Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 14655, for Phineas Taylor, Connecticut
Page 1

(S-1776)
SERVICE
Conn.

Taylor, Phineas

NUMBER
S.14655

Carded
Page 2

49
Connecticut
=============================
Thomas Taylor
of Danbury in the State of Connecticut 
who was a private in the Company commanded
by Captain Bouch & others of the Regiments commanded
by Colonel Enos & others in the Connecticut
line, for the term of two years and upward
from 1776 to 17
=====================================
Inscribed on the roll of Connecticut
at the rate of Eighty Dollars per annum, to
commence on the 4 day of March
1831
======================================
Certificate issued the 16 of July 183 (copy cut off)
and delivered to the
Hon. G. Tomplinson
======================================
Arrears to 4th of March 1832    $80.00
Semi-anu'l all'ce ending 4 Sept.   40.00
                                                   $120.00

{Revolutionary Claim,}
{7 June 1832}

Record Book D. Vol 3?
page 69
B L Beall
Page 3

See letter Hon S Tweedy
24th Dec'r 1838

6890 Jun 25 R B Lacey history Revr
Page 4

I Mercy Ferry of Danbury Fairfield County & State of Connecticut; aged Seventy Seven years, being duly sworn, do depose & say that I am a sister of Phineas Taylor of said Danbury and am knowing that the said Phineas Taylor was in the militia in the Company commanded by Capt Daniel Hickok stationed at New York in the year 1776 & remained there about six weeks, when he returned home sick, his legs and body were very much swollen & the family supposed he was poisoned. he was sick about six months before he recovered his health. The family told me that the Physicians who attended him said he was poisoned. I was not living at home at the time, but was there on a visit the day he returned home_ and was frequently at home to attend on him during his sickness& further the deponent saith not
Mercy (her X mark) Ferry

State of Connecticut, County of Fairfield Ss
On the 12th day of November 1831 at Danbury in said county personally appeared, Mercy Ferry of said Danbury and in my presence subscribed the foregoing Deposition and being duly sworn made solemn oath that the said Deposition, contains the truth, the whole truth & nothing but the truth _ Sworn before and certified by me the day & year aforesaid
Edward Taylor Justice of Peace
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To the Senate and House of Representative of the United States
The dictation of Phineas Taylor of Dansbury in the State pf Connecticut repectfully sheweth(sic) that I was born April 8th in the year 1760.  In the year 1776 I was called to New York and the enlisted in the regiment commanded by Col Joseph B. Cook, after five weeks service I was taken sick & but first   [illegible]
  For the year 1777 I enlisted in service for five months  in the Company commanded by Capt Reuben Seaford regiment by Col Eno after my enlistment I had a wound in my great toe which has made me a cripple from which I have suffered great injury to the present day. I served my time out after being able to form the regiment which was bought one month  I was at [illegible] & Newark where the British [illegible]
In the [illegible] when discharged I enlisted in the service once for two months, & once for four months, and served the whole time without returning home.  I enlisted the year that Cornwallis was taken, in the Continental army in the [illegible] of Capt. [illegible] for nine months & served the whole time. Enlisted for a year & served the whole time at Fort Watersbury in the town of Stratford in the company of Capt Cook [illegible] commanded by Col Canfield.  I enlisted several [illegible] & served [illegible] since the dates & lengths of times have past, my [illegible]
I was twice in the company of Capt Ephraim Barnum regiment  commanded by Col Garfield while a Fourt(sic) Watersburg I was chose by Garfield   being ()search of British goods with  () with British Tories took Three men with us  I took British good to the value of abought(sic)  five hundred dollars ; among wich was a box of Apothecary (d)? which was appraised  by the surgeon of the regimenete at seventy-three Pounds continental money for which I never recieved a penny.  I was out in scout under Capt David () in the town of Rye in the STate of New York  He sent me in search of fat hoggs(sic) taken from the inhabitants by the (cow boys)?  The two come with me  We gave them a shot without effect and took forty-two fat hoggs (sic) which was delivered to the () to get eight shillingsd for compensation
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I went for a scout at King Street South of New York where we retook Captain Ma__ and _____ ____ from the cowboys; with hands over ____  together with a ___ of men against South King street with ___ men and retook two fat oxen from the Card boy, which was returned to the owners. I was in one of my ___ first on the out ____ New York State land, and American a British Light horseman, who had got past from the British scout, marching towards me; I ___ my ___ until he came within about one and a half ___, I pointed my gun at him prepared to fire. __ him if he had not ____  in a __ I would blow his brains out __ and ___ in his house I took him to the se__ ; the commander of the second was ____ Nathaniel  _____; he ___ that he was a ___ from the British, but he ___ and was __ sent to Hartford a prisoner of war. I thought of how a British __ knows , but never __ any ____ is as one of my ____ I took the place of one of my neighbors for two months, who was than in ___ on farming the Ridgemont. I was ___ by a Judicial aquaintance of mine that he had ___ ___ but that a__ ___, who was Captain Joseph Smiths ____ , how a ___ to have  ___ Ridgemount, which was very small cut of by the British Light ___ I got permission of Captain Smith to go the next day a clearing with said ___, Henry ____ ___ by management I got him to make ___ of his War, which was that he had agreed with two ___ to agree on a night in a ____ when they should bring on a judgement of British houses on our camp and cut us of; once ___ was to be parted in the M___ , where he engaged to ___ it . I ___ him and he was a __ and received severe punishment at the __, I was _____ to Newgate prison for court , before who he was _____.
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the whole time I ____ by enlistment exceeded four years.

