Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 17,639, for John Potter, New Hampshire
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(3 - 1776 )
SERVICE
N. H. Potter, John
NUMBER
S.17.639
carded
CONTENTS
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10346
New Hampshire 
John Potter of Rockingham in the State of N H who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain ____ of the regiment commanded by Col Burnam in the N H line for 8 mos.
Inscribed on the Roll of NH at the rate of
26 Dollars 66 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 5th day of April 1833 and Sent William Claggett Portsmouth N H
Arrears to the 4th of Mar 1833 $53.33
Semi-anl. [ANNUAL] allowance ending 4 Sept 1833 13.33
_______
$66.66
{Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.}
Recorded by J H McBlair Clerk,
Book A Vol. 1st Page 110.
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State of New Hampshire
County of Rockingham Ss
On this Seventh day of August AD 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the honorable Justices of the Superior Court of Judicature now sitting at Exeter in and for said county of Rockingham in said state being a Court of Record John Potter, aged eighty one years, a resident of Northhampton [sic] in said
county, 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 the 7th 1832- that some time [sic] in the month of April 1775 immediately after the battle at Lexington he
entered the service of the United States as a militia soldier at said Northhampton [sic] in the company commanded by Captain Moses Leavitt in the regiment commanded by
Colonel Jonathan Burnam of the Newhampshire [sic] Militia for the time of seven months, and marched from said Northhampton [sic] to Ipswich, Massachusetts under said Leavitt, was gone twelve days, and was then ordered out to said Northhampton [sic] to be in readiness to march at a moments warning- in a few days afterward he was ordered to guard the seacoast at a place called Little Boars head in said Northhampton [sic] where he served in said company two months immediately after which he was ordered to Portsmouth Newhampshire [sic] to guard the Town and Fort at Newcastle, and served in said company guarding the fort, and seacoast until about the 20th of November 1775 when I was discharged, but have no paper evidence of my discharge. In 1776 he was ordered by the
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committee of safety in said Northhampton [sic] to be held in readiness to march at a moments warning as a militia man, and so held himself in readiness with his arms & accoutrements for the season, about seven months, but was not ordered away from the Seacoast - he also held himself in readiness to march by order of said committee of safety the following season in 1777. About the middle of September 1777, he again at said Northhampton [sic] entered the service of the United States as a volunteer soldier in the company commanded by Captain John Dearborn of Hampton in the Regiment of Newhampshire [sic] militia commanded by Jonathan Moulton Colonel, and marched from said Northhampton [sic] to Saratoga in New York, and was at the surrender of Burgoyne, but not at the battle, although he was so near that he heard the guns, but such is his age and defect of memory that he cannot state the number of months he served in said last company, or the time he was regularly discharged. In 1775 he aided in taking away the cannon by order of General Sullivan from a place then called Jerry's point
in order to prevent the same from being used by the British, and was also engaged in building forts in the vicinity of Portsmouth the same year - that he has ever resided at said Northhampton [sic] since his childhood, and at that place entered the service of the United States. - that he has no written discharges from the service nor does he recollect that any written discharges were ever delivered to him
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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
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. 
John his X Mark Potter

Signed in presence of William Claggett
Attest P Chadwick Clerk
And the said Court do hereby declare their
opinion that the before named applicant
was a Revolutionary soldier and served
as he states

I Peter Chadwick Clerk of the Superior Court
of Judicature of the County of Rockingham
aforesaid do hereby certify that the foregoing
contains the original proceedings in the matter of the application of John Potter for a pension

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court this Twelfth Day August Anno Domini 1832
P Chadwick Clerk of the Court Rockingham County
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John Potter Jr
[illegible]
State of Newhampshire [sic]
Rockingham County Ss August 17. 1832
I certify that John Potter who subscribed the within declaration is in my opinion
entitled to full credit in respect to truth
William Claggett Justice of the peace
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John Potter
New Hampshire
No. 3219
Private 8 Months
Adm [ADMITTED]
On Roll Col Moultons [sic] Regt as having been
mustered for the month of Sep 1777
$26.66
Wm [WILLIAM] Claggett Esqr. Agt [AGENT] Portsmouth N H
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BRIEF in the case of John Potter of Northhampton [sic] Rockingham Cy [COUNTY] in the State of New Hampshire (Act 7 June, 1832.)

1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Before a Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity? Does not so appear
3. How old is he? 81
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
Period| Duration of Service | Rank. | Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served. 
In 1775 | | Militia | Colonel Jonathan Burnam |
Apl [APRIL] to 20 Nov | 7 - [MONTHS] | Private] 
Sept 1777 | several months || Capt. Jno [JOHN Dearborn - |
5. In what battles was he engaged? Surrender 
of Burgoyne but not at the battle
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Northhampton [sic]
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? by two living witnesses
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?

I certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case
W. C. Easton Examining Clerk.
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17.639
INVALID. Rev [REVOLUTIONARY] War
File No. 17.639
John Potter
Pri [PRIVATE] Rev [REVOLUTIONARY] War
---
Act: June 7" [18]32
Index:--Vol. 1 Page 30
[Arrangement of 1870.]
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Hon Lewis Cass
Secretary of War
City of Washington
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Portsmouth NH. Jany [JANUARY] 16. 1833
Hon Lewis Cass Secretary of War
Sir
I take the liberty to return to you the accompanying declaration of Mr. John Potter
for the purpose of obtaining a pension, and to request you to allow him such sum or under the circumstances you may think proper. As he is aged eighty one years, and without any property, the smallest sum which you may see fit to grant him, may render the very short remainder of his days in some measure comfortable. I am informed that such are his present infirmities that he cannot attend a Court for the purpose of amending his declaration. I think that Mr. Edwards letter to me recd. [RECEIVED] a few months since,
which is not now in my possession, stated in substance that the applicant ought to state more particularly the length of time he served in Capt. John Dearborns [sic] company after the middle of Sept 1777, being his last service, and that the Court ought to certify respecting the credibility of John Lovering & Robert Lovering. I was induced to infer from his letter that a small pension might be granted for the services fully proved, but that a full pension would not be unless the whole time of service in 1777 should be more distinctly proved. The applicant in his declaration in August last, stated that "such is his age and defect of memory that he cannot state the number of months he served in said last company" [illegible] the witness John Lovering, states that he was with him at Saratoga after the surrender of Burgoyne, and thinks he served
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in that company about two months. We cannot
now ascertain in what other company or companies he might have served, or when discharged. Probably he served the period for which he enlisted I presume the evidence will satisfy you that he served from April 1775 to Nov following 7 months, besides the services in the following year and the first part of 1777 by order of the Committee of safety. In consequence of the increasing decay of the memory of the applicant, I understand that he cannot now state his last period of service with
any greater precision than he did in August last. When I took down his declaration in August last, he then being scarcely able to attend Court, I certainly did suppose that his services prior to his said service in Capt. Dearborn's company in 1777, were abundantly
sufficient to entitle him to a pension-- otherwise it is very probable that I might have ascertained facts and circumstances from him sufficient to satisfy you respecting the whole period of his last service.
before the affidavits of Ebenr. [EBENEZER] and John Lovering attached to the declaration, I have taken the liberty to affix my certificate as a magistrate that they are entitled to credit in respect to truth. A similar certificate I made in August last as to said Potter. You allowed pensions to said Ebenr. [EBENEZER], John, and also Thomas Lovering, three brothers, respectable citizens of Northhampton [sic] living about ten miles from Portsmouth and they were used as witnesses to support the declarations of each other as well that of said Potter. I then certified that
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they were credible witnesses, because the Clerk
of the Court declined doing it, excepting I think Col Thomas Lovering, because he said that neither the Court or himself had any personal acquaintance with any of the witnesses except said Thomas Attached to some of their papers I think, otherwise
in some other case, the evidence of my being
duly commissioned as a Justice of the peace,
was transmitted to you, and therefore I presume you will not require that evidence at this time of the certificate of a Justice of the peace is not deemed to be in full compliance with your instructions, I can only hope that you may let it pass in this instance, as it has in some others, as it might be extremely inconvenient, if not impossible to get the certificate of the Court, especially as the applicant has no money to defray the
expenses of the attendance of the witnesses at Court.
Very respectfully Your obt [OBEDIENT] Servt [SERVANT]
William Claggett
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I John Lovering of Northhampton [sic] State of
Newhampshire [sic] aged seventy nine years on oath testify and declare that I have been acquainted with John Potter of said Northhampton [sic] from his childhood - that in April 1775 he entered the service of the United States in the revolutionary war as a militia soldier at said Northhampton [sic] in the company under the command of Captain Moses Leavitt, and I was with him part of the time while he served in said Leavitts [sic] company - he served in guarding the sea coast, and I know that he marched to Ipswich Mass in said company, and believe he served that year about seven months as a soldier. I was with him at Saratoga after the surrender of Burgoyne, and he was then serving as a soldier in the company under the command of Captain John Dearborn and marched with him before said surrender in the same company to Saratoga, and think he served in that company about two months. I also saw him when he aided in taking the guns at Jerry's point Portsmouth harbor.
John Lovering
Rockingham Ss Superior Court of Judicature
August Seventh1832

Sworn and Subscribed in open Court
Attest P Chadwick Clerk
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State of Newhampshire [sic]
Rockingham Ss
January 16th 1833 I hereby certify that John Lovering who subscribed the within declaration is in respect to truth and veracity entitled to full credit & belief
William Claggett
Justice of the peace
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No 3219
Ex'd W.C.E.
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I Ebenezer Lovering of Newhampton [sic] State of Newhampshire [sic] aged seventy five years on oath testify and declare that I have resided in said Northhampton [sic] from my infancy and have ever been well acquainted with John Potter of said Northhampton, [sic] who is reputed to be aged eighty one years - that in April 1775 I well recollect that he served in Captain Moses Leavitts [sic] company of the Newhampshire [sic] militia and I marched with him to Ipswich Massachusetts, he being a soldier in said company, and in the service of the United States, but as in May following I enlisted in the continental service, I cannot state how long said Potter remained in said company. In 1777 I saw said Potter when he marched for Saratoga in Captain John Dearborns [sic] company as a volunteer soldier, and again saw him after his return from said Saratoga, and have always understood and believed that he was engaged at different times in the Revolutionary war
Ebenezer Lovering

Rockingham Ss Superior Court of Judicature August 7th 1832
Sworn to in open Court

Attest P Chadwick Clerk
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State of Newhampshire [sic]
Rockingham Ss January 16th, 1833, I hereby
certify that Ebenezer Lovering who subscribed
the within declaration is in respect to truth
and veracity entitled to full credit and belief
William Claggett, Justice of the peace

No. 3219
Ex'd W.C. E.
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THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Form VAM-51
12 - 5 - 41
Division of Veterans' Administration Archives
BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*
NAME Potter, John GRADE-Private LINE Rhode Island
WARRANT NUMBER 3409
ACREAGE 100
ISSUED Dec. 31, 1789
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.