Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S 22505, for William Shepard, Connecticut
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(2-1776)
SERVICE
Conn.
Shepard, William
NUMBER
S22505
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No 3429
Vermont
William Shepard
of Addison Co in the State of Vermont who as a private in the company commanded by Captain Buttolph of the Reg. commander by Col. Phelps in the Militia Con line for 2 years and 3 months.
Invited on the Roll of Vermont at the rate of 80 Dollars - Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued in the 21st of Dec. 1832 and sent to S. Swift Middleburg Vt
Anears to 4th of September 1832 120.00
Semi-anl allowance ending 4 March 1833 40.00
$160.00
Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832. 
Recorded by D. Brown Clerk,
Book. D Vol. 4 Page 84
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P 49.
W Miller
27 mos
$80
S. Swift
Middleburg 
Vt
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Brief in the case of William Shepard
of Addison County in the State of Vermont
Act 7 June, 1832
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge?
In the County Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he?
73 years
4. State his services as directed in the form annexed.
Period. Duration of Service. Rank. Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.
in 1779 June 2 Months as a private. Capt. Buttolph. as a substitue under Capt Curtis.  Col. Phelps for his father under Col. Phelps
1779 Dec 3 Months as a private  Capt. Buttolph. as a substitue under Capt Curtis.  Col. Phelps for his father under Col. Phelps
1780 Dec 51 years 10 months  Capt. Buttolph. as a substitue under Capt Curtis.  Col. Phelps for his father under Col. Phelps
5. In what battles was he engaged?
None Mentioned
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service?
Vinesbery, Hartford County, Connecticut
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls?
One living witness proves the first and last services
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?
Correct
x Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
J. M. Duffield Examining Clerk.
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Case of No 1238
William Shepard
Application for pension
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State of Vermont on the 24th day of July 1832 Addison County. Personally appeared in open court before the highs of Addison County Court now setting William Shepard a resident of Panton in the county of Addison in the State of Vermont age of seventy three years and upwards who having first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath mark the follow declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he entered the Service of the United States under the following named offices and stated herein [undreadable] that in the spring of 1777 at Simsbury in the county of Harford and State of Connecticut he the said William Shepard enlisted into the Capt Martin Ruds Company of the Militia of Connecticut as a minuet man and that soon after his said enlistment he marched from Simsbury aforesaid in order to go to West Point and went as far as Dover in the State of New York and there had orders to return and that he did return home to Simsbury aforesaid and was put on said tour according to the best of his recollection eleven or twelve days and that in the summer of 1778 according to his best recollection he marched from Simsbury aforesaid in Capt Martin Ruds company as aforesaid to New Haven in Connecticut and arrived at New Haven about the time the British left that place and was there a few days and was headed back to Simsbury aforesaid where he returned with said company and that he was out on said tour about fourteen or fifteen days according to the best recollection
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and that in the summer of 1779 he was called on to go to Fawfield and Norwalk in Connecticut under Capt Osias Petibone and that before the company arrived at the aforesaid place said company was [unreadable] bank the money having burned and [unreadable] place was out in said tour about seven days according to the best of his recollection and that which [unreadable] during the time he was enlisted as a minuet man as aforesaid that he was called out at various times to the
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under Philips for the term of three years in the Connecticut line and was mustered at Simsbury aforesaid and marched to Litchfield in Connecticut to guard the magazine under Lieut Ezra Smith in Colo John Dengey Regiment.  and in September following in the year 1781. that he was taken sick and was unable to do duty as a soldier and continued until October 1782.  at which time on the account of his ill health he was honourably discharged by Colo Dengey  which discharge he has lost.  That he has no written discharge nor documentary evidence that he resided at Simsbury aforsd. at the time of his service as aforsd. that he moved from Simsbury aforsd. to Panton aforesaid where he now resides and has resided there the principle time for the space of forty four years past-  He hereby relinquishes his 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
William Shepard
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforsd.
Saml. Swift Clerk' 
Note:  The last paragraph is written so small as to be only partially legible.