Compensation for the above service; the first part I was paid in _____ bills ___ ____by ____. 
for Mr. ____part of was paid in ___  or ____ and find Little ate; which when he was worth no more these two shillings and six pence on the pound. 

Now to a _____ government Look at ___ ____ and  ____ that after losing an opportunity of getting an education, I suffer ___, after a wound in my ____ or joint, I have become parshully a cripple.
after the fiting and hardship of more these four years war, when I performed my duty, never receiving a frown from my officers); and after hand labours untill  I have arrive to the age of Seventy One years, my constitution is so weak that I am not able to ____ a day for ten years past. 
the testimony to support the above statement is almost wholy making in the ____, I would apeal to Mr. Thornlis and Mr Foot who are Members of the ____ Summit of the United States, and to Mr. _____ , a member of C____, who are agreements with my reputations as to truth and ____ and if they do not support me I ask no favor from government, but if they do support me, I pray government to ___ me justice with the highest offer and esteem)
July 1st 1839
Thomas Taylor
Page 8

State of Connecticut
County of Fairfield 
on this 6th day of September 1831  ___ locally appeared _____ Taylor Esquire and being duly ___ made ____ oath that the ___ states in the _____ taken are ___ and are of these true- sworn and A____ before ___.
Reuben Booth ____ of ____ 
Phineas Taylor


 We the undersigned do hereby certify that we have known and been much acquainted with Phineas Taylor sign the above named _____  for many years that he has ever____ and still ____ a high standing for integrity that ___ for or a long ___, been housed by his fellow citizens worth various ___ appointments have been repeatedly elected a Member of Legislature of Connecticut and held the office of Justice of Peace until by his age he became constitutionally disqualified. And we have no hesitation in ____ that his statements are to matter of fact are ___ throughout this community with implicit confidence. 
And having read the foregoing petition we __ therefore fully  believe that the ___ statements therein contained are strictly true. 
_____ ____ December 6th 1831.
Page 9

I Elead Taylor of Danbury in the County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut aged Seventy four years being only ____ doth depose and say that in the year of 1776 I was in the six month service in the company commander of Captain____ Hubbel in the Regiment commanded by Col. Lellaman and am knoing that Phineas Taylor of New Danbury was at that time in the service stationed in the City of NewYork and that the ___ Taylor after serving  about six weeks was taken sick, with many others in consequence or is ____ of the water being ___ by the ____, when he returned home and was sick about six months before he recovered. ___ Taylor near repeatedly in the service both in the militia and by ____ upwards of four years. Elead Taylor. 
Hat_ of Connecticut
County of Fairfield  is on this 5th day of October 1831 as Danbury is said berivity ____ appeared Eliad Taylor the above named ____  being duly man made solemn oath  that the ___ going after ___ by him _____ in my _____ contain the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth- I further certify that ____  _____ Department  sustains are _____ character for ___ and is a ____ witness - ____ ___ and certified by Mr. Edward Taylor  Justice of Peace
Page 10

