Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 14,217, for Caleb Potter, Rhode Island
Page 1

SERVICE
R.I.

Potter, Caleb

NUMBER
S. 14217

Carded

CONTENTS
Page 2

3006
New York,
Caleb Potter
of Onondaga in the State of New York
who was a Private in the Company
commanded by
Captain Clark
of the Regt commanded
by
Col ________
in the Rhode Island
line for 9 months
Inscribed on the Roll of New York
at the rate of 30 Dollars - Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 12th day of Decem
ber 1832.
and sent to T. L. Morton
Onondaga N.Y.
Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832 - $45.00
Semi=anl. allowance ending 4 Mar 33
15.00
$60.00
{Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832.}
Recorded by Jno Cromwell
Clerk
Book D Vol. 5
Page 125
Date of death
not on AB
Name
for pay
reported
24 June 1833 - to agency
Page 3

Caleb Potter of 
Onondaga, Onondaga
County, New York
admitted
9 mos
30$
Page 4

At a Court of Chancery held for the date
of New York, at the Village of Onondag
in the County of Onondaga on the
thirteenth day of September one thousand
Eight hundred & thirty two
sent Daniel Moseley Vice Chancellor of the
Seventh Circuit
Present: Daniel Moseley, Vice Chancellor of the Seventh Circuit
Personally appeared
Caleb Potter of the town & County of Onondaga aged
sixty nine years, who being first duly sworn according to
Law doth on his oath make the following Decla
ration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress
passed June 7th 1832-
He was born in Cranston in Rhode Island, the
eighth day of August 1763 He thinks it was in the
County of Providence, but he cannot recollect with
certainty-- At the time of his enlistment he was living as
apprentice in the town of Warwick about four
miles from Providence. In the spring of the year 1778
he enlisted as a volunteer for nine months under the
command of Capt Jay Clark (so called)
middle aged man & who lived at Providence. He
recollects Lieut Reed & Lieut Mount Also Ben Rhodes
Ben [illegible] Peter Rhodes, Thomas Miller. Joseph Pike
John Conway Caleb Garner, John Whitman, Thomas
Westcott, John Scott Emanuel Bowes Emanual
Sullivan Eley Arnold, Tobias Brown & John Reed - the
day after enlistments they were ordered on board the
Ship Defense, a guard ship which was stationed in
the line between two & three months miles below
Providence & opposite Fields on the one side of the
River & Dobbins Point on the other-- The Boatswains name
John Waters, who was appointed to that office about
month after this applicant went on board. The
ship he thinks mounted between thirty & forty [illegible]
Page 5

He remained on board of this ship during the period
of this months for which he enlisted, with the exception
of about a month & a half a party of twenty men
whom this applicant was one, were detached during
this one month & a half, to Fields Point to guard a
quantity of ammunition, after which time they
returned on board. Their principal duty while
they remained on board of the ship was in going
down the River in boats in the night to watch the
British - He went and with sent. Recd into Newport
Harbor with a flag when Lieut Reed delivered the
Sergeant of the guard a letter, and shortly afterwards
twelve men came down & received four sheep which
Lieut Reed brought down in the boat from Providence four
British prisoners were also set on shore at
Newport. They were hailed by a Capt of a British
vessel in the harbour who enquired if they had any
Term with them & on being Rum-- This was after Sullivan went from the Island. At the time of Sullivan retreat -  he was in one of the boats at Howlands Ferry,.
& assisted in carrying over a part of the army. the
retreat was in the night & was conducted with as
much silence as the nature of the service admitted
of the artillery & the waggons were carried over in
flour. The next morning the boats were ordered
up the river. No further active service was
required of them & at the end of nine months, he
was discharged & returned home. He remained at
home upwards of a year, during which frequently
went out when the alarm was given & was absent
sometimes a day or week, at a time, but was not
enlisted in any regular service-
In the spring of 1780, he enlisted as a volunteer
for one month in a company commanded by Capt
Burlingame - He recollects William Knight, [illegible]
Page 6

