Semi-anl. allowance ending Sept. - 35.00
$175.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832 }
Recorded by W. L. Williams Clerk,
Book E Vol. 1 Page 55
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I Mark Small of Harpswell in the State of Maine aged sixty nine years testify & say that I am well acquainted with Samuel Small of Phipsburg,  [Phippsburg] he is my brother and is seventy five years of age. He the said Samuel Small enlisted in the [militia - insert word is crossed out] service of the United States in 1775 under Capt. Larrabee of Brunswick in the militia & served four month at Fort Higgins & at Falmouth He went to Casco in said service under Lieut Snow just after Portland [illegible] [illegible] & shortly after returned to Fort Higgins & served in guarding the coast the remainder of the year. That in 1776 said Samuel Small again enlisted in the militia service & marched to Falmouth & served in the company commanded by Wm Lithgow of Georgetown, that he served there in said company nine months, that in 1780 in March I think said Samuel Small enlisted in a company commanded by Capt Peter Coombs at Harpswell & marched in said company to Penobscot & remained in service there eight months as near as I can remember.
[signature] Mark Small
Subscribed and Sworn to the day and year aforesaid in open Court
[signature] J. Ruggles J. C. C. P. [John Ruggles]
Attest [signature] Nathl [Nathaniel] Coffin Clerk
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company of Militia even at Falmouth - one [illegible] was Colonel and Ilsley Lieut. Coln. & served in that company nine months - The [illegible] past of the service of that year and performed by this applicant in Casco Bay among the Islands and was discharged at the end of the year in December 1776
This applicant on oath further says that in the year 1777 he was privatiring [privateering] in 1778 he was not in the service. in the year 1779 he was again engaged in privatiring [privateering]- that in the year 1780 about the first day of March he again enlisted at Harpswell in the county of Cumberland under Capt. Peter Coombs of Brunswick and marched immediately to Camden at a place called Clam Cove on the west side of Penobscot Bay. On this march to that place this applicant says he went by land in Company with six other soldiers from Harpswell by the names of Ephrm Small, John Fraze Asa Miller & one Cornish he does not recollect the name of the others - They were two days & one half on the march thro the County of Lincoln, then almost in wilderness, and on arriving at Clam Cove was mustered under Capt Peter Coombs then was a brigade at Camden & Thomaston at that time consisting of about 365 men under the command of Brigadier General Peter Wadsworth and Major [Ulmer] commanded the detachment to which this applicant belonged. The applicant was engaged in this latter service eight months & on returning by water towards Harpswell with Capt. Coombs was taken by a privatire on the coast commanded by one John Long
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he never had any written discharge from the service, at any time, & that his whole time of service was 21 months. This applicant further on oath says, that he was born in the town of Harpswell on the 14th day of October 1757 that the annexed paper marked A. contains a true record of his age - that he lived in Harpswell at the time he entered the service & all the time he was in the same, that he had lived in Harpswell since the revolutionary war, till January 1796 when he removed to that part of Georgetown in the County of Lincoln now called Phipsburgh [Phippsburg] in which he has since & now resides. He says he is known to the Hon Mark S Hill Parker McCobb esquire of Phipsburgh & Joseph Sewall esquire Asa Palmer & [Jonathan Hyde - crossed out] of Bath - he is also known to [possibly Aban Esay - crossed out] [of Phipsburgh who was a soldier with him at Camden  - all crossed out] and Mark Small of Harpswell who both can testify to the service he rendered as a soldier, and that the persons whose affidavits are annexed are the only being witnesses who have personal [hearings] of his services that can [now] before [illegible]
[signature] Samuel Small
Subscribed & Sworn to the day and year aforesaid
[signature] J. Ruggles J.C.C.P.
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REVOLUTIONARY WAR RECORDS SECTION.
3-525
REV S 30114
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS.
Washington, D.C., Feb 4, 1921
In reply to your request of ............ received............for a statement of the military history of Sam'l Small a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his (or his widow's) application for pension on file in this Bureau.
[tabular form]
DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT.
July 1, 1775
Mar. 1776
1777 and 1779
Mar 1, 1780
LENGTH OF SERVICE.
4 mos.
9 mos.
------
8 mos.
RANK.
Pvt.
------
------
------
OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED.
CAPTAIN.
Larabee
Wm Lithgow
on Privateers; names not stated
Peter Coombs
COLONEL
[check mark]
Mitchell
------
------
STATE.
Mass.
He was taken prisoner by a Privateer and parolled.
Battles engaged in, None stated
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Harpswell, Cumberland Co. Me.
Date of application for pension, Aug 11 1832 cl al
Residence at date of application, Phippsburg, Lincoln Co. Me
Age at date of application, b. Oct. 14, 1757 in Harpswell Me
Remarks: No fam data
Respectfully,
Commissioner.6-2856
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Admitted 1 mos $70 -
N. Groton Esq Bath Me.
N Coffin Esq Wiscasset Maine
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BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Samuel Small which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides?
II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides?
III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so?
IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served?
V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled?
VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations?
VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832?
VIII. Has the Court given their opinion?
IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate?
X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal?
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[page] 2
XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service?
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it?
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that each proof cannot be had?
XIV. If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service? 
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses?
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct?
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service?
XVI. [mark] Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? [written] no - see Quere 1b
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered?
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
* QUERRE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. H. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For --- year --- months, and --- days, I served as a --- For --- months and ---days, I served as a ---; and for such service I claim a pension.
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[page] 3
It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shown under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embellished corps called into service by competent authority;  that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
[symbol] QUERE XIV. Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
[symbol] QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
[backhand index finger pointing right] In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.
