Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 21772, Isaac Barker, [BLANK]
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(3-1776)
SERVICE
[blank]
Barker, Isaac
Wealthy
NUMBER
R. 21772
Rhode Island residence
CONTENTS
[blank]
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Application of Isaac Barker
27597
Dec'r 30 1833
Ref'd to Comm on Rev. Pensions
These papers to accompany the Bill & Report, made thereon
Feb'y 4th 1834
Bill reported No. 278
Dec'r 29 1835
Ref to the Committee on Rev. Pensions - 
Jan 28 1836 Bill No. 249
Dec'r 11 1837 - Ref. to Com on Rev. Pensions,
Dec'r 28 1837 Bill No 250
See on the other side
Hon. D. Y. Pearce H. R.
[crossed through: Benj'n Cowell Providence]
10 Rev. Pens
[notes on the left side of page]
Wealthy Barker
widow of 
Isaac Barker
Jan'y 4 1840
Ref'd (under resolution)
to Com'ee Rev. Pensions
Mar 5 1840
Bill - 142
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Rhode Island District
County of Newport sc.
On this 15th day of October AD 1833 personally appeared in open court being the District Court of the United States within & for said District Isaac Barker of Middletown in said County & District aged 81 years who being first duly sworn doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. He entered the War of the Revolution & served as follows - 
In answer to the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department in such cases he answers & says to the 1st - He says he was [born] in said Middletown May 21 1752.
2nd. His birth is recorded in the town Clerk's office in said Middletown & also in his fathers family Bible.
3rd. He was living in said Middletown when he was called into service & has always lived there since the War & he now lives there - 
4th. He Volunteered
[continued]
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5th. General Cornell General Gates & Lieutenant Chaffee were the officers he was under - 
6. He never received any written discharge.
7th - His present neighbors are - Gideon Barker, Ichabod Simmons -
and the applicant further says that in August 1778 he entered the service of the United [States] in the following manner. A Line of Communication was established between the Island of Rhode Island & the main land by means of Boats & Telegraphic signals. This was under the direction of Lieutenant Chaffee & General Gates, who succeeded General Sullivan, and this applicant - In December 1776 the British took possession of Rhode Island on which situated the towns of Newport Portsmouth and Middletown. This applicant lived on his farm in said Middletown about three miles & a half from said Newport at the time. Immediately after the invasion all Communication with the main land was cut off by the British - and the most rigorous measures taken to
[continued]
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prevent the inhabitants from giving any intelligence of the movements of their Troops - In April or May 1778, a Regiment of their army was stationed near farm of the applicant & remained there some time. The British officers told this applicant, that the object of this was "to hunt up the rebels" - But notwithstand all this applicant being ^been^ permitted to remain on his farm maintained a constant line of Communication with the American Army on the main land by means of certain signals mutually agreed upon between him & the said Chaffee. A plot of the land & beach is hereto annexed - the signals were a "Stake & a Crutch & a Stone Wall" & by thence was all information given. Near North Point, was the "Post Office" or the place of deposit as marked on the plot - here upon a given signal was given and received enemy information from the [crossed through: American Army] said Chaffee that was necessary - By means of this, this applicant kept the said Chaffee advised of every thing he heard & saw or understood respecting the British, a service which
[continued]
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was acknowledged by General Gates to have been of very great importance. And this applicant says, that he continued in this service 14 months from August 1778 without intercession - This Applicants farm was near the "Stone wall" which was about a mile from the shore and was in plain sight of the American Army stationed on the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay in [crossed through: Tiverton] Little Compton and this Applicant by means of these signals gave them almost daily intelligence of what was passing in the British Camp. - Had he been discovered he would have lost his life but fortunately [words crossed out] he escaped detection - and the Applicant says that he has no documentary evidence of his services - but he herewith offers the evidence of Gideon Barker Nicholas Ward - & also the evidence of Hon [Duter?] J. Pearce & the Hon William Hunter who can testify in his behalf
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He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension & declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any State.
