Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 40,915, for Benjamin Lamb, Connecticut
Page 1

Service                                                Number

Conn.              Lamb, Benjamin          S.40.915
Mass.
Page 2

                     19,836

Vermont
_______________--
Benjamin Lamb

of Bennington Co in the State of Vermont
who was a private in the Comy commanded by Captain Elderkin of the regiment commanded by Colonel Swift in the Connecticut
line for the term of three years 
from January 1777 to October 1770

               _____ ________________________
Inscribed on the Roll of Vermont 
at the rate of 8 Dollars per month, to commence on the 21 day of November 1827.
                                                                   
             ____________________________
Certificate of Pension issued the 30th of Nov 1827 and Sent to S. Swift, Esq
                    Manchester Vt.
            __________________________ 
Arrears to 4th March 1828         $ 27.69 
 Semi-anl. all'ce ending             ________
                                                   $ 27.69  
                                                  _________ 

                                 {Revolutionary Claim
                                  Acts March, 18, 1818, 
                                  and May 1, 1820.}
Page 3

                         Benjamin Lamb
                         application for pension
                         under the act of 18th March 1818
                                      _____   _____
                                                               Private
                           Col Fletchers Regiment
                                  1781 - 9 months
                                         ____________________



Rejected
Not on the Continental
establishment
4 June 1819
Page 4

State of Vermont Bennington County Js
On the 21st day of April AD 1818 before me the Subscriber Chief Judge of the County Court in said County of Bennington personally appeared Benjamin Lamb, aged Sixty five years resident in Sandgate in the said County of Bennington who being by me first sworn according to Law doth on his oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the provisions made by the late Act of Congress entitled "An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the Land and naval services of the United States in the revolutionary war, that he the said Benjamin Lamb served time in June 1775 at Cambridge Massachusetts enlisted for nine months in Capt Goothridges Company, Col. Dibbles Regt. in the Massachusetts line he continued to serve in sd Corps or in the service of the United States until some time in November 1775. When he again enlisted in the same line for one year   he continued to serve in sd Corps  in the service of the United States untill [sic] some time in January 1776 when he was discharged in consequence of sickness which rendered him unfit for duty & this discharge is lost and cannot be found - in July 1776 he again enlisted for seven months in Capt. Elderkins Company of the Connecticut line   he continued in service untill some time in Dec. 1776 when he left the Army by virtue if a Pass signed by his Lieut. in consequence of sickness.  Sometime in March 1781 he again enlisted under Capt. WIlliam Goothridge in Col. Fletchers Regt. - for nine months  he continued to serve in said Corps or in the service of the United States [next word crossed out] the full term of his enlistment  but never rcd. a discharge and that he is in reduced circumstances, and stands in need of the assistance of his country for support, and that he has no other evidence now in his possession of his said Services.

Sworn to an declared before me the day and year aforesaid
           [Signed] Nathan Burton-
Page 5

I Nathan Burton Chief Judge of the County Court as afsd do Certify that it appears to my satisfaction that the said Benjamin Lamb did serve in the revolutionary war, as stated in the preceding declaration against the Common Enemy; and I now transmit the proceedings and testimony taken and had before me to the Secretary for the department of war pursuant to the directions of the aforementioned Act of Congress. I also Certify that it appears to our satisfaction that the said Benjamin Lamb is poor and needs the assistance of his Country for support and that he is now supported by the Public.
                          [Signed] Nathan Burton
Page 6

State of Vermont
Bennington County Js

 Be it remembered that on the 31st day of August AD 1827 personally appeared in Open Court Benjamin Lamb resident in the town of Sandgate in said County of Bennington aged seventy five years on the 7 day of this August who being first duly sworn according to Law doth  on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provisions made by the Acts of Congress of the 18th March AD 1818 & the 1st May AD 1820 that he the said Benjamin Lamb was & continued in service as a soldier under various enlistments under the United States & the individual States which now compose the Union during nearly the whole of the revolutionary war except the time for which he was excused or unable to serve by reason of sickness or ither disability & particularly that the said Benjamin Lamb enlisted for the term of three years sometime in the forepart of the year AD 1777 according to his best recollection said term to be calculated from the first day of January AD 1777 aforesaid in the State of Connecticut in the Company commanded by Cap. Elderkin & as he believes in the regiment commanded by Colo. Swift in the line of the State of Connecticut on the Connecticut Continental establishment that he continued to serve in the said Corps under Capt. Elderkin until he was assigned & afterwards under Capt. Convers  in the said Colo. Swifts regiment until the month of October AD 1779 when he received a pass to go into the Country on account of his sickness & that before his recovery the Army removed & he did not rejoin it again until his term of enlistment had expired & he received no regular discharge from the
Page 7