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July 20 day year 1832 we the subscribers Se Samuel Smalls pf phelsberg [Phippsburg] the Rakord [record] of his age on the twound [town] book of Harpswell the said Samuel Small was born 1757 october 14 day we the subscribers do attest to 
[signature] Mark Small [signature] David Wilson
A
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State of Maine.
LINCOLN, SS --- I NATHANIEL COFFIN, Clerk of all the Judicial Courts within and for the County of Lincoln, do hereby certify that the two annexed paper signed by the Judge and attested by the Clerk, contain the original proceedings of the Court of Common Pleas, at a special session thereof holden at Bath -- in said County, by the Hon. John Ruggles one of the Judges of said Court, on the eleventh day of August A.D. 1832 in the matter [of] the application of Samuel Small for a Pension. Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of Court this 14th day of August A.D. 1832
[signature] Nathl Coffin CLERK.
[seal affixed]
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State of Maine.
Lincoln, SS -- I NATHANIEL COFFIN, Clerk of all the Judicial Courts within and for the County of Lincoln, do hereby certify that the annexed papers signed by the Judge and attested by the Clerk, contain the original proceedings of the ----Court of Common Pleas, at [a special -crossed out] several sessions, thereof holden at ---in said county, by the Hon. John Ruggles one of the Judges of said Court on the several days [of -crossed out] mentioned thereover A.D. 1832, in the matter of the application of Samuel Small for a Pension. IN TESTIMONY whereof I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of said Court this 29th day of December A.D. 1832.
[signature] Nathl Coffin CLERK
[seal affixed]
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William Rogers
Deposition
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I William Rogers of Bowdoin in the County of Lincoln & State of Maine aged Seventy Seven years of age on oath do testify and say that I well know that Samuel Small of Phipsburg in the County of Lincoln & State of Maine was a Soldier in the war of the Revolution at Portland in the State of Maine in the year 1776 & [illegible] where in the State of Maine under Capt William Litheon and Coln Mitchal the enlistment was nine months and I believe the said Small served out the whole nine months and further saith not
[signature] William Rogers
Lincoln ss July 20 - 1832
William Rogers the above named whitness [witness] is well known to me to be a man of truth and verascity [veracity] personally appeared and made oath to the truth of the above deposition by him subscribed before me
{signature]
James Rogers Justice of the Peace
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State of Maine.
TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
LINCOLN, ss --- I NATHANIEL COFFIN, Clerk of all the Judicial Courts within and for the County of Lincoln, do hereby certify that James Rogers Esq. whose name is affixed to the annexed paper, as a JUSTICE OF THE PEACE is legally commissioned and duely [duly] qualified to act as such, and that the name so affixed is his own proper signature, to me well known.
IN TESTIMONY whereof i have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Court of Common Pleas this 14th day of August A.D. 1832.
[signature]
Nathl. Coffin CLERK
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[stamp]
RECORD DIVISION
FEB 17 1921
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Rev Ser
[printed]
L. A. W. Underhill
[street address - crossed out]
BRIGHTON STATION 35
BOSTON, MASS.
[written]
27 Buckminster St.
February 11 - 1921 -
Bureau of Pensions -
Washington - D.C. -
The gravestone of Samuel Small of Phippsburg, Maine, states that he was born October 14, 1757, at Harpswell, Maine, and died December 2, 1851, at Phippsburg; also, is added: "Soldier of the Revolution".
His wife was Naomi ---, born 1762; d. May 23,1827, in Phippsburg.
Their children were: Alfred S. a daughter who mar. Henry Prescott, Eliza Jane, Timothy J., Margaret M., Hannah A. Small.
Did this Samuel Small have a pension? If so please send me a copy soon.
Yours truly
L. A. W. Underhill [signature]
(address above)
[stamp]
PENSION OFFICE
U.S.
FEB14 1921
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[letterhead logo stamp]
Rev
Feb 3 1921
Bureau of Pensions
Washington DC
Dear Sir - 
Can you tell me anything in regard to the enlistment & service in the Revolutionary War of "Samuel Small".
All I know is that he is buried in the Basin Cemetary [Cemetery] at Parker head Me. and the inscription in the gravestone reads
[stamp]
PENSION OFFICE
U.S.
FEB 4 1921
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Samuel Small - Soldier of the Revolution - born 1757. Died Dec 2 - 1851 age 94 yrs1 mos 18 days married Naomi ---
(He had two daughters - one married a mason - the other never married. and I think but dont know that he had sons Jethro - Christopher Samuel Daniel)
There is also another marker on the grave put there by some Society saying that he was in the War of 1775.
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thanking you for any information you may be able to give me I remain 
yours truly.
Mrs. Ellsworth Larkin Kelley
25 Seward St.
Putnam Conn
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[stamp]
RECORD DIVISION
JAN 4 1921
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[letterhead logo stamp]
Rev. x
[stamp]
PENSION OFFICE
U.S.
JAN 3 1921

Bureau of Pensions 
Washington D.C.
Dear Sir.
Can you tell me capacity in which Samuel Small Revolutionary Soldier served in the War of Revolution. He was born in 1757. Died Dec 2-1851. aged 94 yrs. 1 mo 18 d.
Married Naomi---
I don't know for sure but think he enlisted from
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Parker head Me. as he is buried there.
Thanking you for any information you can give me I am
Sincerely
Mrs. Ellsworth Larkin Kelley
25 Seward St
Putnam Conn
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[left side of document]
30114 
Revy INVALID.
File No. 30,114
Samuel Small
Pri Rev War
Act: June 7th 32
Index : ---Vol. 2---, Page 381
[Arrangement of 1870.]
[right side of document]
1921, Feb. 4 Hist to Mrs. Ellsworth L. Kelley En
1921, Mar. 24 Hist to L A W Underhill - En