Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 8287, for Samuel Plumb, Connecticut
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SERVICE   Conn.
Plumb, Samuel
NUMBER  R. 8287
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Samuel Plumb's
Pension Papers
Application in Open Court
11612
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State of New York  
Oswego County }  ss - On this 24 day of September AD 1832 personally appeared before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Oswego Co. Samuel Plumb, a resident of Williamstown in the County of Oswego State of New York aged sixty eight years last July on the 3d day thereof who being 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 entered the services of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated. 
That he was born in the town of New London County of New London State of Connecticut in the year 1764 on the 3d day of July.   
That there is a record of his age in the office of the Town Clerk in the said Town of New London.
That in the year 1779 in the month of June of that year as he believes, he hired as a substitute for Darius Morgan of Norwich New London County State aforesaid for one month, that he joined the Company  at New London aforesaid under Capt Carew, and was Employed in building a fort on Town Hill. That he cannot State who was the Col. of the Regiment to which this company belonged, but that Jonathan Latimer was Colonel of Militia, that he remembers Col. Ledgiard and has a recollection of Col. McClarin but can not say that either of them
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was the Col of the Regiment to which his company belonged; that he was employed on said Fort for one month and then returned home to his fathers house.   
And that at the age of sixteen he was enrolled in the Company commanded by Richard Deshond of New London aforesaid; but he did not do duty in said Company, his father Green Plumb being at that time Barrack Master at New London & having, as he understood it a right to have an assistant or servant to help him; chose rather to employ this deponent as his assistant, and accordingly this deponent was so employed and was released by his said Captain.  That he was thus in the employment of the United States as servant for said Barrack Master upwards of two years.  That his business was to keep the tents in order, see that nothing was damaged and to mind, repair & see to tents, and that in the year ’81, Sept. 6. when the British appeared off at the mouth of New London Harbor then all, old and young men were called to arms; the Barrack Master said to him take your gun and accouterments and to the Court House where the people are collecting and the he went and joined Capt Richard DeShonds Company who marched us to the Fort on Town Hill.  The British began to fire and land their army driving all before them under the command of that traitor Arnold, they destroyed the Town shipping and Stores; my right hand man was killed, & left hand man was wounded; the British left after this
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the same day and he then returned home and that this was the termination of his services and that after the war he continued to reside in New London till he removed into the town of Lebanon in the County of Windham Conn. in 1793 and from thence removed to Warren County of Herkimer St. New York and from Warren to Williamstown Oswego where he now resides and has resided in Williamstown for 23 years past, that he has never received any written discharge. That he is well known in the neighborhood where he resides to Truman Gillet a clergyman living nearest to this deponent of any Clergyman (being in the same neighborhood) with whom he is acquainted and also to William Hempstead who also lives in the same neighborhood both of whom can testify to his character for truth & veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution.  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 that he knows of no witnesses living, who can testify to his services.  That he has taken some pains to find persons whom he knew when the said services were rendered but without success that he resides several hundred miles from the place when the services were rendered & people are scattered and dead.   
Samuel Plumb
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid 
D McPherson Dep Clk of Oswego Com Pleas
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We Truman Gillet, a Clergyman residing in the Town of Williamstown Owego County and William Hempstead residing in the same place hereby certify that we are acquainted with Samuel Plumb who has subscribed to the above declaration; that he believe him to be 65 years old as he states; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and performed the services as he has stated in his declaration and that we concur in that opinion.   
Truman Gillet
Wm. Hempsted
Sworn and subscribed the 24 day of September 1832 before me 
Abijah Towsley Jurate 
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 Truman Gillet who has signed the preceding certificate, is a Clergyman resident in the town of Williamstown and that William Hempsted who also has signed the same is a resident in the same town and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.   
Lovwell Johnson  
J Reynolds 
Saml Truman  Judges of said Court 
State of New York
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Court of Common Pleas in & for the said County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings in the matter of the application of Samuel Plumb for a pension and that Abijah Towsley by whose name is attached to the foregoing certificate signed by Truman Gillet & William Hempsted was on the day said certificate bears date one of the Justices of the peace in & for the said County, and that I am acquainted with the handwriting of the said Justice and verily believe his name subscribed to the said certificate to be his proper handwriting & signature 
Witness my hand & seal of office this 24th day of Sept 1832 
Eric Poor Clerk 
By D. McPherson Dep Clk
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Rev. War Section. 