said service that he was in the Battle of Bunkerhill, Monmouth & Germantown & several very considerable skirmishes - And in pursuance of the Act of the 1st May 1820 I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen if the United States on the 18 day of March 1818 & that I have not since that time by gift sale or any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby so [word  indented] to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an Act of Congress entitled "An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land & naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war" passed on the 18th day of March 1818 & that I have not nor has any person in trust for me any property or securities contracts or debts due to me nor have I any income nor other property of any description except my necessary wearing apparel having been supported for several years past by the town of Sandgate that my occupation when able to pursue it thaatof a farmer & that for several years past ore especially since the year 1818n& mostly for twenty five years past I have been almost totally unable to perform manual or other corporal labour of any description & from & including the year 1818   I have been almost wholly supported by the said town of Sandgate that I have no family residing with me that my children three or four only of whom as I understand are now alive reside in different parts of the Country at a distance from me neither of whom I am informed are able to contribute anything to my support & that I am in such indigent circumstances to be unable to support myself without the assistance of my country -

And I do further say that in the 21st day of April AD 1818 I made oath & applicatinm for a  pension under the laws of the United States then in force to & before the
Page 8

Hon. Nathan Burton then Chief Justice of the County Court in & for the said County of Bennington in which said Oath & application & statement accompanying the same the aforesaid enlistment & term of service above particularly stated & refered [sic] to were wholly omitted by mistake or misrecollection since which time I have been completely unable by reason of poverty infirmity & the want of assistance to make further application until the present time.  The above is true according to my best knowledge & belief
               [Signed] Benjamin Lamb

Sworn to & declared at Manchester in the County of Bennington & State of Vermont on the 13th day of August AD 1827 in open Court before  Joel Pratt Clerk

I Joel Pratt Clerk of Bennington County Court do hereby certify that the foregoing application & Oath hereto annexed are truly copied from the record of the said Court.
In testimony hereof I hereunto set my hand & affix the Seal of [illegible] said County Court this 10th day of September AD 1827
       [Signed] Joel Pratt Clerk of the Court for 
                                             the County of Bennington
Page 9

November 8, 1909.
                          
Mr. Frank H. Lamb                    BA-J/CC
Westfield, New York.                Benjamin Lamb
                                                 S. 40915


Dear Sir:

     Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of Benjamin Lamb of Sandgate, Vermont.

    The data which follows were obtained from papers on file in pension claim, S. 40915, based upon service of Benjamin Lamb in the Revolutionary War.

      Benjamin Lamb was born August 7, 1752, place of his birth and names of his parents are not shown. 

    He enlisted sometime in June, 1775, served as private in Captain Goodrich's company, Colonel Dibble's Massachusetts regiment, and was discharged sometime in January 1776; enlisted in July .1776, served seven months as private in Captain Vine Elderkin's Connecticut Company; enlisted January 1, 1777, served as private in Captain Vine Elderkin's and Thomas Converse's companies, Colonel Heman Swift's
Connecticut regiment until October 1779; enlisted in March 1781, served as private in Capt. William Goodrich's company, length of his service nine months. He was in the battles of Bunker Hill, Germantown and Monmouth and several skirmishes.

      He was allowed pension on his application executed August 31, 1827, at which time he was a resident if Sandgate, Bennington, Vermont.

     Date and place of his marriage and name of his wife are not shown.

     It was stated he had three or four children, their names are  not shown.

[NOTE:  The following was written in the right margin next to the above paragraph #4]

Wm Goodrich was a Mass Capt and as 2 statements were made to his services either in Col. Fletcher's Reg or Col Swifts Regt. being Conn and Fletchr not being identified from any state, omitted the colonel.
Page 10

       No further family data are shown.