Knight, William Roberds, Peter Briggs, Thomas
Henrys, & Ben Robards were in the same company
the Colonel's name, he thinks was Christopher
LipsetThe adjutants was Calvin. They went down
in a vessel to New York they were stationed at what
he thinks was called Brintons Point on the East side
of
her Harbour of Newport hear the Light House-
British vessels sometimes came in light but they
had no active service except keeping guard. At the
expiration of the month, the company were dis
charged, but this applicant immediately reinlisted
for one month, under the same Captain, as a
substitute for one Stephen Sheldon who had been
drafted into the service. He continued on the same
duty at this place time for which he
had enlisted when his company were dismissed
the immediately reenlisted again as a substitute
for the Nicholas Thomas, for one month more-
He recollects of having seen Genl Washington at
Newport, also of having seen Genl Sullivan who was a
thick set man & limped a little in his walk
There was also a Col. Early on the land. After
the last mentioned period of his enlistment expire; he
twice again enlisted as a substitute for one month each
first in a company commanded by Capt Wood
was a substitute for one Bowers. He was stationed
at what was called Black Point about a mile from
Brintton Point. He was here engaged in the same duly
as at the last mentioned place the next month her
was in the same company as a substitute for
a person whose name he never knew but who called
by way of ridicule green how. During this last month
he remained at Black Point Engaged in the same
duty as before. In Capt Woods company, there were
Lieutenant Belknap & Orderly Sergeant Peleg Arnold
at the end of his five months service he returned home
which was in the fall
Page 7

After this time he occasionally went out with parties
when an alarm was given, but was never engaged
afterwards in the regular service.
He
has no record of his age in his possession
& never had any. He received a written discharge
from Capt Henry Clark at the Expiration of
his
ninth months service, which he kept for some
time, but which was afterwards mislaid & lost.
He has no documentary evidence in his possession 
of his services, & knows of no person whose testimony he
can procure; who can testify to his service. A person 
by the name of Turner Fruner living in this
town, his application expects will be able to testify to circumstances in support of a part of his above
Declaration - 
He hereby relinquishes every claim to a
pension
Except the present & declares that his
name is not on the Pension Roll of the agency
of
Any State -
Signature of Caleb (his X mark) Potter
Subscribed & Sworn to this
13th day of September 1832
before me
.
Daniel Moseley
Circuit Judge & Vice Chancellor
Also appeared before the same Court on the
fifteenth day of September, Turner Fenner, who being
duly sworn doth on his oath make the following
statement. He was born July 13th 1765 in the town of
Johnson, Rhode Island, in the same neighborhood
when the above named Caleb Potter was born
Page 8

& brought up. He moved into the Town of Cranston
when about ten years of age, and lived in Cranston 
during the Revolutionary war - During all this
time he was well acquainted with the said
Caleb Potter & has known him from his youth
to the present time. He was personally
acquainted with the fact of said Potters enlistment
that he went on board a guard ship in the
river & was gone for nine months. He was
not himself in the service, but it was universally known in the neighborhood that said Potter
was engaged in the service in the war
Turner Fenner
Sworn & subscribed this 15th day of Sept 1832
Before me
Daniel Moseley
Circuit Judge

Supplement to Cald Potters Declaration
And the said Caleb Potter further says on his
oath, that he lived in the town of Cranston &
Johnson in the war, until he moved to the
Town of Onondaga, where he has lived
for the last twenty Eight years
Caleb (his X mark) Potter
Sworn & subscribed this 
15th day of Sept 1832
Before me
mark
Daniel Moseley
Circuit Judge
Page 9

