Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 15269, Christopher Crandall, Conn. R.I.
Page 1

(3-1776)
SERVICE
Conn.
R. I.
Crandall, Christopher
NUMBER
S. 15269
CONTENTS
Page 2

New York 20457
Christopher Crandall
Homer in the State of New York
who was a Private in the Compy commanded
by Captain Austin of the Regt commanded
by Col Gordon in the R. Island and Conn.
line for 12 months 
Died 19 May ‘33
Inscribed on the Roll of New York
At the rate of 40 Dollars -- Cents per ann
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 12 day of Sept
1833 and sent Wm. H. Shankland
Courtland Village N. Y.
Arrears to the 19 May 33 $88.33
$88.33
$88.33
{Revolutionary Claim,}
{Act June 7, 1832.}
Recorded by Jno Cromwell Clerk,
Book E Vol. 4 Page 52
Page 3

13,483
Christopher Crandall
Cortland N. Y.
12 mo. service
see letter 21 augt
4.5  p. 375
6 May 33
Suspended see letter Aug. 28 '33
Wm. H. Shankland
Cortland Village
New York
Page 4

13,483
BRIEF in the case of Christopher Crandall of Homer in the State of New York
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1.  Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge?  Open Court
2.  If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3.  How old is he?  80 years
4.  State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
Period. .
not stated in
Do [ditto]
about 1 March 1780
not stated
Duration of Service.
Years, Months, Days.
2 Months
best of his recollection 42 Days
6 Months
about 2 months
Rank.  As a
Private
Do
Do
Do
Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.
{Col. Ths. Gorton Reg -}Vol.
{Capt J Austins Co'y} Vol
Ditto      Do  Drafted
Col. Shelburn Regt Vols
Capt S. Clark Co  Drafted
3.  In what battles was he engaged?  none stated
6.  Where did he reside when he entered the service?  West Greenwich, R Island & afterwards in Plainfield, Connt.
7.  Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls?  only the traditionary evidence of two witnesses - Certified by the Court - to be credible
8.  Are the papers defective as to form or authentication?  and If so, in what respect?
not attached according to the regulations
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
E. Stephens
Examining Clerk.
Page 5

19 May
admd
12 mo pri
40$
Parmelia Crandall widow -
from 4 Mar. '31
to 19 May '33
Page 6

State of New York}
Cortland County ss}
On this Sixth day of September 1833, before me personally came Hannah Crandall and being duly sworn by me deposeth and Saith that she was well acquainted with Christopher Crandall of Homer in the County of Cortland, deceased.
And this deponent further Saith that said Christopher Crandall died on the ninteenth day of May last past at the town of Homer in the County aforesaid-
And this deponent further saith that she is also well acquainted with the Widow of said Christopher Crandall and that her name is Parmelia Crandall- this deponent is the Daughter in Law of said Christopher Crandall, and resides in the town of Homer in the County aforesaid
Hannah Crandal
Subscribed and Sworn before me}
W H Shankland Justice of the peace}
of Cortland County}
Septr. 6th} 
[Paragraph faded and unable to read]
W H Shankland J. P.
I Samuel Hotchkiss Jr Clerk of the County of Cortland, and the Court of
Page 7

Common Pleas in, and for said County, do hereby certify that William H Shankland is an acting Justice of the Peace of the County of Cortland, and that the signature "W H Shankland J. P." to the above certificate is his genuine Signature-
Witness my hand and Seal of Office this Sixth day of September in the year of Our Lord 1833
Saml. Hotchkiss Jr. Clk
Page 8

State of New York}
Cortland County ss}
Daniel Crandall being duly sworn doth depose & say that he resides in the town of Homer in the County of Cortland and State aforesaid and is aged fifty four years last March- deponent says he is the son of Christopher Crandall who has made application for a Pension on account of Revolutionary services.- deponent says that said Christopher Crandall died on the 19th day of May last past, which was prior to the information, that his papers had been returned from the War Department- This deponent says that he has often heard his said father speak of his having been a soldier in the American Army of the Revolution many years before a pension was thought of- that for many years previous to his said fathers death, he was very deaf so that [that crossed out] the means of information was, in a great degree shut out from him & deponent supposes that to be the reason why he could not hear of some persons by whom he could prove his services, and the reason also why he did not procure a Clergyman to swear to his credibility &c was, that the one with whom he was most acquainted & who lived nearest him had moved away when his father made his declaration and he could not therefore obtain his affidavit
Deponent says that said Christopher Crandall died poor, and left a Widow in poverty and without means of support- and that this deponent does not know of any person by whom he can prove the services of his said father,- Nor does this deponent know at what periods of the war his said father served, other than is set forth in the declaration of his said father-
But this deponent has understood from his said
Page 9

father, and also now understands from his said fathers sworn declaration that he was in the service as aforesaid for the period of one year three months and fifteen days
Daniel Crandall
I William H Shankland a Justice of the peace of the town of Cortland Village in the County of Cortland do hereby certify that on this fourth day of June 1833 before me personally came Daniel Crandall to me known & Subscribed and Swore to the above affidavit
And I do further certify that the said Daniel Crandall is a credible person & his statementa are entitled to full credit
William H Shankland
Justice of the Peace
I Samuel Hotchkiss Jr Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Cortland, and also County Clerk of said County, do hereby certify that the signature of William H Shankland to the above certificate is his genuine signature, and that he the said William H Shankland was at the time of making the same, a Justice of the Peace of Cortland County- and I do also certify that the annexed papers purporting to be the declaration of Christopher Crandall, are the genuine original papers touching the application of the said Christopher Crandall
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal of office this fourth day of June in the year orf our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three
Saml Hotchkiss Jr. Clk
Christopher Crandall Pension Papers
Page 10