[signature] Isaac Barker
October 15 1833
Sworn to in open Court
B. Cowell Clk
Nicholas Ward of [Portsmouth crossed out] Newport in the County of Newport being 73 years of age on oath do testify and say that I am well acquainted with Isaac Barker who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration & have known him ever since the War. - I have always understood that said Barker served his Country as stated in his said declaration & have frequently seen the "Stone Wall" & the Post Office or depository. It was a very useful service and very hazardous - 
[signature] Nicholas Ward
Newport Oct 15 1833
Sworn to before Benja Cowell
[illegible] of said Court
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I Gideon Barker of Middletown in the County of Newport being now 82 years on oath do testify and say, that I am well acquainted with Isaac Barker who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration, I also knew of the service which said Isaac has stated in his declaration, & was among the few who was let into the secret the said Isaac served as he has stated. It was at the time considered to be very valuable & hazardous service
[signature] Gideon Barker
Oct 15 1833 - Sworn to before Benja Cowell
Comm of said Court
I William Hunter of said Newport also certify and say that I am well acquainted with the said Isaac Barker who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration he is now 81 years of age, & I have no doubt he served as he has stated. He is a man of truth & respectability in said Middletown - I have heard  often [illegible] their last forty years of his said services & he always spoke of them himself as he has stated in his declaration
[signature] William Hunter
Oct 15 1833 Sworn to before me
Benja Cowell Commiss of said Court
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Dutec J Pearce maketh oath that he is well acquainted with Isaac Barker who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration that he is about 82 years of age & that it is understood & believed in the neighborhood where he resides that he performed the services as stated - and he the said Pearce further certifies that many years ago he had heard others said Barker had performed them. The said Barker is a man of truth & veracity & his statement is entitled to credit.
[signature] Dutec Pearce
Newport October 15th 1833
Sworn to before me
Benja Cowell
Commissioner Dist Court R Island Dist
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after investigation and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier
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and performed as he states and the said Court further certifies that Nicholas Ward Gideon Barker William Hunter & Dutec J Pearce who have severally signed the preceding certificates are credible witnesses & their statements entitled to the fullest credit
I Benjamin Cowell Clerk of said Court do hereby certify that the forgoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Isaac Barker for a pension
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the Seal of said Court this 16th day of October AD 1833
Benjamin Cowell Clk
[seal stamped to the left]
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[Map by Isaac Barker of the area of Aquidneck Island (Rhode Island) identifying the location of the spot where intelligence information was left for the Americans]
[Scale (1-17) at top of map identifies the stone wall and North and South Bar Ways with a drawing of a tree in the center of the scale]
A description of the line of stone wall used for signals to give information to the Americans at Seconet of what was doing in the British Camp on Rhode Island (the signals were a Stake and a Crutch)
This wall was more than a mile from Smiths Beach and more than a mile and a half from the Stone Post Office - 
Samuel Barker and Isaac Barker began this task in August 1778 when Gen Sullivan retreated and continued it until the British Troops left Rhode Island - 
[Drawn map of the body of water and shore line with locations identified: North Pont, Smith's Beach and Post Office a large flat stone]
In Newport October Term of the District Court 1833 presented in open Court by said Isaac Barker. October 15, 1833 & to be attached to his application for pension.
B Cowell Clk
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Jan 20 1834
File with papers of
Isaac Barker
Rev. Pensions
[illegible] 13. Rev. Pens
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William Wilkinson of Providence R. I. on Oath testifies that in the War of the Revolution he served as Clerk or Secretary to General Cornell who commanded at Tiverton from March 1779 to March 1780. The British Troops took possession of the Island of Rhode Island Dec'r. 6. 1776 and evacuated it towards the end of October 1779.
During the Summer of 1779 the Deponent most perfectly recollects that a Lieutenant Seth Chapin who he believes belonged to the Massachusetts Continental Line was stationed or rather resided at Little Compton apparently without business or object. He was frequently at Gen'l Cornells Quarters and often wrote letters giving Intelligence from the Island and as he Lt. Chapin wrote badly and spelled worse it was generally Deponents province to read them of course he was fully acquainted with the whole transaction Lt Chapin used at proper seasons to visit the Shore of the Island where he found deposited under a flat stone Letters of Intelligence. He was also informed by the  erection of Shaky Rails or other signals of all Ships whether armed or not which arrived or sailed and was employed in this manner during the Summer. Deponent had no knowledge who the person was that gave the Intelligence - it was a profound secret. He further states that he had no knowledge of or acquaintance with Isaac Barker of Middletown until some years after the Revolution but has known him well for thirty years, last part as a member of the State
[continued]
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Legislature and in other ways and believes that said Barker is entitled to full credit and confidence in his assertions. He further states that he is well acquainted with the residence of said Barker and that it is situated at the very point from whence the Intelligence was derived
Deponent further states that he has never conversed with said Barker on the subject having had no knowledge that he was the Person who gave the Intelligence.