We Turner Fanner, & Silas Field of the Town &
County of Onondaga, do
certify that we are well
acquainted with Caleb Potter who has subscribed &
Sworn to the foregoing declaration, that we be
lieve him to be sixty nine years of age, that he is
reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he
resides to have been a soldier in the Revolution
that we concur in that opinion-
signatures of Turner Fenner 
Silas Field
Sworn & subscribed this 15th
day
of Sept 1832
Daniel Moseley
Circuit Judge
And the said Vice Chancellor doth hereby
declare his opinion after an investigation of the
Matter
& after putting the interrogatories prescribed
by the War Department, that the above named
applicant was a Revolutionary soldier & served
as he states. And he further certifies that he is
said Caleb Potter & from his character for Truth & veracity
he has no doubt of the truth of his statement. 
And it appears to him that Turner Fenner & Silas Field 
who have signed the preceeding cert-
tificate are residents of the Town of Onondaga & are
credible
persons & their
statement is entitled
to credit.
Daniel Moseley
Vice Chancellor
Page 10

also again appeared before the said Vice Chan
cellor on the twenty sixth day of November one
thousand Eight hundred & thirty two, the said
Caleb Potter who being first duly sworn doth on
his oath make the following additional statement
for the purpose of obtaining the benefit of the act
aforesaid
The Ship Defence, on board of which
he served as a private as stated in his above
Declaration was according to his best recollection
stationed in the River below Providence as a
guard ship. He thinks about one hundred &
eighty & ninety, men were on board of her
He was stationed at a narrow point in the
River for the purpose, as he understood of
preventing many of the vessels from ascending  the River to providence. She had no sails & was not when he was on board
of her fitted for sea. He had no other means
of knowing that she was a public ship Except
that she was used as one of the means of
defence by Genl Sullivan, under whose command
this applicant was - As to her inactivity,
this applicant knows no other reason for it,
except that she was more serviceable in the
capacity of guarding the River than he could
have been at sea against the combined
British fleet. As this Deponent was a private
he cannot state what were the places of the
motives of those who were in command & knows
no more of the History of that period than he
actually saw
This
applicant has not been able to
procure the testimony of a Clergyman, as
the much as [remainder of text illegible}
Page 11

required by the War Department there is
no clergyman resident in that part of the
Town where this applicant resides,
& he is
not personally acquainted with any who
can testify to the opinion of the neighborhood.
This applicant
has throughout called the
ship by the name of Defence. It is possible
however that her true name may have been
Defiance,
as he cannot recollect with certainty
The was generally called & known by the
name of the guard ship
Signature of Caleb (his X mark) Potter

I Daniel Mosley Vice Chancellor of
the Seventh Count in the State of New York
do certify that on this twenty sixth
day of November Eighteen hundred and
third and
personally appeared in
open Court before me the above
named Cabel Potter and subscribed
and deposed to the foregoing affidavit
Daniel Mosley
Vice Chancellor
Page 12

I Daniel T. Moseley Deputy Clerk of
the Court of Chancery of the Seventh
circuit for the State of New York do
hereby certify, that the foregoing contains
the original proceedings of the said
Court in the matter of the application of
Caleb Potter for a pension. And also
subsequent proceedings of the said Court, on
additional application, made the 26th day
November 1832 -

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my
land and seal of office this 26th day of November
thousand eight hundred and thirty two
Daniel S. Mosley
Deputy Clerk
Page 13

November 10, 1937
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
BA-JEEL
Caleb Potter-S. 14217

Mrs. Frank Arts
1900 Clay Street
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Dear Madam:

Reference is made to your letter in which you request the
pension record of your ancestor, Caleb Potter, born, probably,
in Cranston, Rhode Island (1750-1760), was in the battle of Man
mouth, Revolutionary War, and was living in Mississippi Territory
, early in 1800.

A search of the Revolutionary War records has been made
and no record found of a claim for pension or bounty land based
upon the military service in that war of a Caleb Potter exactly
identical with the one described by you. The record has been
found, however, of a Caleb Potter, born in Cranston, Rhode Island
, which record is furnished you herein as it may be of a
sistance to you in your research, the data for which were obtained
from the papers on file in pension claim, S. 14217, based
upon the service of Caleb Petter in the Revolutionary War.

Caleb Potter was born August 8, 1763, in Cranston, Rhode
Island. The names of his parents are not shown.

