Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 17895, for Robert Sleeper, New Hampshire
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(3-1776)
SERVICE                                      NUMBER
N.H.         Sleeper, Robert            R 17895
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11.057
Penna
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State of Pennsylvania}
Bradford County ss.   } On this 19th day of September A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable Edward Herrick Esq. President Judge of said Court
and John McKean and Jonathan Stevens Esqr his associate now sitting & holding a Court of Com. Pleas
 Robert Keeper a resident of the Township
of Warren in the County of Bradford and State of Pennsylvania, aged Seventy 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 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as hereinafter stated-
He volunteered in the Militia for six months
at Epping, County of Rockingham State of New Hampshire some time in July, 1777 in a company under command of Capt. Robert Pike. Marched soon after to Providence - in
the State of Rhode Island, continued there a short time in the Regiment commanded by Col. Center. Then marched to Warwick Neck, continued there some time. He then crossed
the bay to Bristol & marched to Swanzy - He then crossed the River to Tiverton - thence to Little Compton - there made several attempts to cross over, on to Rhode Island, under the
command of Gen. Douglass, but was unsuccessful- He then returned to Warwick Neck and was there regularly discharged -- his time of service being expired. He was in 
no battle during the time. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present-- & he declairs that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State - Sworn to & subscribed in open Court the day & year first aforesaid
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Continued
He further says, That at the expiration
of the term of the engament of six moths are
officer which he now supposes was the paymaster paid each soldier two dollars to bear his expenses home, "and said, you are discharged." He has no recollection that any written discharge ever given. He was afterwords paid in continental money
for his services, does not know whether the State of New Hampshire or the United States paid him -
He continued to reside in Rockingham, New Hampshire, after the Revolution eight or nine years from there he moved to Orange County Vermont, where he resided about twenty years, from thence moved to Pennsylvania his present place of residence
He has no documentary evidence, nor does he
know of any person whose testimony he can proves, who can testify to his service except his name should be upon the rolls of the malitia of the State of New Hamshire of which he is not informed-
Robert Sleeper
Sworn to & subscribed
the day and year aforesaid
for JM Bull Prot
E. S. Goodnik Dep
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We, John Wheaton and John M. Currier
residing in the township of Warren in the County of Bradford & State of Pa. do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Robert Sleeper who has subscribed & sworn to the forgoing declaration, that we believe him to be seventy years of age, that his reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a revolutionary soldier & that we concur in that opinion-
Sworn to & Subscribed- } John M Currier
the day & year aforesaid} John Wheaton
for Jos Ball Prot
E. S. Goodrich Dep
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 John M. Currier and John Wheaton who have
signed the preceding certificate as credible
persons and that their statement is entitled to
credit. -- By the Court for JM Bull Prot
                                         E.S. Goodrich Dep
I, James P. Bull, Prothonotary of the
Court of Common Pleas of Bradford County
do hereby certify the forgoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of that application of Robert Sleeper-
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and seal of office this 19th day of Sept. 1832 --
for JM Bull, Prot
E. S. Goodrich Det
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Robert Sleepe
Pennsylvania
Rejected
Served but 4 months + 6 days
11057
D. Cash Esq
Lowanda Pa
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BRIEF in the case of Robert Sleeper County of Bradford in the State of P.A.
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Open Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he? 70
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
Period.
July In 1777 volunterd
Duration of Service.
Years, Months, Days
4mo 6 ds
by rolls
Rank.
As a
private
Names of General and Field Officers
under whom he served.
Gen.
Cap. Pike Col. Center
Gnl. Doughlas
5. In what battles was he engaged? No battle
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Rockingham State of N Hampshire
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by
incidental evidence, or by the rolls? traditionary
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 above mentioned.
George Taylor
Examining Clerk.
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Rev. & 1812 Wars Section              MMHF
March 30, 1927
Box #4
Ulster, Pennsylvania
In response to your letter, without signature, I have to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim R. 17895 it appears that Robert Sleeper while a resident of Rockingham County, New Hampshire, enlisted in Epping in said county in July 1777 and served four months and six days as a private in Captain Robert Pike's Company, Colonel Senter's New Hampshire Regiment.
He lived in Rockingham County, New Hampshire for eight or nine years after the Revolution, then moved to Orange County,
Vermont where he resided for twenty years, thence to Warren Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, and while living there applied for pension September 19, 1832, then aged seventy years. His claim was not allowed as he did not serve six months as required by the pension laws.
There is no data on file as to his family.
Respectfully,
WINFIELD SCOTT
Commissioner.
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Robert Sleeper
Act 7 June 1832
Penna. rejected.
in 1833.
See also letter to A. Dimock
July 13. 1837
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17895
Revy
Robert Sleeper    1927- Mch. 30-. Hist to Co
                               Ulster Co. Penn. The letter in
                               claim of Abraham Whitaker, 
                               S. 6375. MM&F
Service:
Enlisted:               REJECTED
Discharged:
Application filed:-
Printed list of 1852 gives
as cause of rejection:
"He did not serve 6 mos."
Re-enlisted:
Attorney:
P. O.
Cert.
Recognized_____Contract.
____Cert. of Dis.  Searched for-18
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Ulster, Pa
Feb. 11-1927
Court. Pensions
Washington, D.C.
Dear Sir - In the history of Bradford Co., Penna. the names of Capt Abraham Whitaker and
Robert Sleeper appear as Revolutionary Soldiers from Warren Center Pa.
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Can you give me any information as to their
service?
Thanking you I am
Respectfully,
Mrs Clara S. Johnston
Mrs E. H. Johnston
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A Dimock
Pa
13 July 1837
OC
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War Dept.
Pension office
July 13. 1837
Sir,
In reply to your letter of the 7th inst. I have to inform you that as the rolls clearly shew that the service of Robert Sleeper was only four months and six days, no affidavits to disprove that he served for a longer period can be admitted as evidence. The rule that the credit of a record is greater than the testimony of which has never been departed from in this office in the investigation of claims. A pension cannot be granted in this case.
Asa Dimock Esq
Montrose
Susquehanna County
Penna.
Enter this letter - on Penn. Index 
act June 7. 1832
See No. 11057
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BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which these answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Robert Sleeper which require
further proof or explanation.
1. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? Yes
II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? Yes
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? Yes
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? Yes
VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? Yes
VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? Yes
VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? Yes
IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? Yes
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? Yes
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                                  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? No Clergyman- yes as to others
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? No
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 such proof cannot be had? Yes
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. Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? Yes
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered?
Yes
______________________
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of 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. B. 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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                                   8
   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 shewn 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 embodied 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.
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.
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.
   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 12          Free
Montrose P
July 8
Hon J L Edwards
Com of Pensions
Washington City DC
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Montrose Susquehanna County Pa
July 7. 1837-
Hon J L Edwards
Commr of Pensions,
Sir,
Robert Steeper of Warren, Bradford
County Pa Claims to have served six months in the New Hampshire State troops, during the War of the Revolution --
He shewed me a letter from the War department in answer to his application which says "by the roll it appears that he served but 4 months & 6 days - which will not entitle him to a pension".
The object of this Communication is to ascertain whether any sort of positive proof of service for six months will be satisfactory to the department and establish his claim.- Where known he bears an unblemished character for honesty, Truth and veracity --
Very Respetfully
your Hon. Servt.
Asa Dimock