Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File B L Wt- 2376-100, Andrew Bearce, Continental N. H.
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(3-1776)
SERVICE|[blank]|NUMBER|
Continental|Bearce or Bierce Andrew|B.L. Wt. 2376-100
N.H.
CONTENTS
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Andrew Bearce
W. 2.376.
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Plymouth ss. Probate Office September 17, 1845
I Jacob H. Loud Register of Probate for said County do hereby certify that Affidavit have been filed in this Office, shewing that Andrew Bearce formerly a resident in Halifax in said County, who enlisted into the service of the United States in the War of the Revolution & was killed while in the service in the Year Seventeen hundred and seventy seven, left no lawful issue & that [illegible] Howland, Joseph Howland & Hannah Derry niece, & nephews af'said deceased are the only heirs at law of said Andrew Bearce deceased now living to the knowledge of said deponents. 
[court seal affixed] In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & the seal of the Court of Probate for said County this seventeenth day of September Eighteen hundred and forty five
/s/Jacob H. Loud
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Plymouth County ss} September 16th 1845
I Joseph Howland heir at law of Andrew Bearce do upon oath testify and declare to the best of my Knowledge and belief that the said Andrew Bearce did enter the service 1in 1776 for the term of during the war and served as a soldier in the Regiment Commanded by Colonel George Reid of the New Hampshire Line and continued in the service aforesaid untill the nineteenth day of September 1777 when he was killed by General Burgoine (Burgoyne) Army in the State of N.Y. 
I further declare that I have never received a warrant for the bounty land promised to the said Andrew Bearce on the part of the United States nor do I believe that he ever received it as transfered his claim to it in any manner whatsoever, therefore.
Know all men by these presents that I Joseph Howland aforesaid do hereby constitute and appoint Richard Russell of Somersworth in the State of N.H. my true and lawful attorney for me & in my name to demand and receive from the Secretary of War of the United States a warrant of the quantity of land due to me aforesaid & my said attorney is hereby fully authorized & empowered to constitute & appoint one or more substitutes as attorneys under him for the special purpose above expressed.
/s/Joseph Howland
Attest
/s/N. Fisher
/s/Thos. Turner
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Plymouth County ss/Personally appeared the above named Joseph Howland Subscriber to the foregoing declaration and made oath to the same in my presents and acknowledged the foregoing power of attorney thereunto subjoined to be his free act and deed for the purposes therein mentioned.
Before Me /s/Thos. Turner Justice of the Peace
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Boston September 18th 1845.
I hereby Certify, that at the date of the annexed attestation Thomas Turner was (viz. on the 16th inst) a Justice of the Peace for the County of Plymouth, in the Commonwealth duly commissioned and constituted; and that to his acts and attestations, as such, full faith and credit are and ought to be given, in and out of Court.
[commonwealth seal affixed] In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed the Seal of the Commonwealth, the date above written. 
/s/John G. Palfrey, Secretary of the Commonwealth.
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[addressed envelope]
[margin notes: Richard Russell see answer within Rec'd Octo'r 23d 1845
Proof of service of Andrew Bearce, dc. Slain in battle 1777 for Bounty Land]
[postmark: GREAT FALLS N.H. SEP 24] PAID 25
James L. Edwards Esqr
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington City D.C.
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[handwritten letter]
Somersworth N.H. Sept 26, 1845

Sir,
Herewith is enclosed sundry papers to prove the service and death of Andrew Bearce who was a soldier in the New Hampshire Continental Line. Slain Sept 19, 1777.
Two and a half years ago I made out papers in the claim of Thomas Badget of Stratford N.H. who was a Soldier in Col'o Geo. Reed's (Reid) Reg't slaim Oct 13, 1777 
Said papers were left in the hands of his Brother in Vermont near Stratford - If consistant I would like to know if said claim has been allowed. 
I am very respectfully your obt serv't
/s/Richard Russell
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[handwritten letter]
Secretary of State's Office
Concord, N.H. Octr. 31, 1845.