Christopher Crandall,
Pension papers
13,483
Page 11

State of New York Cortland County ss
On this second day of October 1832, personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Cortland now sitting Christopher Crandall, a resident of the town of Homer in the county of Cortland and state of New York; aged eighty years, the fifth day of November last past; 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 & served as herein stated viz. He entered the service the first time for two months, and served under Capt. Jeremy or Jeremiah Austin, and that his Colonels name was Thomas Gorton, and that he was stationed with the company to which he belonged between old Providence and Pautucket, in the state of Rhode Island, & that he continued in the service at this time a few days over two months. That he was again called into the service by being drafted, to go to Newport in Rhode Island at the time at the time that place was attacked by the English. That Jeremy Austin was his Captain at this time also; & that he remained in this service six weeks, according to the best of his recollection. Applicant further says that he again entered the service about the first of March in the year 1780 under an enlistment for six months, that at this time he was residing at Plainfield in the state of Connecticut; that Samuel Hall of the same place was his Captain, and Col. Sherburn, or Shelburn (whose first name is forgotten) was his colonel, that he continued in the service from the first of March aforesaid, till a few days before or after the following Christmas; although
Page 12

his term of enlistment expired in the month of September previous. During this term of services, he marched with the company to which he belonged to West Point on the North River, in the state of New York, where he arrived a few days after General Arnold, had deserted to the British Army. He saw Major Andru of the British army executed at Orangtown, and was one of the sentinels who were stationed around the gallows on that occasion. Soon after the execution of Major Andru, applicant says he was marched down the North River, into the town of Princetown, in the state of New Jersey, and then remained stationed, until the soldiers went into winter quarters in the month of December, in the Highlands,, state of New York, where he remained, till he had assisted to erect barracks for the army to winter in, when he left the army about the 25th of September 1780. Applicant says he was afterwards he thinks in September or October 1787 drafted from the militia, to go to New London, at the time Arnold, after his desertion to the British Army, attacked that place with a part of the British Army. In this last campaign, he was under the command of Captain Stephen Clark and Ensign Wm Philips, and he remained in the service at this time about two months. That he entered the service, the first and third times as a volunteer, & the second & fourth times he was drafted. That he knew General George Washington by sight, while in the service; he also knew Col. Durgee & Col. Meigs or Megs, of the Continental Army & has often seen their regiments. He has no documentary evidence, nor does he now know of any person by whom he can prove his services in the army.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, & declares, that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
Page 13

And to the questions propounded to applicant, by the Court, he makes the following answers viz.
1st That he was born at South Kingston, in the state of Rhode Island, on the 5th day of November 1751.
2d That he has not now any record of his age, he had one in his family Bible, but the same is now worn out.
3d That he was living in the town of West Greenwich in the state of Rhode Island, when first called into service, & also the second time. That he was married & settled in the town of Plainfield in the state of Connecticut when he was called into service the two last times. Since the Revolutionary war he has lived in the town of Plainfield, & Voluntown, in the state of Connecticut until about the year 1809 & then he removed to the town of Homer county of Cortland & state of New York, where he now resides.
4th That he entered the service twice as a volunteer & twice as a drafted man as above stated. He was not a substitute for any one.
5th That he does not now recollect the names of any other officers of the regular army and militia than he has above stated & set forth.
6th That he received a written discharge from the service, when he left the army in the highlands the 3d time he was in the services, but has long since lost the same as he supposes, not having seen it for many years. The other times he received a parol discharge only.
7th That he is known to Christopher Congdon & Timothy Crosby, in his present neighbourhood, who can testify as to his character for truth & veracity, & their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution.
Christopher Crandall - X his mark

Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid before me in open court
Samuel Hotchkiss Clerk
Page 14

We Timothy Crosby residing in the town of [illegible] in the county of Cortland and Christopher  Congdon residing at the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Christopher Crandall, who has subscribed to, & sworn to the above declaration; that he believe him to be eighty years old, and upwards, that he is reputed & believed, in the neighbourhood, where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution, that such opinion is general & has been uniform among his neighbours & we concur heartily in the same opinion.
Christopher Congdon - X his mark
Timothy Crosby

Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.
Samuel Hotchkiss Jr. Clerk

And the said Court, do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, & after putting the interrogatories, prescribed by the war department; that the above mentioned applicant was a revolutionary soldier, & served as he states. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Timothy Crosby & Christopher Congdon who have signed the preceding certificate are residents in the neighbourhood of the applicant & are credible persons & their statements are entitled to full credit.
William Matteny
Andrew Dickson
Aaron Brown
Joseph Reynolds
Oliver Kingman
Judges of Cortland Common Pleas
Page 15

