Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 5515, James Hill, Mass.
Page 1

(3 - 1776 )
SERVICE
Mass.
CONTENTS
Hill, James
NUMBER
S. 5515
carded
Page 2

15.815
Massachusetts
James Hill

Middlesex in the State of
Massachusetts
[w]ho was a pr Sgt in the Company commande[d]
Captain Sprague of the Regt: commanded
Col Genish in the Mass ma
[illegible] for 15 mo 16 pr
6 " [mo] 3 dy Sgt

Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts
at the rate of 82 Dollars 04 Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 29 day of July
1833 and sent to
---
Joshua Prescott. Reading
=
Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 $164.08
[illegible]-amt. allowance ending 10 Sept - 40.02
=
$205.10

Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832.

Recorded by W. P. Williams Clerk
Book E Vol. 2 Page 34
Page 3

James Hill
26006
Sergt 6 Mo 3 days
Pri 15 "  16 
------------
21  17

50.
1.54
30.00
-------
82.04
Joshua Prescott
Reading
Mass

[illegible]
Page 4

[a printed form filled in with cursive, ink blotches throughout]

BRIEF in the case of James Hill
County of Middlesex in the State of Massachusetts
(Act 7th June 1832.)

1.  Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court
2.  If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3.  How old is he? 75
4.  State his service, as directed in the form annexed.

[ A table with Heads:] Period.; Duration of Service. Years, Months, Days.; Rank. As a; Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served. Gen.
[In another hand, some numbers below are added to the entries in the Duration of Service column. I've indicated these numbers with single quotes]
In 1775 19th April; Two weeks or more '14'; private; Capt. [Captain] J. Batchelder, Col. [Colonel] Bridge
1775, 1st June; '17' [?]; do [ditto]; Capt. [Captain] S. Sprague, Col. [Colonel] Gerish
1776, 1st Jany [January]; not stated precisely '3'; Mechanic; Capt. [Captain] Eddes
1776 Septr. [September]; '2'; private; Capt. [Captain] Belknap, Col. [Colonel] Brook
1778 Jany. [January]; '3'; do [ditto]; Capt. [Captain] Ford, Col. [Colonel] Gerish
1778 July; '6 3'; Sergeant; Capt. [Captain] Edgill, Col. [Colonel] Jacobs

5.  In what battles was he engaged? none
6.  Where did he reside when he entered the service? Middlesex Mass. [Massachusetts]
7.   Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditionary, Documentary + [and] Witnesses
8.  Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? They are not attached to the Clerk's Seal as required.

I CERTIFY that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.

Examining Clerk.
F. Waugh Feb. February. 13, 1833
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
County of Middlesex

On this eighth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three personally appeared in open Court before the Hon. [Honorable] Samuel P. N. Gray Esqr [Esquire] Judge of the Court of Probate now sitting at Cambridge in and for the County of Middlesex James Hill a resident of Stoneham in said County of Middlesex aforesaid and State of Massachusetts aged seventy five 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 AD 1832

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated (viz) [to wit]

That he in the fall of the year AD 1774 lived in Reading in said County of Middlesex and belonged to a Company of Minutemen commanded by Cap [Captain] John Bachelder of said Reading in Col [Colonel] Bridge's Regiment and under said Captain generally used to turn out with the company twice each week on drill, and on the nineteenth day of April 1775 he with his company was called out on an alarm occasioned by the British Troops marching to Lexington and Concord, and went with his Company to Lexington and arrived at that place as the British were on their return from Concord, whom they pursued to Charlestown thence they marched to Cambridge where they were stationed and there he remained doing duty in his company, till [until] the American Army was reinforced which he thinks was a fortnight or more & [and] then he was discharged.
Page 6