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And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after
investigation of the matter, and after pulling 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 Sylvanus Chapin
who has signed the presiding certificate is a clergyman
residing in Addison, adjoining said Town of Panton
and that Truman Grandy who has also signed
the same is a resident in said Town of Panton
is a credible person, and that that statement is entitled 
to credit. And the Court further certifies, the Samuel
Shepard, whose affidavit is annexed is a
respectability, and a credible witness.
Saml Swift Clerk
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State of Vermont}
Addison County ss.}
I Samuel Shepard of Panton in the County of Addison and State Vermont aged Sixty four years and upward do testify upon and say that I am acquainted with William Shepard of Panton aforsd and who has this 24th day of July 1832 made his declaration in order to obtain a pension under the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832 that he the said William Shepard is a Brother of mine- and older than myself that he lived during the Revolutionary War at Simsbury in the County of Hartford in the State of Connecticut- and that I was knowing he my Brother William Shepards enlisting as a minute man at Simsbury aforsd. in the year 1777 according to the best of his recollection and that he well recollects of the said William Shepard being called on to go to West Point and recollects of his going- and also recollects of his going to Newhaven in Connecticut  in 1778.  and so doing to his best recollection, and also that the said William Shepard in 1779. was ordered to go to Fairfield and Norwalk in Connecticut as a soldier in the service of the United States but the exact length of time the said William was out on the aforsd. tours he the said Sam Shepard does not recollect- and that in the year 1779. according to his best recollection- the said William Shepard entered for the term of eight weeks according to his best recollection and said term and well
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recollects of his living as he then said at Horse neck and also recollects than ^on or about the year 1779 that his Brother William Shepard served as a substitute for his father William Sheperd the term of three months at Greenfield in Connecticut- and that in 1780 he the said William Shepard enlisted by Colo Noah Phelps for the term of three years in the Continental or Connecticut line and that he left home at Simsbury in Connecticut to go into the army and that as I then understood he was attached to Colo Dupry [Dupree] Regiment- and that some months after his going into the service as aforsd. the said William returned home unwell and should think he was about on sd. tour ten or eleven months and that he continued unwell about some year and was then discharged- and have frequently from his discharge- Then the said William Shepard now resides in Penton in the County of Addison and State of Vermont and has resided there ^the principal part of the time for forty three years past- and believes the sd. William to be seventy three years of age
Saml. Shepherd
Sworn and subscribed this 24" day of July 1832.
Before me
Saml. Swift Clerk
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I, Samuel Swift Clerk of the County Court for the County of Addison in the State of Vermont, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of William Shepard for a pension
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 25th day of July 1832
Saml. Swift Clerk
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REVOLUTIONARY WAR RECORDS SECTION.
3—525
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS.
S. F. 22.505 
Washington, D. C., ........................., 19......
In reply to your request of ............................., received ....................... for a statement of the military history of William Shepard a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his (or his widow's) application for pension on file in this Bureau.
DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT.
LENGTH OF SERVICE.
Spring 1777  11" 12 days
Summer 1778  14" 15 days
Summer 1779  7 days
June or July 1779  8 weeks
Dec. 1779  3 mos
Dec. 1 1780  Oct. 1782
RANK.
[Blank]
OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED.
CAPTAIN.
Martin Reed
Martin Reed
Ozias Pettibone
{Jonathan Buttolph
{Jonathan Case 
Curtis
COLONEL.
Noah Phelps
{Noah Phelps
{John Durkee
STATE.
Conn.
Battles engaged in,.................................................
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Simsbury, Conn.
Date of application for pension, July 24, 1832.  His cl. was al.
Residence at date of application, Panton, Addison Co. Vt.
Age at date of application, {born Oct. 3, 1758 - place not stated died Mch. 25, 1836} from A.B
It is not stated whether he had a wife or children.
Respectfully,
Commissioner.
Father Wm Shepard
Brother Samuel
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Revolution
22505
INVALID.
File No. 22,505
William Shepard
Pri Rev War
Act:  June 7" 32"
Index:—Vol. 2, Page 363
[Arrangement of 1870.]
Mch. 15-1901
Mrs. Mina A. Shephard
Walton N,Y.