In order to obtain the data of last payment of pension, and the name and address of person paid, you should address the Comptroller General. General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city and cite the following data:

Benjamin Lamb
Certificate # 19836
Issued November 30, 1827
Rate: $8.00 per month
Commenced November 21, 1827
Acts of March 18, 1818 and May 1, 1820.
Vermont Agency

                         Very truly yours,


                                 A.. HILLER
                                Executive Assistant,
                                 to the Administrator
Page 11

                                Benjamin Lamb

                              Revo. Vermont.
                                        ______
        [Three lines crossed out]:  
                        Suspd.  see letter to 
                        S Swift, Oct. 27., 1827
                        + 29 October 1827


Have a certificate & sent it ot
S. Swift, Esqr. Manchester,
Vt. - pen: to com: 21 Nov.
1827
Page 12

                                               Westfield, N.Y.
                                                   Oct 21 -1939
Accountant Department
  Pension Office
    Revolutionary War Division
      Washington, D.C.

Dear Sirs,

    Benjamin Lamb of Sandgate, Vermont who died Dec 27 - 1827, received a pension shortly before.

    Will you write me if any payment was paid, and if so, his declaration.

     I am preparing a  Lamb genealogy and find nothing of his family.

                    Very truly yours,
                                 Frank B. Lamb.
Page 13

[LEFT PAGE]

                              40915
                      INVALID
                                  Revy
File No.  40915
                  Benjamin Lamb
             Pri   Rev War

Act   18th March 18th
Index: - Vol T, Page  286
    [Arrangement of 1870.]

[RIGHT PAGE]

1929. Nov. 8. Hist to Mrs.
Frank B. Lamb, C.C.
Page 14

I Zebulon Ames of Ira in the County of Rutland & State of Vermont aged sixty six years do depose and say that I was a Soldier in the 7th Company commanded by Vine Elderkin afterwards commanded by Capt Thomas Converse - 7th Regiment - Commanded by Col. Heman Swift - in a brigade Commanded by Gen. Jedediah Huntington in the Connecticut line of the Army Revolution army and that I was well acquainted with Benjamin Lamb who also belonged to the same Company & Regiment - as above mentioned and that he joined the Comoany and Regt. as above stated as a Soldier for three ears or during the war on or about the first of May 1777 & I further know him to be the same Benjamin Lamb who is now present-and who as I am informed and verily believe now resides in the town of Sandgate in the County of Bennington and State of Vermont- and who as I understand has heretofore made application for a pension or to be inserted on the pension Roll of the United States and further the deponent saith not
   [Signed]  Zebulon Ames
Carleton 13th October [inserted] 1827 -


State of Vermont Carleton 13th October 1827
Rutland County Js   Then Zebulon Ames personally appeared before me and after being carefully examined and duly cautioned made solom [sic] oath, that the foregoing deposition by him subscribed contains the whole truth and nothing but the truth
    Before me Josiah G. Harris  Jus. Peace
Page 15

I Jonathan Deming of Castleton in the County of Rutland and State of Vermont, aged Seventy one years, do depose and say that I was a Sergeant in the 2d Company in Genl. Heman Swift's Regt of the Connct. line of the Continental army of the revolution war.  I was there at first, the 7th Regt. and under the first arrangement was the 2d. I was there acquainted with a Benjamin Lamb of a Company  in sd Regt first commanded by Capt. Vine Elderkin and afterward Commanded by Capt. Thomas Converse: and that this must be the same Benjamin Lamb who is now present, by his answers to many particular [last two words underlined] questions which I have put to him of minute circumstances.  I am informed he now resides in Sandgate in Bennington County in [last three words inserted] and that he has applied for a Pension but has hitherto failed for want of sufficient proof of his identity etc. And I would further testify that from his answers to a variety of questions on minute circumstances that transpired at various periods of the war, I do know he must have served at least three years in sd Regt. and further say not.   
                      [Signed] Jonathan Deming

State of Vermont
Rutland County Js}  Castleton 13th Oct, 1824
Then Jonathan Deming of Castleton personally appeared before me and after being carefully examined [last two words inserted] & duly cautioned made Solom [sic] oath that the foregoing deposition by him subscribed contains the while truth and nothing but the truth
      Before me Josiah G. Harris Jus Peace

I have [last word crossed out] Certify that I have long been acquainted with the above Jonathan Deming and consider him a man of truth and veracity and that his oath may be strictly relied upon.
  [Signed] Josiah G. Harris Jus. Peace
Page 16

State of Vermont
Rutland County Js}
I Robert Pierpoint Clerk of the County Court for the County of Rutland do certify that Josiah G. Harris Esq. is & for more than one year last part has been a Justice of the Peace for said County, duly commissioned and that the Secretary of the authored Certificates are hos proper hand writing