m7 [on side of this section] 
Secondly He further says that some time in May or first of
June next following if he remembers correctly he again
enlisted at Cambridge as a private in what was called
the eight months service in to the Company commanded
by Cap Samuel Sprague in Col Gerrish Regiment
then stationed at Cambridge, and would probably
have been in the battle of Bunker Hill had it not been
for the Cowardly conduct of Col. Gerrish, who was afterwards
tried for his unmilitary conduct on that
day and was broke. He says that he continued to
serve in said Company till the first day of January
A.D. 1776. When the term of his service for which he
engaged expired and he received a verbal or unwritten
discharge
m. 3 [on side of page] 
Thirdly, He further says that in the first or forepart of
January AD 1776 if he remembers correctly he again
enlisted at Cambridge into a Company Commanded
by Cap Edes for three months, he thinks, and in said
Company performed duty as a mechanic in creating 
Forts in Cambridge and Charlestown till about or
as he thinks a little after the British troops left
Boston which was on the seventeenth of March
A.D. 1776, and then he received a regular discharge
though not in writing, the time last mentions, he thinks,
was not far from, three months, this he thinks a little short.
2 m. [written on side of this section] 
Fourthly He says that in September next following AD 1776
about the Middle he thinks he enlisted for two 
months in to a company commanded by Cap
Belknap in Col Brooks Regiment and went to White
Plains N. York and there served as a [blank space] in
said company in scouting parties and otherwise
till past the middle of November following when
the term of service for which he and his company
engaged expired, and on the seventeenth day
of said November he and his company were
dismissed
m 3 [written on side of this section]
Fifthly, he says that he again enlisted at Reading in 
the first or forepart of January AD 1776 for three months
in the company commanded by Col. Ford and Col.
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Gerrish Regiment which was stationed at Cambridge in Fort or Barrack No. 2 and served (as a) in guarding Burgoyne's Troops during the whole of said term and then received a parole discharge.

Sixthly He further says that in June or first of July he again
enlisted for six months into the company commanded
by Col Edgell, in, if he remembers rightly, Col 
Jacob's Regiment and went to Rhode Island and
served in said company as a sergant during said
six months or a little more, he thinks, and then
received a discharge. The whole of his service which
he claims to amount to between twenty-one and twenty
two months. He further declares that he was born in
Reading in the County of Middlesex aforesaid on the
12th day of September AD 1757, supposes there is a
Record of his age on the town records in said Reading
that he lived in said Reading when called into service and continued to live there till after the 
Revolutionary war was over, and about forty 
years ago he removed into Stoneham where 
he now lives and has lived there ever since. That he was called into service as above stated and
served as above stated. --- The names of some of his
regular officers who were with the troops under whom he served and each continental Militia
Regiment as he can recollect and the general cir
cumstances of his service are as above stated. That
he never had a written discharge, - that John 
H Wrigh, Peter Hay, & Dennis Stevens [illegible] can
testify to his character for veracity and their 
belief of his service as a soldier of the Revolution.
He further says that there is no clergyman
in the town of Stoneham with whom he is 
acquainted, or who is acquainted with him
as he has been settled in the place but a few 
months and this he assigns as a reason for 
not providing one to certify for him.
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And he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on any Pension Roll of the agency of any state.
James Hill

Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.

(signed) L. P. Pray

We Daniel Burbank residing in Stoneham aforesaid and  Joshua Prescott Esq. residing in Reading near said Stoneham do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with James Hill who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration;  
that we believe him to be seventy five years of age; and 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.

(signed)
Daniel Burbank
Joshua Prescott

Subscribed and sworn to before (signed) L P Pray

And the said court namely declares its opinion after the investigation of the matter, and after putting this in terms [illegible] prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary solder and served as he states and the Court further certifies that Joshua Prescott, residing in Reading and Daniel Burbank, resident in said Stoneham and who signed the preceding certificate are credible persons and that their testimony is entitled to credit.

(signed) J. P. Pray 

I [illegible name] the register of the Court of Probate - in the County of Middlesex aforesaid do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of James Hill for a Pension. I also certify that Peter Hay & Joshua Prescott whose own proper [illegible] are set to the Depositions of Oliver Walton & Jonathan Master [illegible] annexed are Justices of the peace within said county of Middlesex
in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this eighth day of January AD 1823.
[signed] Isaac Fisher
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Commonweath of Massachusetts
Secretary's Office, December 21 1837.