1921 Sept. 12 Hist to Mrs. Charles O. Norton
1925 May 26 - Mrs. Chas. O. Norton inf. not same Hist twice         awf
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(For pension office)
Hon. Secretary of War
City of Washing[ton]
Dec. 15

Stamped
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Please direct to the son of Saml. Swift
Middlebury Vermont
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William Shepard.
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State of Vermont, District of Addison} on this 8th day of November 1832, personally appeared before the Probate Court for the said District of Addison being a Court of record, in open Court, William Shepard residing in Panton in the County of Addison, aged seventy four years, the 3rd day of October last, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in addition to explanation of his declaration made before the County Case for the County of Addison, on the 24th day of July 1833, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832: That he is not able to [illegible] with perfect exactness the length of time to perform service in the Revolutionary War in [illegible] but that in stating the length of service hereafter mentioned in this declaration, he states the lowest possible periods, and is willing to say under oath, that he served the full periods stated: - The first service mentioned in 1777, was eleven days [underlined]:  The service in 1778 fourteen [underlined] days: - The service in the summer of 1779, seven days [underlined]: - The time he was employed in drilling, as mentioned in his declaration, when not in actual service, thirty days [underlined] - The service in Capt. Jonathan Case's company, Colonel Phelps regiment, was eight weeks [underlined], - the period for which he enlisted. - The service in Capt. Castro's Company, as a substitute for his father, three months [underlined]: - That under his enlistment in December 1780 in Colonel Sarkin's regiment, he continued in his service and in health until the month of September 1781, when he was taken sick, and being unable to perform active service he received a furlough, to return home during his illness, and he remained at home several weeks, and returned to the arm, at Litchfield, before his health was finally [illegible], and continued with the army until the last of October 1782; but he was in the service from the first of December 1780 to the last of October 1782, one year & eleven months. - wanting not more than ten days. - That he marched from Leonsburg on the 8th day of December 1780, and had enlisted two or three days before that. - That he is not able to recollect the exact time he was absent from the army on his furlough; but while absent, his physician's bills were paid by the government, the same as when with the army, and
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he was paid, on his discharge, for the above mentioned period of one year & eleven months, wanting a very few days:- That he was discharged the last of October 1782, because his health was not sufficiently restored to perform service- That he applied for a pension under the acts of 1818 & 1820, about two years ago, and has been continually making inquiry for testimony to prove his service, and has not been able to find, and does not know of any person living who can testify as to his service except his brother Samuel Shepard, whose affidavit is annexed.-
Wm Shepard
Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid,
Saml. Swift, Judge
I, Samuel Shepard, of Panton in the County of Addison & State of Vermont, being duly sworn depose & say, in explanation of my affidavit made before the County Court for said County of Addison, on the 24th day of July 1832, that the said affidavit was made out by the Attorney in a great hurry and on examination find it less explicit than I supposed, in relation to the service of my brother William Shepard, under his enlistment, in December 1780.- I therefore now say, that I recollect he enlisted the fore part of December 1780, and I understood he enlisted for three years, and served at Litchfield Connecticut, in a regiment commanded by Colonel John Durkee, in a company commanded by Lieut. Ezra Smith- that after he had been in the service ten or eleven months, he returned home on a furlough, on account of his being sick;- the furlough I saw, and it was signed by Ezra Smith, Lieutenant:- He remained at home, I now think, one or two months, and then returned to the army:- He continued still unwell, & I think before his discharge returned home again remained at home a few weeks more;- He remained in the service about one year after he was first taken sick, & was discharged, on account of his ill health.  I should think from my present recollection, that from the time of his enlistment to the time
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of his discharge, it was not less than one year ten months, and perhaps longer;- and the whole time, I know he was treated and considered as in the service, and received his pay for the whole time.-  The sickness was contracted in the army, and was occasioned by his service;- when he first returned home, he had had an attack of the pleurisy,- and afterwards appeared to be consumptive, and he continued sick, so as to be unable to perform a day's work for a year after his discharge;- and has never since wholly recovered from the effects of that sickness.  His discharge was signed by Colonel John Durkee;- and it was for some years in my possession, after I kept house. 