Sir,
The enclosed certificate has been returned to me for correction, together with a note from you to Mr. Russell. Upon refering to the record I find that the name is spelled as in the certificate Bearce, no dot, however, is placed over the i, and I think there can be no doubt it was intended for a c, as in the alphabet to the Ledger, which appears to be in the same hand writing as the Ledger itself. the name of the soldier is very plainly spelled "Andrew Bearce" page 155, which is the page upon which Bearce's account, a copy of which is placed over the enclosed certificate, is found. 
I am very Respectfully, Sir, your Obt. Serv't
/s/Thomas P. Treadwell
Secretary of State
To Hon. J. L. Edwards
Com'r of Pensions
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[handwritten letter]
Somersworth Oct 26, 1845

Sir,
Herewith I return the copy of Andrew Bearce's services, if you can correct the same agreeable to Mr. Edwards not please so do & send the copy to Mr. Edwards direct postage paid & charge the same to me. 
I herewith enclose 2 dollars which you will please place to my credit. 
I am very respectfully Your Ob-humble serv't
/s/Richard Russell
T. P. Treadwell
Secy. of State
Concord N.H.
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[handwritten letter]
Pension Office
Octo'r 24th 1845

Sir,
Your letter of the 24th ulto. enclosing sundry papers relating to a claim for bounty land in right of Andrew Bearce, dec'd, is received, and in reference thereto, have to remark that, the name of the soldier as given in the Certificate of the Secretary of State, is very plainly spelled Andrew Bearie. I this is an error in transcribing from the record, it is essentially necessary that it be corrected, and the Certificate is herewith returned for that purpose - 
Resp'y Y'r Ob Sert
/s/J. L. Edwards
Richard Russell
Somersworth N.H.
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[addressed envelope]
[postmark: GREAT FALLS N.H. OCT 29] PAID 5
Thomas P. Treadwell
Secretary of State
Concord N.H.
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[column headings: [blank]|Contra|[blank]|Cn|[blank]|]
Engaged Nov. 15, 1776 Killed Sept. 19. 1777|By 8 Months & 19 days.|20|11|6|
[end of columns]
State of New Hampshire
Secretary of State's Office, 
[state seal affixed] I do hereby certify, That the foregoing is a true copy of the original & the whole of said original the same having been examined & compared by me. The original may be found in Reid's Regimental Ledger which was returned to his office from the War Office Jan'y 1841. 
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the Seal of said State, this 22nd day of  September A.D. 1845. 
/s/Thomas P. Treadwell
Secretary of State
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Serg't Andrew Bearce 8th Col. War D'c
[6 unnamed columns]
[[blank]|[blank]|Paid by the Continent|10|5|9|
1785 Feby|18|Order to Daniel Cook, from his Widow|10|5|9|
[blank]|[blank]|£|20|11|6|
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I Lemuel B Mason of Moultonborough in the County of Carroll & State of New Hampshire eighty three years old Depose & say that I enlisted as a soldier into Captain Benjamin Titcomb's Company & Col'o Enoch Poor's Regt of the New Hampshire Line, in 1776 for six months I then again in 1776 inlisted for one year, & then in November following I inlisted again to serve during the war into Captain William Rowell's Company & Col'o Nathan Hale's Regiment of the New Hampshire Line Col'o George Reid commanded the said Regiment at the close of the war. I was soon promoted to the Office of a Sargent & soon after that I was promoted to the Office of a Ensign & soon after that I was promoted to the Office of Lieut in which Office I served untill the close of the War, at which time I was selected as one to see the soldiers home, those that inlisted to serve during the War & now also which duty I attended to. I further state that I was well acquainted with Andrew Bearce who inlisted as a soldier into Captain Benjamin Titcomb's Company & Col'o Enoch Poor's Regt. in 1776 for one year & at the close of said enlistment the said Andrew Bearce enlisted again into Captain William Rowell's Company & Nathan Hale's Regt of the New Hampshire  Line at the same time that I did & the said Andrew Bierce (Bearce) served in said Company & Regt untill he was killed on the 19th day of September 1777 by General Burgoine's (Burgoyne) Army in a war Battle at Bemis Heights so called in the State of New York. the said Andrew Bierce (Bearce) enlisted into Captain William Rowell's Company to serve during the war & did serve untill killed by the Enemy
/s/Lemuel B. Mason
State of New Hampshire
Carroll County ss} 
[notarial seal affixed] Be it known that on this sixth day of Aug't 1842 personally appeared the above named Lemuel B. Mason credible man to my known & made oath that the above affidavit by him
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signed is true. In testimony whereof I have here unto set my hand & seal of Notary Public
/s/Moss C. Russell Notary Public