In the spring of 1778, while working as an apprentice in
Warwick, Rhode Island, Caleb Potter volunteered in Captain Ivey
Clark's Rhode Island Company, went on board the guard ship
Defense" or "Defiance" which was stationed in the river below
Providence for the purpose of guarding against attacks from
British ships and served as a guard on board this vessel during
this service, he was detached and served one and one-half
months as a guard over some ammunition at Fields Point and at
the time of General Sullivan's Rhode Island expedition, he assisted
in carrying the army in boats from the island during the
retreat the entire length of this service was nine months after
which he was discharged and returned home and during his stay at
home served frequently on alarms on short tours of from one day
to one week in length, dates and officers' names not shown. In the spring
Page 14

of 1780, Caleb Potter again enlisted and served five tours of
one month each as a private under Captains Burlingame and Woods
and Colonel Christopher Lippett in the Rhode Island troops and
was stationed at several points as a guard. After this, he
again served on short tours on alarms, dates and names of of
ficers not shown.

After the Revolution, he resided in Cranston and Johnston,
Rhode Island, then moved to Onondaga, Onondaga County, New York,
where he had resided twenty-eight years when he was allowed pen
sion on his application executed September 13, 1832. He made
statement as to ever having been in Mississippi Territory,
or seeing General Lafayette in Vicksburg in 1825.

There are no data as to soldier's family.

In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, the
name and address of person paid and possibly the date of death
of the Revolutionary War pensioner, Caleb Potter (S. 14217), you
should address The Comptroller General, General Accounting of
fice, Records Division, this city, and cite the following data:
Caleb Potter
Certificate No. 2006
Issued December 12, 1832
Rate $30.00 per annum
Commenced March 4, 1831
Act of June 7, 1832
New York Agency.

Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER
Executive Assistant
to the Administrator.
Page 15

Rev War
14217
INVALID
File no. 14,217
Caleb Potter
Pri Rev War
Act June 7 1832
Index: - Vol. 1 , Page 300

[Arrangement of 1870.]
Page 16

Dec. 21/97 Hist. to Messers 
John Salter & Son, Groton, Conn
1937 - Nov 10 - Hist to 
Mrs. Frank Artz. EL
Page 17

L. W. B.
I. 14217.
[Text in upper left]
This Bureau can furnish the military
record of only such Revolutionary soldiers
as were pensioned or whose widows were
pensioned for their services.
such of the original muster and pay
rolls of the Revolution
War of 1812 as are now in the possession
of the Government are on file in the
Record and Pension Office, War Department
. Original rolls and other records
pertaining to service in the Revolution
ary War may also be found on file in the
archives of many of the original States.

O. W. & N. DIV.
REVOLUTIONARY.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS,
WASHINGTON, D. C.,
December 21st, 1897.

Gentlemen:--

In compliance with a request of the part of Hon. Charles A.
Russell. I have the honor to advise you that Caleb Potter, a soldier
of the Revolutionary war, made an application for pension on September
13, 1832, at which time he was 69 years of age and residing in Onondaga
N.Y., and his pension was allowed for nine months' actual service as a
private in the Rhode Island troops,
Revolutionary war; a part of the
time he served under Capt. Clark enlisted in the spring of 1778
at Warwick, Rhode Island.

Very respectfully
Commissioner.
Page 18

Vicksburg, Miss. Oct. 20th 1937.
1900 Clay Street,
Veterans Administration,
Washington, D. C.
Would like very much to secure the pension record
of my ancestor, Caleb Potter.
-
This Caleb Potter was in the Battle of Monmouth,
N. J. He was born, probably in Cranston, R.I. as have
record of several brothers being born there. He was in
Mississippi Territory in the early 1800's and about 1825
pension was drawn for him by John A. Watkins. Probable
date of birth 1750 - 60 and death date after 1825, for at that
time he was dressed up and sent to Natchez for Lafayette's
visit there.
Am anxious to secure name of wife, etc.
[handritten text] only of R
Yours very truly,
-
Mrs. Frank Artz
Mrs. Frank Artz,
1900 Clay Street,
Vicksburg, Mississippi