Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 29784, David Erskine, Mass Privateer
Page 1

(3-1776)
SERVICE Mass Privateer
Erskine, David
NUMBER S. 29784
CONTENTS [BLANK]
Page 2

18.163
Maine

David Erskine of Bristol in the State of Maine who was a private in the Company commanded by Captain Plummers of the Regt. commanded by Col McCobbs in the [illegible] line for 7 mo.

Inscribed on the Roll of Maine at the rate of 23 Dollars 33 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.

Certificate of Pension issued the 14 day of July 1833 and sent to R. A. Vose Present

Arrears to the 4th of March 1833. $46.66
Semi-anl. allowance ending Septb 11.66
$58.32

{Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.}
Recorded by W. L. Williams Clerk, Book E Vol. 1 Page 13
Page 3

Sol. Pensioner & Pen Agt.
June 14. '39
do. to A. Blaney July 30. 1839
Page 4

David Erskine
Private Masstts. troops.
Plummer's Co. McCobb's regt.
4 months
"  "
3 months

7 months as a private
Genl [illegible]
Declaration in open Court.
March 26. 1833.
vol 37 - 98 - not on -
Bagaduce
admd
7 mo. pri
$23.33

R. C. Vose, Agusta, Me,
Page 5

Declaration.
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832.
STATE OF MAINES
KENNEBEC COUNTY ss
On this twenty fifth day of August A. D. 1832 personally appeared before the Hon. NATHAN WESTON, Jun'r, a Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of said State David Erskine a resident of Bristol in the County of Lincoln and State of Maine, aged seventy three years, who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832. That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year 1779 with Captain Benjamin Plummer and served in Col. McCobb's regiment of the Massachusetts line or troops under the following named officers: viz. Plummer Capt and McCobb Col. That he enlisted in that company & regiment in June 1779 as a private for four months, that he was in the expedition to Brigadice & after the retreat was discharged in November of the same year, (Entered in May or June)
That in June 1780 he again enlisted as a private for three months, in the same Company & regiment & after serving out the full term of his enlistment at Camden, Maine, was there discharged in October of the same year.
That in July 1781 he entered as a Mariner for a cruise on board the private armed Schooner Reprisal of Boston, that he served on board said Schooner during a cruise of four months & was then discharged at Boston. Said Schooner was commanded by Capt. John Curtis.
That in May 1782 he entered as a Mariner for a cruise on board the private armed Schooner Peacock of Boston, commanded by Capt. William Proctor, that he served during the cruise which was five or six months & was then discharged in Boston.
That in May 1783 he entered as a Mariner for the cruise or bound the same Schooner Peacock, under the same Captain & after serving for four months was discharged [text missing due to torn document] Boston, having served three or four months.
That in the Fall of 17[text missing due to torn document] as a Mariner on board the [test missing due to torn document] Schooner Peacock commanded [text missing due to torn document] chusetts & after serving three
Page 6

And to the [text missing due to torn document] propounded under the instructions of the War Department, he answers:
That he was born in Bristol aforesaid in 1759, where he presumes his age is recorded, where his home was during his revolutionary services & where he has ever since lived. That he enlisted, was not drafted or received as a substitute, that he never received a written discharge. That any of his neighbors will testify to his character for veracity & their belief of his services.
He now lives in Bristol in the County of Lincoln.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any agency in any State.
David Erskine

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid, Before
Nathan Weston Jun Dist S. J. C.
And the said Judge does hereby declare his opinion that the above named applicant was a
Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states.
Nathan Weston Jun
Page 7

State of Maine.
KENNEBEC, ss. - I, John A. Chandler, Clerk of all Judicial Courts held within and for the County of Kennebec, hereby certify that the Hon. NATHAN WESTON, Jun'r, before whom the within proceedings was had, is a Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of said State; I also certify that the within contains the original proceedings of the said Judge, in the matter of the application of David Erskine for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of the said Court, this 15th day of October A. D. 1832,
J. A. Chandler
Page 8

Grace Hammon,
612 Pine St. Rear,
Anaconda, Mont.

Madam;
I have to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim,S. 29784, it appears that David Erskine was born in 1759 in Bristol, Lincoln County, Maine.
While residing in said Bristol, he enlisted in June 1779 and served as a private four months in Captain Benjamin Plummer's Company, Colonel McCobb's Massachusetts Regiment and was in the engagement at Bagaduce.
He enlisted in June 1780 and served three months as private in same company and regiment.
He enlisted in July 1781 and served four months as mariner on board the Privateer "Reprisal, Captain John Curtis.
He enlisted in May 1782 and served five or six months as mariner on board the Privateer "Peacock, Captain William
Page 9

Proctor.
He enlisted in May 1783 and served three or four months as mariner on board the Privateer "Peacock, and in the fall of same years, he enlisted and served three months as mariner on board the same Privateer, Captain Thomas Coburn.
He was allowed pension on his application executed August 12, 1832, while a resident of Bristol, Lincoln County, Maine.
There is no data on file as to his family.
Respectfully,
Commissioner.
Page 10

612 Pine St. Rear Anaconda Mont.
Feb. 25, 1924.

Director Bureau of Pensions
Wash. D.C.

Dear Sir:
Will you kindly send me a copy of the pension papers of David Erskine who was pensioned "for service in the Rev. War in Mass. militia as a private" in 1834 aged 75 living in Lincoln Co. Maine. This information was furnished me by the Director of Historical Research of the Maine State Library.
[crossed out: Also please send a copy of]
Very truly
(Miss) Grace Hammon.