John Benedict of Sherman in the County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, being duly sworn, doth depose and say
I am a native of the Town of Danbury, in the said County, having been born there in the year 1761, and have been intimately acquainted with Phineas Taylor Esq. of said Danbury, from very earliest youth. We were born and educated in the same neighborhood and entered together, and served as herein after mentioned, in the Revolutionary Army.
In the month of July 1777 the said Taylor enlisted at said Danbury as a private soldier, in the company commanded by Captain Lycofield in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Eno, for the term of six months. I enlisted at the same time and place, and in the same Corps. Very soon after his enlistment and I think immediately, the said Taylor in chopping wood received a heavy wound with an axe in one of his feet, and upon the joint of his great toe. I joined the said Regiment then stationed at Horse Neck near what was then called the "Lines" about the middle of said month of July, but said Taylor being disabled by his said wound did not join the Regiment until the last of said month of July and from thense he continued in said service, until the expiration of said period for which he enlisted aforesaid.
At the expiration of said term of enlistment, said Taylor again enlisted, and
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decided for the term of two months; and again for the term of four months- 
Immediately after ____, he enlisted for other short terms, and decided in ___ Regiment of Colonel ____, and in other Regiments of the American Army then ___  on the lives and ____ and mean their two and a half years, without any interval and without returning home, excepting for ____ _____, but do great a length of time had a lapsed time the _____, that I am unable ___ to verify the particular Regiments and compares in which he enlisted , was the  ____ ____ for ____ __ enlistments were made. I have however a full and clear recollection of the twice enlistments first mentioned and that be deemed two years and a half in the American Army as herein states. 
After the expiration of the afore said term of two and half years he served occasionally in the Militia for short periods and resided a part of the time with his Father in said Danbury until the month of March 1781. When he enlisted for the term of nine months, in the Campaign commanded by Captain Conrade, in Colonel Herman Swifts Regiment of the Connecticut line: I again, enlisted with Eaid Taylor in the same company and for the same term  Said Taylor and ____ joined the ___ company immediately after ______ at _____ on the state
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have therein Said Taylor and ___  ___ joined the ____ Cambury immediately after _____ at Beckswick in the State of New York, _______ to leave therein until about the twenty fifth day of December 1781, where we were both ____ honorably discharged at the Highlands in the State of New York.
During the time of his service on the "lines" as ____ Said Taylor being on duty as a Sentinel, made Prisoner a stout, able bodied British Dragoon and brought him in together with his horde, I was then in the service at the same ____ with him and same kid Prisoner and the horse, and should believe the horde to have been worth at least our hundred dollars. I understood at the time that the Dragoon had taken by Eaid Taylor by strategies. The exploit was much talked of and commanded within the circle of our acquaintance in the Army at the time and I felt proud of the achievement of my _____man.  
Soon afterward and while in the ___ service on the "Lines" Eaid Taylor detected a conspiracy for capturing and delivering into the ______ of the enemy a ____ Regiment of continental state Troops, then stationed at Horse Creek. I informed Eaid Taylor of my suspicion  of our  ____ _____ who was then the waiter of Captain Joseph Booth that he was holding communication with the enemy and plotting mis____ rescue that he had a ____ with Tories, and that the ___ to which he belonged was inhabited ____ by ____ of that ded__iption and had I watched him after timely.
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Said Taylor immediately proposed that we should adopt a plan for his detention and _____, that there were two Tories from ___ Danbury, of the ___ of ____ then in the British Army, ___ had a Mother then at home with his Father and that Said ____ was acquainted with them (he being a nature of _____ a Town adjoined Said Danbury) he, Said Taylor was introduced to Griffin by the name of Judd and represented himself to be the Mother of Said Judds.
He then proposed to Griffen himself to go to the ___ of Long Island Sounds, about two and a half miles distant for gathering _____ ; to which Griffin absented, Said Taylor affects Captain ____ for his ____ which was granted and we all three departed on our return from this excess ____ Said Taylor ____ to be disgusted with the American service and friendly to the British cause, which was the more ___ believed by Laid Griffin from his supposed relations to Laid ____ ___ ____ him his entire plan He (Griffin) appeared ___ that he held communication with the Torie in the neighborhood, and had concocted with them to ____ the ammunition belonging to the Regiment, then kept in the Tent of Said Captain ____ which his deteation of waiter to Said has the enabled him to do, then to give immediate notice to the Tories, and the attack would be made by a Regiment of Dragoons.This project if Griffin had performed his fact of it must have succeeded.
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as the Regiment, not numbering more than two hundred and destitute of ammunitions would have been incapable of resistance. Said Taylor on his return to the camp ____ the information thus detained, to be ____ Canfield the Commander of the Regiment. Griffin was tried by a County Martial of which Major Peters was president, received Sixty ____ and was sentenced for the term of three years to New Gate Prison in Connecticut, then used as a place of confinement for British Prisoners and Losier 
And Further, the ____ saith not