[signature] William Wilkinson
Sworn to this 11th of January A.D. 1834 by the above named William Wilkinson a credible witness before me
John Pitman
District Judge U. S. for Rhode Island Dist't.
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State of New York
Chautauqua County ss. }
Hezekiah Barker, a native of Middletown, Rhode Island, now of Pomfret in the County of Chautauqua aforesaid, aged 76 years, being sworn, says, that from his earliest recollections, he has been acquainted with Isaac Barker of Middletown aforesaid - That said Isaac is now more than Eighty years of age - That whilst the British had possession of Rhode Island in the War of the Revolution, the said Isaac & this Deponent served together in said war, under the Orders and direction of Gen. Sullivan in watching the position of the enemy in ascertaining their numbers, and doing other things in relation thereto, and making reports thereof to Gen. Sullivan - And this Deponent further says that to his certain knowledge, the said Isaac did perform at least fourteen months of faithful service under the orders and directions of Gen. Sullivan as aforesaid.
[signature] Hezekiah Barker
Sworn before me, the Subscriber, a Justice of the Peace for Chautauqua County, N. Y. Nov'r 20th 1833
[signature] Jacob Houghton, J. P.
I, Jacob Houghton, the above named Justice, do hereby Certify that I have been acquainted with the above named Hezekiah Barker, for more than twenty years - And I further Certify that he is a man of truth and veracity, and respectable in Society - 
Dated November 20th 1833 - 
[signature] Jacob Houghton, J. P.
House of Reps. Dec. 30 1833
I certify that Jacob Houghton at the time of taking the above affidavit was a Justice of the Peace for the County of Chautauqua, state of New York - that I am acquainted with the hand writing of said Houghton and that the
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foregoing affidavit and certificates are in the genuine handwriting of said Houghton - 
[signature] Abner Hazeltine
Member of the H. from New York.
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State of New York
Chautauqua County ss.
I James B Lowry Clerk of the Said Court of Chautauqua Co hereby Certify that Jacob Houghton Esqr. before whom the within affidavit purports to have been sworn, was at the date of said Affidavit, & the Certificate, an acting Justice of the Peace, in & for said County and that his name subscribed to the said Certificate & to the [illegible] of said affidavit is genuine - 
In testimony whereof I have hereunto Set my name & affixed the Seal of said County this thirtieth day of November 1833 - 
James B Lowry Clerk
[seal stamped at left]
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[SENATE.]
26th Congress,
1st Session.
[551]
HR 142
IN SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.
June 11, 1840.
Submitted and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Pierce made the following
REPORT:
[To accompany bill H. R. No. 142.]
The Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred "An act for the relief of Wealthy Barker, widow of (Isaac) Barker, deceased," report:
It appears, from an examination of this case, that the husband, living on his farm in Middletown, Rhode Island, while the British were in possession of that State in the revolutionary war, rendered useful service by conveying intelligence of their movements to the American officers by means of concerted signals; but the service was not of a military character. It was performed under no military obligations, and did not, as is acknowledged, interfere with the ordinary occupations of his farm; and does not come within the spirit and equity of the pension laws.
The committee recommend the indefinite postponement of the bill.
Blair & Rives, printers.
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(3-223.) Revy.
No. 21772
[blank], Ex'r. Rejected
Old War Invalid.
Isaac Baker [Barker] of RI
Vol'r of Signals to Army
Service: Rev'y
Enlisted: [blank], 18[blank],
Discharged: [blank], 18[blank],
Application filed: [blank], 18[blank],
Alleges: [blank]
Re-enlisted: [blank]
Attorney: [blank]
P.O. 302
1916 June 28. (2 pages) photostat copies of map furnished Miss Grace M. Pierce
Columbia Apt. Wash. D.C. (see receipt for payment in Brock Crosby. N. Y. S.10505)