[stamped: U.S. PENSION OFFICE MAR 1 1924]
Page 11

29 784
Revy INVALID.
File No. 29,784
David Erskine Pri Rev War
Act: June 7 32
Index:-Vol. 2, Page 125
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Aug.
24-Apr. 1 - Hist to Grace Hammon
Page 12

STATE OF MAINE.
Kennebec County, ss.
AT the Supreme Judicial Court, begun and holden at Augusta, within and for the County of Kennebec, on the first Tuesday of October, A. D. 1832, and thence by adjournment on the 26th. day of March A. D. 1833.

PERSONALLY appears in open Court David Erskine by whom the annexed declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress of June 7th, 1832, was made before the Hon. NATHAN WESTON, Jr. on the 25th. day of August A. D. 2832, and makes oath, in due form of law, that the annexed declaration, by him made and signed, is true.
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states.
Nathan Weston

I, JOHN ALPHONSO CHANDLER, Clerk of all the Judicial Courts held within and for the County of Kennebec, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of David Erskine for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix the seal of said Supreme Judicial Court, and subscribe my name this 26th. day of March A. D. 1833.
J. A. Chandler
Page 13

Bristol July 21st 1839
Sir
yours of June 14th to David Erskine a pensioner under the act of June 31 is before me and at his request I will thank you to inform me whether the Rolls in the Departments are to be consider sufficient evidence to debar him of his pension & whether living testimony to prove service sufficient to entitle him to receive his pension will not be better evidence then the rolls. I presume the reason why his name does not appear on the rolls was that he took the place of another on the original enlistment. he can abundantly prove the service if it will be admissable to restore him. I would also enquire whether he will be entitled to receive up to the time his name was stricken from the roll of Pension" to wit the 14th of June 1839.

Stephen Tibbetts of Bristol in Maine, a pensioner under the act of 1818
is entitled to receive a grant of land from the State of Maine if he can prove his service. the witnesses in his case are dead & he wishes to obtain from the department certified copies of the testimony on file by which he obtained his pension under said act which will thank you to forward to me.
I am very respectfully your obt st
Washington
Arnold Blaney

Honl. J L Edwards
Washington
D. C
Page 14

(Deposition of George Ersk.
Taken for David Erskine
Page 15

I George Erskine of Bristol in the County of Lincoln & State of Maine aged sixty eight years on oath do testify & say that in the year of our Lord 1778 David Erskine of Bristol aforesaid did enlist as a soldier in the service of the United States & served at Bagaduce & other places about three or four months, the next summer he served about three months at Camden. In July 1781 he entered on board the Privateer schooner Reprisal of Boston commanded by Capt John Curtis & served on board her about five or six months to the best of my recollection. He returned late in the fall.
In the spring of 1782 he entered on board the private Peacock Capt. William Proctor of Boston & served on board her five or six months & returned home in the fall.
In the spring of 1783 he again entered on board the Peacock under the same Captain & served during the summer & returned home, the same fall he entered on board the Peacock of Marblehead commanded by Capt Thomas Coburn & served in her three months all the above services were as a seaman or marine
The last cruise of three months I was in the same vessell with him, during the others I was the most of the time at home but saw him frequently on board said vessels as they often were in Bristol after wood, water & provisions
George Erskine

Lincoln ss. August 24. 1832 Then the above named George Erskine made oath to the truth of the above deposition by him subscribed taken at the request of David Erskine
Before me
Peaslee M. Wells Just of the Peace

I further certify, that the above named George Erskin is in my opinion a man of veracity & a disinterested witness
Pensler M. Wells 
who is a Justice N. Weston
Page 16

Deposition of Benjamin Chapman Taken for David Erskine
Page 17

I Benjamin Chapman of Nobleborough (Nobleboro) in the County of Lincoln & State of Maine aged seventy two years on oath do testify & say that David Erskine of Bristol County & State aforesaid was in the year of our Lord one thousand [crossed out: eight] seven hundred & seventy eight a private in the service of the United States four months in a company commanded by Capt. Benjamin Plummer & attached to a regiment commanded by Col. McCobb he was as Bagaduce (now Castine) at the time of the engagement there.
I know he served the above term of time for I was in the same company with him
Benjamin Chapman, his X mark

Lincoln August 24. 1832 Then the above named Benjamin Chapman made oath to the truth of the above deposition by him subscribed Taken at the request of David Erskine
Before me
Peaslee M. Wells Just of the Peace

I further certify that the above named Chapman is in my opinion a man of veracity & a disinterested witness
Peaslee M. Wells

who is a Justice of the Peace
Nathan Weston Jr
Page 18

David Erskine

Deposition of Elijah Howland Taken for David Erskine
Page 19

I Elijah Howland of Avon in the County of Somerset in the State of Maine aged sixty eight years on oath do testify & say that David Erskine of Bristol in said State was in the year of our Lord 1781 a seaman on board the Privateer Schooner Reprisal of which John Curtis was Master & Robert Askins Lieutenant four months he entered in July & was discharged in November we were cruising the most of the time on the Eastern shore between Boston & Halifax & were at the taking of Annapolis I know he served the above term of time for I was with him in the same vessell
Elijah Howland

Lincoln August 22d. 1832 Then the above named Howland made oath to the truth of the above deposition by him subscribed taken at the request of David Erskine
Before me
Peaslee M. Wells Just of the Peace

I further certify that the above named Howland is in my opinion a man of veracity & a disinterested witness
Peaslee M. Wells

who is a Justice of the Peace
Nathan Western Jr