John Benedict
-------------Page Break-----------------
State of Connecticut 
County of Fairfield S. S. 
On this 3rd day of August 1831, at Danbury he said County, before we, Reuben Booth, Justice of peace of said county of Fairfield has dually appeared John Benedict the above named _____ , and in my ___ service are ____ the fore going ___ and being duly sworn made solemn oath that the said ____ contains the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
I further certify that Said John Benedict is to me personally ___ known  ___ he is a man of respectable character, ___ __ ___ to and sustains a fair ___  for truth, however before ratified by me the day and year ____ 
Reuben Booth Justice of Peace
Page 15

I Daniel Hickok of Danbury in the County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut aged Eighty three years being duly sworn do ____ and say, that in the year 1776 I was a Captain in the Regiment of Connecticut Militia commanded by Col. Joseph B. Cooke. Said Regiment rendevoused in said Danbury and marched to New York in the summer of that year. Phineas Taylor Esquire of said Danbury was a private soldier in the said company and under my command and went with the said company to New York. We were stationed in said city of New York  on ___ on the whole ____ of our Service - Said Taylor served in the Company about six week had then ___ with a leave fit of ___ , and was ___ to leave the said service and ___ home being equally discharged. He was a faithful, good soldier, ___ ____ the confidence of this peers; and was a truly patriotic and ___ ___ 
Daniel Hickok Captain


Sate of Connecticut 
County of Fairfield
on the 13th day of September 1831 at Danbury in the said county, personally appeared Daniel Hickok the above named we _____ are being duly sworn made solemn oath that the foregoing affidavit by him __ in my _____ contains the tenth the whole truth, nothing but the truth according to his best recollection and behalf. I further testify that the said ____ sustain an ____ expectations for tenth ____ and in a ___  ____ ___ your ___ and certified by me- Reuben Booth Justice of Peace
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I Benjamin Peek of New Fairfield in the County of County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, aged seventy year, being duly sworn do depose and say that I have know and been acquainted with Phineas Taylor of Danbury in the said county, more than sixty years. That served several tours in the Army during the Revolutionary war both in the Continental Lon and in the Militia and on some of my said tours of service, in the same Corps with said Phineas Taylor and I believe the said Taylors served as much as three years at least and perhaps four during the said war.
___ ___ the Spring of the year 1782, I was serving as a ____Graughted MIlitia was at ___ Batesbury in the County  to the state  of Connecticut in the Regiment of Connecticut Militia or State Troops, commanded by Colonel Canfield, and said Taylor was serving as a corporal in the same regiment that while we were so serving at the Matebury a scouting party was sent out under the Command of said Taylor in search of British goods. I was one of the party, which consisted of three or four men and we proceeded to the house of the doctor Bush a noted Tory and these ____ the following property belonging to the British, ____ one chest of medicine and one bundle or peck of deer skin mittens, all which said Taylor decided and I ____ to be carried into the said Fort and these delivered to the commanding Officer ___ for the use of the Government. I was stationed outside the house of said Bush (which was situated in the town of Greenwich in said Fairfield County)
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as a sentinel and did not go in but said Taylor ___ once me on coming out that time was after British property within the said house among which I recollect a quantity of steel and several barrels of sugar, but as they would not ____ be the ___ state Fort, by our small force, they were left a ___ not a judged the valice of medicines but have the belief that the ___ so taken ____ estimated by the surgeon of said _____, at the tie to be was to not far from two hundred and fifty soldiers that deer skin mittens ___ ___ worth one dollar per pair and should ___ that the remainder pair so taken contains about fifty pairs.  
______ ____ there say ___
Benjamin Peck

State of Connecticut
County of Fairfield S.S. 
On this 2nd day of November 1831, at Dandbury in the said county, ___ before me Reuben Booth a  Justice of the Peace within and for said county, duly appointed commissioner and sworn, personally appeared Benjamin Peck of said Fairfield in the said county and in my presence ___ the for going deposition, and being duly sworn made solemn oath that the said deopsition contains
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the with the whole truth and nothing
the truth. I further certify that a
am well acquainted with the said Peck
and have known & been acquainted with him
many years. that he is a Gentleman of
good and unexceptionable character for
integrity and for truth, and that his evidence
is entitled to full and entire credit and
belief-
Sworn before and certified by me
the day & year aforesaid
Reuben Booth Justice of Peace
Page 19

with [?]
Phineas Taylor
File 14,655
Page 20

[partial seal Pensions Office dated July 2, 1890, most letters faded] 
(Copy)

Old War Div 
J.N.P. Exr 
C No 
Cc Regt 

[stamped Department of the Interior 
BUREAU OF PENSIONS] 