I hereby certify, That, from an examination of the Books and Documents, relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears James Hill has served under the following Officers Viz

Terms of Service on Rolls not found Where Stationd
Captains Colonels When Entered Claims found

1 Capt Jon Bachellor, Bridge, 
1775 April 19 14 "14 days, 0 Cambridge

2 S Sprague Gerrish do June 2 7 2 4 4 26 ditto

3 Edes " 1776 January 3 0 0 3 ditto

4 Belknap Brooks do in the fall 2 0 0 0 2 White Plains

5 Ford Gerrish 1776 Janry 3 0 0 0 3 Fort No 2 on guard Cambridge

6 Ben Edgell Jacobs Ditto July 1 6 6 3 0 0 Rhode Island

It appears from Capt Edgell's Roll that James Hill was sergant for six months - 3 days do
21 14 8 21 17 26

Amount of whole time service as on on Rolls is Eight months & Twenty one days

[signed] Edward D Bany
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I Oliver Walton of the town of South Reading in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do depose and say that I enlisted as a common soldier in the Company Commanded by Capt. Samuel Sprague of Chelsea, in May 1775 and served in said company at Chelsea near Boston, in said Commonweath during the term of eight months and was then dismissed; and that I was well acquainted with James Hill then resident in  Reading, in said County, but now resident in Stoneham in said County, who did service in the same Company as a common soldier the same term of time.

[signed] Oliver Walton

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Middlesex, September the 4th day AD 1832 [illegible] personally appeared the above named Oliver Walton and made oath that the facts stated in the above deposition by him subscribed, are true, and I further certify that the said Oliver Walton is a Credible witness.

Before me, Peter Hay, Justice of the Peace
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Jona Weston's Depo. for James Hill

James Hill
26006
Page 12

I Jonathan Weston of Reading in the County of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts do depose and say that in the forepart of October AD 1776 I enlisted in said Reading as a private soldier for two months in the service of the United States in the Revolutionary War in the company commanded by Cap Belknap, in Col Brooks Regiment to go to White Plains in the state of New York and soon after my enlistment marched from said Reading to said White Plains with said company where our company were stationed and performed service in scouting parties and other uses during the whole of said two months During which time I was well acquainted with James Hill formerly resident in Reading aforesaid but now in Stoneham in the county of Middlesex who enlisted and performed in the same company aforesaid duty during the whole of said two months. I further say that in the forepart of January AD 1776 I engaged in the Revolutionary War as a Mechanic in the company commanded by Capt Edes then stationed at Cambridge and served in said company from said first of January till about 20th of March following and was discharged about the time the British troops left Boston. And I further say I well remember that the aforementioned James Hill was in the same company with me and therein served during the term I did or near that term of time but I believe not the whole and was then discharged And I further say that I enlisted in the winter of 1775 in January if I am not mistaken for the term of three months in the company commanded by Cap Ford and I believe in Col Gerrish regiment stationed at Fort No.2 in Cambridge
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and then served in guarding Burgoynes Troops during said three months and was then discharged and I further say that the aforesaid Hill was there and with me did and performed the same duty during the same time and was at the same time discharged.
September 1st 1832
[signed] Jonathan Weston

State of Massachusetts
County of Middlesex
on this 1st day of September AD 1832 personally appeared the aforenamed Jonathan Weston and made oath that the facts stated in foregoing Deposition by him subscribed were true.
Before me Joshua Prescott, Jus. Peace
I also certify that said Jonathan Weston is a very respectable man and that his testimony be entitled to full credit.
Joshua Prescott Jus. Peace
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55
Invalid.

File No. 5515

James Hill

Sergeant [illegible]

Act: ---

Index Vol. M, Page 172

arrangement of 1870