Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S 15681, Wait Tucker, Conn. Vt.
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Conn.
Vt.

Tucker, Wait

S 15681

carded
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Vermont 17-261

Wait Tucker
of Rutland Co in the State of Vermont
who was a private in the company commanded
by Captain Geddring of Regt. commanded 
by Col Cansfield in the Conn. and Vt. 
line for 2 years

Inscribed on the Roll of Vermont
at the rate of 80 Dollars 00 Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 13 day of Aug 
1833 and lent to
R. Temple     Rutland

Arrears to the 4th of March 1833  $160.00
Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Sept ---  $40.00
$200

Revolutionary Claim, 
Act June 7, 1832.

Recorded by W. L. Williams, Clerk.
Book ?  Vol. 3  Page 43
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20,590
Wait Tucker

c.j. proof of service

Completed
R Frankelt Cetty

2 years
80
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Sir:

The evidence in support of your claim, under the act of June 7, 1832, has been examined, and the papers are herewith returned.  The following is a state of your case in a tabular form.  On comparing these papers with the following rules and the subjoined notes, you will readily perceive that objections exist, which must be removed, before a pension can be allowed.  The notes and the regulations will show what is necessary to be done.  These points to which your attention in more particularly directed, you will find marked in the margin with a brace, (thus: } ).  You will, when you return your papers to the Department, send this printed letter with them; and you will, by complying with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.

Statement, showing the Service of Wait Tucker of Rutland County Vermont

Period when the service was rendered [A]
Duration of the claimant's service.  Years/Months/Days [B]
Rank of the claimant.  [C]
Names and Rank of the Company officers under whom he served. [D]
Names and Rank of the General and Field officers [E]
Battles in which the applicant was engaged. [F]
Country through which he marched. [G]
Place of abode when he entered the service, and age at the present period. [H]
Evidence by which the declaration is supported. [I]

Private
Capts.
Cols.

[A] ??? 1777  [B] 6 [C] " [D] Geddings [E]  Canfield  [F] none  [G] thru Connecticut Guarding the Coast  [H] Fairfield Connecticut  [I] Traditionary Evidence

[A] ??? 1778 [B] 6 [C] " [D] Munson

[A] " 1779 [B] 3  [C] "  [D] Hyde [H] aged 71 years

[A] Enl? 1780  [B] 6 [C] " [D] Dudley

[A] 1781  [B] 6  [C] "  [D] Fish  [E] Fletcher

no clergyman in the neighborhood

I am, respectfully, 
Your obedient servant,
J.L. Edwards,
Commissioner of Pensions

Names & rank of officers together
with his brother name for whom
he                                    should be detailed.
Some proof of service required.
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REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832

The following regulations have been adopted:
This law has been construed to extend, as well to the line, as to every branch of the Staff of the Army, and to include under the terms "Continental Line," "State troops," "militia," and "volunteers," all persons enlisted, drafted, or who volunteered and who were bound to military service, but not those who were occasionally employed with the army upon civil contracts, such as Clerks to Commissaries and to Store Keepers, &c. Teamsters, Boatmen, &c. Persons who served on board of Private Armed Vessels are also excluded from the benefits of the law, as well as persons who turned out as patrols, or were engaged in guarding particular places at night, and were not recognized as being in actual military service.

Four general classes of cases are embraced in this law:
1.  The Regular Troops,
2.  The State Troops, Militia, and Volunteers.
3.  Persons employed in the Naval service.
4.  Indian Spies.

As rolls of the regular troops in the Revolutionary War exist in this Department, all persons, claiming the benefit of this law as officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians or privates, will in the first instance, make application by transmitting the following declaration, which will be made before a Court of Record of the County where such applicant resides.  and every Court having by law a seal and Clerk is considered a Court of Record.

DECLARATION,
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1831.

State, Territory, of District of } ss.
County of

On this        day of       personally appeared (a) before         A.B. a resident (b) of               in the county of                      and State, Territory or District of         aged (c)            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 provision made by the act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832.  That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year (d)          , with    and served in the       (e) regiment of the             line, under the following named officers:
[Here set forth the names and rank of the Field and Company Officers; the time he left the service; (and if served under more than one term of enlistment, he must specify the particular period, and rand and names of his officers;) the town or county and State in which he resided when he entered the service; the battles, if any, in which he was engaged, and the country through which he marched.  this form is to be varied so as to apply to the cases of officers and persons who belonged to the militia, volunteers, navy, &c.]
He hereby relinquishes every claim (f) whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State, or (if any) only on that of the Agency in the State of 
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.     A.B.
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (g) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
I                        of the Court of                 do hereby certify (h) that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of                     for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office (i) this            day of                       &c.