Washington D.C. June 25th 1890 

Sir 
In accordance with your communication in behalf of Hon Phineas T Barnum, grandson of Phineas Taylor, a Revolutionary Soldier from Connecticut, you will receive enclosed, a statement, on separate sheets, of so much of his history as is contained in his application for the pension which he received 

Very respectfully 
(Signed ) Green B. Raum 
Commissioner 

Rowland B. Lacey Esq  
Presdt Fairfield County His Socy 
Bridgeport 
Conn
Page 21

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY.
T.
HOTEL WALDORF,
(Room 925.)
New York, May 27th 1895
Chief Clerk, C.W. N. Division,
Bureau of Pensions, Washington, D.C.
Dear Sir:
Will you kindly send me the military
history of Phineas Taylor a Revolutionary pensioner
under the act of 1832, from Fairfield Co., Conn
This application is made in behalf of Mr. John A Wilson, 200 Greene Ave. Brooklyn, N.Y.
Respectfully yours
Thomas E. V. Smith
Page 22

[stamp] PENSION U.S. OFFICE D MAY 28 1895
Page 23

Senate Chamber
July 11 1832
Sir
I herewith send the papers which I
mentioned to you, this morning, & take the
liberty to request that you will attend to
them as speedily as may be practicable.
to the certificate subjoined to the petition of
Phineas Taylor are affixed the signatures
go large number of highly respectable
Citizens. The letter
addressed to me was
undoubtedly written by Mr Taylor. The
petition & accompanying documents
are unquestionably genuine. Allow
me to express the hope that as Mr.
Taylor
is manifestly entitled to a
pension, his name may be placed
on the pension list, without any
additional expense
I am very respectfully yours
G. Tomlinson

J. L. Edwards Esq .
Page 24

Rev War 14655
INVALID.
Taylor of Orange  M J has this history
No. 41655
Phineas Taylor
Pri Rev War
Act: June 7th 32
ndex: -- Vol. 1, Page 375
[Arrangement of 1870.]
Page 25

June 4/95 Hist  to John A Wilson
200 Greene Ave, Brooklyn NY
JS
Danbury
history sent for P T Barnes
grandson
Page 26

[stamp] FAIRFIELD COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY CONNECTICUT
[stamp] JUN 23 1890
B. LACEY, PRES.
446 MAIN STREET,
BRIDGEPORT, CONN, June 18 1890

Hon Green B. Rane 
of U.S. Comm of Pensions
Washington D.C.
Dear Sir
Hon. Phineas T. Barnum
the Grandson of Phineas Taylor who was a
pensioner for Service in the war of the Revolution
name found in the Conn. State Adjutant Genl Report
Published in 1889. among the Resident of Fairfield County
Page 651- Mr Barnum's Ancestor was a resident of
Danbury Conn the part now Bethel and Mr B
was also born there it is desired to identify the Phineas
Taylor of the above record as the Phineas Taylor of Bethel
and to be able state (some summary at least of) the services
on which the awarding of the pension was based -
to render Mr Barnum Eligible to membership in the
"Conn Soc. of the Sons of the American Revolution, "beyond
any question. May I ask to have the matter placed in proper
hands and the files of the Dept Examined and so far as desirable
copied and transmitted either to Mr Barnum or to
Your Obt Servt
Rowland B Lacy

I have forwarded the annual of our Hist. Soc 1889
Page 27

Free
the Honorl. G Tomlinson
Senator in Congress
Bethel let
June 25th
Page 28

Settled 25th June, 1838
To the Hon. G Tomlinson Senator In Cangenfer
[illegible] will  you grant me a [illegible]of your 
[illegible] by presenting the eveadense of my claim to the Sanctuary of the Treasury of the United States [illegible] you that for the [illegible] of my [illegible] [illegible phrase] with the testimony in [illegible] of my claim [illegible] you   all the [illegible] for my benefit  [illegbile] with the Highest Esteem Phineas Taylor
Page 29

I hereby certify that the signature of Reuben Booth is well known to me and that I have no doubt that whenever it appears in authentication of the foregoing affidavit, it is genuine and I further certify that the same Reuben Booth is and has been [illegible] yours Mr. [illegible] of the Court of Probate in the District of Danbury in Connecticut.  July 16, 1836. G. Tomlinson Senator, U.S.
Sept 22, [illegible] Petition of Phineas Taylor, Pray my communication for his advocacy and sufferings during the Revolutionary War

Phineas Taylor