October 4, 1919.
Hon. W. D. Boies, 
House of Representatives. 
My dear Mr. Boies: 
In reply to your letter of the third instant, I have the honor to advise you, that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, Rejected File No. 8287, it appears that Samuel Plumb, the son of Green Plumb, was born July 3, 1784, at New London, Connecticut and at that place, in June 1779, he joined Captain Carew's Company and served one month, being employed in building a fort on Town Hill. 
At the age of sixteen he became waiter or assistant to his father who was Barrack Master at New London and served upwards of two years, being engaged in keeping the tents in order.   
He also joined Captain Richard Deshon's Company, on September 6, 1781 and was in the battle at New London on that day. 
He lived in New London until 1793, when he moved to Lebanon, Connecticut, from thence he went to Warren, Herkimer County, New York and in 1809 he removed to Williamstown, Oswego County, New York, where he was living on September 24, 1832, when he applied for pension.
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His claim was not allowed, as the Act of June 7, 1832, under which he applied,  required six months actual military service and the duty under his father was not considered as such. 
There is no further data on file as to his family. 
The Revolutionary War records of this Bureau fail to afford information in regard to any Samuel Plumb, other than the above noted. 
Very truly yours, 
E. C. Tieman 
Acting Commissioner.
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Samuel Plumb 
New York 
Revo: Act 7 Jun 1832 
Rejected see letter to J Southworth Dec. 13th 1832, letter to same, July 19. 1833. Arad Joy, Oct 21. 1844 
8287
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Hon P B Plumb prior 
1- 10-1903. Hist to J. B. Mayberry San Antonio Texas. 
1919 Oct 4, West to the Hon W. D. Boies. 
8287 
Samuel Plump 
REJECTED
Service: 
Enlisted: 
Discharged: 
Application filed: 
The printed list of 1852 gives cause of rejection as "He did not serve six months”.
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James Southworth 
Dec. 15 ‘50 
OC 
Recorded Vol. 8 Page 148 
D164.
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War Dept Pension off 
Decr. 15 1832 
Sir
The claim of Samuel Plumb to a pension under the act of 7 June 1832 has been examined. He alleges 1 months military service & upwards of two years employment as an assistant or waiter  to his father who was Barrack Master. The act contemplates an actual military service performed under all the obligations of a Soldier in some branch of military duty.  As his employment by his father, whose office did not confer on him the power to make an enlistment, does not fall within the above description of the service for which the act provides.  His claim is rejected & his papers retained on file.
26 Sept 1832 
Recd 4 Decr 
Act 7 June 
James Southworth Esq 
Camden
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Arad Joy
Oct 21 / 44
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432  
Pension Office
October 21, 1844 
Sir
There has been no modification of the provisions of the law of June 7, 1832 since the claim of Samuel Plumb was rejected, and unless he can produce the certificate of the Comptroller of Connecticut that he served in an embodied corps for at least six months in field or Garrison, it will be useless to press his claim upon the attention of this office. 
Very Respectfully
Arad Joy Esq 
Ovid NY
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J. Southworth 
July 19. 1833 
G C 
Recorded Vol. 23 Page 193.
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War Dept Pension Office 
July 19. 1833 
Sir
The case of Samuel Plumb has been re-considered. The decision in his case cannot be reversed.
J Southworth, Esq 
Camden Oneida Co N. York
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[stamp] U.S. PENSION OFFICE G. OCT 4 1919
[stamp] LAW DIVISION RECEIVED OCT 4 1919
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W. D. BOIES 
15TH DIST. IOWA 
House of Representatives U.S.  
Washington, D. C. 
October 3, 1919. 
Commissioner of Pensions, 
Washington, D. C. 
Sir:
Will you kindly give me the military record of Samuel Plumb of the vicinity of Middleton, Conn., in the Revolutionary War. 