I Samuel Hotchkiss Jr. Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in & for the county of Cortland do certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Christopher Crandall for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 3d day of October AD 1832
Samuel Hotchkiss Jr. Clk
Page 16

From the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, S.15269, it appears that Christopher Crandall was born, November 5, 1751, at South Kingston, Rhode Island.
-2-
While residing at West Greenwich, Rhode Island, he served two months as a private in Captain Jeremy Austin's Company, Colonel Thomas Gorton's Rhode Island Regiment, and six weeks in Captain Jeremy Austin's Company, no dates of this service given.
While residing in Plainfield, Connecticut, he enlisted, March 1, 1780, and served to December, 1780, in Captain Samuel Hall's Company, Colonel Sheldon's Connecticut Regiment.  He enlisted in September, 1781, and served two months in Captain Stephen Clark's Connecticut Company.
He was allowed pension on his application executed October 2, 1832, at which time he was living in Homer, Cortland County, New York.
He died, May 19, 1833, at said Homer, leaving a widow, Parmelia, and a son, Daniel, who was born in March, 1779, and a daughter-in-law, Hannah.
There are no further data as to family.
The Revolutionary War records of this bureau fail to afford any information in regard to any Daniel Short.
Very truly yours,
E. W. MORGAN
Enclosures-1
-3-
Page 17

13,483
Brief objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Christopher Crandall which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides?
II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides?
III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so?
IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of war when he served? no
V. *Has he mentioned 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 amout of pension he is entitled? no
VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations?
VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832?
VIII. Has the Court given their opinion?
IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate?
X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal?
Applicant require to show the date of length of each tour & place, specifically.
Page 18

2
XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? no clergyman, but others
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? none
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had? No
XIV. +If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service? none
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses?
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct?
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service?
XVI. ++Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct?
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered?

Explanatory Notes.
*Quere V. 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 than 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.
Page 19

3
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 they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn 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.

+Quere XIV. Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the 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 claimants 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.

++Quere XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying office who authenticates the papers in not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper 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.
> In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.
Page 20

P 15269
Invalid.
File No. 15,269
Chrtopher Crandall
Priv. Rev. War
Act: June 7th 1832
Index: Vol. 1, Page 83
[Arrangement of 1870.]

1917 Jan 30 [illegible] to Henry Co. Tindall 2 aw
1929 Apr 6 [illegible] Carg. Richard Freeman for heirs Mary B. Bishop see cor. in Isaac Buck S. 382662 awy.
Page 21

New York
Revo:
Christopher Crandall
Suspended
let. W H Shankland
28 Augt. 1833
Act 7 June 32
Page 22

Fayette, Missouri
11 January, 1917.
Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington, D. C.,
Sir:
Kindly send me a copy of the pension application for Revolutionary service, of Christopher Crandall who was born in West Greenwich, R. I., 1752- died in Homer, N. Y., May 19, 1833.
The extent of his service is at this time, unknown, but he was a resident of West Greenwich, R. I., Stonington, Conn. and Homer, N. Y.
The name of the wife of Christopher Crandall is not stated, but his children
Page 23

were:  Christopher, Jr., born 1776; Daniel born 1779; Jabez; Polly Congdon; Asmath Pierce; Hannah Roswell; and Phoebe Buck.
Very truly yours,
Henry C. Tindall, Ⅱ.
Stamped:
U. S. PENSION OFFICE
D
15
1911
Page 24

Revolutionary War Records Section. 3-525
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions
Washington, D. C., ____,l 19__
S. 15269

In reply to your request of ____, received ____ for a statement of the military history of Christopher Crandall a soldier of the Revolutionary War, you will find below the desired information as contained in his application for pension on file in this Bureau.

Dates of Enlistment or Appointment. 
Length of Service. 2 mos.
Rank. Pvt
Officers under whom service was rendered. Captain Jeremy Austin, Colonel Thos Gorton
State. R.I.

Dates of Enlistment or Appointment.
Length of Service. 6 weeks
Rank.
Officers under whom service was rendered. Captain Jeremy Austin
State. R.I.

Dates of Enlistment or Appointment. Mar 1, 1780 to [illegible]
Length of Service.
Rank.
Officers under whom service was rendered. Captain Samuel Hill, Colonel Sheldon
State. Conn

Dates of Enlistment or Appointment. Sept. 1781
Length of Service. 2 mos
Rank.
Officers under whom service was rendered. Captain Stephen Clark, Colonel Sheldon
State. Conn

Battles engaged in,
Residence of soldier at enlistment, West Greenwich R.I.
Date of application for pension, Oct 2, 1832. [illegible] cl. was al.
Residence at date of application, Homer, Cortland Co. N.Y.
Age at date of application, born at South Kingston R.I. Nov. 5, 1751
Remarks: [illegible] [illegible] he resided in Plainfield Conn.
He died May 19, 1833 at Homer N.Y. leaving a widow Pamelia a son Daniel to use born in Mar 1779 and a daughter in law Hannah. No further data as to family.
Respectfully,
Commissioner
6-2858