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court at Rutland this 21 day of Nov 1827

                   [Signed] R. Pierpoint.
Page 17

I Ferris Cogswell of Sandgate in the County of Bennington and State of Vermont aged seventy years do depose and say that on or about the fourteenth day of April AD 1818 that  Iwas present at the house of Nathan Burton of .... in said County of Bennington who then was a Judge of the Court in said County with Benjamin Lamb of said Sandgate who then and there before the said Judge made his affidavit in order to obtain a pention[sic] for services performed as a soldier in the Continental establishment in the regiment commanded by Col. Swift  an officer in said service and through a mistake in the above named Nathan Burton the name of Col. Fletcher was inserted in [illegible word] of Col. Swift and furthermore the deponent saith not
    [Signed]  Ferris Cogswell
Sandgate  Oct. 4th AD 1827

State of Vermont
Bennington County Js}   Sandgate Oct 4th AD 
                                                       1827

Then personally appeared Ferris Cogswell before Me and after being carefully examined and duly cautioned made solemn oath that the foregoing Deposition by him  [next word crossed out] Subscribed contains the whole truth and nothing but the the truth
  [Signed]  Thomas Peck Justice Peace

I hereby Certify that I have a long time been well acquainted with the Signer of the above Deposition and believe him to be a Man whose Truth and Veracity can be relied upon.
  {Signed]  Thomas Peck Justice Peace
Page 18

State of Vermont

[A seal is affixed on the left of the first paragraph]

   I Joel Pratt Clerk of Bennington County Court do hereby certify that Thomas Peck Esqr. is a Justice of the Peace & for said County acting under the authority of this State & that the signature within as such is his -

In testimony whereof I hereto set my hand & affix the seal of our said Court at Manchester this 20 day of October AD 1827 -
                               [Signed] Joel Pratt Clerk
Page 19

            Hon. James Barbour
                            Secretary of War
                                     Washington, D.C. 


[Written vertically over the above]:

                    Pension Office 
                 Sept 22nd 1827

            See letter to Swift Sept 22. 1827
Page 20

MAnchester Vt  Sept 13th AD 1827.

Hind, Sir,
  Enclosed I transmit to your the Oath & application of Benjamin Lamb with a view to obtain a pension under the Laws of the United States  . In addition to his advanced age he has become very infirm of late, and may have made some small mistakes  in dates and other particulars   but I presume, from his reputation for veracity, that it will be found to be 
substantially correct.  I also enclose to you a former application which was rejected on the ground that the enlistment & service was not on the Continental Establishment, as will be perceived -  The enlistment & service mentioned in this last application was by some mistake wholly omitted in the former application.   
[Illegible word and space]   of  the omission are unknown to me, as I am informed by Mr. Lamb, that he stated it to the  Judge who took his oath in that case, I therefore presume it was either accidental, or supposed by the Judge to have been immaterial & wholly unnecessary, as the term of service therein stated would have been sufficient to have obtained his pension, if it had been in the line of the U.S.

Since the first application above referred to, Mr. Lamb has been so reduced by poverty, & disabled by reason of duressitude (living a distance of near 20 miles from the places of holding the Courts in this County) that he has been utterly unable to renew his application, except thro' the intervention of friends, & which he has not been able to obtain for the reasons before stated until now -

Whatever communications may be made in consequence of this application to or for him, I would thank you [last word inserted] Hind. Sir, to direct to me at this lalce, in his behalf - & I hope for his sake,
Page 21

that the result may be favorable, & without any great delay, farther than necessary for the examination of the claim etc., as he is very needy, & cannot probably long enjoy the bounty of his God & Country -

             I am Hond. Sir,
                   most respectfully
                      your obedt & very 
                           humble servant
                                  Serinus Swift


Hon. James Barbour
   Secy of War
Page 22

I hereby Certify that I am satisfied that Benjamin Lamb of Sandgate in the County of Bennington at the time he made his first declaration for a pension with the Act of Congress of the 18 March 1818 distant before me then acting as Chief Judge in the Court of Common Please for the County of Bennington that the said Benjamin Lamb served as a Soldier in the revolutionary War in the Regiment commanded by Col Swift of the Connecticut  line   that the name must have been omitted by mistake he states and that he served for a time in Fletchers Regt -

Given under my hand at Rupert County of Bennington this 18th of October 1827 -

               Nathan Burton late Chief
               Judge of Bennington County Court
Page 23

Manchester Vt
Oct. 20
            Hon. James Barbour, Esquire
                Secretary of War
                        City of Washington
                                           D.C.