Saml. Shepard
December 1832
Saml. Swift,
 Judge.-
And the said Court hereby certifies that Samuel Shepard, who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing affidavit is a man of respectability, and a credible witness.-
Saml. Swift, Judge.
I Harvey Bell, Register of the Probate Court for the District of Addison in the State of Vermont, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court on the matter of the application of William Shepard for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court this 
5th day of December 1832
Harvey Bell Register
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OW&N
E C L
[Stamp reading O. W. & N. DIVISION FEB 21 1901 RECEIVED.]
[obscured by stamp], Del. Co., N. Y.
Feb. 15, 1901.
Com of Pensions,
Washington, D. D.
Dear Sir:
Can you give me any information about Caleb Scott [underlined] who served in the Revolutionary War?  I think he then lived in Litchfield Co. Conn.  He moved about 1808 out to Franklin, Del. Co., N. Y>  He died there about 1832 or 3.
I think that he received a pension for several years before he died.
Can you also tell me about Wm. Shepard who served in the Revolutionary
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War.  He enlisted I think from Mass.  He lived for many years at Panton, Vermont.  He received a pension while living there.
There is still another ancestor that I should like to know about.  His name was Webb [underlined].  I do not know his first name.  The following story has been handed down about him.  He was once aid-de-camp to an American general.  This general one time when drunk made this Webb so angry that he went over to the British.  He soon after repented and went back to the Americans.  After a time he was
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taken prisoner by the Indians and was kept as such for nine months.  He finally got away and fought again with the colonists and was finally made I think a colonel.
I think that he also enlisted from Mass.
I have given you what little knowledge I have of these three men.  If you can tell me anything about them, or how I can get any information about them, I shall be very grateful.
Yours truly,
Mina A Shepard
Walton 
N.Y.
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Stamped:
PENSION OFFICE
US
FEB 19 1901
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MRS. CHAS. O. NORTON
KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
Aug 12, 1921-
U. S. Pension Department.
Washington,  D. C. -
Dear Sirs;-
WILLIAM SHEPARD- Was granted a PENSION- for REV WAR SERVICE- Dec 21, 1832- ae 75 years.  so born abt 1757-- Resided at that time in Addison County- Vermont-
Will you kindly send me- the data- relative- to place and date of birth- Date of death- name of wife- names of children and all personal data- you may be able- and at early date- and greatly oblige-
Yours very sincerely.-
L. G. Norton
(Mrs. Charles Oliver Norton.)
Stamped:
CHIEF'S DESK 
RECORD DIVISION AUG 17 1921
U. S. BUREAU OF PENSIONS

Stamped:
PENSION U. S. OFFICE
D
AIG 15 1921
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MRS. CHAS. O. NORTON
KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
March 23, 1825-
PENSION BUREAU.
Department of the Interior.
Washington.  D. C.-
Dear Sirs;-
Please advise me - if - PENSIONS for REVOLUTIONARY WAR SERVICE, were granted to 
WILLIAM FINN, Sr-
WILLIAM FINN- Jr-
PETER BAILEY TEARCE - OR TIERCE?
ALL of NEW YORK STATE- ?
{And- WILLIAM SHEPHERD- of VERGENNES, {VERMONT?
{or to any man by name SHEPHERD- or {SHEPARD- of Vergennes, Vt ?
Your early response, will be appreciated.
Yours very truly.-
Mrs. Chas. O. Norton

Stamped:  PENSION OFFICE U. S.
L MAR 26 1925
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awf
Rev. and 1812
War Section.
May 20, 1925
Wm. Shepard
S. 22505
Mrs. Charles O. Norton
Kearney,
Nebr.
Madam:
I have to advise you that you are furnished September 12, 1921 the history of the only William Shepard (all spellings of that name searched) from Addison County, Vermont, found on the Revolutionary War records of this Bureau.
Owing to lack of clerical force available for such purpose, it is not the practice of the Bureau to send the same history twice to the same person.
The Revolutionary War records of this Bureau fail to afford any information in regard to any William Finn, Peter Bailey Tearce, Peter Tearce of Bailey Tearce, under any spelling of these names.
Respectfully,
WILDER S. METCALF
Commissioner.