If, on examination of the proper record the names of applications, making such declaration, cannot be found, they will produce  such proof as the rule given in note (j) points out.
Every applicant who claims a pension by virtue of service in the State Troops, Volunteers or Militia, except those who belonged to the New Hampshire Militia and State Troops of Virginia, will make and subscribe a declaration similar to the foregoing, with the following additions, viz:
(k) We, A.B., a Clergyman, residing in the            and C.D. residing in (the same) hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with             , who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be                 years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
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 A.B. and that C.D., who has also signed the same is a resident in the             and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I,       Clerk of the Court of                do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of                  for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal                     of office, this     day of               &c.
Every applicant will produce the best proof in his power.  This is the original discharge or commission; but if neither of these can be obtained, the party will so state under oath, and will then procure, if possible, the testimony  of at least one credible witness, stating in detail his personal knowledge of the services of the applicant, and such circumstances connected therewith, as may have a tendency to throw light upon the transaction.
If such surviving witness cannot be found, the applicant will so state in his declaration (l) and he will also, whether he produce such evidence or not, proceed to relate all the material facts, which can be useful in the investigation of his claim, and in the comparison of his narrative with the events of the period of his alleged service, as they are known at the Department.  A very full account of the services of each person
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will be indispensable to a favorable action upon his case.  The facts stated will afford on the principal means of corroborating the declaration of the applicant, if true, or of detecting the imposition, if one be attempted; and unless, therefore, these are amply and clearly set forth, no favorable decision can be expected.  All applicants will appear before some Court of Record in the County, in which they reside, and there subscribe and be sworn to, one of the declarations above provided, according to the nature of his case.
The Court will propound the following (m) interrogatories to all applicants for a pension, on account of service in the Militia, State troops, or Volunteers, except the Militia of New Hampshire and the State troops of Virginia.
1.  where and in what year were you born?
2.  Have you any record of your age, and if so, where is it?
3.  Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary war, and where do you now live?
4.  How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute?  And if a sub-stitute, for whom?
5.  State the names of some of the Regular Officers, who were with the troops, where you served; such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services.
6.  {To a Soldier.}  Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so, by whom was it given and what has become of it?
{To an Officer}  Did you ever receive a commission, and if so, by whom was it signed, and what has become of it?
7.  State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity, and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution.
The Court will see that he answers to these questions are embodied in the declaration, and they are requested to annex their opinions of the truth of the statement of the applicant.
The applicant will further produce in Court, if the same can be done, in the opinion of the Court, without too much expense and inconvenience to him, two respectable persons- one of whom should be the nearest clergyman, if one lives in the immediate vicinity of such applicant, who can testify, from their acquaintance with him, that they believe he is of the age he represents, and that is reputed and believed in the neighborhood to have been a Revolutionary solder, and that they concur in that opinion.  If one of these persons is a Clergyman, the Court will so certify, and they will also certify, to the character and standing of other persons, giving such certificates.
The traditionary evidence of service is deemed very important, in the absence of any direct proof, except the declaration of the party.  And the Courts are requested to be very particular in the enquiry whether the belief is general, and whether any doubts have ever existed upon the subject.
Applicants unable to appear in Court by reason of bodily infirmity, may make the declaration before required, and submit to the examination, before a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record of the proper county, and the Judge or Justice will execute the duties, which the Court is herein requested to perform, and will also certify that the applicant cannot, from bodily infirmity, attend the Court.
Whenever any official act is required to be done by a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or by a Justice of the peace, the certificate of the Secretary of State or Territory, or of the proper Clerk of the Court or County, under his seal of office, will be annexed, stating that such person is a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or a Justice of the Peace, and that the signature annexed is his genuine signature.
No payments can be made on account of the services of any person, who may have died before the taking effect of the act of June 7, 1832; and in case of death subsequent thereto, and before the declaration herein required is made, the parties interested will transmit such evidence as they can procure, taken and authenticated before a Court of Record, showing the services of the deceased, the period of his death, the opinion of the neighborhood respecting such services, the title of the claimant, and the opinion of the Court upon the whole matter.
___________________________________
[a]  The declarant must appear in open Court, unless prevented from doing so by reason of bodily infirmity; in which case the declarant will follow the rule laid down for his guidance.
[b]  The declarant must make his declaration in the county where he resides.  If he should fail to do so, he must assign a sufficient reason for not conforming to the rule.
[c]  The age of the claimant must invariably be mentioned.
[d]  The declarant must mention the period or periods of the war when he served.
[e] Every continental officer or soldier must give the name of the Colonel under whom he served; otherwise a satisfactory examination of the claim cannot be had.  Every claimant must state, 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.  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 that 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."
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 that they served two years in the militia, 
 &c. without specifying the tours, the names of the officer, 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 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.
[f]  the law makes the relinquishment indispensable.
[g]  The opinion of the Court is always required.
[h]  The Clerk must give his certificate in every case.
[i]  the Clerk must affix his seal, and if it has no device or inscription by which it can be distinquished from any other seal, or if he has no public seal of office, the certificate of a Member of Congress, proving the official character and signature of the certify officer, should accompany the papers.
Mode of authenicating 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 papers 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.
Proof of Service.
[j]  In a case where the name of 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 claimant's 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.
 The notes from [a] to [i] are all equally applicable to the cases of Militia men, Volunteers, and State Troops.  The proof required by rule in note [j] applies to continental troops only.
[k]  This traditionary evidence is indispensable in militia cases.
[l]  If a witness cannot be found, the declarant must state the fact.
[m]  The answers to the interrogatories must all be written, and sent to the War Department, with the declaration.
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Wait Tucker
27 months
20590
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STATE OF VERMONT, RUTLAND COUNTY, ss }