Respectfully, 
W. D. Boies
[stamp] U.S. PENSION OFFICE G OCT 4 1919
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Revolutionary Claim
Free
War Department
Pension Office
Washington City
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Camden Idaho N. York 
D. Sir
Mr Samuel Plumb whose application of a Pension was rejected last fall,  thinks there was not sufficient consideration and deliberation had on the subject before it was rejected.   
He has solicited me often to write again to your Department, but I have told him to write himself and here is enclosed his own letter.  He is an old man literate but well meaning and is much respected in his neighborhood for his blunt honest way of expressing himself.  The amount of what he says is that he served as waiter had rations allowed him was exempted from Military duty in consequence of his serving at the barracks and was as much in the Revolutionary War in his opinion as a man in the field of battle. I can not state his case better than to send his own statements.   The old man has no [unreadable], nor is his letter meant to contain any to any of the Department of the War office.   
July 10th 1833 Yours &c Jas Southworth
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P. M
I Red your opinion concerning any clame to a pension as you denied that my servises did not belong to the service of a soldier.  Theer you my claim you rejected was to be informed why one duty performed by one man in a war why a many in the same was duly though in a differant line & both belong to the article of war.  My duty was to strike the tents when the offercers & soldier left them because it was not safe to let them stand on account of the wether & that was not all their was ill minded men a plenty & bad enough to fier or cut them in pieces,  he moved his family early in the spring out in the Country for safety & they staid till late in the fall all that time I had to kook & do my work in helping him as stated in my same was not kald upon to do military duty nor was the other young lads had to do if their was not something
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That heard from me from that duty they would made me done duty their for they was very stract in catchin them as fast as they was sixteen years of for when they came the age of sixteen they was liabel to do all the duty above Stated.  I tawk with General Carr & other field offices which told me that a barrack marster rank with a left Lutenant & drawd the same pay & rashonds [rations] & was aloud a waiter, This much I can Say, I was took out of school for the same purpus the barrack master has been ded [dead] some 30 years.  I  should call when the first brother soldier but I had for me but have since lost it by Minnitemen & think & know that it belongs to me as much as any man on the earth eat & drink on the publick bounty.
 Saml Plumb
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Saml Plumb 
Act 32 N.Y. 
Rejected per J. L. Edwards 
I have seen proper authority constituting W. G. Wade the atty for claimant, - J Wilson 
Dec 29 ‘57 
Ex [examined] by Mr Wade Jan 15 57
S Plumb
J. L. Edwards Commr
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died March 9th ‘43 
82
12
1760
[unreadable] A Joy Sept 26th 
War Department Pension Office 
Dec 20th 1832 
Sir
The claim of Samuel Plumb to a pension under the Act of 7 June 1832, has been examined.  
He alleges one months military service, and upwards of two years employment as an assistant or waiter to his father, who was Barrack master. The act contemplates and actual military service performed under all the obligations of a soldier in some branch of military duty.   
As his employment by his father, whose office did not confer on him the power to make an enlistment, does not fall within the above description of the service for which the act provides, his claim is rejected and his papers retained on file. 
I am Respectfully Yr Obt Servt
J. L. Edwards
James Southworth Esq 
Camden Oneida Co. NY
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Hon J L. Edwards   
Commr of Pensions  
Washington D.C.
Arad Joy 
Oct 21 / 44
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Ovid Sept 30th 1844 
Hon J.L. Edwards
Comr of Pensions  
Dear Sir 
I beg leave respectfully to ask, if the law or regulations as to a pension in the case of Samuel Plumb, is less ridged [rigid] at this time, than when you replied to his case on 20th Dec 1832, a copy of which letter I have, or will the same decision now apply to his case.   I pray that I may be pardoned, of I have asked any thing out of the usual course, or contrary to your rules; may I be allowed to ask, if any further decision has been made in the case of Samuel Plumb, since the date of the letter referred to.   I submit these enquiries respectfully, after some hesitation whether I had a right to or not, my intention is right, but whether I have judged correctly or not you well best know.   I am Respectfully Your most Obt Servt
 Arad Joy