[Written vertically, left side]

Pension Office
October 26th - 1827
Page 24

                 Manchester Octr 19th AD. 1827.
Hond. Sir:  I acknowledge the Rect. of the Letter of Mr. J. S. Edwards of the Pension Office, dated 22d Septr. Ulta in answer to one I formerly wrote to you, enclosing the Application of Benjamin Lamb for a pension - I also acknowledge with pleasure & thanks, the unexpected, & may I add, unprecedented promptitude & dispatch with which that business was attended to; & my request in relation thereto was compiled with - The favr. was recd in due season in the course of the Mail, but a considerable interval of delay, in processing the evidence required by that letter has,  since that time,  been occasioned by the distance at which the Applicant resides from this & also from the residence of the person whose testimony, it [word deleted] was requisite for him to obtain, to prove his identity etc. together with his age & infirmities, which rendered it difficult for him to get abroad from home, as is became essential that he should go in person to see his witnesses, as that they [last word inserted] (also aged) should come to him -  as they have not seen each other since the close of the war, & indeed their existence & residence has been but lately made known to him.  Under all these disadvantages, he has procured, or has been procured for him [last word inserted] a Certificate from the Judge, who formerly took & certified his Oath, to the fact, that he at the time, stated to him [last two words inserted] the term of service for which he had now applied for a pension - but as the Judge is not now in Office, a confirmatory Deposition had been obtained from another respectable man who was [last two words inserted] present at that time [ And as a reasonable doubt might still arise, as to his identity & actual service, his friends have taken upon themselves, the .....
Page 25

trouble & expense, of conveying him a considerable distance into the County of Rutland, & have thus procured the Affidavits of two men who served with him in the same Regiment during the revolutionary War, but as the Clerk of the County of Rutland was at the time & is still from home attending the  session of the Legislature of this State at Montpelier [last two words inserted]  his Certificate is not as yet obtained, to be added to [two illegible inserted words] the two last mentioned Depositions -but he has been sent to for that purpose - & I have now deferred for  two or three days, sending on the office papers, in expectation of receiving his Certificate, to forward on with them -  & I still have to receive it in season to enclose it [last word crossed out] with the rest; but if it should fail, & I should be considered as negligible,  I will process & transmit it to the Deponent, hereafter -

All the above confirmatory evidence, I have now the honor & satisfaction, to enclose herewith, & trust that sd will be found to be satisfactory, for the purposes for which they were forwarded - And I hope, in long to receive a further communication, giving notice of a favorable result, from obtaining a Certificate, that the above Applicant, is placed upon the pension roll of the U.S. [last four words inserted] from the time of his first application -  I have the honor to be Hond. Sir,
                    most respectfully
                          your most obedt
                             & able Sevnt
                     Serenus Swift


Hon. Jas. Barbour
Secy of War
Page 26

Manchester N
Nov 24

    Hon .James Barbour
Secretary of Was
City of Washington
D.C.

{Written vertically left side]

Pension Office
29 Nov
Page 27

                       Manchester Nov. 23d.1827.
Hond. Sir,
Since the return of the Papers in Mr. Lamb's case, an unavailable delay in procuring the requisite Certificate, has been occasioned, in consequence of the absence of the Clerk [last three words repeated and crossed out] of the County of Rutland from home, he being at that time attending the Session of the Legislature of that State, as a member of one of its Branches - I immediately after I had obtained knowledge, that the Legislature has terminated its session, which was but a few days since, I forwarded to him the Deposition, to be authenticated by him, & I have just recd them in return, with his accompanying certificate, & I have now the honor herewith to enclose them to you, & hope that they may now meet the requisite rules in such cases, & prove satisfactory for the object for which they were procured -  The reason why the Certificate of the Clerk, instead of the Secy of State, was not obtained & forwarded before, was, that he had not, at the Seat of Govt. where he then was , the Seal of the County, to affix -

I again have the pleasure, to express my acknowledgements &  sense, of the promptitude & diligence manifested in the Pension Department, & particularly by Mr. Edwards, who I suppose is at the head of that Office -

        I have the honor to be, Hond. Sir,
     most respectfully & truly, your obnt. svt.
          etc.
                             S. Swift

Hon. Jas. Barbour
Secy at War etc.}