On this 21 day of Nov. A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Judge of the Probate Court of Rutland  Des.  now sitting, Wait Tucker a resident of the County of Rutland and State of Vermont, aged 71 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 7, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.  
In 1777 he lived at Fairfield, Conn. & about the last of April or     of that year he enlisted for six months in Capt. Geddings; company, Lt    , in Col. Canfield's Reg. & marched to Horse Neck,  & served  there & along the land guarding the coast & was discharged at Horse Neck about the 1 Nov.  In May 1778 he thinks, he took the place of his brother who was drafted, & served six months in Capt. Munson's company, Lt. Tolls- he don't remember the names of his other officers- was stationed at New Haven to guard the coast & was discharged there in Nov. following.  In 1779 he was drafted for three months & marched to Milford in May & served out his time in Capt. Hyde's company Lt Tolls in guarding lines & was discharged at Milford in August.  In 1780,
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but knows of no record of his age, but he remembers it was recorded in his father Bible. He never received a written discharge & has no documentary evidence & knows of no person whose testimony he can procure
who can testify to his services, since the revolution he has lived in Rockingham, Chester, Orwell & Sudbury where he now lives - there is no clergyman residing in his neighborhood, but he is known to most of
the inhabitants.
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.

                 his 
              Wait Tucker 
               mark 
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
[signature] R.C. Royce Regt

We Henry Grant  residing in Sudbury and William Cork residing in the same place, hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with Wait Tucker who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 71 years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighbourhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
 [signature] Henry Grant [signature] Wm. Cook
Sworn and subscribed the
day and year aforesaid.
[signature]R.C. Royce Regt

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 Henry Grant who has signed the preceding
certificate, is a credible person resident in Sudbury by and that William Cook
who has also signed the same, is a resident in Sudbury and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Rodney C. Royce Reg
 of the Court of Probate do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Wait Tucker
for a Pension.
          In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 22 day of Nov.   A. D. 1883
 R.C. Royce Reg
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P
15681
INVALID.
-
File No. 15681
Wait Tucker
Pri Rev War

Act: June 7 " 32
Index: --Vol. 1, Page 381
[Arrangement of 1870.]
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Rutland 19th 16 May 1833
[illegible]
Enclosed are 3 [illegible] corrected & returned
Samuel Denton says he served as Private until
he was discharged by Col. Von in 1780 he thinks in the spring, but is not positive.
In the case of Israel Phillips, I have made
enquiries [inquires] of respectable people of the neighborhood, & finding the witnesses [illegible], have certified them as such.-
In the case of Wait Ricker he has found
proof of his tour of service & testifies that he
can find no more - I hope his claim may be
admitted without further proof
I am his respectfully
[illegible]
R. Temple
J. L. Edwards Esq
Comm [illegible]
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State of Vermont
Rutland [illegible]
On the 6th  day of May 1833 personally came
before the undersigned authority, which Wait Tucker, an applicant for a pension, who being duly sworn [illegible] before [illegible] that the name of his brother for whom he served as a substitute in 1778, was John Tucker - that the services performed by him in the year 1778-1779 & 1780, as detailed in his declaration of 21 Nov 1832, and performed at New Haven, Milford, & Guilford & along the land, to
guard the court & watch the [illegible] of the
enemy, and as there was no officer present
of a higher grade than captain, it is impossible
for him to state the names of his field officers
and he does not know whether the companies in which he served were attached to any Regt but there may have been field officers [illegible] if so, his memory being much impaired by age, he has forgotten them. He further says, that since he made his declaration he has made all the enquiries [inquires] he could to find some one [someone] who could testify to his services, but has been able to find none except Amos Years who is now present, to testify to his [illegible] vices in Vermont- and he is unable to go to
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Connecticut to look for testimony and he has been to long from [illegible][crossed out] there that he has lost almost all recollection of the persons he knew there, and does not know
to whom he could apply.
Sworn before me the day & year [illegible]
R Temple
Jus. Peace
State of Vermont
Rutland
On the 6th day of May 1833 personally
came before the undersigned authority, Amos
[illegible] of said County, a credible witness, who being duly sworn doth [illegible] that he was a soldier in Col. Fletcher Regt in 1781, & served at Carleton, Vt, and that the above named Wait Tucker was a soldier in said Regiment at the same time, or part of the time - he does not remember how long Wait Tucker served, but believes it was six months in Capt. Fi [illegible] Company
Sworn before me this day & year [illegible]
R. Temple
Jus Peace
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State of Vermont
Rutland (unintelligible character)

I Robert Peirperieh clerk of 
Rutland county court do certify,
that Robert Breeple (unintelligible) when the
pre(unintelligible) affidavits were taken, is 
a Justice of Peace for said County (unintelligible)
(unintelligible)and that his (unintelligible)
(unintelligible) is in his own hand writing
for testimony whereof I here(unintelligible series of words) 
affix the